Map of Cowiche CDP

Cowiche (pronounced Cow-witch-ee) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountain range, in central Washington State (US). Cowiche, sometimes spelled Cowychee, is said to mean “footbridge between the valley and the mountains.” The town had 428 people at the 2010 census.

Cowiche CDP overview:
Name:	Cowiche CDP
LSAD Code:	57
LSAD Description:	CDP (suffix)
State:	Washington
County:	Yakima County
Elevation:	1,749 ft (533 m)
Total Area:	428
ZIP code:	98923
Area code:	509
FIPS code:	5315325
GNISfeature ID:	1512121

Online Interactive Map

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Cowiche online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Cowiche location map. Where is Cowiche CDP?

Cowiche location on the U.S. Map. Where is Cowiche CDP. — Cowiche location on the U.S. Map.

Cowiche location on the Washington map. Where is Cowiche CDP. — Location of Cowiche in Washington.

History

The first inhabitants of the area were the Tkai’waichash-hlama, a band or tribe of Native American people who lived along Cowiche Creek. The area was settled in the late nineteenth century by farmers who relied upon crops that did not require irrigation, such as wheat, barley, rye, and grazing cattle. Homesteading in Cowiche was difficult since fields had to be cleared of volcanic rock before they could be tilled and there was little rainfall in summer. In 1906, construction began on the Tieton Irrigation Project, a division of the broader Yakima Project. Irrigation water became available in 1907, and shortly thereafter, orchards began to replace wheatfields.