Thorp, Washington
Thorp (/θɔːrp/ THORP) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. In 2015, the population was 317 according to statistics compiled by Data USA.
Thorp, Washington
(Native American Name: Klála) | |
|---|---|
View of Thorp with Mt. Stuart in distance. | |
Location of Thorp, Washington | |
Thorp, Washington Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 47°4′5″N 120°40′22″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Kittitas |
| Settled | 1868 |
| Platted | July 9, 1895 |
| Named for | Fielden Mortimer Thorp |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2) |
| • Land | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,637 ft (499 m) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 317 |
| • Demonym | Thorpite Thorpian |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98946 |
| Area code | 509 |
| FIPS code | 53-71225 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1527125 |
The town of Thorp is 100 miles (160 km) east of Seattle, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Ellensburg, and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Cle Elum. It is located at the narrow west end of the Kittitas Valley, where high elevation forests of the Cascade Range give way to cattle ranches surrounded by farmlands noted for timothy hay, alfalfa, vegetables, and fruit production.
Thorp is named for Fielden Mortimer Thorp, recognized as the first permanent white settler in the Kittitas Valley. He established a homestead at the approach to Taneum Canyon (/ˈteɪn.əm/, TAYN-əm) near the present-day town in 1868. Klála, an ancient Native American village and the largest indigenous settlement in the Kittitas Valley at the arrival of the first white settlers, was located about one mile above the current town site.