112-540: The Scatter Creek Wildlife Area is a multi-unit protected area and wildlife reserve in southern Thurston County, Washington . Covering seven units, the area is owned and managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The Black River Wildlife Area Unit is located between Gate and Rochester, Washington on the Black River . Open for the fishing, hunting, and viewing of wildlife,
224-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be
336-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has
448-572: A branch line to connect with the Northern Pacific Railroad and approved a harbor-dredging operation to promote Olympia as a trade hub as the area fell behind Seattle and Tacoma in population growth. The 150-foot (46 m) Thurston County Courthouse was completed in 1892 and was purchased by the state government in 1901 for use as the state capitol building to replace a temporary wooden structure built in 1856. The modern Washington State Capitol commenced construction in 1923 and
560-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of
672-429: A family was $ 71,833. Males had a median income of $ 53,679 versus $ 41,248 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 29,707. About 7.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 census , there were 207,355 people, 81,625 households and 54,933 families living in the county. The population density
784-465: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it
896-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,
1008-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,
1120-468: A passenger terminal, and an air traffic control tower . The airport and two other sites in Thurston County were among candidates considered by a state legislative commission for a new passenger airport to relieve crowding at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , the main passenger airport in the region. Thurston County has two major hospitals that have a combined 500-bed capacity. The largest
1232-555: A pilot project in 1964 and made into a permanent intercounty rural library district in 1968. The county had previously been served by the South Puget Sound Regional Library, which was contracted to operate libraries in the cities of Lacey, Olympia, and Yelm. These cities were later annexed directly into the Timberland system by the 1980s. The oldest public library in the county was opened in 1896 by
SECTION 10
#17327865810801344-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,
1456-562: A public liberal arts college in western Olympia, opened in 1972. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 774 square miles (2,000 km ), of which 722 square miles (1,870 km ) is land and 52 square miles (130 km ) (6.7%) is water. Major watersheds: Black River, Budd/Deschutes, Chehalis River , Eld Inlet, Henderson Inlet , Nisqually River , Skookumchuck River , Totten Inlet and West Capitol Forest. The habitat for
1568-695: A shortage in hospital capacity in the South Puget Sound region. 46°56′N 122°50′W / 46.93°N 122.83°W / 46.93; -122.83 County (United States) In the United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county "
1680-509: A year-to-year population increase of 2.24 percent. The county also had the highest population of middle class households among metropolitan areas in the U.S. according to a 2024 Pew Research study, which determined that 66 percent of households had adults with an annual income near double the national median household income. Thurston County is also part of the Seattle – Tacoma , WA Combined Statistical Area , which includes most of
1792-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during
1904-509: Is Providence St. Peter Hospital north of Lacey, which has 390 beds and is operated by Providence Health & Services . It was founded in 1887 at a location in Olympia and moved to its current campus near Lacey in 1971. The Capital Medical Center in Olympia, operated by MultiCare Health since 2021, has 107 beds and an off-campus emergency room in Lacey. It was built in 1985 to address
2016-572: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with
2128-545: Is a non-profit online news organization that was founded in 2020. Thurston County is part of the Timberland Regional Library , a public library system that serves five counties in southwestern Washington and is headquartered in Tumwater. It has seven locations in the county and a dedicated bookmobile service. Thurston County is a founding member of the Timberland system, which was established as
2240-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In
2352-467: Is governed by a five-member board of county commissioners who are elected to four-year terms from proportional districts. The board of commissioners was enlarged from three members to five members in November 2023 following the approval of a ballot measure to expand the board that passed a year prior. The head of the Thurston County government's administration is the county manager , who is appointed by
SECTION 20
#17327865810802464-402: Is governed by an elected board of commissioners. Most districts have three commissioners. Fire districts receive most of their revenue from property taxes. All of the fire districts and the regional fire authority have volunteer or paid-call firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The City of Olympia is an all-career department. Fire District 3 only allows volunteers to live within
2576-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population
