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Senator Steven Douglas
Douglas County was created in 1883 and named after U.S. Senator Steven Douglas of Illinois who was the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Territories when the Territory of Washington was created. Waterville was designated the County Seat in 1886 and the current Courthouse was initially constructed in 1905.
Douglas County is located near the geographic center of Washington. The Columbia River binds it on the north, the west and the south. Grant County, formerly a part of Douglas County, is on the east.
Douglas County is geographically diverse with elevations ranging from 600 feet above sea level near the Columbia River to more than 4,000 feet on Badger Mountain. Basalt rock outcrops and glacial erratics can be found in close proximity to fertile farmland. Irrigated orchard lands are located primarily in the lower elevations while dryland farming dominates the upland areas. Forested areas and areas with steppe shrub vegetation provide diverse wildlife habitat in the County. Explore the rich history of establishing Douglas County and the County Seat within the Town of Waterville here: Douglas County Seat Historic Establishment
Population
With an area of 1,820 square miles, Douglas County ranks 17 in size of Washington's 39 counties. The estimated 2023 population is 44,500 providing a population density of 21.1 persons per square mile. The U.S. Census Bureau categorizes 63.4% of the population of Douglas County as white and 32.3% of the population is identified as being of Spanish origin.
In 2018 there were an estimated 2.73 persons per household in Douglas County with a median household income of $62,951.
Weather: Four Distinct Seasons
County residents enjoy four distinct seasons. Even so, the weather conditions are noticeably different throughout the County due to the geographic diversity. These weather statistics are an example:
| City | Average January Temperature Maximum | Average January Temperature Minimum | Average July Temperature Maximum | Average July Temperature Minimum | Average Annual Precipitation | Average Annual Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Wenatchee | 34.4° Fahrenheit | 21.7° Fahrenheit | 87.8° Fahrenheit | 59.9° Fahrenheit | 8.95 inches | 27.9 inches |
| Waterville | 30.9° Fahrenheit | 15.6° Fahrenheit | 82.1° Fahrenheit | 52.7° Fahrenheit | 11.41 inches | 43.2 inches |
Industry & Employment
The primary industry in Douglas County is agriculture including the raising of crops and associated industries including packaging, warehousing, shipping and processing. Apples, wheat and cattle are the primary crops although there are significant other crop varieties in the County. Approximately 33% of the workforce in Douglas County is employed in agriculture, twice that of retail trade, which is the second highest employment sector.
For More Information
Additional information on Douglas County is available through local chambers of commerce, the North Central Regional Library, Washington State data sources, U.S. Bureau of the Census and throughout this website.