Editing Cle Elum, Washington

{{redirect|Cle Elum}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Cle Elum, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[City government in Washington (state)|City]]
| motto              = "Heart of The Cascades"
| image_skyline      = Cle_elum.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Kittitas_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Cle_Elum_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Cle Elum in Washington State
<!-- Location ---->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas]]
<!-- Government ---->
| government_type    = 
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = February 12, 1902
<!-- Area ----->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.50
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 11.65
| area_land_sq_mi    = 4.49
| area_land_km2      = 11.63
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01
| area_water_km2     = 0.01
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 2157
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_metro   = 41,765
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset         = -8
| timezone_DST       = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -7
| coordinates        = {{coord|47.195|-120.939|region:US-WA_type:city_dim:4000|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 582
| elevation_ft       = 1909
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 98922
| area_code          = [[Area code 509|509]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-12945
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2409476<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409476}}</ref>
| website            = [http://www.cityofcleelum.com City of Cle Elum]
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Cle Elum''' ({{IPAc-en|k|l|i|_|ˈ|ɛ|l|əm}} {{respell|klee}} {{respell|EL|əm}}) is a [[city]] in [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 2,157 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Cle Elum, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Cle%20Elum%20city,%20Washington |access-date=May 11, 2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> About {{convert|84|mi}} by car from [[Seattle]], Cle Elum is a popular area for camping and outdoor activities. It is also unofficially considered the starting point of [[Eastern Washington]] when driving east on [[I-90]] from Seattle, although this is somewhat arbitrary since many{{Who|date=January 2025}} consider either the town of [[Easton, Washington|Easton]], anywhere east of [[Keechelus Lake]], or the wildlife crossing bridge over I-90 to be the starting point.

The town takes its name from the Cle Elum River, which meets the Yakima River near here. The [[Kittitas (tribe)|Kittitas]] band of the [[Yakama]] tribe lived here and fished the Yakima River. In the 1800s, settlers traveled through on their way to Puget Sound, and the Kittitas band was eventually displaced to a reservation. The settlement here had a large sawmill and a train depot, and the town was incorporated in 1902.

==History==

=== Native history ===
Cle Elum was originally inhabited by the [[Kittitas (tribe)|Kittitas]] band of the [[Yakama]] tribe.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=October 11, 2013 |title=Cle Elum -- Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/10646 |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.historylink.org}}</ref> The tribe fished [[salmon]], [[steelhead]], and [[trout]] from the [[Yakima River]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kershner |first=Jim |date=October 5, 2013 |title=South Cle Elum -- Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/10642 |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=[[HistoryLink]]}}</ref> The Salmon la Sac trails in the northern area of the region were created by the Kittitas people and were used as layovers for journeys into the higher altitudes of the [[Cascade Range]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pittman |first=Justin |date=July 24, 2012 |title=Salmon la Sac area has a long and storied history |url=https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/salmon-la-sac-area-has-a-long-and-storied-history/article_644401dc-d5b1-11e1-b514-001a4bcf887a.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=Daily Record |language=en}}</ref> In 1855, after the arrival of Catholic missionaries, and the passing through of settlers and coal miners on their way to the [[Puget Sound]], a treaty resulted in the Yakamas ceding most of their land for a reservation in the lower Yakima Valley and guaranteed access to fish,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stecker |first=Tiffany |date=2016-09-28 |title=Deal could end bitter Wash. battle, but not everyone's happy |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/deal-could-end-bitter-wash-battle-but-not-everyones-happy/ |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=E&E News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=BLUMM |first1=MICHAEL C. |last2=STEADMAN |first2=JANE G. |date=2009 |title=Indian Treaty Fishing Rights and Habitat Protection: The Martinez Decision Supplies a Resounding Judicial Reaffirmation |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24889243 |journal=Natural Resources Journal |volume=49 |issue=3/4 |pages=653–706 |jstor=24889243 |issn=0028-0739}}</ref> including what would later be incorporated as Cle Elum. By 1859, the Kittitas had been forced to relocate to the [[Yakama Indian Reservation]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Early years and industries ===
In the spring of 1886, [[Northern Pacific Railway]] surveyors [[Virgil Bogue]] and Herbert Huson were making their way through the region with the intent of establishing a station. At the site of the future city, a depot was named Clealum after the [[Sahaptin language|Kittitas]] name Tle-el-Lum (tlielləm), meaning "swift water", referring to the [[Cle Elum River]]. Maps of the United States Postal Guide used two words while other early maps show it as one word: ''Clealum''.<ref name="meany">{{cite book|last=Meany |first=Edmond S. |author-link=Edmond S. Meany |date=1923 |title=Origin of Washington Geographic Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ct4BAAAAMAAJ |publisher=University of Washington Press|page=50 |isbn=9780598974808}}</ref> In 1908, Clealum was altered to Cle Elum.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cle Elum |work=Washington Place Names database |publisher=Tacoma Public Library |url=http://search.tpl.lib.wa.us/wanames/ |access-date=2009-03-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309023858/http://search.tpl.lib.wa.us/wanames/ |archive-date=2009-03-09}}</ref> The name was given to the river, the city, and [[Cle Elum Lake]].

