Kennewick

Kennewick is a city in Benton county along the Columbia River Plateau region of Washington State. Along with the cities of Pasco and Richland, Kennewick is known for being the largest and most populous city within the area known as the "Tri-Cities" of Washington. The Tri-Cities area is the fourth most populous metropolitan area within Washington State; behind Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma.

Understand
Kennewick and the greater Tri-Cities region draws a great deal of their cultural influence from having a past that was heavily enriched by the Cold War. In nearby Richland, the Hanford Nuclear Site is the home to many historical landmarks, as well as the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor. The atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 contained plutonium produced in Hanford. Today, the nuclear site has changed its mission from plutonium enrichment to environmental clean up and restoration.

In modern times, agriculture has been a major factor in the area's economy. Wheat is the most widely grown crop in the region, as well as fruit such as apples, cherries, and grapes (the region is home to more than 160 wineries). This is due mainly to the high quality of the region's soil and the ease of irrigation made possible by three nearby rivers (Columbia, Snake and Yakima Rivers).

Kennewick is the commercial district for the Tri-Cities region. Residents from central and southeastern Washington state, as well as from northeastern Oregon, visit the city for its shopping resources and entertainment venues. There are 34 maintained public parks and facilities spread throughout the city with 855 total acres of which about 400 is green space, including Columbia Park, which is a 400-acre recreational area with nearly 5 miles of Columbia River shoreline.

The wine industry is prevalent in the Kennewick and Tri-Cities region, with over 160 wineries within an hour's drive. Due to the region's climate of long, warm summer days (an average of 300 days of sunshine per year), and crisp cool nights; combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation, make it a nearly perfect location to grow premium grapes. A wide variety are grown throughout the region including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir and others.

There has been significant population growth in Kennewick and the greater Tri-Cities region as the region also harbors a large technological industry. A major employer of many residents in Kennewick is Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's major national laboratories. In the past, Forbes magazine once named Kennewick the #2 area in the country for job growth. For over 12 years, Kennewick was listed in Forbes Top 100 Best Places For Business & Career. Forbes listed Tri-Cities as "Top 10 Cities For Engineers."

In 2013, Kiplinger rated the Tri-Cities region as one of the top 10 places to live and raise a family. CNN/Money once ranked the Tri-Cities region as one of the top 10 best bets for gains in housing value, due to its relatively stable economic conditions since the early 2000s.

Tourist information

 * Visit Tri-cities website

By air
Tri-Cities Airport is located 2 miles northwest of Pasco and is the third largest commercial airport in the state of Washington. It operates flights daily to and from Seattle, Tacoma, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver and Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

By train

 * Amtrak Empire Builder makes a once daily trip in each direction between Portland and Spokane via Vancouver, WA; Bingen, Wishram and Pasco. The train joins (or splits going westbound) with the other branch coming from (or going to) Seattle in Spokane. Eastbound trains continue to Chicago from Spokane. The Amtrak intermodal station, which is shared with Greyhound and Grape Line buses, is a facility in Pasco, close to major hotels and attractions
 * Amtrak Empire Builder makes a once daily trip in each direction between Portland and Spokane via Vancouver, WA; Bingen, Wishram and Pasco. The train joins (or splits going westbound) with the other branch coming from (or going to) Seattle in Spokane. Eastbound trains continue to Chicago from Spokane. The Amtrak intermodal station, which is shared with Greyhound and Grape Line buses, is a facility in Pasco, close to major hotels and attractions

By car
Highway 395 is one of Kennewick's busiest roads, running right through the center of the city north and south. Oregonians can easily travel to Kennewick, as it is less than an hour's drive from the Washington-Oregon border.


 * From Spokane: Take I-90/US 395 West to Ritzville. At Ritzville, US-395 continues South from I-90, stay on US-395 until you get to Kennewick.
 * From Seattle and Tacoma: Take I-90 across the Cascade Mountains until I-82 in Ellensburg. Just past Ellensburg, take I-82 South (signed as East), passing through Yakima and Prosser, until you reach I-182 East, then take Hwy 240 to reach Kennewick. You can also reach Kennewick by continuing on I-82 SE until you reach either Badger Rd. or US-395.
 * From Walla Walla: Take US-12 into Pasco. In Pasco, US-12 is also I-182, exit at US-395 South (Exit 12A) and cross the Columbia River.
 * From Portland, Oregon: Take I-84 through the Gorge to I-82 West, signs for Hermiston. See below. Highway 14 on the Washington side is more scenic, but longer.
 * From Oregon: Take I-82 across the OR/WA border. After about 20 miles, exit off of I-82 onto US-395.

For information pertaining to the driving conditions around Kennewick and in the greater Tri-Cities region, check the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) website.

By car
Car rentals are available through Avis, Enterprise and Hertz at the Tri-Cities air terminal.

Streets are wide and logically laid out. Kennewick is more Spread out than other cities its size, so there is almost no traffic.

Main east/west thoroughfares are 10th ave. on the South end, Clearwater in the Center which connects with Kennwick ave. to serve the Downtown, and Canal Drive at the north. You can also utilize Highway 240 Eastbound if you wish to quickly get from one side of Kennewick to the other.

Main north/south thoroughfares are also conveniently laid out. Steptoe runs from Clearwater to 240 on the west end, Columbia Center Blvd. traverses the width of the city from Col. Park Trail to the southern limit, intersecting 240 along the way. Kellogg runs straight through the center of town, intersecting Canal and 10th. Finally, 395 serves the East end and is known as Ely Street on some maps and signs.

There are only 3 places where you can cross the river into Pasco: I-182, 395/240, and 397/Chemical Drive

By taxi
A-1 Tri-Cities Taxi provides personalized service throughout the Tri-Cities area for affordable rates and operate 24/7.

Wine tasting
Kennewick has a plethora of local wines because there are over 160 nearby wineries. Many of these wineries offer wine tasting and tours.



Stay healthy
During the summer months, the temperature in Kennewick and the greater Tri-Cities region often exceeds 100 °F. If you plan on being outside for long periods of time, be sure to drink plenty of water and limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine to prevent dehydration and heat stroke.

Stay safe
Kennewick and the greater Tri-Cities region are extremely safe areas for travelers. The city enjoys a crime rate that is well below the national average; violent crime is almost non-existent. The most widely reported crime in the city is theft. As with any travel destination, if you take the proper precautions to keep your possessions safe, you should have no problems at all during your stay.

Go next

 * Idaho - the state line is a little over 2 hours away.
 * Oregon - the state line is only about a 1/2 hour away.
 * Spokane - about 2 hours away.
 * Seattle - about 3½ hours away.
 * Portland - slightly closer than Seattle.