Covington, Washington
Encyclopedia
Covington is a city in King County
, Washington, United States
. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness
CDP.
by the name of Covington to develop a railroad line between Auburn
and Kanaskat. A stop along the route was named for him and eventually the area surrounding the depot would be called Covington.
Several logging companies set up in the area in the late 19th century, and services soon followed. A school district was established in 1937. Over the years the area grew as an unincorporated area
of Kent
.
Covington was officially incorporated as a city on August 31, 1997.
consisting of a seven-person city council
. Members are elected at-large
, i.e., each is elected by all citizens of the city, not by districts.
Fire protection to most of the city is provided by the Kent Fire Department, while Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety provides fire protection to the remainder of the city.
Public schools in the city are part of the Kent School District
.
for police services. Deputies assigned to Covington wear Covington uniforms and drive patrol car
s marked with the city logo. There are currently 10 patrol officers, one motorcycle officer, one detective, and one chief assigned full time to the city.
corridor. In 2006, new Covington downtown businesses included a new Wal-Mart
, Kohls, Carl's Jr (taking over the former Dairy Queen
building), and an Applebees. 2008 brought the newly opened Red Robin
, Cutter's Point, Costco
, and Home Depot in the new shopping center next to Jenkins Creek Elementary School. Fast growth is expected to continue in the area due to the continued widening and modifications done on State Route 18, a major thoroughfare connecting south King County with Interstate 90
. In 2009 there are many more big businesses expected to open, including a UPS Store and Bank of America
branch within the Covington Esplande (Home Depot) lot. The company who created the Covington Esplande (Home Depot) center is also interested in creating some new retail space where the woods currently are across from Costco.
to the west, Auburn
to the southwest, and Maple Valley
to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²), of which, 5.8 square miles (14.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.69%) is water.
Covington features a climate nearly identical to Seattle's, but with more extremes throughout the day and the year. Summer days average a couple degrees hotter than Seattle because it's location away from the Puget Sound. Also, winter nights will be a couple degrees cooler that Seattle's. Everything else is nearly identical(sunshine, precipitation, snowfall, etc.).
, known locally as Southeast 272nd Street, which runs through the city on its west-east route from Des Moines
to Maple Valley
. The only freeway that passes through the city is State Route 18, which passes through the west side of the city on a northeast-southwest route and, with its connection to Interstate 90
near Snoqualmie
, is a major route used by vehicles traveling between south King County and Eastern Washington.
Covington is unique among cities in the area in that it features several roundabout
s for traffic control.
Public transportation is provided by King County Metro.
, there were 13,783 people, 4,398 households, and 3,689 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,389.8 people per square mile (922.3/km²). There were 4,473 housing units at an average density of 775.5 per square mile (299.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.88% White, 2.44% African American, 1.02% Native American, 3.12% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races
, and 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.
There were 4,398 households, 52.2% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% were married couples
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 11.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,711, and the median income for a family was $65,173. Males had a median income of $48,134 versus $34,576 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,230. About 2.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 17,575 at the time of the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, Covington was counted as part of Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness
Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness, Washington
Covington-Sawyer-Wilderness was a Census-designated place in King County, Washington. The CDP was disbanded in 2000 United States Census, with portions incorporated into Covington, Black Diamond, and Maple Valley. The remainder was reassigned to Lake Morton-Berrydale CDP. The population in 1990...
CDP.
History
The area presently known as Covington was originally known as Jenkins Prairie. In the 1880s, the Northern Pacific Railroad commissioned a surveyorSurveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
by the name of Covington to develop a railroad line between Auburn
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
and Kanaskat. A stop along the route was named for him and eventually the area surrounding the depot would be called Covington.
Several logging companies set up in the area in the late 19th century, and services soon followed. A school district was established in 1937. Over the years the area grew as an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Kent
Kent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
.
Covington was officially incorporated as a city on August 31, 1997.
Government
The city is governed by a council-manager governmentCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
consisting of a seven-person city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. Members are elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
, i.e., each is elected by all citizens of the city, not by districts.
Fire protection to most of the city is provided by the Kent Fire Department, while Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety provides fire protection to the remainder of the city.
Public schools in the city are part of the Kent School District
Kent School District
The Kent School District #415 includes the cities of Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, parts of the cities of Renton and Black Diamond, and neighboring unincorporated areas in King County, Washington. Covering 73 square miles , the Kent School District has 40 schools...