Walter Reed entered into a partnership with Thomas Johnson of [[Ellensburg, Washington|Ellensburg]] and laid out {{convert|65|acre|spell=in}} as a town site which was legally dedicated on July 26, 1886. Johnson had owned a [[sawmill]] on [[Wilson Creek, Washington|Wilson Creek]], in [[Grant County, Washington|Grant County]] and he moved the mill to the new location in the vicinity of the new town. The partners Reed and Johnson established what was undoubtedly the largest mill up to that time in central or [[Eastern Washington]], cutting {{convert|40,000|ft}} of board lumber per day. At the same time, Frederick Leonhard, who, with his brother-in-law, Gerrit d'Ablaing, had been carrying on a mill on Cooke Creek and later on the Naneum, moved to the vicinity of Cle Elum. They cut a large part of the lumber for the [[Stampede Tunnel]].

===The early 20th century===
[[File:Street view showing Reed house on right, Cle Elum, ca 1890 (WASTATE 1651).jpeg|thumb|280px|Downtown Cle Elum, early 1900s.]]
Cle Elum was officially incorporated on February 12, 1902.

Tragedy struck the area when on July 16, 1908, two carloads of [[blasting powder]] being unloaded by the Northwest Improvement Company exploded, killing at least nine people including miners, NIC store employees and a family with children living in a tent near the building. The explosion, located about three-quarters of a mile from Cle Elum's downtown, scattered debris and human remains and shattered windows across town. Accounts from residents equated the explosion to an earthquake.<ref>"Powder Blows Bodies to Bits; Magazine explodes near Cle Elum Wash. ''[[The Oregonian]]'' 17 July 1908.</ref>

In December 1910, loggers working for the [[Cascade Lumber Company]] near Cle Elum went on strike after the company reduced pay and began charging $5 per week for board. ({{Inflation|US|5|1910|fmt=eq}}){{Inflation-fn|US}}<ref name="IWWYearbook1910">{{cite web |url=http://depts.washington.edu/iww/iwwyearbook1910.shtml |title=IWW Yearbook 1910 |last=Upton |first=Austin |website=IWW History Project |publisher=[[University of Washington]] |access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="IW_1910_12_15">{{cite news |author=Robertson |date=6 December 1910 |publication-date=15 December 1910 |title=Strike On: Help Out the Loggers |volume=2 |issue=39 |page=4 |newspaper=[[Industrial Worker]] |url=https://archive.org/details/v2n39-dec-15-1910-IW }}</ref>

In 1913, steps were taken to improve automobile access across the Cascade Mountains via [[Snoqualmie Pass]]. A $1,500,000 levy ({{Inflation|US|1500000|1913|r=-5|fmt=eq}}) was approved in 1913 to improve and expand the state's highways. The largest project award from the levy ($590,743) went to construction of the Sunset Highway between Spokane and Seattle. This major cross-state highway would pass directly through Cle Elum's business district, and as it was one of the first towns reached after traveling east across the pass, would greatly benefit from its construction.<ref>"Good Roads O. K.' D. in Record Time. Washington Legislature Brings Fight to Peaceable Termination" ''The Oregonian'' 04 Mar. 1913.</ref> That same year, reflecting on the prosperity of the coal mines, the city's second bank was chartered.<ref>"Cle Elum Bank Charter Approved" ''The Oregonian'' 22 Nov. 1913.</ref> By 1914, Cle Elum's population had risen to 3,000 from about 100 at the turn of the 20th century.<ref>"From Town of 100 Cle Elum Has 3000. Progressive Little Mining and Lumber City in Washington Grows Fast" ''The Oregonian'' 6 Aug. 1914.</ref>

