Klickitat County, Washington
county in the state of Washington, United States
Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe and contains part of the Yakama Indian Reservation.
History
Klickitat County was created out of Walla Walla County on December 20, 1859. Samuel Hill was an early promoter of the area, promoting better roads and building local landmarks such as a war-memorial replica of Stonehenge (Maryhill Stonehenge) and a mansion that would become the Maryhill Museum of Art. The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge across the Columbia River is named after him.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,904 square miles (4,930 km2), of which 33 square miles (85 km2) (1.7%) are covered by water.
Geographic features
Cascade Mountains
Columbia River
Major highways
U.S. Route 97
State Route 14
State Route 141
State Route 142
Adjacent counties
National protected areas
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Gifford Pinchot National Forest (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,735. Of the residents, 19.5% were under the age of 18 and 23.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 46.0 years.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Klickitat County, Washington” is county in the state of Washington, United States. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Klickitat, County and Washington, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “county in the state of Washington, United States” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q820502. VIAF identifies the subject as 138370505. The Library of Congress control number is n80040418. Authority coordinates are 45.870, -120.790. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020 and 1859.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Klickitat County, Washington”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Klickitat County, Washington primary sources, Klickitat County, Washington archive and Klickitat research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Klickitat County, Washington”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Klickitat County, Washington” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.