Editing Vantage, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Vantage, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Kittitas_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Vantage_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Vantage in Washington
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|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  = [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 0.8
| area_land_km2      = 0.8
| area_water_km2     = 0.0
| area_total_sq_mi   = 0.3
| area_land_sq_mi    = 0.3
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.0
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census">{{cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Vantage, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Vantage%20CDP,%20Washington |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 11, 2024}}</ref>
| population_total   = 54
| 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       = 725
| coordinates        = {{coord|46|56|40|N|119|59|52|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 98950
| area_code          = [[Area code 509|509]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-74200<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        = 2409504<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409504}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Vantage''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 74 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/cf/1.0/en/place/Vantage%20CDP,%20Washington/POPULATION/DECENNIAL_CNT|title=American FactFinder - Community Facts - Vantage CDP, Washington|website=factfinder.census.gov|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|language=en|access-date=2018-03-20|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214005540/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/cf/1.0/en/place/Vantage%20CDP,%20Washington/POPULATION/DECENNIAL_CNT|archive-date=2020-02-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
The area around Vantage has been occupied by the [[Wanapum]] Native Americans since prehistory. A number of well-preserved [[Rock art|rock-paintings]] have been found on the cliff walls. They also used the abundant [[Petrifaction|petrified wood]] in the area for arrowheads and other tools. The site where these [[petroglyph]]s were found was inundated by the rising waters behind [[Wanapum Dam]] in the 1960s. About 60 of the more than 300 carvings were cut from the basalt cliff face and saved.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7396|title = Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park}}</ref>  The nearby [[Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park|Ginkgo Petrified Forest]] site is one of the most unusual fossil forests in the world, and was designated a [[Ginkgo/Wanapum State Park|National Natural Landmark]] by the National Park Service in 1965.<ref name="historylink.org">{{Cite web|url=http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7484|title = Kittitas County &ndash; Thumbnail History}}</ref>

In the early part of the 20th century, residents in nearby [[Ellensburg, Washington|Ellensburg]] needed a more direct route when traveling east. A small [[ferry]] was established in 1914 to carry vehicle traffic across the [[Columbia River]] at Vantage. This ferry was really just a small barge with wooden ramps at either end, it carried only two cars at a time across the river. After several cars (some with occupants still in them) were lost overboard<!-- from the tiny ferry-->, the [[Washington State Department of Transportation|state highway department]] decided to construct a bridge over the Columbia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5373|title = Car ferry service across the Columbia River at Vantage begins in 1914}}</ref><ref name=nbocrv>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mc5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ofQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3964%2C412387 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |agency=(photo) |title=New bridge over Columbia River at Vantage ferry  |date=June 2, 1927 |page=1}}</ref>

In 1927, the {{convert|1640|ft|mi km|2|adj=on}} bridge was opened at Vantage. This was an important link in the [[Primary State Highway 2 (Washington)|Sunset Highway]], the major east–west thoroughfare in Washington at the time (later [[U.S. Route 10#History|U.S. Route 10]], now [[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]]). The construction of the bridge required workers to enter pressurized [[Caisson (engineering)|caissons]] {{convert|70|ft|spell=in}} under the riverbed via [[airlock]]s. Some workers became seriously ill from the effects of the pressure. Once completed, the bridge had a {{convert|70|ft|adj=on}} clearance on the center span, allowing for river traffic to pass under the bridge.

This cantilever bridge served at Vantage for 35 years, succeeded by the current bridge in 1962. The original was dismantled and moved to the [[Snake River Bridge|crossing at Lyons Ferry]], where it stands today as the oldest ({{age|1927}} years) extant steel cantilever bridge in Washington, and is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

With completion of the Wanapum Dam in the early 1960s, the townsite was relocated further up the hill above the rising water to the current location.<ref name="historylink.org"/>

== Geography ==
Vantage is located along the [[Columbia River]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|0.3|sqmi|km2|1}}, all of it land.

The original town of Vantage was flooded by the Columbia River when the Wanapum Dam was placed into operation.

