Editing Kennewick, Washington

{{short description|City in the United States}}
{{Redirect|Kennewick|the prehistoric man|Kennewick Man}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Kennewick, Washington
| official_name      = City of Kennewick
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_skyline      = File:Kennewick-ColumbiaRiverAerial (31695765421).jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Aerial view of Kennewick from above the [[Columbia River]] near the [[Blue Bridge (Washington)|Blue Bridge]].
| motto              = 
| image_map          = Benton_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Kennewick_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Kennewick, Washington
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Benton County, Washington|Benton]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
| leader_title1      = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = Gretl Crawford<ref>{{cite web |url=https://go2kennewick.com/531/City-Council |title=City Council |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417061252/https://www.go2kennewick.com/531/City-Council |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_title2      = [[City manager]]
| leader_name2       = Erin Erdman<ref>{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Cory |date=March 26, 2024 |title=Kennewick council hires new manager to lead the largest city in the area |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/article287120620.html |work=[[Tri-City Herald]] |accessdate=April 24, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924044623/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/politics-government/article287120620.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| 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|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017010918/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_53.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 74.70
| area_total_sq_mi   = 28.84
| area_land_km2      = 71.09
| area_land_sq_mi    = 27.45
| area_water_km2     = 3.61
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.39
<!-- Population -->
| population_total   = 83921
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="CensusQuickFacts2020">{{cite web|title=2020 Census Quick Facts Kennewick, WA|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/kennewickcitywashington/PST045221|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2022|archive-date=June 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614235000/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/kennewickcitywashington/PST045221|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_est     = 85158
| pop_est_as_of      = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="Census-Estimate2023">{{cite web |date=May 2024 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 20,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2023 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2023/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2023-ANNRNK.xlsx  |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref>| population_density_km2 = 1186.42
| population_density_sq_mi = 3072.86
<!-- General information -->
| population_metro   = 310,000 (US: [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|166th]])
| population_urban   = 255,401 ([[List of United States urban areas|US: 158th]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 7, 2023|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114022812/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2,276.0
| population_blank1_title = [[Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]
| population_blank1  = 366,206 (US: [[Combined statistical area|103rd]])
| population_blank2_title = Columbia River Valley
| population_blank2  = 310,000
| population_rank    = US: 411th<br />WA: 14th
<!-- General information -->
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 558
| coordinates        = {{coord|46|11|43|N|119|10|23|W|region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 99336–99338
| area_code          = [[Area code 509|509]]
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = −8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −7
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-35275
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2410184<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410184}}</ref>
| website            = [https://www.go2kennewick.com/ go2kennewick.com]
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Kennewick''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɛ|n|ə|w|ɪ|k}}) is a city in [[Benton County, Washington|Benton County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It is located along the southwest bank of the [[Columbia River]], just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and [[Yakima River|Yakima]] rivers and across from the confluence of the Columbia and [[Snake River|Snake]] rivers. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the [[Tri-Cities, Washington|Tri-Cities]] (the others being [[Pasco, Washington|Pasco]] and [[Richland, Washington|Richland]]). The [[United States Census Bureau]] estimated the population to be 85,158 as of 2023,<ref name="Census-Estimate2023"/> up from 83,921 at the [[2020 United States census]].

The discovery of [[Kennewick Man]] along the banks of the Columbia River provides evidence of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]' settlement of the area for at least 9,000 years.<ref name="stafford">{{cite book |author=Stafford, Thomas W. |chapter=Chronology of the Kennewick Man skeleton (chapter 5) |title=Kennewick Man, The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton |editor1=Douglas W. Owsley |editor2=Richard L. Jantz |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-62349-200-7}}</ref> American settlers began moving into the region in the late 19th century as transportation infrastructure was built to connect Kennewick to other settlements along the Columbia River. The construction of the [[Hanford Site]] at Richland accelerated the city's growth in the 1940s as workers from around the country came to participate in the [[Manhattan Project]]. While Hanford and [[Pacific Northwest National Laboratory]] continue to be major sources of employment,<ref name=PI>{{cite web |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/In-strange-twist-Hanford-cleanup-creates-latest-1085575.php |title=In strange twist, Hanford cleanup creates latest boom |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=April 19, 2002 |access-date=July 15, 2015 |archive-date=February 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228235127/https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/In-strange-twist-Hanford-cleanup-creates-latest-1085575.php |url-status=live }}</ref> the city's economy has diversified over time and Kennewick today hosts offices for [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] and [[Lamb Weston]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article76868187.html |title=Amazon looking to fill 100 jobs at Kennewick job fair |work=Tri-City Herald |date=May 10, 2016 |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228195225/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article76868187.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://investors.lambweston.com/news-releases/2017/10-16-2017-175952615 |title=Lamb Weston Opens Expanded Operations in Richland, WA |publisher=[[Lamb Weston]] |date=October 16, 2017 |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140319/https://investors.lambweston.com/news-releases/2017/10-16-2017-175952615 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
{{main|Timeline of the Tri-Cities, Washington}}

===Native peoples===
Native Americans populated the area around modern-day Kennewick for millennia before being discovered and settled by European descendants. These inhabitants consisted of people from the [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]], [[Wanapum]], [[Nez Perce people|Nez Perce]], and [[Yakama]] tribes. Kennewick's low elevation helped to moderate winter temperatures. On top of this, the riverside location made salmon and other river fish easily accessible. By the 19th century, people lived in and between two major camps in the area. These were located near present-day [[Sacajawea State Park]] in Pasco and Columbia Point in Richland. [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Lewis and Clark]] noted that there were many people living in the area when they passed through in 1805 and 1806.<ref name=HistoryLink>{{cite web |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8499 |title=Kennewick — Thumbnail History |first=Jim |last=Kershner |date=March 2, 2008 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217213321/https://www.historylink.org/File/8499 |url-status=live }}</ref> The map produced following their journey marks two significant villages in the area - Wollawollah and Selloatpallah. These had approximate populations of 2,600 and 3,000 respectively.<ref>{{cite map |author1=Lewis, Samuel |author2=Clark, William |title=A map of Lewis and Clark's track across the western portion of North America, from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean : by order of the executive of the United States in 1804, 5 & 6 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4126s.ct000763/?r=0.133,0.121,0.215,0.133,0 |year=1814 |scale=1:4,400,000 |publisher=Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316133708/https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4126s.ct000763/?r=0.133%2C0.121%2C0.215%2C0.133%2C0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are conflicting stories on how Kennewick gained its name, but these narratives attribute it to the Native Americans living in the area. Some reports claim that the name comes from a native word meaning "grassy place".<ref name=majors>{{Cite book |last=Majors |first=Harry M. |title=Exploring Washington |publisher=Van Winkle Publishing Co |year=1975 |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-918664-00-6 |access-date=October 15, 2016 |archive-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102082345/https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> It has also been called "winter paradise", mostly because of the mild winters in the area. In the past, Kennewick has also been known by other names. The area was known as Tehe from 1886 to 1891, and this name appears on early letters sent to the area with the city listed as Tehe, Washington.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hagey |first=Jason |date=January 12, 1997 |title=Tehe And Yakitat All But Lost In History Of Benton County |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970112&slug=2518395 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316151823/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970112&slug=2518395 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other reports claim that the city's name is derived from how locals pronounced the name Chenoythe, who was a member of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]].<ref name=TCH>{{cite news |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/special-reports/article32047965.html |title=Brief history of Kennewick up to 1909 |first=R. E. |last=Read |work=Tri-City Herald |date=February 19, 1950 |access-date=December 28, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230131442/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/special-reports/article32047965.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Settlement and early 20th century===
[[File:Businessmen at the Kennewick train station, September 1908 (WASTATE 1471).jpeg|thumb|left|Businessmen from the [[Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce|Seattle Chamber of Commerce]] visiting Kennewick in 1908.]]
The [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]] and [[Yakama]] tribes ceded the land Kennewick sits on at the [[Walla Walla Council (1855)|Walla Walla Council]] in 1855.<ref name=Study>{{cite book |title=Hanford Reach of the Columbia River |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |date=1992}}</ref> Ranchers began working with cattle and horses in the area as early as the 1860s, but in general settlement was slow due to the arid climate. [[Ainsworth, Washington|Ainsworth]] became the first non-Native settlement in the area—where [[U.S. Route 12 in Washington|U.S. Route 12]] now crosses the [[Snake River]] between Pasco and [[Burbank, Washington|Burbank]]. Some Ainsworth residents would commute to what is now Kennewick via small boats for work. All that remains of Ainsworth is a marker placed by the [[Washington State Department of Transportation]] near the site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://explore-wa.com/roadside-markers-of-washington/ |title=Roadside Markers of Washington |date=October 4, 2018 |publisher=Explore Washington |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230192822/https://explore-wa.com/roadside-markers-of-washington/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the 1880s, [[steamboat]]s and railroads connected what would become known as Kennewick to the other settlements along the Columbia River.<ref name=HistoryLink /> Until the construction of a railroad bridge, rail freight from [[Minneapolis]] to [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] had to cross the Columbia River via ferry.<ref>[http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5365 "First trains cross the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge spanning the Columbia River between Pasco and Kennewick on December 3, 1887."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202112509/http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?displaypage=output.cfm&file_id=5365 |date=December 2, 2008 }}, History Link; Retrieved November 16, 2009.</ref> In 1887, a temporary railroad bridge was constructed by the [[Northern Pacific Railroad]] connecting Kennewick and Pasco. That bridge could not endure the winter ice on the Columbia and was partially swept away in the first winter. A new, more permanent bridge was built in its place in 1888. It was around this time that a town plan was first laid out, centered around the needs of the railroad. A school was constructed using donated funds, but this burned soon after it was finished. This initial boom only lasted briefly, as most of the people who came to Kennewick left after the bridge was finished.<ref name=TCH />

