Rochester, Washington | |
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CDP | |
Rochester Community Center
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Location of Rochester, Washington |
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Coordinates: 46°49′25″N 123°5′0″W / 46.82361°N 123.08333°WCoordinates: 46°49′25″N 123°5′0″W / 46.82361°N 123.08333°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Thurston |
Area | |
• Total | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
• Land | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 1,829 |
• Density | 790.2/sq mi (305.1/km2) |
Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
ZIP code | 98579 |
Area code | 360 |
FIPS code | 53-59110 |
GNIS feature ID | 1512611 |
Rochester /ˈrɑːtʃɛstər/ is a census-designated place (CDP) in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1852, and the 2000 census recorded its population at 1,829. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 square kilometers), all of it land. Rochester Schools had 2095 students
Rochester was founded in 1852 by Samuel James. Robert Paton, who opened the first market in 1889, opened the first lumber mill in the early 1880s, which continued to operate for over 50 years. Robert Hunt also helped promote Rochester's growth with the addition of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which connected the community with Grays Harbor. Hunt's Grade, a road built to pay tribute to Robert Hunt, can still be seen from the railway today.
After the lumber industry died down, Rochester became a large producer of strawberries. Rochester today is a small bedroom community, with many residents commuting to work in surrounding communities including Olympia, Washington and Chehalis, Washington. Rochester, Washington was named after Rochester, Michigan.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,829 people, 647 households, and 505 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 790.2 people per square mile (305.7/km²). There were 677 housing units at an average density of 292.5/sq mi (113.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.41% White, 0.16% African American, 1.69% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 5.52% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.39% of the population. 12.8% were of German, 11.5% Irish, 7.8% American, 7.5% Norwegian, 5.6% English and 5.4% Scottish ancestry according to Census 2000.