.
Police
Covington contracts with the King County Sheriff's OfficeKing County, Washington Sheriff's Office
The King County Sheriff's Office is a local police agency in King County, Washington. It is the primary law enforcement agency for all unincorporated areas of King County, as well as 12 cities, and 2 transit agencies, which contract their police services to the KCSO. KCSO also provided Police and...
for police services. Deputies assigned to Covington wear Covington uniforms and drive patrol car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
s marked with the city logo. There are currently 10 patrol officers, one motorcycle officer, one detective, and one chief assigned full time to the city.
Economy
With its rapid population growth since the city's incorporation, much of the city's income depends on the retail industry. The city's retail core is located along the SR-516Washington State Route 516
State Route 516, abbreviated SR 516, is a state route in the U.S. state of Washington, with a western terminus at Marine View Dr. S in Des Moines and an eastern terminus at State Route 169.-Route description:...
corridor. In 2006, new Covington downtown businesses included a new Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Kohls, Carl's Jr (taking over the former Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...
building), and an Applebees. 2008 brought the newly opened Red Robin
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is a chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.-History:...
, Cutter's Point, Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, and Home Depot in the new shopping center next to Jenkins Creek Elementary School. Fast growth is expected to continue in the area due to the continued widening and modifications done on State Route 18, a major thoroughfare connecting south King County with Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Washington
Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
. In 2009 there are many more big businesses expected to open, including a UPS Store and Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
branch within the Covington Esplande (Home Depot) lot. The company who created the Covington Esplande (Home Depot) center is also interested in creating some new retail space where the woods currently are across from Costco.
Geography and Climate
Covington is located at 47°21′57"N 122°6′1"W (47.365780, -122.100213). The city is surrounded by KentKent, Washington
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...
to the west, Auburn
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
to the southwest, and Maple Valley
Maple Valley, Washington
Maple Valley is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,684 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1879 by three men who were improving a trail and brought their families in. When a name for a future community was proposed, the names Vine Maple...
to the east.
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 5.8 square miles (15.0 km²), of which, 5.8 square miles (14.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.69%) is water.
Covington features a climate nearly identical to Seattle's, but with more extremes throughout the day and the year. Summer days average a couple degrees hotter than Seattle because it's location away from the Puget Sound. Also, winter nights will be a couple degrees cooler that Seattle's. Everything else is nearly identical(sunshine, precipitation, snowfall, etc.).
Transportation
The city's principal arterial is State Route 516Washington State Route 516
State Route 516, abbreviated SR 516, is a state route in the U.S. state of Washington, with a western terminus at Marine View Dr. S in Des Moines and an eastern terminus at State Route 169.-Route description:...
, known locally as Southeast 272nd Street, which runs through the city on its west-east route from Des Moines
Des Moines, Washington
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 29,673 at the 2010 census. Property within the city has been the subject of land buyouts because of noise from aircraft landing or taking off from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport two miles to the north of...
to Maple Valley
Maple Valley, Washington
Maple Valley is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,684 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1879 by three men who were improving a trail and brought their families in. When a name for a future community was proposed, the names Vine Maple...
. The only freeway that passes through the city is State Route 18, which passes through the west side of the city on a northeast-southwest route and, with its connection to Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Washington
Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
near Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie, Washington
Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. The city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was of 10,670 at the 2010 census...
, is a major route used by vehicles traveling between south King County and Eastern Washington.
Covington is unique among cities in the area in that it features several roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
s for traffic control.
Public transportation is provided by King County Metro.
Regional Fire Authority
A Regional fire authority involving Covington, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Ravensdale, Kent, and part of unincorporated King, and Pierce County has been an idea brought up for several decades. In 2010 Kent Covington, and an area of unincorporated King County merged.Demographics
As of the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 13,783 people, 4,398 households, and 3,689 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,389.8 people per square mile (922.3/km²). There were 4,473 housing units at an average density of 775.5 per square mile (299.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.88% White, 2.44% African American, 1.02% Native American, 3.12% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races
Race (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 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.
There were 4,398 households, 52.2% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 11.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the city the population was spread out with 33.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,711, and the median income for a family was $65,173. Males had a median income of $48,134 versus $34,576 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 $22,230. About 2.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.