In the 1890s, the Northern Pacific Irrigation Company installed pumps and ditches to bring [[Irrigation|water for agriculture]] into the Kennewick Highlands. Once there was a reliable water source, orchards and vineyards were planted all over the Kennewick area. Strawberries were another successful crop.<ref>Gibson, Elizabeth. [http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5671 "Benton County&nbsp;– Thumbnail History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615153333/http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5671 |date=June 15, 2010 }}. ''HistoryLink.org''. March 29, 2004. Retrieved February 28, 2010.</ref> The turn of the century saw the creation of the city's first newspaper, the ''Columbia Courier''. Kennewick was officially incorporated on February 5, 1904. and the name of the newspaper changed to the ''Kennewick Courier'' in 1905 to reflect this change.<ref name=KennCourier>{{cite web |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093029/ |title=About The Kennewick Courier. (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019014745/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093029/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the following decade, an unsuccessful bid attempted to move the seat of Benton County from [[Prosser, Washington|Prosser]] to Kennewick. There have been other unsuccessful attempts to make this move throughout the city's history, most recently in 2010.<ref>Gibson, Elizabeth. [http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7744 "Voters fail to move Benton County seat from Prosser following rivalry with Benton City and Kennewick on November 5, 1912."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615213452/http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7744 |date=June 15, 2010 }} ''HistoryLink.org''. May 29, 2006. Retrieved February 28, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Benton County seat move debated with editors |last=Trumbo |first=John |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31789836.html |work=Tri-City Herald |date=September 22, 2010 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230203121/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31789836.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1915, the opening of the [[Celilo Canal]] connected Kennewick to the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River. City residents hoped to capitalize on this new infrastructure by forming the Port of Kennewick, making the city an [[inland port|inland seaport]]. Freight and passenger ship traffic began that same year. The port also developed rail facilities in the area.<ref name=PortHistory>{{cite web |url=https://www.portofkennewick.org/history/ |title=History |publisher=Port of Kennewick |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929180410/https://www.portofkennewick.org/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Transportation in the region further improved with the construction of the [[Pasco-Kennewick Bridge (1922)|Pasco-Kennewick Bridge]] in 1922, which is locally known as the Green Bridge. This bridge connected the two cities by vehicle traffic for the first time.<ref>{{cite book |title=Washington Then & Now |first=Paul |last=Dorpat |author2=Sherrard, Jean |page=106 |year=2007 |publisher=Big Earth Publishing |isbn=978-1-56579-547-1}}</ref><ref name=HLPasco>{{cite web |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8604 |title=Pasco — Thumbnail History |first=Jim |last=Kershner |work=HistoryLink |date=May 1, 2008 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230192829/https://www.historylink.org/File/8604 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kennewick and Pasco both experienced decent growth and became informally known as the Twin Cities throughout the Columbia Basin because of their juxtaposition across the river from each other.

Like many other agricultural communities, the [[Great Depression]] had an impact in Kennewick. Despite lowered prices for crops grown in the region, the city continued to experience growth, gaining another 400 people during the 1930s. Growth was aided by federal projects that improved the Columbia River. Downstream, [[Bonneville Dam]] at [[Cascade Locks, Oregon]] allowed larger barges to reach Kennewick. [[Grand Coulee Dam]], located upstream of Kennewick, fostered irrigation across the Columbia Basin north of Pasco, sending more raw material through Kennewick.<ref name=HistoryLink />

===Post-war development===
[[File:Blue Bridge from Columbia Park.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Bridge (Washington)|Blue Bridge]] as seen from [[Columbia Park (Tri-Cities)|Columbia Park]].]]
Kennewick and the greater Tri-Cities area experienced significant changes during [[World War II]]. In 1943, the United States opened the [[Hanford Site|Hanford nuclear site]] in and north of Richland. Its purpose originally was to help produce nuclear weaponry, which the US was trying to develop. People came from across the United States to work at Hanford, who were unaware of what they were actually producing. They were only told that their work would help the war effort.<ref name=HanfordHistory>{{cite web |url=https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/HanfordHistory |title=Hanford History |publisher=[[United States Department of Energy]] |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=September 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902190024/https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/HanfordHistory |url-status=live }}</ref> The federal government constructed housing in Richland, but many employees of that site then [[commuting|commuted]] from Kennewick. The [[plutonium]] refined at the Hanford Site was used in the [[Fat Man]] bomb, which was dropped in [[Nagasaki]] in 1945. As the Hanford Site's purpose has evolved, there has continually been a tremendous influence from the site on the workforce and economy of Kennewick.<ref>{{cite news |title=Early Hanford Workers Remember Dust, Security |last=Cary |first=Annette |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article32146359.html |work=Tri-City Herald |date=October 6, 2013 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231175151/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article32146359.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=PI/> Due to activity at the Hanford Site, the [[1950 United States census|1950 census]] recorded major population growth in the Tri-Cities, with Richland overtaking to become the largest city in the region. From 1940 to 1950, the population of Richland grew from 247 residents to 21,793 residents, while Pasco gained from 3,913 to 10,114, and Kennewick increased from 1,918 to 10,085.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fussell |first=E. B. |date=July 23, 1950 |title=King, Pierce Account for More Than Half of State's Census Gain |page=38 |work=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref>

An effort to build a new bridge began in 1949 and was funded in 1951 because of increasing traffic between Kennewick and Pasco, largely due to commuters heading to and from the Hanford Site in Richland and [[McNary Dam]], which was under construction near [[Umatilla, Oregon]]. The two-lane Green Bridge was the only one for automobiles across the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities at the time, and the 10,000 cars crossing it daily had created traffic problems. A new four-lane divided highway bridge, dubbed the [[Blue Bridge (Washington)|Blue Bridge]], opened in 1954 less than {{convert|2|mi|km}} upstream from the Green Bridge.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Roland |date=July 30, 1954 |title=New Columbia River Bridge Linking Tri-Cities Opened |page=1 |work=[[Walla Walla Union-Bulletin]]}}</ref> The [[Cable Bridge]] opened between Kennewick and Pasco in 1978 and was built to replace the Green Bridge. However, demolishing the Green Bridge proved to be controversial. Those seeking to preserve the bridge for historical reasons were able to stall the demolition, but it was eventually torn down in 1990.<ref>{{cite book |title=Great American Bridges and Dams |first=Donald C. |last=Jackson |author2=McCullough, David G. |year=1988 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=0-471-14385-5 |pages=68–70 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v3WWvdOUcFEC&q=Pasco-Kennewick+Bridge+1922&pg=PA314 |access-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316152012/https://books.google.com/books?id=v3WWvdOUcFEC&q=Pasco-Kennewick+Bridge+1922&pg=PA314 |url-status=live |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

===20th century racial discrimination===
Racial discrimination against African Americans was common in Kennewick before the [[civil rights movement]]. The city was a [[sundown town]], requiring African Americans to be out of the city after nightfall. The only place they could live in the Tri-Cities at one time was east Pasco. Even during the day, African Americans would experience harassment by the general public and police, with some police officers stopping every person of color they found in the city after dark.<ref name=Unproved>{{cite news|title=Discrimination Held Unproved |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle/97847249/ |date=May 17, 1963 |page=6 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  In the 1940s, [[covenant (law)|covenants]] restricted African Americans from owning property in the city. After the [[United States Supreme Court|U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled in ''[[Shelley v. Kraemer]]'' that racially restrictive covenants could not be enforced in state courts, these were replaced by informal agreements between homeowners and realtors to refuse to sell to African Americans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bauman |first1=Robert |date=Summer 2005 |title=Jim Crow in the Tri-Cities, 1943-1950 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40491852 |journal=[[The Pacific Northwest Quarterly]] |volume=96 |issue=3 |pages=124–131 |jstor=40491852 |access-date=27 September 2021 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308105753/https://www.jstor.org/stable/40491852 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kennewick's racial discrimination problems became a contributing factor behind a community college not being built there in the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tri-City Racial Problems Shake Junior College Plans |date=December 10, 1954 |page=14 |work=The Spokesman-Review}}</ref> In 1963, regional [[NAACP]] leaders started pressuring the state government to investigate exclusionary practices and staged demonstrations in front of city hall.<ref>{{cite news|title=State Board Will Hold Meeting at Kennewick |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle/97846838/ |date=May 13, 1963 |page=6 |work=The Spokesman-Review |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Kennewick Marchers Point to City's Racial Problems |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-kennewick-marchers/157976492/ |date=May 19, 1968 |page=18 |work=The Spokesman-Review |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Initial meetings led the state to determine that while no official policy banning African Americans from the city existed, racial discrimination was a significant barrier to that community living and feeling safe.<ref name=Unproved /> Despite this, the Washington State Board Against Discrimination indicted Kennewick for its sundown town status.<ref>{{cite news|title=Negro March Won't Stress Kennewick |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review/97846498/ |date=May 12, 1963 |page=2 |work=The Spokesman-Review |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Charge Kennewick As 'Sundown Town' |first=Joe |last=Rigert |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[Port Angeles Evening News]] |location=[[Port Angeles, Washington]] |date=July 9, 1963 |page=1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29368072/ |via=Newspapers.com |quote=A state civil rights board indicated Tuesday Kennewick has virtually barred its gates to Negroes and gained a reputation as a 'sundown town' where Negroes must leave after dark. |access-date=March 10, 2019 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140400/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29368072/port-angeles-evening-news/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=TCHDiscrimination>{{cite news |title=Black Tri-Citians Reflect on Struggles, Progress |last=Pihl |first=Kristi |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31806114.html |work=Tri-City Herald |date=February 14, 2011 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=January 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104043249/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31806114.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1980 to present===
The [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]] caused [[volcanic ash]] to fall on Kennewick.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dullenty |first=Jim |date=May 19, 1980 |title=Ash chokes Eastern Washington roads |page=1 |work=Tri-City Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118474119/ash-chokes-eastern-washington-roads/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=February 11, 2023}}</ref> Higher accumulations were recorded in surrounding communities, such as [[Ritzville, Washington|Ritzville]], and the ash plume was thick enough to trigger street lamps to turn on at noon. Cars that didn't have external filters stopped functioning during the eruption.<ref>{{cite news |title=6 inches of Mt. St. Helens ash fell on Lind, WA; half as much on closer cities |url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/archives/inches-of-mt-st-helens-ash-fell-on-lind-wa/article_7298dd4b-8877-50a6-a01c-63aa4f0cf27e.html |publisher=KNDU-TV |date=May 15, 2017 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908035635/https://www.nbcrightnow.com/archives/inches-of-mt-st-helens-ash-fell-on-lind-wa/article_7298dd4b-8877-50a6-a01c-63aa4f0cf27e.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Kennewick and surrounding areas have been dusted by smaller eruptions of [[Mount St. Helens]] since.<ref>{{cite news |title=Volcano's ash burp dusts Tri-Cities |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/latest-news/article31767534.html |work=Tri-City Herald |date=February 15, 1991 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=January 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104043141/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/latest-news/article31767534.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The area was connected to the [[Interstate Highway System]] in 1986 when construction on [[Interstate 82]] (I-82) between [[Benton City, Washington|Benton City]] and the south end of Kennewick was completed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Woehler |first=Bob |date=February 23, 1986 |title=Final ribbon cut on I82, 182 highway links |page=B1 |work=Tri-City Herald}}</ref> This came after over a decade of fighting between Washington and Oregon regarding the planned route of the freeway. With backing from Tri-Cities and [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] area businesses, Washington had pushed for a route that connected those cities.<ref name="TCH-1984">{{cite news |last=Woehler |first=Bob |date=November 25, 1984 |title=I-82 saga was 25-year freeway tug-of-war |page=C4 |work=Tri-City Herald}}</ref> Oregon eventually opposing proposed routes that didn't cross the [[Umatilla Bridge]], a compromise was reached placing I-82 on its current alignment to the south and southwest of Kennewick while authorizing the construction of [[Interstate 182]] as a spur heading directly into Richland and Pasco.<ref>{{cite news |last=Abeyta |first=Terry |date=August 9, 1973 |title=1-82 county bypass: 'Inevitable' |page=5 |work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 8, 1969 |title=Two highway hearings set |page=2 |work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin}}</ref>

