Castle Rock, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Castle Rock, Washington
City
Nickname(s):  The Rock
Location of Castle Rock, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Cowlitz
Incorporated	June 20, 1890
Area
• City	2.32 sq mi (6.01 km2)
• Land	2.10 sq mi (5.42 km2)
• Water	0.23 sq mi (0.59 km2)
Elevation	59 ft (18 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	2,446
• Density	1,096.90/sq mi (423.60/km2)
• Urban	2,154
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98611
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-10565
GNIS feature ID	1512072

Castle Rock is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington. Located between the Willapa Hills and the western base of Mount St. Helens, Castle Rock is at the heart of Washington timber country in the Pacific temperate rain forest. Castle Rock is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area; the population was 2,446 as of the 2020 census.

History

Castle Rock is named for a volcanic rock outcropping over the Cowlitz River, "The Rock", rising 190 feet high on the south side of the city. The rock formation, resembling a castle, became a geographic landmark for Cowlitz Indians and Hudson's Bay Company traders as early as 1832. Today, it is the location of The Rock Community Park, with hiking trails, picnic tables, and a historical marker.

Castle Rock is centered primarily on the donation land claim of Eliza and William Huntington, who settled at the location in 1852. The city was platted December 12, 1888 and incorporated on June 20, 1890. Castle Rock prospered as a Cowlitz River steamboat port and trading center for valley farms. The local sawmill was the first to produce cedar shingles, using the Western red cedar, which grows in abundance in the region.

By 1940, the population had reached 1,182 and was supported by dairy farming, truck farming, and lumber manufacturing. Sword ferns, common in the region, were picked each year by several hundred people to be processed into medicine. In the spring, large quantities of Cascara Sagrada bark were gathered, dried, and shipped.

Geography

Castle Rock, the Gateway to Mount St. Helens, is 117 miles south of Seattle, Washington and 58 miles north of Portland, Oregon, 46°16′26″N 122°54′18″W / 46.27389°N 122.90500°W / 46.27389; -122.90500 (46.273991, −122.904916). Castle Rock is situated between the Cowlitz River and Interstate 5, one mile south of the confluence of the Cowlitz and the Toutle River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.76 square miles (4.56 km²), of which, 1.59 square miles (4.12 km²) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km²) is water. It is the northernmost city in Cowlitz County.

Transportation

Spirit Lake Memorial Highway (State Route 504) connects the city to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, the Spirit Lake recreation area, Seaquest State Park and Silver Lake. The State Route 504 Spur extends to Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

West Side Highway, running north along the Cowlitz River, connects Castle Rock to Cloud Mountain and the communities of Olequa and Vader, Washington. Continuing south, West Side Highway / State Route 411 connects Castle Rock to Longview, Washington, and Ocean Beach Highway (State Route 4), putting Castle Rock 75 miles from Willapa National Wildlife Refuge and the Pacific Ocean.

The Castle Rock Park & Ride is located on Huntington Avenue next to Interstate 5 Exit 49. Bus service is provided by Lower Columbia CAP Rural Public Transit to Longview and Castle Rock, via Interstate 5.

The Riverfront Trail, a multi-use off-road trail, runs along both sides of the Cowlitz River. On the east side, the trail begins at Lions Pride Park, runs past the Rock Community Park, and 1.5 miles later reaches the PH10 bridge. On the west side, the trail runs 1100 feet to the Castle Rock Sports Complex. The City of Castle Rock was awarded the Association of Washington Cities 2004 Municipal Achievement Gold Medal Award for the city's trail system.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,982 people, 784 households, and 519 families living in the city. The population density was 1,246.5 inhabitants per square mile (481.3/km²). There were 863 housing units at an average density of 542.8 per square mile (209.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.4% White, 0.1% African American, 2.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 784 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 27% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

Education

There are three schools in Castle Rock: Castle Rock Elementary, Castle Rock Middle School, and Castle Rock High School. The middle school's mascot is the Pirate, while the mascot for both the elementary school and the high school is the rocket.

See also

In Spanish: Castle Rock (Washington) para niños