===Great fire of 1918===
Cle Elum's greatest disaster occurred on June 25, 1918, when a huge fire wiped out over seventy acres of the city (29 city blocks) causing over $500,000 (about ${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|500000|1918|r=-3}}}} today) in damages. The cause was later determined to most likely to be a cigarette butt thrown into a pile of garbage behind a theater. Thirty businesses and 205 houses were destroyed, leaving more than 1,800 people homeless. Following the incident, aid from across the state began pouring in. The Red Cross brought tents from [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Camp Lewis]] to house displaced citizens while soldiers were sent from Ellensburg to guard businesses. [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]] and [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] also sent aid to the city. No people died in the incident.<ref>"City Of Tents Is Rising American Red Cross Sends Shelters From Camp Lewis", ''The Oregonian'', June 28, 1918.</ref>

High insurance rates on Cle Elum's many wooden structures inhibited many people from purchasing them. One of the few buildings in downtown Cle Elum to survive the fire was the Cle Elum State Bank Building, built in 1906; it still stands today. The rest of downtown was quickly rebuilt with brick and many of these buildings still stand.

===Bankruptcy===

In 2011, the city government approved a development agreement with City Heights, who sought to create a [[planned community]] with 962 homes on {{convert|358|acre|ha}} in the Cle Elum area. City Height announced in 2019 that it would begin construction of the development, named "Ederra", under the existing agreement, while the City of Cle Elum proposed new conditions to address various concerns. City Heights filed a lawsuit against the city government for a breach of the original agreement.<ref name="YHR-Bankruptcy">{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Brian |last2=Rose |first2=Anna |date=January 30, 2025 |title=Cle Elum council votes to seek Chapter 9 bankruptcy |url=https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/cle-elum-council-votes-to-seek-chapter-9-bankruptcy/article_0beccfbc-d487-5711-b1d6-c7cc20d5fcf3.html |work=[[Yakima Herald-Republic]] |accessdate=February 3, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Times-Bankruptcy">{{cite news |last=Brunner |first=Jim |date=January 8, 2025 |title=Cle Elum considers bankruptcy amid $22M debt in development dispute |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/cle-elum-considers-bankruptcy-amid-22m-debt-in-development-dispute/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=February 3, 2025}}</ref> An arbitrator ruled in November 2024 that the city government owed $22.2&nbsp;million to City Heights for violating the agreement along with reimbursement of legal fees and other expenses.<ref name="Times-Bankruptcy"/> A 20-year payment plan with 6% monthly interest was proposed to cover the debt, which the city government could not pay with its existing revenue sources. As a result, the city council voted to seek [[Chapter 9, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 9 bankruptcy]] protection on January 28, 2025.<ref name="YHR-Bankruptcy"/> Cle Elum would become the second city in Washington to file for bankruptcy after [[North Bonneville, Washington|North Bonneville]] in 1991.<ref name="Times-Bankruptcy"/>

==Geography==
Cle Elum is located {{convert|114|km|mi|order=flip}} ESE of [[Seattle]], {{convert|73|km|mi|order=flip}} NNW of [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]], and {{convert|56|km|mi|order=flip}} WSW of [[Wenatchee, Washington|Wenatchee]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.83|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|3.82|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-12-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-07-02 }}</ref> It borders [[South Cle Elum, Washington|South Cle Elum]] and [[Roslyn, Washington|Roslyn]].

===Climate===
Cle Elum has a [[humid continental climate]], Köppen subtype ''Dsb''. The elevation is {{cvt|1,909|ft}} and temperatures are cooler than areas to the east. The coldest month is December, a trait common in the Pacific Northwest. But hot temperatures still occur, and not only in summer: on March 18, 1968, the temperature reached {{cvt|95|F}}. Cle Elum, lying on the less extreme part of the Cascade Range rain shadow, also sees more precipitation than more arid regions to the east but also less than the areas to the west.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliGCStT.pl?wa1504 |title=Cle Elum, Washington Period of Record General Climate Summary - Temperature |publisher=[[Western Regional Climate Center]], Desert Research Institute}}</ref>