The 1980s also brought the two most serious attempts to merge Kennewick with the other cities in the Tri-Cities, both of which failed. This resulted from an economic down turn in the area caused by the cancellation of two proposed nuclear power plants on the Hanford Site. The first proposal was to consolidate all three cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland) into one, while the second only included Kennewick and Richland. Support for both of these attempts was strong in Richland, but voters in Kennewick and Pasco were not on board.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tri-Cities may become Bi-Cities; Pasco would get boot |last=Geranlos |first=Nicholas |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |date=May 23, 1988}}</ref>

The [[Toyota Center (Kennewick)|Toyota Center]] was used as a venue for ice hockey and figure skating during the [[1990 Goodwill Games]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Swenson |first=John |title=Tri-Cities welcomes Goodwill Games while Soviets fume |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/07/25/Tri-Cities-welcomes-Goodwill-Games-while-Soviets-fume/7494648878400/ |publisher=United Press International |date=July 25, 1990 |access-date=December 12, 2018 |archive-date=December 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215224827/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/07/25/Tri-Cities-welcomes-Goodwill-Games-while-Soviets-fume/7494648878400/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This international sporting competition was similar to the [[Olympic Games]], but significantly smaller in scale. Most of the events were held in the host city, [[Seattle]], but were also staged in other areas of the state, including [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] and [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilma |first=David |title=Ted Turner's Goodwill Games open in Seattle on July 20, 1990 |url=http://historylink.org/File/5658 |work=HistoryLink |date=February 25, 2004 |access-date=December 12, 2018 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301015801/https://www.historylink.org/File/5658 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1996, an ancient human skeleton was found on a bank of the Columbia River. Known as [[Kennewick Man]], the remains are notable for their age (some 9,300 years). Ownership of the bones has been a matter of [[Kennewick Man#Ownership controversy|controversy]] with Native American tribes in the Inland Northwest claiming the bones to be from an ancestor of theirs and wanting them to be reburied. After a court litigation, a group of researchers were allowed to study the remains and perform various tests and analyses. They published their results in a book in 2014. A 2015 genetic analysis confirmed the ancient skeleton's ancestry to the Native Americans of the area (some observers contended that the remains were of European origin). The genetic analysis has notably contributed to knowledge about the [[peopling of the Americas]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33170655 |title=DNA reignites Kennewick Man debate |last=Morelle |first=Rebecca |author-link=Rebecca Morelle |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 18, 2015 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=February 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202101119/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33170655 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kennewick fared better than most of the state during the [[Great Recession]], primarily due to consistent job growth in the metro area during that time. This was largely driven by the Hanford Site, which only had one significant period of layoffs which briefly caused economic uncertainty. Home sales experienced a small decline from 2007 to 2009, but rebounded in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/Kennewick-RichlandWA-CHMA-18.pdf |title=COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS - Kennewick-Richland, WA |publisher=[[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development]] |date=October 1, 2018 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016191144/https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/Kennewick-RichlandWA-CHMA-18.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/2018/05/experts-say-region-poised-for-continued-growth/ |title=Experts say region poised for continued growth |work=Tri-Cities Business News |date=2018 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230220144/https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/2018/05/experts-say-region-poised-for-continued-growth/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the recession, Kennewick has expanded greatly. While growth has been experienced throughout the city, new development has been strongest in the Southridge area along [[U.S. Route 395 in Washington|U.S. Route 395]] (US&nbsp;395) and in the west part of the city thanks to their access to major roads and the ample land available in those areas when development started.<ref name=ComprehensivePlan>{{cite web |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/DocumentCenter/View/9723/Comprehensive-Plan-Together-we-are-One-Kennewick |title=Together we are one Kennewick |publisher=City of Kennewick |date=2017 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017000051/https://www.go2kennewick.com/DocumentCenter/View/9723/Comprehensive-Plan-Together-we-are-One-Kennewick |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Kennewick from Thompson Hill.jpg|thumb|Kennewick from Thompson Hill, which is in the south part of town.]]
Kennewick is located in [[Eastern Washington]] along the south side of the Columbia River and is one of three cities in the Tri-Cities. The other two cities are Richland, which is upstream of Kennewick on the same side of the river, and Pasco, which is across the river. The elevation within the city rises from the river to a line of ridges on the south side of town that are a result of the same [[anticline]] that created [[Badger Mountain (Benton County, Washington)|Badger Mountain]] and [[Rattlesnake Mountain (Benton County, Washington)|Rattlesnake Mountain]].<ref name=GeologicMap>{{cite map |first1=J. Eric |last1=Schuster |first2=Charles W. |last2=Gulick |first3=Stephen P. |last3=Reidel |first4=Karl R. |last4=Fecht |first5=Stephanie |last5=Zurenko |title=Geologic Map of Washington - Southeast Quadrant |year=1997 |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Natural Resources]] |url=https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_gm45_geol_map_se_wa_250k.pdf |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805014833/https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_gm45_geol_map_se_wa_250k.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Beyond that line of ridges, the city slopes up toward the [[Horse Heaven Hills]].<ref name=KennewickTopo>{{cite map |title=Kennewick, WA |year=2017 |scale=1:24,000 |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|28.36|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|26.93|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|1.43|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=December 19, 2012 |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=July 2, 2012}}</ref> The former community of Vista is now a neighborhood fully contained within Kennewick.

The city overlies basalt laid down by the [[Columbia River Basalt Group]], which was a type of [[volcano|volcanic]] eruption known as a [[flood basalt]]. This erupted from fissures that were geographically spread throughout eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and far western Idaho. Most of the lava erupted between 17 and 14 million years ago, with smaller eruptions lasting as late as 6 million years ago.<ref>{{Citation
|first1 = Robert J. |last1 = Carson
|first2 = Kevin R.  |last2 = Pogue
|author-link2=Kevin Pogue
|title = Flood Basalts and Glacier Floods: Roadside Geology of Parts of Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties, Washington
|publisher = Washington State Department of Natural Resources (Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources Information Circular 90)
|year = 1996
|page=2
}}</ref><ref>{{Citation
|last1= Reidel |first1 = Stephen P.
|title = A Lava Flow without a Source: The Cohasset Flow and Its Compositional Members
|journal = Journal of Geology
|volume = 113 |issue =  1|pages = 1&ndash;21
|date=January 2005
|bibcode = 2005JG....113....1R |doi = 10.1086/425966 |s2cid = 12587046
}}</ref> The nearest eruptive vent to Kennewick from this period is near [[Ice Harbor Dam]] along the Snake River upstream of Burbank and Pasco. While outcroppings from the basalt flows can be seen throughout Kennewick, they are mostly buried by sediments.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://geologyportal.dnr.wa.gov/ |title=Washington Geologic Information Portal |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Natural Resources]] |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231205618/https://geologyportal.dnr.wa.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first major sediment deposit following the eruptions is the [[Ringold Formation]], which was placed by the Columbia River between 8 and 3 million years ago. Further deposition came as a result of the [[Missoula Floods]].<ref name=GeologicMap /> At the end of the [[last glacial maximum]], an ice dam blocked the [[Clark Fork River]] in [[Montana]]. The pressure from the resulting lake would periodically build to the point that the dam would fail, sending massive amounts of water cascading to the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Clague|first1=John J.|last2=Barendregt|first2=Rene|last3=Enkin|first3=Randolph J.|last4=Foit| first4=Franklin F. Jr. |title=Paleomagnetic and tephra evidence for tens of Missoula floods in southern Washington|journal=Geology|volume=31|issue=3|pages=247–250|publisher=The Geological Society of America|date=March 2003|doi=10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0247:PATEFT>2.0.CO;2|bibcode=2003Geo....31..247C}}</ref> The flood's movement was impeded by the Horse Heaven Hills, creating a temporary lake known as [[Lake Lewis]]. This abrupt halt in flow allowed the floodwater to drop a significant amount of sediment before passing through [[Wallula Gap]] toward [[Hermiston, Oregon|Hermiston]]. During the largest floods, the water's surface reached {{convert|1250|ft|m}} above sea level. This completely covered all of the land within Kennewick's city limits.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bjornstad|first=Bruce|year=2006|title=On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A Geological Guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin|publisher=Keokee Books|location=San Point, Idaho|isbn=978-1-87962-827-4}}</ref>

[[Earthquake]]s are a hazard in Kennewick, though not to the same extent or frequency as areas west of the [[Cascade Range]] like the [[Puget Sound Region]]. The entire [[Pacific Northwest]] is threatened with [[subduction zone]] earthquakes that can exceed magnitudes of 9 on the [[moment magnitude scale]]. The last of these earthquakes, which could be compared to the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|2011 Tōhoku earthquake]] in [[Japan]], [[1700 Cascadia earthquake|occurred in 1700]].<ref>{{citation|title=Significant Earthquake Information|url=https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/9954|author=National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS)|publisher=[[National Geophysical Data Center]], [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]|doi=10.7289/V5TD9V7K|year=1972|type=Data Set|access-date=January 29, 2024|archive-date=March 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307082134/https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/9954|url-status=live}}</ref> Should the next earthquake occur, damage is expected to be minimal in and around Kennewick, but destruction west of the Cascades could have a major impact of the economy of inland areas. These subduction zone earthquakes will be centered on the boundary between the [[North American Plate]] and the [[Juan de Fuca Plate]], which is located offshore.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ic116_csz_scenario_update.pdf|year=2013|title=Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes|publisher=Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup|page=17|access-date=December 31, 2019|archive-date=September 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902000705/https://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ic116_csz_scenario_update.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Fault lines closer to Kennewick also produce earthquakes. While these are weaker, they can still cause damage. One such earthquake, named the [[1936 State Line earthquake]], occurred near [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] with damage extending as far away as Prosser.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.pnsn.org/HIST_CAT/1936.html |title=WA/OR - United States earthquakes, 1936 |publisher=Pacific Northwest Seismic Network |location=[[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] |access-date=February 26, 2018 |archive-date=February 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219195918/http://assets.pnsn.org/HIST_CAT/1936.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Climate ===
[[File:Large dust storm in parts of eastern Washington on October 4, 2009.jpg|thumb|upright|Satellite view of a [[dust storm]] in 2009 obscuring parts of Kennewick.]]

