Adams County

You can regard Adams county as a transportation hub. Why? The Columbia Basin, the Burlington Northern Railroads, the interstate 90, state routes 26 and 17, and U.S. 395 pass through the county.

This county has an area of 1925 sq. mi. It’s on SE Washington in the shrub-steppe, semi-arid region of Washington. The county neighbors Grant, Whitman, Lincoln, and Franklin counties.

Othello and Ritzville are the most populated cities in Adams County.

Ritzville is the county seat of Adams. Its high population results from its location on the N.E. corner of Adams county and because I-90 and US 395 meet here, making the city a typical stop for travelers. Othello population growth results from irrigation in the Columbia Basin. Here’s what you need to know about Adam’s county WA.

Adams County History

Adams county was incorporated from Whitman County on the 28th November 1883. On 19th December the same year, Ratzille became the capital after its establishment on the same day.

The first structure used as the courthouse was a residency presently located near the present-day Broadway Ave-Ritzville in 1885. Later in 1892, the house wasn’t sufficient anymore. Thus the county government funded the construction of a new courthouse adjacent to the current courthouse.

The courthouse expanded in 1905 to accommodate treasurer’s, Sherriff’s, and auditor’s offices, plus jail rooms in the basement. Later the county remodelled the courthouse and constructed a new courthouse which they completed in 1940.

The first county census recorded 2098 residents as of 1890, which had doubled to 4840 by 1900, and by 1910, the population grew to 10,920. However, the population declined between 1920 and 1940 to 6209. By 2010, Adams county Decennial Census records continual growth with the current population at 20,477.

Wheat farming continued to thrive by 1897, and during the early nineteen-hundreds, Ritzville became the World’s most significant inland wheat exporter. In 1943 the county approved the Columbia basin Project Act. 

The Winston Brothers and Untal Construction Companies started working on the structures of the East Low Canal, its earthwork, and canal lining in 1949. Both companies received the contract from USBR in 1945.

Currently, Adams County has the largest solar farm in Washington, with 81000 solar panels on a 170-acre land, generating 28 megawatts of energy.

Adams county W.A. Commissioner’s Board and Equalization Board

Adams County has a commissioners board made up of three commissioners. The first commissioner is Dan Blankenship, his phone number is 509-347-6705.

The second commissioner is Jay R. Weise, cell Phone, 509-347-6173 and the third is Terry Thompson, phone 509-989-2638.

You also have the Equalization board. This board is made following the Washing state laws. The Revenue department of Washington governs it, and it’s separate and independent of the County Assessor. The equalization board adjudicates assessed property’s appeals to provide an impartial economical forum for hearing and deciding taxpayer’s appeals.

The current Equalization board members include Dale Wyman, Larry Koch, Brad Kent, and Steve Ross, with Dale Wyman as the chairman and Steve Ross as the Clerk of the Boar.

Adams County WA County Offices

Adams County Offices include the offices of; The Assessor, Prosecutor, Othello District Court, Auditor, Sheriff, Superior Court County Clerk, Ritzville District court, Board of Commissioners, and the treasurer.

The current Adams County Assessor is Veronica Rodriguez. Her phone and fax are 509-659-3200; 509-659-3206. Note, Adams county Assessor determines the actual value of your property plus your taxable property.

The present-day Auditor is Heidi Hunt: phone 509-659-3247, fax 509-659-3254. Catherine R. Sloan is the current county clerk, while sheriff Dale J. Wagner is the chief law enforcer. Plus, he also oversees public safety and emergency responses.

Kayla Meise is the county treasurer, overseeing the treasury of the 29 taxing Adam’s county districts. The County prosecutor is Randy Flyckt. He provides legal counsel on criminal prosecution. His office phone is 509-659-3219.

Adams county has two district courts, including Othello and Ritzville District Courts. They both oversee departmental responsibilities like processing misdemeanors, fine payments, etc.

Also, you can access the Adams county public records, including marriage certificates, inmate records, election results, court records, and population data.

Adams County Population Health 

After assessing the health of Adams county, access to health care, the various health conditions, Mental health, and the health outcomes of Adam’s county communities, the county has an overall health score of 57 according to the U.S. News.

13.4 % of the population have no health insurance, while 16.8 percent of the county’s population entails smokers. However, Adams county’s life expectancy is 80.1 years, which beats the national median at 77. 5.

The population’s care access score is 36. This score is determined by the availability of hospital beds, a primary care doctor and the people without health insurance.

Also, the county has a 37% score in healthy behaviors. The score comes from assessing the adults with leisure activities that entail physical movements, adults who have had a recent preventive care visit, and the rate of smoking.

What’s more? The health conditions score is 71%. This health score comes from determining the cancer assessment, health disease incidences, and the cases of preventable health conditions in the hospitals.

Finally, the health outcomes score is 54%, while the mental health score is 81%. The mental health assessment entails assessing the number of adults presenting with mental health distresses, deaths out of despair, and medicare beneficiaries who have depression.

For the health outcomes, they assess the grown-ups with poor general health, newborns with low birth weight, teenage birth rate, and life expectancy.

Adams County Municipalities 

Ritzville, Adams County, WA capital, has an elevation of 1,825 feet. Its land area is 1.29 sq. mi. The city’s incorporation took place in 1890, and it has a sales tax of eight percent. ​It’s at the junction of U.S. 395 and Interstate ninety.

Othello is another Adam’s county town. It has a population of 8,684. Moreover, the city has various recreational activities like fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and biking in the Columbia national wildlife Refuge. Here’s Adams county map indicating the different towns and cities in the county.

Other towns include Lind. Lind with a population of 555. Its zip code is 99341. Another town is Wastuchna, whose population is 195. The town’s elevation is 313 m, and it has an area of 171 hectares. You also have Hatton. Atton has a population of 104 and an area of 96 hectares.

Adams County Offices by Type