Your Guide to Buying a Home in Richland, WA

Buying a Home in Richland, Washington

Richland is located at the fork of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers

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Richland is located in Benton County

Richland is located in southeast Washington at the fork of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. This area is quite remote and differs substantially from the western half of Washington with its lush forests and numerous mountain peaks. However, Richland's remote location was the impetus for its early growth.

Richland was a quiet farming community for much of its history. There were no large towns nearby, the water supply was abundant, and the weather was mild. In 1942 the federal government recognized this as the ideal location for a portion of the Manhattan Project. The Hanford Project was born and turned a tiny farming community into a federally owned town of over 11,000. Workers from all over the country converged on Richland as facilities were created to produce the plutonium that would be used in the world's first atomic weapons. In 1958 Richland became a self-governed town, but continued to rely on the Hanford Project to carry its economy. During the Cold War weapons production became the primary goal of the Hanford Project.

Today, Richland is much like any town its size, offering government services, recreational activities and public facilities. Richland's economic plan for the future revolves around diversification and a shifting of the job base away from Hanford. The City Council adopted this vision statement a few years ago: "By the year 2020, Richland will be a vibrant community where 80% of the economy is based in private industry and commerce. The city will receive wide recognition for the beauty of its integrated parks, river shore, commerce centers and living spaces."

Richland is serviced by several highways and is just 20 miles from the Oregon border. The town of Kennewick is just 10 miles to the east, while Spokane is about 140 miles to the northeast.

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