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Nooksack, Washington facts for kids

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Nooksack
The local post office
The local post office
Location of Nooksack, Washington
Location of Nooksack, Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County Whatcom
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
Area
 • Total 0.87 sq mi (2.25 km2)
 • Land 0.87 sq mi (2.25 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
85 ft (26 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,471
 • Density 1,692.8/sq mi (653.6/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98276
Area code 360
FIPS code 53-49275
GNIS feature ID 1507007
Website City of Nooksack

Nooksack (/ˈnʊksæk/ NUUK-sak) is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the border with Canada. The population was 1,471 at the 2020 census. Despite the name, it is actually located right next to the upper stream of the Sumas River, and is 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of the nearest bank of the Nooksack River.

Nooksack shares Nooksack Valley School District with the nearby Sumas and Everson. The town is just a handful of buildings built around the State Route 9 highway that runs through it, and contracts the police and sewer services through the adjacent City of Everson. The post office lost its official status in 1992 (now a department of neighboring Everson) and the USPS has since closed the remote office, but the building still exists across from a small city park. Other noticeable remains are the two filling stations and several churches. It has no major geographic features except two small creeks that drains into the Sumas River on the edge of town, near a cemetery containing many old graves.

History

Fire burnednooksackwashington
Nooksack after the fire
Oldstores nooksackwashington mainstreet
Businesses in downtown Nooksack

Nooksack was officially incorporated on December 6, 1912, and experienced much growth in its early years. It had a rail station, connecting it to the national train network. However, serious fires in the town in the early 20th century caused most of the growth to halt.

A merger between Nooksack and neighboring Everson into a single city was proposed by a citizens group in February 2009 with support from local officials. Names for the proposed new city included "Nooksack Valley". The proposal was dropped in May following a unanimous vote by the Nooksack City Council to not move forward based on public feedback.

Noosack lacks its own ZIP code due to a decision by the U.S. Postal Service in 1992 to station the postmaster in Everson, forcing the two cities to share ZIP code 98247. As a result, the city was found to have lost sales tax revenue that was instead distributed to Everson based on the ZIP code.

Notable people

  • Darius and Tabitha Kinsey, notable early twentieth century photographers, are buried in Nooksack. They specialised in documentary photographs as social commentaries and also images of early logging, fishing and railroad operations.
  • Jim Sterk, former college athletic director
  • Louie Gong, Native American artist and activist

Geography

Nooksack is located at 48°55′42″N 122°19′10″W / 48.92833°N 122.31944°W / 48.92833; -122.31944 (48.928240, -122.319544).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.87 square miles (2.25 km2), all of it land.

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Nooksack has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 283
1930 293 3.5%
1940 302 3.1%
1950 323 7.0%
1960 318 −1.5%
1970 322 1.3%
1980 429 33.2%
1990 584 36.1%
2000 851 45.7%
2010 1,338 57.2%
2020 1,471 9.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,338 people, 434 households, and 357 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,884.5 inhabitants per square mile (727.6/km2). There were 457 housing units at an average density of 643.7 per square mile (248.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.4% White, 0.1% African American, 2.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.4% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.9% of the population.

There were 434 households, of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17.7% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.37.

The median age in the city was 29.6 years. 31.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.8% were from 25 to 44; 20.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Education

Public education is provided by the Nooksack Valley School District. It operates one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools that serve Nooksack, Everson, and surrounding areas.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nooksack (Washington) para niños

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