Tri-Cities, Washington

Tri-Cities
Aerial view of Kennewick from above the Columbia River
Aerial view of Downtown Richland
Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco
Top: Kennewick skyline; Bottom left: Richland Bottom right Pasco
Nickname(s): 
Wine Country, Atomic Town
Map
Location of the Tri-Cities in Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties[note 1]
Country United States
State Washington
CountiesBenton
Franklin
Settled1891
Area
 • City108.96 sq mi (282.2 km2)
Elevation
550 ft (170 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City244,036
 • Urban
303,622 (US: 171st)
 • Metro
401,006 (US: 135th)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
99301, 99302, 99323, 99336, 99337, 99338, 99352, 99353, 99354
Area codeArea code 509

The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland)[2][3] at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. The three cities function as the center of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, which consists of Benton and Franklin counties.[4] The Tri-Cities urban area includes the city of West Richland, the census-designated places (CDP) of West Pasco and Finley, as well as the CDP of Burbank, despite the latter being located in Walla Walla County.

The official 2016 estimate of the Tri-Cities MSA population is 283,869, a more than 12% increase from 2010. 2016 U.S. MSA estimates show the Tri-Cities population as over 300,000. The combined population of the three principal cities themselves was 220,959 at the 2020 census. As of April 1, 2021, the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division estimates the cities as having a combined population of 224,640.[5]

The Tri-Cities Airport is located in Pasco and provides the region with commercial and private air service. Pasco is the seat of Franklin County, while the other two cities are located in Benton County. In 2010, Kiplinger rated the Tri-Cities among the Top 10 best places to raise a family, and CNN/Money ranked the Tri-Cities one of the top 10 best bets for gains in housing value, due to its relatively stable economic conditions since the early 2000s.[6]


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  1. ^ "April 1, 2017 Population of Cities, Towns and Counties" (PDF). (Washington state) Office of Financial Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  2. ^ "Tri Cities Washington - Visit TriCities WA - Kennewick - Pasco - Richland - West Richland". Visittri-cities.com. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Beaver, Ty (May 21, 2015). "Census: Tri-City population jumps 10 percent, brings challenges". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "Kennewick-Richland, WA Metro Area - Profile data". Census Reporter. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 20, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Christie, Les (February 25, 2010). "Housing: Best recovery bets". CNN Money. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016.