Castle Rock, Washington
Encyclopedia
Castle Rock is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington
, United States. Nestled between the Willapa Hills
and 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 1,982 as of the 2010 census.
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.
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 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land. It is the northernmost city in Cowlitz County.
, 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
, Centralia
, and Tumwater, Washington
, 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.
, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.33% of the population. 18.7% were of American, 18.3% German, 12.9% English, 6.9% Irish and 6.1% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.5% spoke English, and 3.0% Spanish as their first language.
There were 833 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% 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 3.07.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,212, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $38,289 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,661. About 10.7% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census its population was 102,410. It forms the Longview, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. The county seat is at Kelso, and its largest city is Longview...
, United States. Nestled between the Willapa Hills
Willapa Hills
The Willapa Hills is a geologic, physiographic, and geographic region in southwest Washington. When described as a physiographical province, the Willapa Hills are bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River to the south, the Olympic Mountains to the north, and the Cascade Range to...
and western base of Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
, Castle Rock is at the heart of Washington timber country in the Pacific temperate rain forest. Castle Rock is part of the 'Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area'; the population was 1,982 as of the 2010 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 an 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
Thuja plicata
Thuja plicata, commonly called Western or pacific red cedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America...
, 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 (46.273991, -122.904916). Castle Rock is situated between the Cowlitz RiverCowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
and Interstate 5, one mile south of the confluence of the Cowlitz and the Toutle River
Toutle River
The Toutle River is a river in southwestern Washington State, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It rises in two forks on the flanks of Mount St. Helens and joins the Cowlitz River near Castle Rock.-Eruption of Mount St. Helens:...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land. 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 MonumentMount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a U.S. National Monument that includes the area around Mount St. Helens in Washington. It was established on August 27, 1982 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The 110,000 acre National Volcanic...
, the Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake (Washington)
Spirit Lake is a lake north of Mount St. Helens in Washington State. The lake was a popular tourist destination for many years until the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. With the eruption and resulting megatsunami, thousands of trees were torn from the surrounding hillside after lake water was...
recreation area, Seaquest State Park
Seaquest State Park
Seaquest State Park in Cowlitz County, Washington is a camping park in the Washington State Park System. It consists of of forest with over of freshwater shoreline on Silver Lake near Mount St. Helens. Available activities include hiking , birdwatching, and horseshoes, as well as the Mount St....
and Silver Lake
Silver Lake (Washington)
Silver Lake, in Washington, United States, is both a marsh and unincorporated area located about west of Mount St. Helens. It is home to a nature trail, and the visitor center for the Mount St. Helens National Monument. The lake itself is in size and camping is available at Seaquest State Park,...
. The State Route 504 Spur extends to Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in southern Washington, USA. With an area of 1.37 million acres , it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. It includes the 110,000 acre Mount St....
.
West Side Highway, running north along the Cowlitz River, connects Castle Rock to Cloud Mountain and the communities of Olequa and Vader, Washington
Vader, Washington
Vader is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 621 at the 2010 census.-History:Vader was originally named Little Falls and incorporated as such on January 12, 1906. The name was changed to Sopenah by the Northern Pacific Railway because there was already a Little...
. Continuing south, West Side Highway / State Route 411
Washington State Route 411
State Route 411 is a state highway located in Cowlitz County in the U.S. state of Washington, serving Longview, Kelso, West Side Highway and Castle Rock...
connects Castle Rock to Longview, Washington
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
, and Ocean Beach Highway (State Route 4), putting Castle Rock 75 miles from Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located on the shores of Willapa Bay in Washington, USA. It comprises of sand dunes, sand beaches, mud flats, grasslands, saltwater and freshwater marshes, and coniferous forest...
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
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
, Centralia
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
, and Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It lies near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census...
, via Interstate 5.
The Riverfront Trail, a multi-use off-road trail, runs along both sides of the Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
. 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
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,130 people, 833 households, and 562 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,597.3 people per square mile (618.3/km²). There were 890 housing units at an average density of 667.4 per square mile (258.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.19% White, 0.23% African American, 2.02% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.38% Pacific Islander, 1.64% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.33% of the population. 18.7% were of American, 18.3% German, 12.9% English, 6.9% Irish and 6.1% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.5% spoke English, and 3.0% Spanish as their first language.
There were 833 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% 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 3.07.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,212, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $38,289 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,661. About 10.7% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.