2688-848: Is home to several rail trails , including the Chehalis Western Trail , which is the longest in the county, the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail , and the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail . Olympia was a major source of indie music in the late 20th century and home to various grunge , punk , and indie rock bands in the 1980s and 1990s. Indie label K Records and the Evergreen State College's radio station KAOS , both founded by musician Calvin Johnson , brought many groups into
2800-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in
2912-778: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by
3024-543: Is operated by Amtrak , which has two routes that serve Centennial Station in southern Lacey, which opened in 1993 and is primarily run by volunteers. The Cascades has several daily trips to Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver ; the Coast Starlight has one daily train that runs between Seattle, Sacramento , the San Francisco Bay Area , and Los Angeles . These routes run on tracks owned by
3136-614: Is published weekly in Yelm and has been a sister publication of The Chronicle of Centralia since 1994. Tenino had several competing newspapers during the 1910s that were succeeded by the Tenino Independent , which has been published weekly since 1922. An alt weekly , the Weekly Volcano was published in Olympia from 2001 to 2013; it was later revived in 2023. The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater (JOLT)
3248-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of
3360-562: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same
3472-734: Is situated near the Chehalis River and visitors are able to fish and hunt on the grounds. The Glacial Heritage Wildlife Area Unit, also known as the Glacial Heritage Preserve , is located east of Mima, Washington between Littlerock and Rochester, directly south of the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve on the Black River. The 80-acre (32 ha) prairie grassland unit, to protect rare and threatened plant species located within
Scatter Creek Wildlife Area - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-498: Is split between two U.S. congressional districts , which each elect a member to the United States House of Representatives : the 3rd district , generally south of State Route 507 ; and the 10th district , which includes the urban areas of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater, as well as Yelm. Until the creation of the 10th district following the 2010 U.S. census, Olympia and Lacey were in separate congressional districts. At
3696-509: Is the town of Bucoda , which has 620 residents. Over 145,000 people live in the unincorporated areas of the county, which are primarily concentrated between Olympia and Lacey. The entire county is designated as part of the Olympia–Lacey–Tumwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which only includes Thurston County. The MSA was among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. in the 2010s, with
3808-506: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among
3920-537: Is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses
4032-482: Is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as a matter of U.S. state law , so the specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City
4144-448: The 35th district encompasses western and central Thurston County. Special-purpose districts include cemetery, fire, hospital, library, school, and water and sewer districts. Each special district is governed by officials elected by voters within that jurisdiction. Seven fire districts, three city fire departments, and two regional fire authorities provide fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency medical services. Each fire district
4256-652: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in
4368-760: The BNSF Railway , which primarily operates freight trains through the county on the Seattle Subdivision . Several branch railroads also pass through Thurston County, including the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad and two lines owned by the Port of Olympia that were leased to Tacoma Rail until 2016. The county has one public airport, Olympia Regional Airport , which is owned by the Port of Olympia and used for general aviation , business flights, air ambulances , and government use. It has two runways,
4480-458: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to
4592-892: The Golden Paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta) runs through the county. The plant was placed on the Endangered Species list in 1997 but due to conservation efforts the 12 in (30 cm) tall prairie flower was delisted in 2023. Wildlife and land preserves in South Thurston County include the Black River Habitat Management Area, the Glacial Heritage Preserve, and the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area . Thurston County has
Scatter Creek Wildlife Area - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-603: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains
4816-566: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have
4928-576: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left
5040-727: The Sound Transit system. All routes in the Intercity Transit system have been fare-free since 2020; the agency is funded by a local sales tax within its service area , which was formed in 1980. Rural Transit is operated by the Thurston Regional Planning Council between communities south of Olympia and Tumwater. It is also fare-free and connects with Lewis County Transit in Centralia. Passenger rail service through Thurston County
5152-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with
5264-582: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite
5376-609: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government