Kennewick has a [[semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BSk''), that closely borders on a [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BWk'') due to its position east of the Cascade Mountains.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=451454&cityname=Kennewick%2C+Washington%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Kennewick, Washington Köppen Climate Classification|publisher=Weatherbase|access-date=December 31, 2019|archive-date=March 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316152922/https://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=451454&cityname=Kennewick%2C+Washington%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|url-status=live}}</ref> The Cascades create an effective [[rain shadow]], causing Kennewick to receive a fraction of the precipitation that cities west of the mountains like [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] and [[Seattle]] get annually, with values being more similar to that of [[Phoenix, Arizona]]. The mountains also insulate Kennewick from the moderating effects of the Pacific Ocean, allowing the city to experience more extreme temperatures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/118/index.html|first=Corey|last=Christiansen|title=Wet vs. Dry - Shedding Some Light on the Pacific Northwest Rain Shadow|publisher=The Weather Prediction|access-date=December 31, 2019|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112005814/https://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/118/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Mass|first=Cliff|author-link=Cliff Mass|year=2008|title=The Weather of the Pacific Northwest|publisher=[[University of Washington]]|pages=13–18|isbn=978-0-295-98847-4}}</ref>

Before McNary Dam was built on the Columbia River downstream of Kennewick, the river would periodically flood. The worst of these floods [[1948 Columbia River flood|happened in 1948]] and caused one death and $50 million ($533.6 million in 2019) worth of damage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |title=US Inflation Calculator |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=July 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723111922/https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The government responded by building the [[McNary Levee System]] to protect lower parts of town.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/5675 |title=Flood inundates Kennewick and Richland on May 31, 1948 |first=Elizabeth |last=Gibson |publisher=HistoryLink |date=March 31, 2008 |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231230641/https://www.historylink.org/File/5675 |url-status=live }}</ref> Floods like this were the result of melting snow, and were most extreme when a heavy snowpack developed in the mountains over winter followed by a strong regional heatwave. The flood threat from the Columbia has significantly decreased since dams were built.<ref>{{harvp|Mass|2008|pp=30–32}}</ref> [[Zintel Canyon Dam]] located near the [[Southridge Sports and Events Complex]] was built to protect parts of the city from a [[100-year flood]]. While the creek that flows through Zintel Canyon typically runs dry, summer thunderstorms in the Horse Heaven Hills can generate destructive [[flash flood]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://washingtonlandscape.blogspot.com/2012/11/zintel-canyon-dam.html |last=McShane |first=Dan |work=Reading the Washington Landscape |title=Zintel Canyon Dam |date=November 28, 2012 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304142419/https://washingtonlandscape.blogspot.com/2012/11/zintel-canyon-dam.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lying at the bottom of a basin, [[temperature inversion]]s can develop, creating dense [[fog]] and low clouds in Kennewick. This is particularly common in the winter and can last for several days. Inversions form during periods of high pressure. High pressure combining with the low angle of the sun in winter brings stability in the atmosphere, allowing denser cold air to sink to the floor of the Columbia Basin. Pollutants will also become trapped, lowering the air quality. When fog develops during an inversion, it will often limit diurnal temperature changes to just a few degrees. Temperatures in areas above the inversion will often be warmer despite being at a higher elevation.<ref>{{harvp|Mass|2008|pp=223–229}}</ref> These inversions cause a major decrease in the amount of sunshine Kennewick receives annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ingalls.weathertogether.net/2018/04/25/does-the-tri-cities-really-get-300-days-of-sunshine-a-year/ |first=Mark |last=Ingalls |title=Does the Tri-Cities really get 300 days of sunshine a year? |publisher=WeatherTogether |date=April 25, 2018 |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231230646/http://ingalls.weathertogether.net/2018/04/25/does-the-tri-cities-really-get-300-days-of-sunshine-a-year/ |url-status=live }}</ref> If a weather system drops precipitation but isn't strong enough to clear the inversion, [[freezing rain]] or [[ice pellets|sleet]] can fall in Kennewick.<ref>{{harvp|Mass|2008|p=74}}</ref>

The average annual wind speed in Kennewick is {{convert|8|mph|kph}}, but strong winds are a common occurrence in Kennewick and can sometimes cause damage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://keprtv.com/news/local/wind-gusts-hit-70-mph-in-tri-cities |title=Wind gusts hit 70 mph in Tri-Cities |publisher=[[KEPR-TV]] |date=December 17, 2012 |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231230645/https://keprtv.com/news/local/wind-gusts-hit-70-mph-in-tri-cities |url-status=live }}</ref> Wind and the arid nature of the region can cause [[dust storm]]s. These events can happen any time of the year but is most common in the spring and fall months when farms in the region have high amounts of exposed soil.<ref>{{harvp|Mass|2008|pp=180–184}}</ref> [[Chinook winds]] can also be experienced during the winter. These are formed when moisture gets removed from air moving across the Cascade Mountains, allowing the air to warm significantly as it descends into the [[Yakima River|Yakima Valley]] and Columbia Basin. Many of the high temperature records set during the winter months result from Chinook events.<ref>{{cite book |last=Burt |first=Christopher |year=2004 |title=Extreme Weather |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/extremeweathergu00burt_0/page/251 251] |isbn=0-393-32658-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/extremeweathergu00burt_0/page/251 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.joelane.com/climate-weather-tri-cities-wa.php |title=Climate and Weather of Tri-Cities, Washington |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024154744/https://www.joelane.com/climate-weather-tri-cities-wa.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

Summer brings extreme heat and low humidity, which are ideal conditions for [[wildfires]] in undeveloped areas adjacent to town. One such fire in 2018 started along [[Interstate 82]] south of Kennewick and burned {{convert|5000|acres|ha}}, destroying five homes on the edge of Kennewick.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article216542955.html |title=Devastating Tri-City wildfire destroys 5 homes, damages 3 more |last=Probert |first=Cameron |date=August 12, 2018 |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=January 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104151335/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article216542955.html |url-status=live }}</ref> While rare, [[severe thunderstorm]]s can also cause damage in Kennewick. Severe storms can produce damaging wind, hail, lightning, and weak [[tornado]]es. No tornadoes were recorded in Kennewick between 1962 and 2011, but one did touch down in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/envbrowser/ |title=Tornado Environment Browser |publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]] |access-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031040726/https://www.spc.noaa.gov/exper/envbrowser/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/weather/storm-causes-floods-and-produced-a-small-tornado-in-tri/article_107c8810-61a8-5d1e-a572-28d8dbb00ad1.html |title=Storm causes floods and produced a small tornado in Tri-Cities |publisher=[[KNDU-TV]] |date=May 23, 2016 |access-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908105520/https://www.nbcrightnow.com/weather/storm-causes-floods-and-produced-a-small-tornado-in-tri/article_107c8810-61a8-5d1e-a572-28d8dbb00ad1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[hardiness zone]] is 7b bordering 8a.

<div class="center">
{{Weather box
|location = Kennewick, Washington, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = y
|Jan record high F = 74
|Feb record high F = 74
|Mar record high F = 87
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 104
|Jun record high F = 114
|Jul record high F = 115
|Aug record high F = 115
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 89
|Nov record high F = 79
|Dec record high F = 72
|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 59.5
|Feb avg record high F = 61.8
|Mar avg record high F = 70.8
|Apr avg record high F = 81.5
|May avg record high F = 91.4
|Jun avg record high F = 97.9
|Jul avg record high F = 103.4
|Aug avg record high F = 102.1
|Sep avg record high F = 92.9
|Oct avg record high F = 80.1
|Nov avg record high F = 68.1
|Dec avg record high F = 59.8
|year avg record high F = 104.4

|Jan high F = 41.7
|Feb high F = 48.1
|Mar high F = 58.1
|Apr high F = 66.3
|May high F = 75.3
|Jun high F = 82.0
|Jul high F = 91.3
|Aug high F = 90.3
|Sep high F = 80.5
|Oct high F = 65.9
|Nov high F = 50.9
|Dec high F = 41.5

|Jan mean F = 35.5
|Feb mean F = 39.5
|Mar mean F = 47.0
|Apr mean F = 54.3
|May mean F = 62.7
|Jun mean F = 69.2
|Jul mean F = 76.8
|Aug mean F = 75.8
|Sep mean F = 66.8
|Oct mean F = 54.5
|Nov mean F = 42.9
|Dec mean F = 35.6
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 29.6
|Feb low F = 31.0
|Mar low F = 36.2
|Apr low F = 42.5
|May low F = 50.4
|Jun low F = 56.7
|Jul low F = 62.7
|Aug low F = 61.6
|Sep low F = 53.5
|Oct low F = 43.4
|Nov low F = 35.2
|Dec low F = 30.0

|Jan avg record low F = 15.3
|Feb avg record low F = 18.8
|Mar avg record low F = 26.1
|Apr avg record low F = 33.5
|May avg record low F = 40.1
|Jun avg record low F = 48.4
|Jul avg record low F = 54.5
|Aug avg record low F = 53.3
|Sep avg record low F = 43.8
|Oct avg record low F = 30.7
|Nov avg record low F = 22.5
|Dec avg record low F = 16.8
|year avg record low F = 10.0

|Jan record low F = -27
|Feb record low F = -23
|Mar record low F = 8
|Apr record low F = 18
|May record low F = 26
|Jun record low F = 35
|Jul record low F = 38
|Aug record low F = 37
|Sep record low F = 21
|Oct record low F = 14
|Nov record low F = -8
|Dec record low F = -29
|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.13
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.79
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.66
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.61
|May precipitation inch = 0.81
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.59
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.20
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.17
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.26
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.66
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.86
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.13

|Jan snow inch = 1.3
|Feb snow inch = 0.1
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|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 = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.4
|Dec snow inch = 0.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 11.1
|Feb precipitation days = 8.1
|Mar precipitation days = 7.8
|Apr precipitation days = 6.9
|May precipitation days = 6.3
|Jun precipitation days = 4.7
|Jul precipitation days = 2.1
|Aug precipitation days = 1.9
|Sep precipitation days = 2.6
|Oct precipitation days = 6.3
|Nov precipitation days = 8.9
|Dec precipitation days = 10.5

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.8
|Feb snow days = 0.1
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|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 = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.3
|Dec snow days = 0.6

