Culture in Tri-Cities, Washington

Although the Tri-Cities, Washington is in the middle of the least religious part of the United States, the Pacific Northwest, it has a strong religious presence with nearly 200 churches in the area representing nearly every sect of Christianity and in languages ranging from English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Russian.

According to the ARDA County Membership Report in 2000 there were 33.724 Roman Catholics and 13,274 LDS in Benton and Franklin Counties, which comprise the Tri-Cities Metropolitan Area. There is a sizeable LDS (Mormon) population in the area, with four large LDS Stakes in the Tri-Cities proper. The Columbia River Washington Temple is also located on Gage Boulevard in Richland.

There is an Islamic Center and a handful of synagogues. Eastern religions such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are also represented in the area.

Politics

Although in a blue state, the Tri-Cities (and most of Eastern Washington) tends to be politically conservative and regularly votes Republican in national elections; locally the Republicans are also dominant, although not quite as much.

Most areas in the Tri-Cities are right center, with the exception of North Richland and Downtown Pasco which tend to be more liberal.

Landmarks

Cable Bridge

The Cable Bridge, also known as the Ed Hendler Memorial Bridge (named after a former mayor of Pasco) is one of the most identifiable landmarks in Eastern Washington. It spans the Columbia River connecting East Kennewick and East Pasco. It is unofficially the most photographed landmark in the area.

B-Reactor

B-Reactor is the world's first industrial-scale nuclear reactor. It is located on the Hanford Site, a former nuclear production complex northwest of Richland.

Blue Bridge

The Blue Bridge is less than a mile upstream from the Cable Bridge and is the second most notable bridge in the area.

Moore Mansion

Built in Pasco along the Columbia River in 1908, the mansion was abandoned after the [...] of one of the owner's children in an upper room of the house. The mansion was later converted into an extremely upscale restaurant. It was eventually burned down by its owners in attempted insurance fraud. However, the mansion has since been reconstructed.

Rattlesnake Mountain

West of the Tri-Cities, Rattlesnake Mountain is the tallest peak in the area at 3527 ft (1060 m), and the highest "treeless" mountain in the United States. Rattlesnake mountain and the neighboring Hanford Site is home to a large herd of elk, numbering approximately 670 head.

Fingernail

A soundstage in Richland's Howard Amon Park, its shape resembles a fingernail. It hosts many concerts throughout the spring and summer. It was salvaged from a rock quarry in the 1970s during the construction of the Interstate 182 interchange and relocated in the park

Grain Elevator

A historic grain elevator remains on Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick. It has not been in use for several years and development has proceeded around it. It is now serving as a cell phone tower.