5488-627: The Woman's Club of Olympia , who donated their collection of 900 books to the city government in 1909. A permanent Carnegie library in Olympia was opened in 1914 with 1,500 books and was used by the city and Timberland until a new library building opened in 1978. Thurston County is bisected by Interstate 5 , the major north–south freeway on the U.S. West Coast that connects Washington, Oregon , and California . The freeway travels through Grand Mound, Tumwater, Olympia, and Lacey and continues south to Portland, Oregon , and north to Tacoma and Seattle. It
5600-471: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does
5712-478: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia
SECTION 50
#17327865810805824-689: The 120-acre (49 ha) grounds features a sedge meadow . The unit is also known as the Black River National Wildlife Refuge or as the Black River Habitat Management Area . The Nature Conservancy purchased a pair of wetland tracts totaling 124 acres (50 ha) near the refuge in 2002. The Davis Creek Wildlife Area Unit is located near Oakville and contains numerous animal and bird species, including deer, elk, and various types of waterfowl . The 654-acre (265 ha) riparian unit
5936-415: The 1860s and settled into the modern boundaries by 1873. An attempt to move the county seat from Olympia to Tumwater or West Olympia was defeated by voters in 1861. Olympia was retained as capital of Washington after it was granted statehood in 1889; the city did not win a majority in the first referendum after Ellensburg and North Yakima , but defeated both in a second vote. Local residents built
6048-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant
6160-461: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in
6272-997: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,
6384-533: The British and American governments. Permanent European (and later American) settlement of modern-day Thurston County began with the arrival of a pioneer party led by Michael Simmons and George Bush in 1845. Several families settled near Tumwater Falls at a site they named "New Market", which became the first European settlement in Western Washington . The area north of the Columbia River
6496-584: The City of Lacey city limits. Thurston County Fire Districts are: Thurston County leans Democratic. The county has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1988 and the candidates have consistently received a majority of the vote in the county. Several school districts provide K–12 education in Thurston County, including those that overlap with other counties: Thurston County also has three post-secondary educational institutions: The county
6608-522: The Nisqually River to Yelm, where it intersects State Route 507 . The county has two public transportation providers and connections to other systems that serve neighboring counties. Intercity Transit has 18 routes that serve the cities and urban growth areas of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Yelm. In addition to local service, the agency operates The One, a rapid bus service in Olympia and Lacey, and express buses to Lakewood that connect with
6720-456: The Olympia area. The first section of Interstate 5 built in Thurston County was the 6.5-mile (10.5 km) Olympia Freeway, which opened in December 1958 to bypass the city's downtown. Other sections opened over the following decade, extending access through Lacey and Tumwater, where it destroyed portions of the historic downtown; a proposal to build the freeway further away from Olympia
6832-515: The Olympia– Tumwater , WA Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Seattle – Tacoma , WA Combined Statistical Area . The southern end of Puget Sound is the homeland of several indigenous Coast Salish groups, including the Nisqually , Squaxin , and Upper Chehalis . Archeological remains at Tumwater Falls date back to 2,500 to 3,000 years before present ; the area around
SECTION 60
#17327865810806944-634: The Puget Sound region. As of the 2020 census , there were 294,793 people, 115,397 households, and 76,717 families living in the county. The population density was 408.0 inhabitants per square mile (157.5/km ). There were 121,438 housing units at an average density of 168.1 inhabitants per square mile (64.9/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 73.2% White , 3.2% African American , 1.5% Native American , 5.9% Asian , 1.1% Pacific Islander , 3.5% from some other races and 11.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9.8% of
7056-655: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by
7168-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number
7280-479: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while
7392-690: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in
7504-489: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county
7616-459: The WDFW undertook a tree-thinning operation to restore the prairie oak habitat by removing heavy densities of ash, fir, and maple. The project would also overhaul the roads in the parcel. Thurston County, Washington Thurston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington . As of the 2020 census , its population was 294,793. The county seat and largest city is Olympia ,
7728-407: The age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 38.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 60,930 and the median income for
7840-539: The age of 18 living with them, 53.10% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99. Age distribution was 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