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00454154&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = August 4, 2022
|archive-date = August 12, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220812141400/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00454154&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|url-status = live
}}</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pdt
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = July 25, 2022
|archive-date = May 30, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220530020341/https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=pdt
|url-status = live
}}</ref>
}}</div>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 183
|1910= 1219
|1920= 1684
|1930= 1519
|1940= 1918
|1950= 10106
|1960= 14244
|1970= 15212
|1980= 34397
|1990= 42155
|2000= 54693
|2010= 73917
|2020= 83921
|estyear=2023
|estimate=85158
|estref=<ref name="Census-Estimate2023"/>
|footnote=Population History<ref>Moffatt, Riley.  ''Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990''. [[Lanham, Maryland|Lanham]]: Scarecrow, 1996, 331.</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]]|access-date=September 19, 2013|archive-date=April 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US5335275|title=Kennewick city, Washington|author=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 23, 2022|archive-date=July 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725194015/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US5335275|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" 
|+'''Kennewick, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web |title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Kennewick city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US5335275&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924044723/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US5335275 |url-status=live }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kennewick city, Washington|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5335275&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 25, 2024|archive-date=February 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224234501/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5335275&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|url-status=live}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web |title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kennewick city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5335275&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924044615/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5335275&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|42,720
|50,835
|style='background: #ffffe6; |49,699
|78.11%
|68.77%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |59.22%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|579
|1,144
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,450
|1.06%
|1.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.73%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|396
|477
|style='background: #ffffe6; |488
|0.72%
|0.65%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.58%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|1,153
|1,705
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,308
|2.11%
|2.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.75%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|45
|123
|style='background: #ffffe6; |336
|0.08%
|0.17%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.40%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|66
|125
|style='background: #ffffe6; |391
|0.12%
|0.17%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.47%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|1,231
|1,599
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,942
|2.25%
|2.16%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.70%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|8,503
|17,909
|style='background: #ffffe6; |25,307
|15.55%
|24.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |30.16%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''54,693'''
|'''73,917'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''83,921'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 73,917 people, 27,266 households, and 18,528 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2744.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 28,507 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1058.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 78.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.7% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.8% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 12.1% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 4.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 24.2% of the population.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Of the 27,266 households, 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.0% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of single individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>

The median age in the city was 32.6 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 54,693 people, 20,786 households, and 14,176 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,384.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 22,043 housing units at an average density of {{convert|961.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 82.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 9.4% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.4% from two or more races. 15.5% of the population was [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race. 18.2% were of [[germans|German]], 9.6% English, 8.5% Irish and 8.5% American ancestry. 84.6% spoke English and 12.5% Spanish as their first language.<ref name="OFM-Census2000">{{cite web |date=September 17, 2002 |title=Census 2000, Summary File 3: Kennewick city, WA (35275) |pages=1, 9, 56 |url=https://www.ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/legacy/pop/census2000/dp58/pl/35275.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |via=[[Washington State Office of Financial Management]] |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316141918/https://www.ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/legacy/pop/census2000/dp58/pl/35275.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

There were 20,786 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.15.<ref name="OFM-Census2000"/>

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.<ref name="OFM-Census2000"/>

The median income for a household in the city was $41,213, and the median income for a family was $50,011. Males had a median income of $41,589 versus $26,022 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,152. About 9.7% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="OFM-Census2000"/>

==Economy==
[[File:DowntownKennewick.jpg|thumb|left|A retail building in downtown Kennewick.]]Kennewick's economy is closely tied to the rest of the Tri-Cities and is heavily influenced by the Hanford Site and the national laboratory. The agriculture and healthcare industries also employ many residents.<ref name=EconomicDevelopment>{{cite web |url=https://go2kennewick.com/956/Major-Employers |title=Major Employers |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102204135/https://go2kennewick.com/956/Major-Employers |url-status=live }}</ref> It has developed to become the retail hub of the Tri-Cities and hosts the only mall in the area—[[Columbia Center Mall]].<ref name=HistoryLink /> As such, Kennewick draws in shoppers from a significant portion of southeast Washington and northeast Oregon.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/places/wa/kennewick/ |title=Kennewick, WA |magazine=[[Forbes]] |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020085433/https://www.forbes.com/places/wa/kennewick/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Aside from the commercial area around the mall, the other significant retail districts include the historic downtown area and the newly developed Southridge district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/shopping/ |title=Shopping |publisher=Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024063643/http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/shopping/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/766/Southridge |title=Southridge |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119184708/https://www.go2kennewick.com/766/Southridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many agricultural commodities are grown near Kennewick, and many of these pass through the city to be processed and/or transported to other markets for consumption. [[Boise, Idaho]]-based Lamb Weston, a division of [[ConAgra Foods]], has corporate offices in Kennewick and [[Tyson Foods]] does processing in town.<ref name=EconomicDevelopment /> Volcanic ash is mixed in with the rich soil of the region, creating ideal growing conditions for numerous crops.<ref name=SoilSurvey>{{cite report |first=Jack J. |last=Rasmussen |year=1971 |title=SOIL SURVEY OF BENTON COUNTY AREA, WASHINGTON |url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/washington/WA605/0/wa605_text.pdf |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=February 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225194339/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/washington/WA605/0/wa605_text.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Irrigation]] enhanced the region through further diversification of agricultural products coming from the Columbia Basin to include vineyards and a variety of vegetables and tree fruit. In higher elevations, like much of the Horse Heaven Hills, there is no access to irrigation water, limiting agricultural activities in that area to ranching and growing wheat.<ref name=HistoryLink /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.joelane.com/kennewicks-industry-and-economy.php |title=An Introduction to Kennewick |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120100035/https://www.joelane.com/kennewicks-industry-and-economy.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropmap/washington/counties/benton.html |title=Washington CropMAP - Benton |publisher=[[Purdue University]] |access-date=April 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316133637/https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropmap/washington/counties/benton.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The region is experiencing consistent job growth, which is creating a large population boom. Home prices have increased by about 10% annually in Kennewick for the past several years, with slower increases having occurred before 2016.<ref name=Forbes /> Despite this growth, unemployment remained above both the national and state averages in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/washington/kennewick/ |title=Kennewick-Richland, Washington Unemployment |publisher=Department of Numbers |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116175704/https://www.deptofnumbers.com/unemployment/washington/kennewick/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Recently, industrial growth in Hermiston and at the [[Port of Morrow]] in [[Boardman, Oregon|Boardman]] has led to an increase in the number of Kennewick residents who commute to those areas for work.<ref>{{cite report |title=Morrow County/Umatilla County Transit Development Strategy |url=https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/RPTD/STIFDiscretionary/Umatilla_Transit_Strategies.pdf |year=2018 |publisher=[[Oregon Department of Transportation]] |pages=19, 51 |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102204135/https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/RPTD/STIFDiscretionary/Umatilla_Transit_Strategies.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> This is further enhanced by a housing shortage in northeast Oregon.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jade |last=McDowell |title=Housing market still tight in Hermiston |date=March 18, 2016 |url=https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/housing-market-still-tight-in-hermiston/article_47b594c5-2fc9-5fa1-805a-61ba8e6984c6.html |publisher=[[East Oregonian]] |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908141844/https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/housing-market-still-tight-in-hermiston/article_47b594c5-2fc9-5fa1-805a-61ba8e6984c6.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Kevin |last=McCullen |title=Booming Boardman has jobs but lacks housing |date=June 27, 2010 |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31780869.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=January 2, 2020 |archive-date=January 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200104040544/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article31780869.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:American Empress at Howard Amon Park, stern.jpg|thumb|The [[American Empress]] stops in the Tri-Cities for wine tours and other excursions.]]
Kennewick hosts a number of events throughout the year, many of which are held outdoors in public parks during the warm season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://go2kennewick.com/538/Recreation-Community-Events |title=Recreation Community Events |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923231859/https://www.go2kennewick.com/538/Recreation-Community-Events |url-status=live }}</ref> The largest weekend event in town is the Tri-Cities Water Follies, which fill the weekend of the [[HAPO Gold Cup]], a hydroplane race taking place every July in the Columbia River just upstream of the Blue Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/recreation/ |title=Sports Tri-Cities |publisher=Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201204754/http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/recreation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Activities in Kennewick that weekend include the races itself as well as an [[airshow]]. There are other events throughout the Tri-Cities during Water Follies, such as Art in the Park, a craft show at [[Howard Amon Park]] in Richland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://waterfollies.com/ |title=Home |publisher=Water Follies |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304232707/https://waterfollies.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://festivalnet.com/9832/Richland-Washington/Craft-Shows/Art-in-the-Park |title=Art in the Park 2020, a craft show in Richland, Washington |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511143522/https://festivalnet.com/9832/Richland-Washington/Craft-Shows/Art-in-the-Park |url-status=live }}</ref> Over 70,000 people attend events related to Water Follies each year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Water Follies attendance numbers are in |url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/water-follies-attendance-numbers-are-in/article_337d2b52-2175-5563-bb13-7b02c562a332.html |publisher=[[KNDU-TV]] |date=August 1, 2011 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908133540/https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/water-follies-attendance-numbers-are-in/article_337d2b52-2175-5563-bb13-7b02c562a332.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Benton and [[Franklin County, Washington|Franklin]] Counties combine to host a single [[fair]] at the end of each summer at the fairgrounds off SR 397 in east Kennewick. Like many other county fairs across the United States, the fair has livestock exhibitions, retail, carnival rides, and concerts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://d38trduahtodj3.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=BentonFranklinFair&f=foodfindermapwithoutlegend.pdf |title=Food Finder Map |publisher=Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo |year=2019 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316134230/https://d38trduahtodj3.cloudfront.net/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=BentonFranklinFair&f=foodfindermapwithoutlegend.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Also on site during the fair is a [[rodeo]] named the Horse Heaven Round-Up.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bentonfranklinfair.com/p/about/horses-heaven-round-up-rodeo |title=Horse Heaven Round-Up Rodeo |publisher=Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304132714/https://www.bentonfranklinfair.com/p/about/horses-heaven-round-up-rodeo |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tourism===
The arid climate and warm temperatures during the summer draw people to Kennewick from around the Pacific Northwest. Many summertime visitors engage in boating and other water related activities in the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/recreation/ |title=Sports Tri-Cities |publisher=Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201204754/http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/recreation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city and port district work together to further develop tourism throughout the city. This includes recent improvements to [[Clover Island]], which has a hotel, lighthouse, and the [[Ice Harbor Brewing Company]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cloverislandinn.com/ |title=Waterfront Kennewick Hotel |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303034554/http://cloverislandinn.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joshi |first=Pratik |title=Kennewick's Clover Island lighthouse gets its lid |url=https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/kennewick-s-clover-island-lighthouse-gets-its-lid/article_3bd3182b-0cb5-5639-b6c8-37c9f0a527bf.html |publisher=[[Wenatchee World]] |date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908134112/https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/kennewick-s-clover-island-lighthouse-gets-its-lid/article_3bd3182b-0cb5-5639-b6c8-37c9f0a527bf.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://iceharbor.com/ |title=Ice Harbor Brewery |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715171741/http://iceharbor.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Adjacent to Clover Island is historic downtown, which has many antique and clothing shops. {{As of|2020}}, work is ongoing to develop the former Vista Field area in the west side of town into a mixed-use development that will include shopping.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portofkennewick.org/projects/vista-field/ |title=Vista Field |publisher=Port of Kennewick |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230193257/https://www.portofkennewick.org/projects/vista-field/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kennewick lies near the center of Washington's wine country, which stretches from the Yakima Valley through the Columbia Basin and [[Horse Heaven Hills]] east to the Walla Walla Valley. There are several [[American Viticultural Area]]s near town. Wine tasting is a major part of the Tri-Cities tourism economy, with over 300 wineries and wine bars rooms in the area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gotastewine.com/tri-cities-wineries.php |title=2020 Guide to Tri-Cities Wineries |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=October 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012125512/https://www.gotastewine.com/tri-cities-wineries.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The city actively markets this to bring in visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/sip-sample/wineries/ |title=Washington Wine Tours |publisher=Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201203429/http://www.visittri-cities.com/what-to-see-and-do/sip-sample/wineries/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cruises travel up the Columbia from Portland with a stop in the Tri-Cities to tour wineries in the area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/river-cruises/columbia-and-snake-river-cruises/ |title=Columbia River Cruises & Snake River Cruises |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325033737/https://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/river-cruises/columbia-and-snake-river-cruises/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Sports===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|-
! Club
! Sport
! League
! Venue<br />(capacity)
! Founded
! Titles
! Record<br />Attendance
|-
| '''[[Tri-City Americans]]'''
| [[Ice hockey]]
| align=center | [[Western Hockey League|WHL]]
| align=center | [[Toyota Center (Kennewick)|Toyota Center]]<br />(5,694)
| align=center | 1988
| align=center | 0
| align=center | 6,053
|-
| '''[[Tri-City Dust Devils]]'''
| Baseball
| align=center | [[Minor League Baseball|MiLB]]
| align=center | Gesa Stadium<br />(3,700)
| align=center | 1979
| align=center | 1
| align=center | 2,701
|}

[[File:Toyota Center Kennewick 2.jpg|thumb|The [[Toyota Center (Kennewick, Washington)|Toyota Center]].]]

