Umatilla is a city located in Umatilla County, Oregon. It is named for the Umatilla River, which enters the Columbia River on the side of the city. The city is located on the south side of the Columbia River, and is located on U.S. Highway 730. The Umatilla Chemical Depot, and the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, is located four-miles southwest of the city, northeast of the intersection of I-84 and I-82. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 4,978.
Umatilla is located at 45°55'4" North, 119°19'35" West (45.917668, -119.326400). It lies 30 miles northwest of Pendleton, about 2 miles to the west of I-82.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 km2 (3.7 mi2). 9.1 km2 (3.5 mi2) of it is land and 0.5 km2 (0.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 5.63% water. nonono
As of the census of 2000, there are 4,978 people, 1,364 households, and 1,062 families residing in the city. The population density is 546.0/km2 (1,415.3/mi2). There are 1,511 housing units at an average density of 165.7/km2 (429.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 72.10% White, 2.69% African American, 1.35% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 21.49% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. 32.58% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,364 households out of which 45.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% are married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% are non-families. 16.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.14 and the average family size is 3.51.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 137.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 157.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,844, and the median income for a family is $32,969. Males have a median income of $28,500 versus $20,337 for females. The per capita income for the city is $11,469. 19.4% of the population and 15.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.2% of those under the age of 18 and 21.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The first post office for Umatilla was established September 26, 1851. The present town was surveyed by Timothy K. Davenport in 1863, and the town incorporated as Umatilla Landing in 1864.
Umatilla's earliest importance was as a trade and distribution center on the Columbia River, during the gold rush of the 1860s and 1870s in eastern Oregon. It remained a major commercial center until the 1880s when it withered before the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
The Umatilla Chemical Depot opened in 1941, to gear up for World War II. The depot's mission was to store and maintain a variety of military items, from blankets to ammunition. The depot took on its chemical weapons storage mission in 1962. From 1990 to 1994 the facility reorganized in preparation for eventual closure, shipping all conventional ammunition and supplies to other installations. Today, the chemical weapons are the only items still stored at the depot.