7952-453: The board of commissioners. Since 2024, the county manager has been Leonard Hernandez, who was previously the CEO of San Bernardino County, California . Thurston County has used its commissioner–manager form of government since it was formed in 1852. An attempt to adopt a home rule charter with an elected county executive and seven-member county council was rejected by voters in 1979. The county
8064-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called
8176-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,
8288-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration
8400-463: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in
8512-601: The county south of the Chehalis River was ceded to Lewis County in February 1853, a month before Washington Territory was created with its capital in Olympia. Sawamish County (now Mason County) was created in March 1854 from the northwestern portions of Thurston County and Chehalis County (now Grays Harbor County) was established a month later from the remaining western half of Thurston County. Several exchanges of land between Thurston and neighboring counties were made during
8624-429: The county was 82.4% white, 5.2% Asian, 2.7% black or African American, 1.4% American Indian, 0.8% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.2% were German , 13.4% were English , 13.2% were Irish , 5.0% were Norwegian , and 4.7% were American . Of the 100,650 households, 31.7% had children under
8736-627: The county. Earlier newspapers included The Columbian , founded in 1852, and The Washington Standard , which was published weekly from 1860 to 1921. As the state capital, Olympia formerly had bureaus for newspapers across the state, including the two dailies in Seattle, and several reporters from the Associated Press . By 2021, the Olympia bureaus had shrunk to only six reporters. The county also has several weekly and online news publications. The Nisqually Valley News , founded in 1922,
8848-674: The falls included a settlement with several longhouses . The first European exhibition to the southern Puget Sound was conducted by Peter Puget and Joseph Whidbey on the British-led Vancouver Expedition in May 1792. The Hudson's Bay Company established a trading post at Fort Nisqually in 1833 on the east side of the Nisqually Delta while the Oregon Country was under joint administration by
8960-526: The forested hills on the north side of the reserve, conifers such as Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) predominate. Mima mounds can be found at both the North and South site. The Skookumchuck Wildlife Area Unit is located downstream of the Skookuchuck Dam . The 883-acre (357 ha) parcel contains a mix of habitats, including grassland, forest, meadow, orchard, and wetlands. Various species in
9072-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both
9184-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which
9296-575: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;
9408-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as
9520-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City
9632-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by
9744-473: The mainstream and wider success. The newspaper of record for Thurston County is The Olympian , a newspaper based in Olympia that is owned by the McClatchy Company and publishes three print editions per week. As of 2022 , it has a circulation of 17,401. The Olympian was founded in 1891 and merged with several local newspapers in the early 20th century to become the sole daily newspaper in
9856-686: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to
9968-521: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name
10080-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control
10192-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of
10304-427: The population. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.1% were under 5 years of age, and 19.3% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 252,264 people, 100,650 households, and 66,161 families living in the county. The population density was 349.4 inhabitants per square mile (134.9/km ). There were 108,182 housing units at an average density of 149.8 per square mile (57.8/km ). The racial makeup of
10416-476: The preserve, is open to the public only one day per year, known as Prairie Appreciation Day. The southern end of the Gate to Belmore Trail is near the preserve and under plans by the county's Trail Connectivity Program, the pathway is to be extended by 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to the site. The project would connect the corridor of natural areas and preserves to the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail and other hiking routes in
10528-668: The protected grounds. The preserve is home to the endangered Mazama pocket gopher as well as various creatures listed under the Species of Greatest Conservation Need program, including the Oregon vesper sparrow, and butterflies such as the Puget blue , and the Taylor's checkerspot . The West Rocky Prairie Unit is located near Tenino. The unit is 119.0 acres (48.2 ha) and contains Oregon white oak, Oregon ash, Douglas fir, and maple. In 2023,
10640-518: The region. The Scatter Creek Unit is a 915-acre unit that is split into two sections, the North site and the South site and is located near Grand Mound, Washington and Rochester . The parcel is the site of a former homestead. The Scatter Creek Unit is home to one of the few remaining sections of south Puget Sound prairie. Garry oaks ( Quercus garryana ). The oaks can be found growing in riparian areas, along with Oregon ash ( Fraxinus latifolia ). In
10752-582: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there