Kennewick hosts two professional sports team, the [[Tri-City Americans]] of the [[Western Hockey League]] and the Tri-City Dust Devils (baseball). The Tri-City Americans play at the [[Toyota Center (Kennewick, Washington)|Toyota Center]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whl.ca/schedule/270/217 |title=WHL Network |publisher=[[Western Hockey League]] |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118145031/https://whl.ca/schedule/270/217 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gofirefootball.com/ |title=Home |publisher=[[American West Football Conference]] |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121163630/http://gofirefootball.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Tri-City Dust Devils]] (a [[farm team]] of the Los Angeles Angels) plays at [[Gesa Stadium]] in Pasco.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milb.com/tri-city-dust-devils/tickets |title=Tickets |publisher=[[Minor League Baseball]] |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102190422/https://www.milb.com/tri-city-dust-devils/tickets |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Tri-City Americans were one of the original teams in the Western Hockey League, starting in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]] in 1966. The team moved a couple times before coming to the Tri-Cities in 1988, most recently being in a suburb of [[Vancouver, British Columbia]]. The team's move to the Tri-Cities made them the first professional hockey team to play in the area and was the catalyst for constructing the Toyota Center.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fowler |first=Annie |title=Tri-City Americans celebrate 25 years |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-city-americans/article32084199.html |work=Tri-City Herald |date=September 21, 2012 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712214754/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-city-americans/article32084199.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Americans have won the US Division four times, but have not yet won a Western Conference final.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hockeydb.com/stte/tri-city-americans-8541.html |title=Tri-City Americans hockey team statistics and history |publisher=hockeydb.com |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303215204/https://www.hockeydb.com/stte/tri-city-americans-8541.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Tri-Cities Fire was an indoor football team that played in a league with three other teams. The team was founded in 2019, bringing indoor football back to the Toyota Center after the [[Tri-City Fever]] went dormant in 2016. The team folded after one year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/article223166745.html |title=Indoor football league considers new Tri-City team |work=Tri-City Herald |date=December 15, 2018 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |archive-date=December 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216133402/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/article223166745.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/ifl-issues-statement-on-tri-cities-fever/n-5174401 |title=IFL Issues Statement on Tri-Cities Fever |date=June 30, 2016 |publisher=Indoor Football League |via=OurSports Central |access-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-date=August 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810050800/http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/ifl-issues-statement-on-tri-cities-fever/n-5174401 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Fire finished their first season with an 0–12 record, the worst in the league.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanwestfootballconference.com/stats#/562/standings?division_id=5611 |title=AWFC Stats |publisher=[[American West Football Conference]] |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512004908/https://www.americanwestfootballconference.com/stats#/562/standings?division_id=5611 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Fever won one [[National Indoor Football League]] championship in 2005, beating the Rome Renegades. They went to the [[Indoor Football League]] championship game in 2011 and 2012, losing to [[Sioux Falls Storm]] both years.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3202188 |title=Defense, Coleman lead Fever to Indoor Bowl V win |date=July 31, 2005 |publisher=National Indoor Football League |via=OurSports Central |access-date=September 30, 2015 |archive-date=January 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111114646/http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3202188 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Professional minor league baseball teams have played in Kennewick starting as early as 1950 with the Tri-City Braves. Other teams included the [[Tri-City Atoms]], the Tri-City A's, the Tri-City Triplets, and the Tri-City Ports. All of these played at Sanders-Jacobs Field, which has since been demolished.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalballparks.com/JacobsSanders.html |title=Jacobs Sanders Field |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=August 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822234208/http://www.digitalballparks.com/JacobsSanders.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The Tri-City Posse preceded the Dust Devils playing at GESA Stadium. The city presently hosts the Atomic City Rollergirls, an amateur [[roller derby]] team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flattrackstats.com/teams/18372 |title=Atomic City Rollergirls |publisher=Flat Track Stats |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126125732/http://www.flattrackstats.com/teams/18372 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Washington State University]] occasionally plays [[basketball]] at the Toyota Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://yourtoyotacenter.com/event/wsu-mens-basketball-vs-montana-state/ |title=WSU Men's Basketball vs Montana State |publisher=[[Toyota Center (Kennewick, Washington)|Toyota Center]] |date=December 9, 2018 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140255/https://yourtoyotacenter.com/event/wsu-mens-basketball-vs-montana-state/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Media===
The only daily newspaper published in the Tri-Cities, the ''[[Tri-City Herald]]'', is based in downtown Kennewick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/customer-service/about-us/ |title=About Us |publisher=Tri-City Herald |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116020421/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/customer-service/about-us/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''Tri-Cities Journal of Business'' is a monthly print publication that is also located in Kennewick and also has a significant online presence. The ''Journal of Business'' also publishes the ''Senior Times'', whose target demographic is Tri-Citians who are 60 years or older.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/subscribe-now-to-journal-of-business/#join |title=Subscribe to the Tri-Cities Journal of Business |publisher=Tri-Cities Journal of Business |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116002530/https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/subscribe-now-to-journal-of-business/#join |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/senior-times/ |title=Senior Times |publisher=Tri-Cities Journal of Business |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116002858/https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/senior-times/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city hosts ''Tú Decides'', a bilingual weekly news publication that is both in print and online. ''Tú Decides'' is available in both Spanish and English.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tudecidesmedia.com/ |title=Tú Decides Media |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314180429/https://tudecidesmedia.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Richland based ''Tumbleweird'' is an [[alternative newspaper]] published monthly that covers the Tri-Cities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.medioq.com/US/Richland/515953291947297/Tumbleweird |title=Tumbleweird |publisher=Mediox |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103221226/https://www.medioq.com/US/Richland/515953291947297/Tumbleweird |url-status=live }}</ref>

Kennewick and the Tri-Cities share a [[television market]] with [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]]. Because of this, the local affiliates of major national networks are closely linked to the affiliates in Yakima. The studios of the Tri-Cities affiliates of [[NBC]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] are located in Kennewick. These are [[KNDU]], [[KVEW]], and [[KFFX-TV|KFFX]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcrightnow.com/ |title=nbcrightnow.com |publisher=[[KNDU]] |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=September 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200908132143/https://www.nbcrightnow.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yaktrinews.com/station/ |title=About - YakTriNews |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117001317/https://www.yaktrinews.com/station/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://fox41yakima.com/ |title=FOX 11 and 41 Tri-Cities - Yakima |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330010309/https://fox41yakima.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[CBS]] affiliate, [[KEPR-TV|KEPR]] is in Pasco.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://keprtv.com/station/contact |title=Pasco Contact |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118064523/https://keprtv.com/station/contact |url-status=live }}</ref> KFFX does not produce any local programming, instead it acquires its news from KNDU and its parent station—[[KHQ-TV|KHQ]] in [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]]. Unlike the television market, the Tri-Cities and Yakima have separate radio markets. Sixteen radio stations are licensed in Kennewick by the [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] with others in nearby cities. There are several religious [[non-commercial radio]] stations with coverage in Kennewick. The school district operates a student-run station out of Tri-Tech.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Kennewick%2C+WA&x=12&y=5 |title=Radio Stations in Kennewick, Washington |publisher=Radio Locator |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140305/https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Kennewick%2C+WA&x=12&y=5 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[National Public Radio|NPR]] member stations [[Northwest Public Radio]] and [[Oregon Public Broadcasting]] also serve Kennewick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nwpb.org/about-us/#coveragearea |title=About Us |publisher=[[Northwest Public Radio]] |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308133029/https://www.nwpb.org/about-us/#coveragearea |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KRBM&service=FM |title=KRBM-FM Radio Station Coverage Map |publisher=Radio Locator |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316135141/https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KRBM&service=FM |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Inspiration Park, 2010 Kennewick Washington - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A [[playground]] in Kennewick's Inspiration Park.]]Kennewick's low precipitation values and mild-to-warm weather provide opportunities for outdoor recreation throughout much of the year. The city's Parks and Recreation Department operates 27 parks plus other facilities for the public to use. Many parks have shelters that can be reserved for events, with most of them offering playgrounds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wa-kennewick.civicplus.com/Facilities?clear=False |title=Parks & Facilities |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140310/https://wa-kennewick.civicplus.com/Facilities?clear=False |url-status=live }}</ref> There are three athletic complexes throughout the city as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/487/Athletic-Complexes |title=Athletic Complexes |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122074005/https://go2kennewick.com/487/Athletic-Complexes |url-status=live }}</ref> The Parks and Recreation Department also maintains several hiking and bike trails in the city, including the portion of the [[Sacagawea Heritage Trail]] that passes through Kennewick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/529/Trails-Bike-Paths |title=Trails & Bike Paths |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116033928/https://go2kennewick.com/529/Trails-Bike-Paths |url-status=live }}</ref>

