Editing Spanaway, Washington

{{Short description|Census-designated place in Washington, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name   = Spanaway, Washington
| settlement_type = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
| image_skyline =
| imagesize     =
| image_caption =
| image_map    = Pierce_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Spanaway_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize      = 250px
| map_caption  = Location of Spanaway, Washington
<!-- 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 = [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes =
| government_type      =
| leader_title         =
| leader_name          =
| established_title    =
| established_date     =
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref        = Imperial
| area_footnotes   =
| area_total_km2   = 22.5
| area_land_km2    = 21.6
| area_water_km2   = 1.0
| area_total_sq_mi = 8.7
| area_land_sq_mi  = 8.3
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.4
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     =
| population_total         = 35,476
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- 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        = 384
| coordinates      = {{coord|47|06|42|N|122|26|35|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -------->
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code      = 98387
| area_code        = [[Area code 253|253]]/[[Area code 564|564]]
| area_code_type   = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| blank_name       = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info       = 53-66255<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name      = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info      = 2408784<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2408784}}</ref>
| website          =
| footnotes        =
}}
'''Spanaway''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Pierce County, Washington]], United States. The population was 35,476 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], up from 27,227 in 2010.<ref name="2020 Census Data">{{cite web | url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/spanawaycdpwashington/PST045219 | title = QuickFacts - Spanaway CDP, Washington| format = Web | publisher = United States Census Bureau | access-date = November 18, 2021 }}</ref> Spanaway is an [[unincorporated area]] near [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]], and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy [[Parkland, Washington|Parkland]].

Spanaway's main business thoroughfare is Pacific Avenue South, which is a north–south road that coincides with [[Washington State Route 7|State Route 7]] through the Spanaway area.

==History==

The [[Hudson's Bay Company]], headquartered at [[Fort Nisqually]], had control of this region until 1863. Company maps and journals show the company's subsidiary, the [[Pugets Sound Agricultural Company]], raised cattle, grain, and sheep at "Spanueh Station" on the south and east shores of "Spanueh Lake." Spanueh is the Hudson Bay Company's spelling of the native [[Lushootseed language|Lushootseed]] ''spadue'', which means "dug roots" referring to an area where [[Camassia|camas]] and other edible roots can be found. Lushootseed underwent a loss of nasal consonants in the 1800s, so "Spanueh" simply transcribes an older pronunciation of what is now "Spadue".<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first= Ewa |editor1-last= Czaykowska-Higgins |editor2-first= Marvin Dale |editor2-last= Kinkade |title= Salish Languages and Linguistics: Theoretical and Descriptive Perspectives |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=VBvD52-QKcAC&q=lushootseed+nasal+shift&pg=PA53 |series= Trends in Linguistics: Studies and Monographs 107 |date= June 1998 |publisher= [[Walter de Gruyter#De Gruyter Mouton|Mouton de Gruyter]] |location= [[Berlin]] |isbn= 9783110154924 |page= 53}}
*{{cite journal |author=Nancy Mattina |date=Spring 2000 |title=Reviewed Work: ''Salish Languages and Linguistics: Theoretical and Descriptive Perspectives'' |journal=Anthropological Linguistics |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=107–112 |jstor=30028747}}</ref>

The first white settler to take a donation claim by the lake, Henry de la Bushalier, tried to rename the lake after himself.  That faded away with his death one year later. In 1890 the area was renamed "Lake Park" as a planned community by the Lake Park Land, Railway and Improvement Company, which bought all the nearby land east of the lake and built a rail line to its "recreation mecca" on the shore of "Spanaway Lake." When [[Mount Rainier National Park]] was established in 1899, tourists would take the train to its terminus in Lake Park and from there make the two-day journey to Mount Rainier, making Spanaway the original "gateway" to [[Mount Rainier]]. The journey was made by [[stagecoach]], with an overnight stop in [[Eatonville, Washington|Eatonville]]; the route was in operation as early as 1893.<ref>http://earlyeatonvillewa.blogspot.com/p/settlement-of-eatonville-prior-to.html Early Eatonville</ref>

Although the [[United States Board on Geographic Names|U.S. Board on Geographic Names]] recognized the community of "Lake Park" in 1897, it had to very belatedly reverse its decision in 1970 to accept common usage: Spanaway (Spanueh).