The climate has warmed in tandem with surrounding areas; climate data further back shows that winters were once colder, and that January was historically the coldest month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa1504 |title=Cle Elum, Washington - Climate Summary |publisher=[[Western Regional Climate Center]], Desert Research Institute}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| width       = auto
| single line = yes
| collapsed = Y
| location    = Cle Elum, Washington (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–present)
| Jan record high F = 57
| Feb record high F = 69
| Mar record high F = 79
| Apr record high F = 96
| May record high F = 99
| Jun record high F = 108
| Jul record high F = 105
| Aug record high F = 105
| Sep record high F = 98
| Oct record high F = 88
| Nov record high F = 72
| Dec record high F = 62
| year record high F = 108

|Jan avg record high F = 47.8
|Feb avg record high F = 51.5
|Mar avg record high F = 63.5
|Apr avg record high F = 73.7
|May avg record high F = 84.1
|Jun avg record high F = 88.5
|Jul avg record high F = 95.3
|Aug avg record high F = 95.7
|Sep avg record high F = 88.4
|Oct avg record high F = 73.2
|Nov avg record high F = 56.1
|Dec avg record high F = 46.9
|year avg record high F = 97.7

| Jan high F = 35.0
| Feb high F = 40.7
| Mar high F = 48.9
| Apr high F = 57.3
| May high F = 66.1
| Jun high F = 71.9
| Jul high F = 81.1
| Aug high F = 81.4
| Sep high F = 72.9
| Oct high F = 57.8
| Nov high F = 43.2
| Dec high F = 34.3
| year high F = 
| Jan mean F = 28.6
| Feb mean F = 32.2
| Mar mean F = 38.3
| Apr mean F = 45.1
| May mean F = 53.3
| Jun mean F = 59.4
| Jul mean F = 66.9
| Aug mean F = 66.3
| Sep mean F = 57.8
| Oct mean F = 45.9
| Nov mean F = 35.4
| Dec mean F = 28.3
| year mean F = 
| Jan low F = 22.2
| Feb low F = 23.6
| Mar low F = 27.8
| Apr low F = 32.9
| May low F = 40.4
| Jun low F = 46.8
| Jul low F = 52.7
| Aug low F = 51.1
| Sep low F = 42.7
| Oct low F = 33.9
| Nov low F = 27.7
| Dec low F = 22.3
| year low F = 

|Jan avg record low F = 5.1
|Feb avg record low F = 8.0
|Mar avg record low F = 17.6
|Apr avg record low F = 24.4
|May avg record low F = 29.0
|Jun avg record low F = 36.8
|Jul avg record low F = 43.0
|Aug avg record low F = 40.3
|Sep avg record low F = 30.7
|Oct avg record low F = 21.4
|Nov avg record low F = 13.5
|Dec avg record low F = 8.3
|year avg record low F = -0.7

| Jan record low F = -33
| Feb record low F = -30
| Mar record low F = -3
| Apr record low F = 12
| May record low F = 19
| Jun record low F = 25
| Jul record low F = 30
| Aug record low F = 23
| Sep record low F = 12
| Oct record low F = 10
| Nov record low F = -13
| Dec record low F = -31
| year record low F = -33
| precipitation colour   = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.40
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.49
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.73
| Apr precipitation inch = 1.41
| May precipitation inch = 1.64
| Jun precipitation inch = 1.10
| Jul precipitation inch = 0.54
| Aug precipitation inch = 0.47
| Sep precipitation inch = 0.90
| Oct precipitation inch = 2.44
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.07
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.50
| year precipitation inch = 
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 14.0
| Feb precipitation days = 12.2
| Mar precipitation days = 11.3
| Apr precipitation days = 9.0
| May precipitation days = 6.8
| Jun precipitation days = 5.6
| Jul precipitation days = 2.8
| Aug precipitation days = 3.0
| Sep precipitation days = 6.0
| Oct precipitation days = 9.9
| Nov precipitation days = 15.3
| Dec precipitation days = 15.0
| year precipitation days = 

| Jan snow inch = 23.2
| Feb snow inch = 14.0
| Mar snow inch = 6.3
| Apr snow inch = 0.7
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.3
| Nov snow inch = 9.0
| Dec snow inch = 21.8
| year snow inch = 
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 8.0
|Feb snow days = 4.5
|Mar snow days = 2.7
|Apr snow days = 0.6
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.2
|Nov snow days = 3.5
|Dec snow days = 9.0
|year snow days =

| source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="NOWData">{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pdt
|title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NCEI">{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00451504&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = April 19, 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1870 = 4
| 1880 = 543
| 1890 = 243
| 1900 = 296
| 1910 = 2749
| 1920 = 2661
| 1930 = 2508
| 1940 = 2230
| 1950 = 2206
| 1960 = 1816
| 1970 = 1725
| 1980 = 1773
| 1990 = 1778
| 2000 = 1755
| 2010 = 1872
| 2020 = 2157
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEstimate2019">{{cite web |date=May 2020 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-total-cities-and-towns.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
| footnote = Source:<ref>Moffatt, Riley.  ''Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990''.  [[Lanham, Maryland|Lanham]]: Scarecrow, 1996, 316.</ref><br />U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 21, 2014}}</ref>
}}