The largest park in the city's system is [[Columbia Park (Tri-Cities)|Columbia Park]], which is a riverfront area to the north of SR 240 from the Richland/Kennewick city line in the west to the Blue Bridge in the east. There are several boat launches here offering access to the Columbia River. Kayaking and canoeing is another popular water activity. The Sacagawea Heritage Trail, a bike path connecting all three of the Tri-Cities, passes through the entire length of the park. The most developed portion of the park is the east end, which has a veterans memorial, golf course, fishing pond, and a large playground.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.playcolumbiapark.com/ |title=Columbia Park Golf Tri-Plex |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=May 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510210141/https://www.playcolumbiapark.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Columbia Park hosts the [[HAPO Gold Cup]], an annual [[hydroplane (boat)|hydroplane]] race.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://waterfollies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2017-TCWF-Media-Guide.pdf |title=Tri-City Water Follies |year=2017 |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=September 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923095917/http://waterfollies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2017-TCWF-Media-Guide.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The part of Richland adjacent to the park is Columbia Park West. Combined, the two form {{convert|450|acre|ha}} of contiguous public recreation land along the river.<ref>City of Kennewick page. [http://www.ci.kennewick.wa.us/recreational_services/parks/columbia.asp Columbia Park] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210031825/http://www.ci.kennewick.wa.us/recreational_services/parks/columbia.asp |date=December 10, 2008 }} Retrieved January 6, 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ci.richland.wa.us/home/showdocument?id=180 |title=Public Facilities |access-date=May 28, 2018 |publisher=[[Richland, Washington|City of Richland]] |archive-date=May 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528220611/https://www.ci.richland.wa.us/home/showdocument?id=180 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the early 2010s, the city built the {{convert|52|acre|ha}} [[Southridge Sports and Events Complex]] in the quickly growing south end of town along US 395.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.playsouthridge.com/ |title=Play Southridge, WA |work=City of Kennewick |access-date=September 23, 2018 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025354/https://www.playsouthridge.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This property is primarily used for scheduled sporting events, such as baseball, basketball, and volleyball. That said, it also has recreational facilities that don't need to be reserved, such as a playground and open fields.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.playsouthridge.com/Facilities?clear=False |title=Play Southridge - Facilities |work=City of Kennewick |access-date=September 24, 2018 |archive-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025410/https://www.playsouthridge.com/Facilities?clear=False |url-status=live }}</ref> Kennewick was able to secure a piece of the [[World Trade Center (1973-2001)|World Trade Center]] from the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]], which is located in the southeast corner of the complex as a memorial to the victims of the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite news |last=Trumbo |first=John |date=September 8, 2011 |title=Kennewick to unveil memorial of 9/11 attacks on Sunday |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article32027412.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=September 23, 2018 |archive-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921153049/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article32027412.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The complex was considered complete when the historic [[carousel]] that the city restored was opened on the site.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gesacarouselofdreams.com/story-of-the-carousel/ |title=Story of the Carousel |work=Gesa Carousel of Dreams |access-date=September 23, 2018 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116060529/https://www.gesacarouselofdreams.com/story-of-the-carousel/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Government==
Kennewick is a code city that operates under the [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government. The city council has seven members, four of which are elected at-large while three are elected by the city's three electoral [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|wards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Governance/Offices-and-Officers/Council-Election-by-Wards-or-Districts.aspx |title=Council Election by Wards or Districts |publisher=[[Municipal Research and Services Center]] |access-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121020811/http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Governance/Offices-and-Officers/Council-Election-by-Wards-or-Districts.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The mayor is selected by the councilmembers. Kennewick's [[city manager]] serves under the direction of the city council, and administers and coordinates the delivery of municipal services.<ref>{{cite web |title=City Council |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/531/City-Council |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117132815/https://go2kennewick.com/531/City-Council |url-status=live }}</ref>

The City of Kennewick is a full-service city, providing [[police department|police]], [[fire department|fire prevention and suppression]], emergency medical response, water and sewer, parks, [[public works]], [[urban planning|planning and zoning]], street maintenance, code enforcement, and general administrative services to residents. The city also operations a regional convention center.<ref name="CAFR">{{cite web |date=June 28, 2019 |title=Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the City of Kennewick, Washington, Year Ended December 31, 2018 |page=49 |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/786 |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 11, 2020 |archive-date=January 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112063117/https://www.go2kennewick.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/786 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the city's 2018 audited financial report, the cities total annual expenses are $96.6 million, of which $24.2 million is funded by [[sales tax]], $13.1 million by Utility Tax and $13.0 million by [[property tax]].<ref name="CAFR"/>{{rp|6}}

The citizens of Kennewick are represented in the [[Washington Senate]] by Matt Boehnke in District 8, and Perry Dozier in District 16, and in the [[Washington House of Representatives]] by Stephanie Barnard and April Connors in District 8, and Mark Klicker and [[Skyler Rude]] in District 16.<ref>{{cite web |title=House of Representatives Members, Districts, and Counties |url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/MembersByDistrictAndCounties/House |publisher=Washington State Legislature |access-date=January 11, 2020 |archive-date=March 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307220247/https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/MembersByDistrictAndCounties/House |url-status=live }}</ref> At the national level, Kennewick and the rest of the Tri-Cities are part of the [[Washington's 4th congressional district|4th congressional district]], has been represented by Republican [[Dan Newhouse]] since 2015.<ref name="DistrictMap">{{cite map |date=February 7, 2012 |title=Washington State Legislative & Congressional District Map |url=http://2011.redistricting.wa.gov/assets/maps/FoldedMap_State.pdf |inset= |publisher=[[Washington State Redistricting Commission]] |access-date=May 4, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223184225/http://www.redistricting.wa.gov/assets/maps/FoldedMap_State.pdf |url-status=live }} [http://2011.redistricting.wa.gov/assets/maps/FoldedMap_Insets.pdf Tri-Cities Area]</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 8, 2014 |title=Newhouse wins seat in 4th District |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/nov/08/newhouse-wins-seat-in-4th-district/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=May 4, 2020 |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506210000/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/nov/08/newhouse-wins-seat-in-4th-district/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Education==
Out of the city's residents who are 25 years or older, 88% hold a high school diploma (or equivalent) with 24% holding a bachelor's degree or better. These rates are higher than Pasco, but lower than Richland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towncharts.com/Washington/Education/Kennewick-city-WA-Education-data.html |title=Kennewick, WA Education data |publisher=Town Charts |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140245/https://www.towncharts.com/Washington/Education/Kennewick-city-WA-Education-data.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Kennewick does not have any post-secondary institutions, but is located near [[Columbia Basin College]] in Pasco and [[Washington State University Tri-Cities]] in Richland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.columbiabasin.edu/ |title=Columbia Basin College |publisher=[[Columbia Basin College]] |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204152025/https://www.columbiabasin.edu/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://tricities.wsu.edu/about-the-university/ |title=About WSU Tri-Cities |publisher=[[Washington State University]] |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=April 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402205241/https://tricities.wsu.edu/about-the-university/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Public schools located in the city are part of the [[Kennewick School District]] (KSD). The Kennewick School District has 17 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools serving over 18,000 students.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/district/5303930 |title=Miseducation - Kennewick School District |date=October 16, 2018 |publisher=ProPublica |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316140308/https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/district/5303930 |url-status=live }}</ref> A vocational school is operated by KSD—with funding also coming from other local school districts—named the Tri-Tech Skills Center. Vocational programs at Tri-Tech include firefighting, radio broadcasting, and auto body technology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tritech.ksd.org/ |title=Home Page |publisher=[[Kennewick School District]] |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227182402/https://tritech.ksd.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, KSD contributes funding to [[Delta High School (Washington)|Delta High School]] in Pasco, which is a [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]]-focused school drawing students from around the Tri-Cities. KSD also operates Neil F. Lampson Stadium, located at Kennewick High School, which is used to host [[American football|football]] and [[soccer]] games for the three high schools in town as well as for special events.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kennewickfootball.com/faq |title=FAQ - Kennewick High School Football |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027041403/https://kennewickfootball.com/faq |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Lampson Stadium has a capacity of 6,800 people.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 31, 2012 |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article32080629.html |title=Eastern Washington high school stadium guide |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=July 20, 2016 |archive-date=December 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227182358/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article32080629.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are five private schools for educating children in Kennewick. Many of these are run by Christian churches, including St. Joseph's Catholic School and Bethlehem Lutheran School.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sjske.org/about.html |title=About |publisher=St. Joseph's Catholic School |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908175629/http://www.sjske.org/about.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Probert |first=Cameron |date=April 20, 2020 |title=Tri-Cities private schools 1st to tackle virtual classrooms during the shutdown |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tri-cities-private-schools-1st-to-tackle-virtual-classrooms-during-the-shutdown/ar-BB12WOkE |work=MSN News |access-date=April 21, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316133639/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tri-cities-private-schools-1st-to-tackle-virtual-classrooms-during-the-shutdown/ar-BB12WOkE |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[File:I-82 eastbound at Badger Road - Kennewick, WA.jpg|thumb|right|Looking eastbound on I-82 at the Badger Road interchange.|alt=A divided highway approaching a dip in the road and an interchange near several apartment buildings]]
The nearest [[commercial airport]] to Kennewick is the [[Tri-Cities Airport (Washington)|Tri-Cities Airport]] in Pasco, with flights to several major international airports in the western part of the country. The busiest route is between Pasco and [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Seattle–Tacoma]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=PSC&Airport_Name=Pasco%2FKennewick%2FRichland%2C%20WA%3A%20Tri%20Cities&carrier=FACTS |title=RITA - BTS - Transtats |website=transtats.bts.gov |access-date=January 17, 2020 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129082523/http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=PSC&Airport_Name=Pasco%2FKennewick%2FRichland%2C%20WA%3A%20Tri%20Cities&carrier=FACTS |url-status=live }}</ref> Pasco also has the station for both [[Amtrak]]'s Portland-Chicago ''[[Empire Builder]]'' and [[Greyhound Lines]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amtrak.com/stations/psc |title=Pasco (PSC) |publisher=[[Amtrak]] |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=October 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017005650/https://www.amtrak.com/stations/psc |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/washington/pasco/bus-station-780637 |title=Pasco WA Bus Station |publisher=[[Greyhound Lines]] |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718145515/http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/washington/pasco/bus-station-780637 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Port of Kennewick formerly operated [[Vista Field]] near the Toyota Center as a general aviation airport, but it closed at the end of 2013. The port plans to turn the land into a [[mixed-use development]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Culverwell |first=Wendy |date=April 19, 2018 |title=Are you ready for a woonerf at Kennewick's Vista Field? |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article209371104.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=August 7, 2018 |archive-date=August 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808073253/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article209371104.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Interstate 82]] bypasses Kennewick to the south, connecting to Seattle via [[Interstate 90]] and both Portland and [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]] via [[Interstate 84 (Oregon-Utah)|Interstate 84]]. [[US Route 395|US 395]] passes through town from south to north connecting to [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]], also via Interstate 90. [[Washington State Route 240|State Route 240]] and [[Washington State Route 397|State Route 397]] also pass through Kennewick, but these mostly serve local traffic. SR 240 connects the Hanford Site to Richland and also travels across the Columbia River on the [[Blue Bridge (Washington)|Blue Bridge]] to Pasco. SR 397 connects both Interstate 82 and [[Interstate 182]] in Pasco (via the [[Cable Bridge]]) to [[Finley, Washington|Finley]], providing a direct route for freight to go to a chemical plant there.<ref>{{cite map |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2006/06/13/TouristMapFront_withHillshade.pdf |title=2014-2015 Washington State Highway Map with Shaded Relief |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |year=2014 |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=July 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709143732/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2006/06/13/TouristMapFront_withHillshade.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Public transportation]] in Kennewick is provided by [[Ben Franklin Transit]], which runs several bus routes that provide intra-city service as well as connections to Pasco and Richland. There are two transit centers in Kennewick: the Three Rivers Transit Center near the Toyota Center and the Dayton Transfer Point downtown.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/assets/1/6/bft_system_map_aug2019.pdf |title=BFT System Map |publisher=[[Ben Franklin Transit]] |date=August 2019 |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316141759/https://www.bft.org/assets/1/6/bft_system_map_aug2019.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The transit authority also operates a dial-a-ride service for disabled persons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bft.org/services/dial-a-ride/ |title=Dial-A-Ride - Services |publisher=Ben Franklin Transit |access-date=January 18, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614154739/https://www.bft.org/services/dial-a-ride/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Utilities===
Water and sewer services are provided by the city, with electricity coming from Benton Public Utility District. Natural gas comes from [[MDU Resources#Subsidiaries|Cascade Natural Gas]]. Kennewick contracts with [[Waste Management (corporation)|Waste Management]] for garbage and recycling collection. Many people use irrigation water sourced from nearby rivers to water their lawns. This system is separate from the water provided by the city. Most of Kennewick is part of the Kennewick Irrigation District, with parts of the east side of town being under the Columbia Irrigation District.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.go2kennewick.com/752/Utilities |title=Utility Information |publisher=City of Kennewick |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117133249/https://go2kennewick.com/752/Utilities |url-status=live }}</ref>

