Orting, Washington
Orting is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,041 at the 2020 census. History The first recorded claims for land in Orting were made in 1854 by William Henry Whitesell, Thomas Headley, Daniel Lane, and Daniel Varner. Streets in the modern city are named after the four men, and a monument in Orting City Park commemorates them. Orting was officially incorporated as a city on April 22, 1889. Early growth surrounded the area's production and logging industries. Later, Christmas tree and bulb farms also became part of the local economy. Orting was also a supply town for the coal mining towns Wilkeson and Carbonado . The first railroad in the city was built in 1877 by the Northern Pacific Railway, called "Whitesell's Crossing" because it ran right through the Whitesell property. Because railroads eased transportation, Orting's population quickly increased. Remaining parts from the railroad are part of the Meeker Southern Railroad, which runs between Puyallup and McMillin. Geography Its coordinates are (47.096071, −122.205401). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Mount Rainier The city sits in a fertile valley between two major rivers, the Carbon and Puyallup. It is built entirely on several layers of lahar deposits. Orting is located about from Mount Rainier. Based on studies of past lahar flow and the mountain's structure, Orting has been designated the most at-risk city from Mount Rainier's lahar activity; scientists predict that lahar could reach Orting in 30 minutes from the mountain. The Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System has installed sirens throughout the area, activated by sensors on Mount Rainier. Local schools regularly stage lahar evacuation drills and residents are informed of lahar escape routes. Local citizens are designing the Bridge for Kids, a walking bridge across the Carbon River that could be used for recreation and rapid evacuation toward Cascadia, Washington. Demographics 2010 census The 2010 United States census recorded 6,746 people, 2,184 households and 1,688 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,361 housing units, with an average density of . The racial makeup was 87.9% white, 1.5% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprised 7.2% of the population. Of the 2,184 households, 48.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% had married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.7% did not have families. Households with only one person made up 16.5% and the total, and those with an individual person 65 years of age or older made up 5.8%. The average household size was 3.01 people and the average family size was 3.34. The median age was 32.7 years: 30.7% of residents were under the age of 18,; 7.8%, between the