{{Panorama|image=Image:Vantage,_WA,_Columbia_River_crossing,_I90.jpg |width=500 |height=150 |caption=[[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]]'s [[Vantage Bridge|Vantage crossing]] of the [[Columbia River]] <!--is captured in this-->in a 270° panorama from the north; Vantage is<!-- the grouping of buildings--> at the west end (right) of the bridge.}}

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|collapsed = Y
|location = Vantage
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F=69
|Feb record high F=71
|Mar record high F=82
|Apr record high F=96
|May record high F=105
|Jun record high F=109
|Jul record high F=113
|Aug record high F=115
|Sep record high F=103
|Oct record high F=89
|Nov record high F=75
|Dec record high F=70
|year record high F=115
|Jan high F=40
|Feb high F=48
|Mar high F=59
|Apr high F=67
|May high F=76
|Jun high F=83
|Jul high F=92
|Aug high F=91
|Sep high F=81
|Oct high F=66
|Nov high F=50
|Dec high F=38
|year high F=
|Jan low F=26
|Feb low F=27
|Mar low F=32
|Apr low F=38
|May low F=46
|Jun low F=53
|Jul low F=58
|Aug low F=56
|Sep low F=47
|Oct low F=37
|Nov low F=30
|Dec low F=23
|year low F=
|Jan record low F=-28
|Feb record low F=-24
|Mar record low F=3
|Apr record low F=21
|May record low F=24
|Jun record low F=34
|Jul record low F=41
|Aug record low F=39
|Sep record low F=26
|Oct record low F=9
|Nov record low F=-19
|Dec record low F=-19
|year record low F=-28
|Jan precipitation inch=0.92
|Feb precipitation inch=0.65
|Mar precipitation inch=0.71
|Apr precipitation inch=0.57
|May precipitation inch=0.51
|Jun precipitation inch=0.59
|Jul precipitation inch=0.27
|Aug precipitation inch=0.18
|Sep precipitation inch=0.32
|Oct precipitation inch=0.60
|Nov precipitation inch=1.08
|Dec precipitation inch=1.18
|year precipitation inch=|date=October 2013}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 2000 = 70
| 2010 = 74
| 2020 = 54
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 70 people, 25 households, and 20 families residing in the CDP. The [[population density]] was {{convert|219.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 39 housing units at an average density of {{convert|122.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 22.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.43% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.86% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 11.43% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 84.29% of the population. Besides these populations, approximately 2,000 agricultural workers live in the Vantage area, and approximately 72.8% of are migratory.

There were 25 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $43,750. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $0 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $17,605.

==Business and recreation==

=== Business ===
There are several gas stations, two restaurants, and a private RV park/campground in Vantage. The [[Wild Horse Wind Farm]], owned by [[Puget Sound Energy]], is located on ridge tops near Vantage.<ref>[http://www.horizonwind.com/projects/whatwevedone/wildhorse.aspx Wild Horse Wind Farm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928032801/http://www.horizonwind.com/projects/whatwevedone/wildhorse.aspx |date=2007-09-28 }} from the website of [[Horizon Wind Energy]]</ref>

=== Recreation ===
Vantage is known for [[Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park]] and its associated Wanapum Recreational Area, as a base camp for those attending nearby [[The Gorge Amphitheatre|Gorge Amphitheatre]], and its [[rock climbing]].<ref>[http://rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Washington/Central_Washington/Frenchman_Coulee_AKA_Vantage Entry for Frenchman Coulee] from http://rockclimbing.com/</ref>

Rock climbing is one of the area's more popular forms of outdoor recreation and mostly takes place in "Echo Basin" (often mistaken for "Frenchman Coulee" which is the basin just north of Echo, on the other side of the Old Vantage Highway) on the basalt columns typical to the desert rimrock in the area.

Climbers started visiting as early as the 1950s and 1960s but the area was not popularized and publicized until the 1980s. With this came a great increase in route development. Today the area holds over 400 established routes (both traditionally protected and bolted) ranging in difficulty from 5.0-5.13c, and sees visitors almost year-round.<ref>Route references include "Rock Climbing Washington" by Jeff Smoot and "Frenchman Coulee" by Marlene Ford and Jim Yoder.</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.vantagewa.com/ A Visitor's Guide for Vantage, Washington and the surrounding area]

{{Kittitas County, Washington}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Kittitas County, Washington]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Submerged places in the United States]]
[[Category:Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River]]