10864-456: The sixth-largest population among Washington's counties and is among the fastest-growing in the state. From 2010 to 2020, the county's population became more ethnically diverse, with the number of residents who identify as Hispanic or Latino increasing by 63.2%. The county's largest city is Lacey, which has an estimated population of over 60,000 and surpassed Olympia's population in the early 2020s. The smallest incorporated place in Thurston County
10976-599: The state capital . Thurston County was created out of Lewis County by the government of Oregon Territory on January 12, 1852. At that time, it covered all of the Puget Sound region and the Olympic Peninsula . On December 22 of the same year, Pierce , King , Island , and Jefferson counties were split off from Thurston County. It is named after Samuel R. Thurston , the Oregon Territory 's first delegate to Congress . Thurston County comprises
11088-403: The state level, Thurston County is part of five legislative districts that each elect a state senator and two state representatives. The 2nd district encompasses the rural southeast of the county; the 19th district includes Grand Mound and the southwest corner of the county; the 20th district includes an area east of Grand Mound; the 22nd district includes Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater; and
11200-556: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by
11312-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than
11424-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,
11536-524: The unit include pheasant and elk, and salmon and steelhead exist in the Skookumchuck River. The unit is under a partnership agreement between the WDFW and the owner of the land, TransAlta . Hunting of fowl and fishing in the river is allowed. The Violet Prairie Wildlife Area Unit is located east of Tenino . The 1,040-acre (420 ha) unit is closed to public access due to the necessity to determine how visitation would affect certain parts of
11648-623: Was 285 people per square mile (110 people/km ). There were 86,652 housing units at an average density of 119 units per square mile (46 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 85.66% White , 2.35% Black or African American , 1.52% Native American , 4.41% Asian , 0.52% Pacific Islander , 1.69% from other races , and 3.85% from two or more races. 4.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.1% were of German , 10.2% English , 9.8% Irish , 6.9% United States or American and 5.5% Norwegian ancestry. There were 81,625 households, of which 33.00% had children under
11760-501: Was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median household income was $ 46,975, and the median family income was $ 55,027. Males had a median income of $ 40,521 versus $ 30,368 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,415. About 5.80% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.80% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over. Thurston County
11872-412: Was completed in 1928 alongside a campus of government buildings and monuments. Thurston County remained predominantly dependent on the logging industry until the state government became the county's largest employment sector in the 1950s. Several state government agencies had attempted to move their offices to Seattle until a 1954 Washington Supreme Court ruling mandated that their headquarters remain in
11984-633: Was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s to replace U.S. Route 99 , the original north–south highway in Western Washington. Interstate 5 intersects several other highways within Thurston County that provide connections to other areas of Washington state. These include U.S. Route 12 , which travels west from Grand Mound to Aberdeen ; U.S. Route 101 , which encircles most of the Olympic Peninsula and provides access to Aberdeen via State Route 8 ; and State Route 510 , which travels along
12096-581: Was created on January 12, 1852, by the Oregon Territorial Legislature and Olympia was designated as its seat . It included the entire Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound region up to the northern border with British North America and went as far east as the Cascade Mountains . On December 22, the northern areas of Thurston County were divided to form Island , Jefferson , King , and Pierce counties. A portion of
12208-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,
12320-594: Was originally under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver District (later renamed Clark County) until 1845, when Lewis County was created from the area west of the Cowlitz River . The entire region was ceded to the United States with the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846 and organized into Oregon Territory two years later. A petition by 54 residents of Olympia and surrounding communities
12432-522: Was rejected to preserve rural areas. The completion of Interstate 5 enabled the growth of bedroom communities around Thurston County, which saw its population rapidly increase from the 1950s to 1970s. The first suburban shopping center in the county, the South Sound Center in Lacey, opened in October 1966; it was followed by Lacey's incorporation as a city. The Evergreen State College ,
12544-503: Was submitted to the Oregon Territorial Legislature in December 1851 to create a new county from Lewis County. The proposed name of Simmons County, named for Michael Simmons, was changed to Thurston County by the legislature at the suggestion of Asa Lovejoy to honor Samuel Thurston , the first delegate to the U.S. Congress from Oregon Territory. Thurston himself had never visited the area. Thurston County
#79920