Pasco Industry and Economy


The thriving city of Pasco is in Washington’s Franklin County, which is the county seat. Pasco WA Real Estate is part of the Tri-City area which also includes the cities of Richland and Kennewick. The small city of West Richland is also occasionally included in the Tri-Cities grouping. Pasco WA Real Estate has at present, which being the year 2005, a population of around 45,000 citizens, an increase of over 15,000 since the year 2000. This total puts Pasco WA Real Estate in second place in terms of the populace, after Kennewick and before Richland. Pasco was in fact the largest of the cities until the construction of the nearby Hanford site. Pasco’s phenomenal current rate of growth, however, marks the city as the fastest-growing city in Washington and the 9th fastest-growing in a ranking of close to 300 similar incorporated communities. Pasco was the first of the Tri-Cities areas to be incorporated and that happened on the third of September 1891.

Excellent Transportation
Pasco WA Real Estate has long enjoyed excellent transportation, having been situated close to the Northern Pacific Railway since the line was constructed in the 1880s. The proximate presence of this railway was one of the reasons for Pasco being the Tri-Cities leader in terms of population. The railway line industry brought in a large influx of settlers to the Washington Territory. Their numbers helped to pave the way toward statehood, which was achieved on the eleventh of November, 1889. Later important transport-related developments in Pasco Wa Real Estate include the opening of the Naval Air Station and Army Pasco washington farmers marketReconsignment Depot during the Second World War. Pasco Wa Real Estate was also the first city west of the Mississippi to have a commercial airport. This expanded and modernized airport still serves the Tri-Cities industry area today. In the year 1984, the Interstate 182 bridge was completed which made Pasco far more accessible. This development has further accelerated Pasco’s growth.

Agriculture and Industry
Pasco WA Real Estate's economy has long been based on agriculture and industry. Having the most easily-tillable soil in the Tri-Cities region was another draw for the early development of the city. The region’s soil is excellent and it receives a great deal of sunshine, almost throughout the year. Irrigation has been easily available to the agricultural sector since the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1941. The nearby Columbia, Snake, and Yakima rivers all have their confluence close to the Tri-Cities industry area, ensuring a plentiful water supply for the many cash crops. Wheat is the most prevalent of these crops, although apples, corn, and potatoes are also grown. Grapes also deserve an honorable mention, as the Columbia Valley is the second largest wine-producing region in America, after California’s Napa Valley. As well as many award-winning local blends, the wine farms also produce a great deal of tourism for the region.

Hanford’s Impact
The biggest employer in the area is the Hanford nuclear facility. This was founded close to Pasco to take advantage of the readily available water supply industry. Many skilled professionals are employed by the site, which has now gone from producing weapons to working on the disposal of nuclear waste. Other major employers include such corporations as Amazon, Areva, the Battelle Memorial Institute, ConAgra Foods, Lockheed Martin, Reser's Fine Foods, Simplot, Twin City Foods, and Tyson Foods.

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