In the 21st century, several attempts were made to incorporate Spanaway and neighboring communities into a city.<ref>{{cite news |last=Drew |first=James |date=March 13, 2020 |title=New 'mega-city' in Pierce County? Budget provides money for study |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article241153856.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=February 3, 2023}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of 8.7&nbsp;square miles (22.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which, 8.3&nbsp;square miles (21.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it is land and 0.4&nbsp;square miles (1.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it (4.25%) is water.

===Surrounding communities===
{{Geographic location
| Northwest = [[Lakewood, Washington|Lakewood]]
| North     = [[Parkland, Washington|Parkland]]
| Northeast = [[Puyallup, Washington|Puyallup]]
| West      = [[McChord Field|McChord Air Force Base]]
| Center    = Spanaway
| South     = [[Elk Plain, Washington|Elk Plain]]
| Southwest = [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Fort Lewis]]
| Southeast = [[Graham, Washington|Graham]]
| East      = [[Frederickson, Washington|Frederickson]]
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1970 = 5768
| 1980 = 8868
| 1990 = 15001
| 2000 = 21588
| 2010 = 27227
| 2020 = 35476
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref>
}}
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 21,588 people, 7,659 households, and 5,820 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,592.0 people per square mile (1,000.6/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 7,963 housing units at an average density of 956.1/sq&nbsp;mi (369.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 71.13% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 9.11% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.61% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 6.34% [[Asian American (U.S. Census)|Asian American]], 2.12% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.15% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 7.55% from two or more races.

There were 7,659 households, out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,210, and the median income for a family was $50,076. Males had a median income of $35,525 versus $26,758 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $17,928. About 7.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* [[Mike Blowers]], [[MLB]] baseball player
* [[Jerry Cantrell]], [[Alice In Chains]] guitarist
* [[Jacob Castro (soccer)|Jacob Castro]], soccer player<ref>{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Jayda |date=December 13, 2022 |title=Sounders sign former UW goalie Jacob Castro |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/sounders-sign-former-uw-goalie-jacob-castro/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 15, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Ezra Cleveland]], [[NFL]] player for the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Manley |first=Jon |date=April 22, 2020 |title=Bethel grad, Boise State's Ezra Cleveland ready for NFL draft |pages=9 |work=[[The News Tribune]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123565466/bethel-grad-boise-states-ezra/ |access-date=April 26, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Derrike Cope]], [[NASCAR]] driver
* [[Jo Koy]], stand-up comedian
* [[Rick Story]], [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] fighter
* [[Vinnie Chas]], bass player for Pretty Boy Floyd

==Education==
Public schools in Spanaway are part of the [[Bethel School District (Washington)|Bethel School District]]:

===Elementary schools===
* Camas Prairie Elementary School
* Centennial Elementary School
* Clover Creek Elementary School
* Evergreen Elementary School (2018 National Blue Ribbon Award Winning School)
* Naches Trail Elementary School
* Pioneer Valley Elementary School
* Shining Mountain Elementary School
* Spanaway Elementary School
* Thompson Elementary School

===Junior high schools===
* Bethel Middle School
* Cedarcrest Middle School
* Liberty Middle School
* Spanaway Middle School
* Cougar Mountain Middle School

===High schools===
* [[Bethel High School (Washington)|Bethel High School]]
* [[Challenger Secondary School]]
* [[Spanaway Lake High School]]

===Private schools===
* Bethel Baptist Christian School (grades K4-12)
* Elk Plain School of Choice (elementary grades)

===Nearby postsecondary schools===
* [[Pacific Lutheran University]] (Parkland)
* [[Tacoma, Washington#Education|Colleges in Tacoma]]
* [[Lakewood, Washington#Education|Colleges in Lakewood]]
* [[Puyallup, Washington#Education|Colleges in Puyallup]]
* [[List of colleges active at Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Colleges offering courses at Joint Base Lewis-McChord]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|United States}}
*[https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/944/Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Pierce County] - Information about the Parkland-Spanaway-Midland Communities Plan
* [http://www.spanaway-water.org/ Spanaway Water Company]

{{Pierce County, Washington}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Pierce County, Washington]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Washington (state)]]