Editing Ridgefield, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Ridgefield, Washington
|settlement_type          = [[City government in Washington (state)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images --------------->
|image_skyline            = Downtown Ridgefield.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Downtown Ridgefield, 2006
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps ----------------->
|image_map                = Clark_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Ridgefield_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Ridgefield, Washington
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location ------------->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Clark County, Washington|Clark]]
<!-- Government ----------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Ron Onslow<ref>{{cite web |title=Ron Onslow |url=https://ridgefieldwa.us/directory.aspx?eid=7 |publisher=City of Ridgefield |accessdate=August 25, 2024}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[City manager]]
|leader_name1             = Steve Stuart<ref>{{cite web |title=City Manager |url=https://www.ridgefieldwa.us/179/City-Manager |publisher=City of Ridgefield |accessdate=August 25, 2024}}</ref>
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1909
|established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = August 26, 1909
<!-- Area ----------------->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2024}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 19.365
|area_land_km2            = 19.171
|area_water_km2           = 0.193
|area_total_sq_mi         = 7.477
|area_land_sq_mi          = 7.402
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.075
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 15027
|pop_est_as_of            = 2023
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 10319
|population_density_km2   = 783.9
|population_density_sq_mi = 2030
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = –8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = –7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 259
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|48|54|N|122|44|33|W|region:US-WA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 98642
|area_code                = [[Area code 360|360]] and [[Area code 564|564]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 53-58410
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2410945<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410945}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://ridgefieldwa.us/|ridgefieldwa.us}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Ridgefield''' is a city in northern [[Clark County, Washington|Clark County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 10,319 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Ridgefield_city,_Washington?g=160XX00US5358410 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> and according to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,027.<ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>

Located within the [[Portland metropolitan area, Oregon|Portland metropolitan area]], Ridgefield is notable for the significant [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] history and connection to the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]]. It is also the headquarters of the [[Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge]], a primary reserve for migrating waterfowl on the [[Pacific Flyway]], and the home of the [[Ridgefield High School (Ridgefield, Washington)|Ridgefield High School]] "Spudders" (reflecting the area's [[potato]]-farming heritage).

==History==
The area has important ties to the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] of 1804–1806, being close to the [[Chinookan peoples|Chinookan]] town of Cathlapotle, then a settlement of 700–800 people, with at least 14 substantial [[plank house]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cathlapotle|url=https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/cathlapotle/#.WfwHQ3ZryM8|website=The Oregon Encyclopedia|publisher=The Oregon Historical Society|access-date=November 3, 2017|last1=Ames|first1=Kenneth}}</ref> The community's ties to the Chinookan people was commemorated by the construction of a replica of a Cathlapotle [[plank house]] at the nearby [[Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge]], which was dedicated March 29, 2005.<ref name="Caldbick">{{cite web|last=Caldbick|first=John|date=January 24, 2010|url=http://www.historylink.org/File/9281|title=Ridgefield — Thumbnail History|work=History Link}}</ref>

The town was formerly known as Union Ridge, named by the many Union veterans among the first large wave of settlers after the Civil War<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kirk|first1=Ruth|last2=Alexander|first2=Carmela|title=Exploring Washington's Past: A Road Guide to History|date=995|publisher=University of Washington Press|page=405|isbn=9780295974439|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BNAYPXb22sYC&pg=PA405|access-date=November 20, 2017}}</ref> and was renamed Ridgefield in 1890.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0LARAAAAYAAJ|title=The Coast|first=Honor L.|last=Wilhelm|date=January 1, 1908|publisher=Coast Publishing Company|access-date=July 5, 2016|via=Google Books}}</ref> The town's original name is preserved in the name of Union Ridge Elementary School.<ref name="Caldbick"/>{{citation needed|reason=This looks arbitrary. Are there no other facilities that preserve the old name? Is there some particular reason the school does? A reliable secondary source covering this would probably clarify why this is relevant, if it is.|date=May 2018}}

Ridgefield was an important trading center as early as the 1860s with its key location near the mouth of the [[Columbia River]], and the city was officially incorporated on August 26, 1909.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.477|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|7.402|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.075|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/><ref name=gnis/>

Parks in Ridgefield include [[Abrams Park]], [[Community Park (Ridgefield, Washington)|Community Park]], [[Davis Park (Ridgefield, Washington)|Davis Park]], and [[Overlook Park (Ridgefield, Washington)|Overlook Park]]. The [[Ridgefield Veterans Memorial]] is adjacent to Community Park.

