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Washington Counties

There are 39 counties in the state of Washington.

Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory and admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. The first counties were created from unorganized territory in 1845.

Garfield County, Washington

Garfield County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Pomeroy
Year Organized: 1881
Square Miles: 710

Court House:

P.O. Box 278
County Courthouse
Pomeroy, WA 99347-0278

Etymology - Origin of County Name

James Abram Garfield, the twentieth president of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Garfield County was created 29 November 1881 from Columbia County

Garfield County, located in southeastern Washington, had a population in 2000 of 2,397, making it the least populated of Washington's 39 counties. Its largest town (and county seat), Pomeroy, recorded a population of 1,517 in the 2000 Census. Agriculture has long dominated Garfield County's economy with farms occupying two-thirds of the land in the county. Wheat has long been the dominant crop, though other grains such as barley also are grown. At 710.5 square miles, Garfield County is the seventh-smallest county in the state. It is bordered by Columbia County to the west, Asotin County to the east, and the Snake River to the north, with the Snake River Canyon in places descending well over 1,000 feet to the river. The Oregon state line marks Garfield County's southern border. The northern part of the county is a fertile plain; farther south elevations rise to the Blue Mountains near the Oregon state line.
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Economic

Garfield County is located in the Southeast corner of Washington State, bordered on the north by the Snake River and on the South by the Blue Mountains, between Columbia and Asotin Counties. Historically an agricultural region, Garfield County’s business economy is based largely in service, retail and small production. The county supports one port district, the Port of Garfield, and is serviced by overland transportation along U.S. Highway 12, with connections to major interstates. Friendly customer service, quality K-12 education, local health services, and year-round recreation add to the rural charm of this neighborly community, creating a safe and inviting environment for families and businesses.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km²), of which, 711 square miles (1,840 km²) of it is land and 8 square miles (20 km²) of it (1.06%) is water. It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling prairie-like region of the middle Columbia basin.

Neighboring Counties:

Whitman County, Washington - north
Asotin County, Washington - east
Wallowa County, Oregon - south
Columbia County, Washington - west

Cities and Towns:

- Pomeroy (County Seat)

city

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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