Nearly 80% of Kennewick's energy is [[hydroelectric]], with another 10% coming from [[nuclear power|nuclear]]. Altogether, less than 5% of the city's electricity is sourced from [[fossil fuels]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bentonpud.org/About/Your-PUD/Overview/Energy-Mix |title=Energy Fuel Mix |publisher=Benton Public Utility District |year=2018 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530084149/https://www.bentonpud.org/About/Your-PUD/Overview/Energy-Mix |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Health care===
The largest [[hospital]] in Kennewick is Trios, located in the Southridge area. Kennewick General Hospital rebranded to Trios upon the opening of their Southridge hospital. Prior to this, the system's primary hospital was located near [[Kennewick High School]] on a campus that continues to be used for medical care. Trios also operates clinics and urgent care facilities throughout the Tri-Cities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://keprtv.com/news/local/kennewick-general-hospital-changes-name-to-trios-health |title=Kennewick General Hospital changes name to Trios Health |publisher=[[KEPR-TV]] |date=October 8, 2013 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911203745/https://keprtv.com/news/local/kennewick-general-hospital-changes-name-to-trios-health |url-status=live }}</ref> The main Trios Hospital has 111 beds for treating patients. Having many clinics around the Tri-Cities, Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland is another major health care provider in Kennewick with Miramar Health Center, a Yakima Valley focused provider, also having a clinic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amtrauma.org/page/FindTraumaCenter |title=Find Your Local Trauma Center |publisher=American Trauma Society |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906142615/https://www.amtrauma.org/page/FindTraumaCenter |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Trios is a Level III [[trauma center]] and is the only hospital in the Tri-Cities that is a designated as a pediatric trauma center.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trioshealth.org/services/emergency-services/ |title=Emergency Services |publisher=Trios Hospital |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=February 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202220359/http://www.trioshealth.org/services/emergency-services/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kadlec is a Level II trauma center and often receives victims from car accidents.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kadlec.org/about/quality-awards-and-pricing/accreditations |title=Accreditations |publisher=Kadlec Regional Medical Center |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316133630/https://www.kadlec.org/about/quality-awards-and-pricing/accreditations |url-status=live }}</ref> Patients needing further care are often transported to [[Harborview Medical Center]] in Seattle, which is the only Level I trauma center in the Pacific Northwest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uwmedicine.org/specialties/emergency-medicine/trauma-care |title=Trauma Care |publisher=UW Medicine |access-date=January 23, 2020 |archive-date=January 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111205845/https://www.uwmedicine.org/specialties/emergency-medicine/trauma-care |url-status=live }}</ref> Children with significant medical needs are often treated at [[Seattle Children's]]. Seattle Children's operates a clinic in Kennewick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seattlechildrens.org/contact/tri-cities/ |title=Seattle Children's Tri-Cities Clinic |publisher=[[Seattle Children's]] |access-date=September 6, 2022 |archive-date=August 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813015113/https://www.seattlechildrens.org/contact/tri-cities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!-- Note: Only people who meet the applicable guideline ([[WP:BIO]]) may appear here. Citations either here or in the biographical article must mention how they are associated with Kennewick, whether born, raised, or residing. The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited in their article. Alphabetical by last name please. All others will be deleted without further explanation. -->
*[[Adelle August]], actress and 1952 Miss Washington USA<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/295/Adelle+August/index.html |title=Adelle August - The Private Life and times of Adelle August |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210001730/http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/295/Adelle+August/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Stu Barnes]], former [[Tri-City Americans]] and NHL player, now an assistant coach with the [[Dallas Stars]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.quanthockey.com/whl/en/teams/tri-city-americans-players-1988-89-whl-stats.html |title=Tri-City Americans @ WHL - 1988-1989 Stats |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229215840/https://www.quanthockey.com/whl/en/teams/tri-city-americans-players-1988-89-whl-stats.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Jeremy Bonderman]], [[Major League Baseball]] pitcher, [[Detroit Tigers]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailypress.com/2001/06/21/oakland-as-draft-high-school-junior/ |title=Oakland A's Draft High School Junior |first=Pernell |last=Watson |date=June 21, 2001 |publisher=Daily Press Media Group |work=www.daileypress.com |access-date=December 12, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102758/http://articles.dailypress.com/2001-06-21/news/0106201275_1_ged-test-high-school-school-players |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Adam Carriker]], defensive end for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and graduate of Kennewick High School<ref>[http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=966&Q_SEASON=2006 "Adam Carriker".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221230556/http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4&SPID=22&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=966&Q_SEASON=2006 |date=December 21, 2018 }}  [http://www.huskers.com/ Huskers.com.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123021912/https://huskers.com/ |date=January 23, 2020 }} Retrieved February 14, 2016.</ref>
*[[Rick Emerson]], former radio personality<ref>{{cite news |last=Turnquist |first=Kristi |title=After 25 years in radio, Rick Emerson is all talked out |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/01/after_25_years_in_radio_rick_e.html |access-date=January 21, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |date=January 21, 2012 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904121134/https://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/01/after_25_years_in_radio_rick_e.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Janet Krupin]], actress, singer, writer, and producer<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Neal |first1=Dori |title=Kennewick grad, Broadway star returns to Tri-Cities |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/01/05/2225891/kennewick-grad-broadway-star-returns.html |work=Tri-City Herald |access-date=September 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013229/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/01/05/2225891/kennewick-grad-broadway-star-returns.html |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Olaf Kolzig]], former Tri-City Americans and [[NHL]] goaltender, Washington Capitals<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/kolzig.html |title=Olaf 'Godzilla' Kolzig |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101053249/http://hockeygoalies.org/bio/kolzig.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Damon Lusk]], [[NASCAR]] driver<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan: Damon Lusk preview |publisher=Motorsport |url=https://www.motorsport.com/arca/news/michigan-damon-lusk-preview/256838/ |date=June 12, 2007 |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229215834/https://www.motorsport.com/arca/news/michigan-damon-lusk-preview/256838/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Ray Mansfield]], [[National Football League]] player, center, [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://washingtonsportshof.org/1997-inductees/ |title=1997 Inductees |date=November 15, 2016 |publisher=Washington Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220161211/https://washingtonsportshof.org/1997-inductees/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Michael J. McShane|Michael McShane]], United States Judge for the District of Oregon<ref>{{cite news |title=Gay marriage: Openly gay judge, Michael McShane, in spotlight overseeing Oregon case |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/04/gay_marriage_openly_gay_judge.html |work=[[The Oregonian]] |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143043/http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/04/gay_marriage_openly_gay_judge.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Leilani Mitchell]], Professional basketball player<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=%2Fci_8376741 |title=Monson: Utah's Mitchell has transcended turmoil |last=Columnist |first=Gordon Monson Tribune |language=en-US |access-date=August 2, 2016 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229215844/https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=%2Fci_8376741 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Travis Nelson (politician)|Travis Nelson]], Oregon Legislator and graduate of Kennewick High School<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-03|title=Unionist appointed to the state house|url=https://nwlaborpress.org/2022/02/unionist-appointed-to-the-state-house/|access-date=2022-02-11|website=nwLaborPress|language=en-US|archive-date=February 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203062936/https://nwlaborpress.org/2022/02/unionist-appointed-to-the-state-house/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Shawn O'Malley]], Major League Baseball outfielder, [[Seattle Mariners]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Dustin |date=August 6, 2016 |title=Seattle Mariners shortstop Shawn O'Malley still scrappy after all these years |work=Tri-City Herald |url=https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/article94189782.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230131440/https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/article94189782.html |archive-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Scot Pollard]], former [[NBA]] player<ref>{{cite web |last=Pollard |first=Scot |title=All about Scot |url=http://planetpollard.com/pages/about.html |work=PlanetPollard.com |access-date=May 22, 2011 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229215836/http://planetpollard.com/pages/about.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Mike Reilly (quarterback)|Mike Reilly]], [[NFL]] quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, [[Canadian Football League|CFL]] quarterback, [[Edmonton Eskimos]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Booth |first1=Tim |title=Central gave Reilly opportunity to blossom |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/aug/24/central-gave-reilly-opportunity-to-blossom/ |work=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=November 23, 2018 |date=August 24, 2008 |archive-date=March 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304134441/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/aug/24/central-gave-reilly-opportunity-to-blossom/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Russ Swan (baseball)|Russ Swan]], Major League Baseball pitcher, [[San Francisco Giants]], [[Seattle Mariners]], [[Cleveland Indians]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Former M's pitcher Swan dies |url=https://www.swxrightnow.com/stories/2006/may/02/former-ms-pitcher-swan-dies/ |publisher=SWX |date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-date=December 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229215846/https://www.swxrightnow.com/stories/2006/may/02/former-ms-pitcher-swan-dies/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Brittney Zamora]], racing driver

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|United States}}
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.go2kennewick.com/ Official city website]
* [http://bentonfranklintrends.org/ Benton-Franklin Trends]

{{Benton County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}
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[[Category:Kennewick, Washington| ]]
[[Category:Tri-Cities, Washington| ]]
[[Category:1904 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Benton County, Washington]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1904]]
[[Category:Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in the United States]]
[[Category:Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:World War II Heritage Cities]]