Methow, Washington

Methow, Washington
Unincorporated
Methow, Washington
Methow, Washington
Interactive map of Methow, Washington
Coordinates: 48°07′36″N 120°00′15″W / 48.12667°N 120.00417°W / 48.12667; -120.00417
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyOkanogan
Elevation
[1]
1,148 ft (350 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
246
 ZIP Code 98834
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98834
Area code509
FIPS code53-53720[2]
GNIS feature ID2586740[1]

Methow (/ˈmɛthaʊ/ MET-how),[3] is an unincorporated community in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The community had a population of 246 at the 2020 census.

History

Methow was founded in 1899 by W.A. Bolinger when he moved his store from the former mining boom-town at Squaw Creek (approx. 4 miles south).[4] It is named after the Methow people, an Interior Salish people who lived in the area. The name "Methow" itself comes from the Okanogan placename /mətxʷú/, meaning "sunflower (seeds)". The unincorporated community has its own community center, post office, fire station, church, water system, and two parks. The Methow Store, originally built by W.A. Bolinger, was closed for decades, but reopened in 2024. The town's restaurant is currently closed. The town is one of the principal starting points for rafting along the Methow River.

Historical Marker in Methow, Washington

The original Methow Store can be seen just off Washington State Route 153. Directly across the street sits a large historic stone house and homestead that the Bolinger family built. This small town is also home to two old single-room schoolhouses. One of these schoolhouses sits just north of the Methow Store. The other schoolhouse is now used as a community center. The Methow Church was formed over a century ago. Methow's population has stayed consistent for the past several decades at about two hundred fifty people. The population of the surrounding area, the Methow Valley, has grown significantly over the past two decades.

Geography

Southern view from Methow, Washington

Methow is located on the Methow River 13 miles (21 km) upriver from the confluence of the Methow and Columbia rivers in Okanogan County, Washington. It sits at an elevation of 1,156 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Cascade Range.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Methow has a dry-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps.

Climate data for Methow
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 57
(14)		 69
(21)		 76
(24)		 87
(31)		 100
(38)		 105
(41)		 107
(42)		 105
(41)		 102
(39)		 88
(31)		 72
(22)		 53
(12)		 107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 29.1
(−1.6)		 39.4
(4.1)		 50.5
(10.3)		 62
(17)		 72.3
(22.4)		 81.5
(27.5)		 89.1
(31.7)		 88
(31)		 79
(26)		 61.3
(16.3)		 42.9
(6.1)		 31.3
(−0.4)		 60.5
(15.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 14.7
(−9.6)		 22.3
(−5.4)		 26.7
(−2.9)		 33.9
(1.1)		 41.5
(5.3)		 49.4
(9.7)		 53.3
(11.8)		 52.3
(11.3)		 44.6
(7.0)		 34.2
(1.2)		 26.3
(−3.2)		 19.4
(−7.0)		 34.9
(1.6)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)		 −15
(−26)		 0
(−18)		 21
(−6)		 25
(−4)		 33
(1)		 35
(2)		 35
(2)		 24
(−4)		 2
(−17)		 −17
(−27)		 −21
(−29)		 −21
(−29)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.48
(38)		 1.27
(32)		 1.23
(31)		 0.75
(19)		 1.17
(30)		 0.84
(21)		 0.51
(13)		 0.52
(13)		 0.54
(14)		 0.75
(19)		 1.71
(43)		 1.93
(49)		 12.7
(320)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14.5
(37)		 2.9
(7.4)		 1.5
(3.8)		 0.2
(0.51)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 3.8
(9.7)		 17.5
(44)		 40.4
(103)
Average precipitation days 6 5 6 4 6 5 3 3 3 4 7 8 60
Source: [5]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
201068—
20209235.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1970[7] 1980[8] 1990[9]
2000[10] 2010[11]

Methow first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.[11]

Racial and ethnic composition

Methow CDP, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 67 65 98.53% 70.65%
Black or African American alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 3 0.00% 3.26%
Asian alone (NH) 0 1 0.00% 1.09%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 1 0.00% 1.09%
Other race alone (NH) 0 9 0.00% 9.78%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 0 3 0.00% 3.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1 10 1.47% 10.87%
Total 68 92 100.00% 100.00%

Education

The area is served by the Pateros School District.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Methow, Washington
  2. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ↑ Webster's Geographical Dictionary.
  4. ↑ Methow Mining Boom, The Town of Methow.
  5. ↑ "METHOW 2 S, WASHINGTON (455326)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Decennial Census by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
  7. ↑ "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2023.
  8. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. 1 2 "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Methow CDP, Washington". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Methow CDP, Washington". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ Geography Division (December 21, 2020). 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Okanogan County, WA (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
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