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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.

Walla Walla County, Washington

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

County Seat: Walla Walla
Year Organized: 1854
Square Miles: 1,270

Court House:

315 West Main Street
County Courthouse
Walla Walla, WA 99362-2864

Etymology - Origin of County Name

The Walla Walla Native American tribe.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Walla Walla County was created 25 April 1854 from Clark County.

Walla Walla County covers 1,271 square miles in south central Washington, ranking 26th in size among Washington's 39 counties. It is bounded to the east by Columbia County, to the north by the Snake River and Franklin County, to the west by Benton and Franklin counties and the Columbia River, and to the south by the state of Oregon. The city of Walla Walla is the County Seat. The land that would become Walla Walla County was one of the earliest areas between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Mountains to be permanently settled by non-Indians, and for that reason it is sometimes referred to as the cradle of Pacific Northwest history. The 1847 Whitman Massacre and the 1855 Treaty Council in Walla Walla are among the most significant events to have occurred within what is now Walla Walla County. Agriculture is the most significant industry in the county, especially the cultivation of wheat, onions, and wine grapes. Walla Walla County has a population of 54,200 as reported in the 2000 Census.
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Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,299 square miles (3,365 km²), of which, 1,271 square miles (3,291 km²) of it is land and 29 square miles (74 km²) of it (2.21%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Columbia County, Washington - east
Umatilla County, Oregon - south
Benton County, Washington - west
Franklin County, Washington - northwest

Cities and Towns:

- College Place	city	Incorporated Area
- Prescott	town	Incorporated Area
- Waitsburg	city	Incorporated Area
- Walla Walla (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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