==Government==
Ridgefield has a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government, with a [[city manager]] who is appointed by a [[city council]] with seven elected members. The city council also selects a [[mayor]] from among themselves.<ref>{{cite web |title=City Council |url=https://ridgefieldwa.us/government/city-departments/city-council/ |publisher=City of Ridgefield |access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> The current city manager is Steve Stuart, a former county commissioner who was hired in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Runquist |first=Justin |date=March 13, 2014 |title=Stuart tapped for Ridgefield city manager job |url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2014/mar/13/stuart-tapped-ridgefield-city-manager-job/ |work=The Columbian |access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> In January 2025, Matt Cole was appointed Mayor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=City Council Appoints Matt Cole Mayor, Judy Chipman Mayor Pro Tempore |url=https://ridgefieldwa.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=140&fbclid=IwY2xjawIbhhRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdBfXG6pOFM0cStRVmG-GblDORTH5jEj6SmpBdSiQ5vEnV-L8FO2OwA-5A_aem_RZCdKZfkfk8JjwWwQxLDEA |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Ridgefield, WA |language=en}}</ref> He has served as a city council member since 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Staff Directory • Matt Cole |url=https://ridgefieldwa.us/directory.aspx?eid=10 |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=ridgefieldwa.us}}</ref> Judy Chipman was appointed Mayor Pro Tem also in January 2025. She has served as a city council member since 2021.<ref name=":0" />



==Economy==
Rental and storage company [[U-Haul]] was founded in Ridgefield in 1945.<ref name="Caldbick"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Vogt |first=Tom |date=September 20, 2015 |title=U-Haul celebrates Ridgefield roots as it turns 70 |url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2015/sep/20/u-haul-ridgefield-anniversary/ |work=The Columbian |access-date=March 17, 2021}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 297
|1920= 620
|1930= 607
|1940= 643
|1950= 762
|1960= 823
|1970= 1004
|1980= 1062
|1990= 1297
|2000= 2147
|2010= 4763
|2020= 10319
|estyear=2023
|estimate=15027
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=July 24, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Ridgefield, Washington – Racial Composition'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ridgefield city, Washington|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Ridgefield%20city,%20Washington&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref><br>(NH = Non-Hispanic)<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 can be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|8,169
|79.2%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|100
|1.0%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|63
|0.6%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|350
|3.4%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|33
|0.3%
|-
|[[Some Other Race]] (NH)
|72
|0.7%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|692
|6.7%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|840
|8.1%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''10,319'''
|'''100.0%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 10,319 people, 3,432 households, and 2,784 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Ridgefield%20city,%20Washington%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=July 24, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|1405.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,687 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 81.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.7% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.7% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|some other races]] and 10.3% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 8.1% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Ridgefield city, Washington |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/ridgefield-city-washington/160-5358410/ |access-date=July 24, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref> 30.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 8.1% were under 5 years of age, and 12.2% were 65 and older.

As of 2021, the median household annual income was $107,861. The per capita income for the city was $41,214. About 3.1% of the population was below the poverty line.<ref name="wwwcensusgovridgefieldwa">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ridgefield city, Washington|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ridgefieldcitywashington|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 10, 2023}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 4,763 people, 1,591 households, and 1,258 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|672.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,695 housing units at an average density of {{convert|239.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 92.4% White, 0.9% African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1%.<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=July 22, 2022}}</ref>

Of the 1,591 households, 48.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.9% were non-families. 16.2% of households were one person and 6.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.34.

The median age was 32.4 years. 33.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.7% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 7.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 2,147 people, 739 households, and 557 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|420.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 777 housing units at an average density of {{convert|152.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 95.16% White, 0.28% African American, 1.12% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population. 20.4% were of German, 18.9% American, 11.9% English, 6.9% Irish and 6.2% Norwegian ancestry.

Of the 739 households, 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 18.8% of households were one person and 8.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.18.

The age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median household income was $46,012 and the median family income was $51,121. Males had a median income of $38,125 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,696. About 4.4% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The [[Ridgefield School District (Washington)|Ridgefield School District]] has five schools: Union Ridge Elementary, South Ridge Elementary, Sunset Ridge Intermediate School, View Ridge Middle School, and [[Ridgefield High School (Ridgefield, Washington)|Ridgefield High School]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Schools |url=https://www.ridgefieldsd.org/ |publisher=Ridgefield School District |access-date=December 30, 2018}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Scott Mosier]], film producer and podcaster{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
*[[Richie Sexson]], former major league baseball player
*[[Leonard Shoen]], founded [[U-Haul]] in Ridgefield

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://ridgefieldwa.us/}}
* [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9281 History of Ridgefield] at [[HistoryLink]]

{{Clark County, Washington}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ridgefield, Washington| ]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Clark County, Washington]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1909]]
[[Category:Portland metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River]]