Longview, Washington
From Free net encyclopedia
Longview is a city located in Cowlitz County, Washington. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 34,660. Longview is located in southwestern Washington, at the junction of the Cowlitz and Columbia rivers.
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History
Longview was officially incorporated on February 14, 1924. The city was the brain-child of Missouri timber baron Robert A. Long, for whom one of the two high schools in Longview is named. Image:RALongHS.jpg The punk-rock band Green Day named the song Longview after the city.
Education
Longview is served by nine public elementary schools (Beacon Hill, Columbia Heights, Columbia Valley Gardens, Kessler, Mint Valley, Northlake, Olympic, Robert Gray, and Saint Helens), three public middle schools (Cascade, Monticello, and Mount Solo), and two public high schools (Robert Alexander Long aka R. A. Long and Mark Morris).
Longview is also served by two religious based schools. The Catholic Saint Rose school serves kindergarten through eighth grade. Three Rivers Christian School serves kindergarten through twelfth grade.
An intense rivalry exists not only between R. A. Long High School and crosstown Mark Morris High School, but also Kelso High across the Cowlitz River in Kelso, WA. The R. A. Long/Mark Morris rivalry culminates every year in so-called "Civil War" basketball games, the first held at R. A. Long's gymnasium (known locally as the "Lumberdome"), and the second on Mark Morris's Ted M. Natt court.
Lower Columbia College (LCC), based in Longview, is Washington state's oldest junior college.
Longview's primary newspaper is The Daily News, which won a 1981 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Mount St. Helens eruption.
The Columbia River Reader newspaper, celebrates the community its entertainment, arts and travel opportunities of the Lower Columbia River region through stories and photos by local writers and photographers including Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor winning author Horace J. Digby, Emmy Award winning photographer Dale Dimmick, and others.
Economy
Longview has a manufacturing based economy. The abundance of timber around Longview provides the city's two largest employers, Weyerhaeuser and Longview Fibre with logs. Other major manufactures in Longview include Flexible Foam and the soon to be in operation Simpson Timber Company.
Geography
Image:WAMap-doton-Longview.pngLongview is located at 46°8'34" North, 122°57'20" West (46.142733, -122.955636)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.5 km² (14.1 mi²). 35.5 km² (13.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.84% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 34,660 people, 14,066 households, and 8,931 families residing in the city. The population density was 976.8/km² (2,530.0/mi²). There were 15,225 housing units at an average density of 429.1/km² (1,111.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.35% White, 0.72% African American, 1.76% Native American, 2.17% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.96% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. 5.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 14,066 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,171, and the median income for a family was $43,869. Males had a median income of $38,972 versus $26,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,559. 16.7% of the population and 12.3% of families were below the poverty line. 25.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Longview, Washington (Official Website)
- The Daily News (Longview's local newspaper)
- R. A. Long High School Alumni Association
