Toppenish, Washington
City
Northward view over Toppenish in 2010
Location of Toppenish in Washington
Coordinates: 46°22′38.46″N 120°18′31.20″W / 46.3773500°N 120.3086667°W / 46.3773500; -120.3086667
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Yakima
Founded	1884
Incorporated	April 29, 1907
Government [1]
• Type	Council–manager
• Mayor	Elpidia Saavedra
• Mayor Pro Tem	Loren Belton
• City manager	Dan Ford
• Councilmembers	Cristian Sanchez Josh Garza Ezequiel Morfin George Garcia Naila Prieto Duval
Area [2]
• City	2.17 sq mi (5.63 km2)
• Land	2.17 sq mi (5.63 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [4]	758 ft (231 m)
Population  (2020)[5]
• City	8,854
• Estimate  (2023)[6]	8,650
• Density	3,980.81/sq mi (1,536.99/km2)
• Urban	10,057[3]
• Metro	256,643 (US: 193rd)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	98948
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-71960
GNIS feature ID	1512732[4]
Website	toppenish.gov

Toppenish (/ˈtɒppənɪʃ/) is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 8,854 at the 2020 census.^[5] It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855.

Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has more than 75 murals adorning its buildings. The first, "Clearing the Land", was painted in 1989, and the city hosts horse-drawn tours and annual art events. All murals are historically accurate and depict scenes of the region from 1840 to 1940.^{[7][8][9][10]}

All territory set aside for the Yakama Indian Reservation by the Treaty of Washington was held communally in the name of the tribe. None of the land was individually owned. The treaty of 1855, between the United States government, representatives from thirteen other bands, tribes, and Chief Kamiakin, resulted in the Yakama Nation relinquishing 16,920 square miles (43,800 km²) of their homeland. Prior to their ceding the land, only Native Americans had lived in the area.

For a time they were not much disturbed, but the railroad was constructed into the area in 1883. More white settlers migrated into the region, looking for farming land, and joined the ranchers in older settlements bordering the Columbia River.

The Dawes Act of 1887 was part of federal legislation designed to force assimilation to European-American ways by Native Americans. Specifically, it was designed to break up the communal tribal land of Native American reservations and allot portions to individual households of tribal members, in order to encourage subsistence farming in the European-American style and familiarity with western conceptions of property. Lands declared excess by the government to this allotment were available for sale to anyone, and European Americans had been demanding more land in the West for years. Under varying conditions, Native American landowners were to be allowed to sell their plots.

Josephine Bowser Lillie was among Native Americans granted an 80-acre (320,000 m²) allotment of land within the Yakama Reservation. Of mixed Native American/European ancestry and Yakama identification, she is known as "The Mother of Toppenish." She platted the north 40 acres (160,000 m²) of her land. These tracts became the first deeded land to be sold on the Yakama Nation Reservation.

A driving figure in Toppenish's early development was William Leslie Shearer (October 31, 1862 – June 5, 1922). Since Toppenish had no church in 1897 Shearer obtained permission from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and offered the freight room for religious services. Following this, he helped organize the first Methodist Church and, as trustee, was instrumental in the construction of a building that would house the church and also serve as school classrooms until a separate schoolhouse could be built. The building was completed in time for the 1898-1899 school term.

After leaving the employment of the railroad, Shearer, with Frank J. Lemon as his partner, opened Toppenish's first drugstore in 1905. About a year later, Shearer sold out, turning his attention to the newly organized Yakima Produce and Trading company, with George Plank, A.W. McDonald and M. McDonald as partners. The company bought some acreage and leased more sagebrush land to develop the 1700-acre ranch near Satus Station. Shearer had a system of irrigation ditches constructed leading from Satus Creek to the acreage.

Toppenish was officially incorporated on April 29, 1907, and founded by Johnny Barnes.^{[citation needed]} The city lies inside the boundaries of the Yakama Nation's Reservation.

Tẋápniš in the Sahaptin language of the Yakama is the likely source of the name Toppenish. The word means ‘protruded, stuck out’ and recalls a landslide that occurred on the ridge south of White Swan, Washington.^[11] According to William Bright, the name "Toppenish" comes from the Sahaptin word /txápniš/, referring to a landslide, from /txá-/, "accidentally", /-pni-/, "to launch, to take forth and out", and /-ša/, "continuative present tense".^[12]

Toppenish is located at 46°22′38.46″N 120°18′31.20″W / 46.3773500°N 120.3086667°W / 46.3773500; -120.3086667 (46.3773509, -120.3086667).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.17 square miles (5.62 km²), all land.^[2]

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,854 people, 2,397 households, and 1,926 families residing in the city.^[17] The population density was 4,147.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,601.2/km²). There were 2,453 housing units at an average density of 1,148.9 per square mile (443.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 18.33% White, 0.40% African American, 9.36% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 52.79% from some other races and 18.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 84.41% of the population.^[18] 31.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.3% were under 5 years of age, and 11.9% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% female.

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,949 people, 2,237 households, and 1,900 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,280.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,652.5/km²). There were 2,334 housing units at an average density of 1,116.7 per square mile (431.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 33.85% White, 0.68% African American, 8.05% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 52.58% from some other races and 4.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 82.56% of the population.

There were 2,237 households, of which 62.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 15.1% were non-families. 11.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.96 and the average family size was 4.22.

The median age in the city was 24.3 years. 37.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 17.2% were from 45 to 64; and 6.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,946 people, 2,275 households, and 1,874 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,762.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,838.9/km²). There were 2,440 housing units at an average density of 1,299.0 per square mile (501.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.48% White, 0.56% African American, 7.90% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 55.95% from some other races and 3.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 75.72% of the population.

There were 2,275 households, out of which 52.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.88 and the average family size was 4.26.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 38.8% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,950, and the median income for a family was $28,228. Males had a median income of $22,264 versus $19,704 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,101. About 29.2% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.1% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

According to the Uniform Crime Report statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2023, there were 64 violent crimes and 524 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 8 murders, 3 forcible rapes, 27 robberies and 26 aggravated assaults, while 88 burglaries, 333 larceny-thefts, 101 motor vehicle thefts and 2 acts of arson defined the property offenses.

Public schools are operated by the Toppenish School District, whose offices are located here.

The Yakima Nation also operates the Yakama Nation Tribal School, which is adjacent to Toppenish.^[19]

• Vicki Adams, trick rider
• Fred Anderson, former NFL player
• Leslie E. Brown, United States Marine Corps aviator
• Westley Allan Dodd, serial killer
• Bunky Echo-Hawk, Native American artist and poet
• Terry Grosz, game warden
• Charles Lollar, businessman and political candidate
• A.B. Quintanilla, record producer and musician^[20]
• Gregory Short, composer, educator, and performer
• Dale E. Stovall, United States Air Force general
• Billy J. Williams, former United States attorney for the District of Oregon

• City of Toppenish – official website
• Toppenish Commerce Yakama Nation
• Toppenish Historical Society
• History of Toppenish at HistoryLink
• Toppenish High School Alumni