Since the 1980s, the Cle Elum area has become a satellite [[bedroom community]] for "super commuters" who work {{convert|85|mi|km}} away in Seattle and other cities in the [[Puget Sound region]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Clutter |first=Stephen |date=February 16, 1998 |title=85 miles: That's a commute |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19980216&slug=2734766 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-12-19}}</ref> there were 1,872 people, 857 households, and 500 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|490.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,105 housing units at an average density of {{convert|289.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.4% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.7% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.7% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 4.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.8% of the population.

There were 857 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.76.

The median age in the city was 41 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 1,755 people, 792 households, and 1448 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,182.8 people per square mile (457.8/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 956 housing units at an average density of 644.3 per square mile (249.4/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 95.16% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.51% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.03% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.57% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.85% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.88% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.36% of the population.

There were 792 households, out of which 67.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,144, and the median income for a family was $39,000. Males had a median income of $32,750 versus $26,645 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,620. About 17.4% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==

Cle Elum is classified as a Code city and has a non-partisan [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government, with the mayor and seven council members elected at-large for staggered four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 2016 |title=City of Cle Elum Council & Commission Operating Policies & Procedures Manual |pages=4–6 |url=https://cleelum.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/06-16_Clean-Council-Commissions-Operating-Policies-Procedures-Manual-Handbook.pdf |publisher=City of Cle Elum |accessdate=February 3, 2025}}</ref> {{as of|2025}}, the city government has 29 employees and a [[general fund]] of $5&nbsp;million. It includes a [[fire department]] and [[police department]] among other municipal services.<ref name="Times-Bankruptcy"/>

== Newspaper ==

* [[Northern Kittitas County Tribune|''Northern Kittitas County Tribune'']]

==Notable people==
*[[Chuck Allen]], American football player
*[[Champ Butler]], singer<ref name="butler">{{Cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Joan|date=May 10, 1981|title=Butler Wants To Be Champ Again|work=[[The Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
*[[Allen Larsen]], ultramarathon cyclist
*[[Douglas Albert Munro]], the first and only member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the [[Medal of Honor]]
*[[Dick Scobee]], astronaut killed in the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster]]
*[[George Strugar]], American football player
*[[Don Watts (farmer)|Don Watts]], American entrepreneur and founder of [[Swiftwater Cellars]] in [[Suncadia Resort]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book |title= History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties |last= Lyman |first= W.D. |year= 1919 |publisher= The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. |pages= [https://archive.org/details/historyofyakimav01lyma/page/762 762]–777 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofyakimav01lyma}}

==External links==
* [http://cityofcleelum.com City of Cle Elum website]
* [http://www.discovercleelum.com/ Cle Elum Visitor Center]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080602011035/http://www.cleelum.wednet.edu/ Cle Elum Roslyn School District]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061016040533/https://www.futurepast.com/cgi-bin/Web_store/web_store.cgi Futurepast, publisher of Coal Towns in the Cascades, A Centennial History of Roslyn and Cle Elum, Washington, 2nd Edition, by John C. Shideler]
* [http://digital.lib.cwu.edu/cgi-bin/library.cgi?site=localhost&a=p&p=about&c=ellensb1&l=en&w=utf-8 CWU Brooks Library and Ellensburg Public Library's historic local photographs collection]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} A collection of 294 historic photographs dating from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The collection consists of photographic images of buildings, street scenes and town views of Ellensburg and the other communities in Kittitas County
* [http://www.carpenter.lib.wa.us/ City of Cle Elum Library (Carpenter Memorial Library)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160113224323/http://www.eyesonapes.org/cle_elum_seven/ The chimp sanctuary for "The Cle Elum Seven", 7 former lab animals]

{{Kittitas County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}
{{Geographic location
|North     = 
|Northeast =
|Northwest = [[Ronald, Washington|Ronald]]<br />[[Roslyn, Washington|Roslyn]]
|West      = 
|Center    = '''Cle Elum'''
|South     = [[South Cle Elum, Washington|South Cle Elum]]
|Southwest = 
|Southeast = [[Thorp, Washington|Thorp]]
|East      =
|}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Kittitas County, Washington]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Yakima River]]
[[Category:Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin]]