A Brief Look At Rock Island, Washington

Rock Island, Washington is a small community located a few miles south of East Wenatchee on Highway 28. Rock Island is named for a rock strewn section of the Columbia River, its original name was to be Hammond. This section of the river was once the home of many small rocky islands, but has since been submerged underneath the water backed up behind Rock Island Dam.

Rock Island is home to a small business district, a winery, a truck stop, a once-thriving silicon smelter, and residential housing. Rock Island, like most area communities, is surrounded by orchard land. The Rock Island Golf Course is the major attraction to Rock Island, along with fishing opportunities (Pit Lake is designated as a youth only fishing pond). Rock Island has its own school, fire department, and city hall.

Rock Island was founded with the intent on being the major population and business hub in the area, when the railroad decided to put its station in Wenatchee, that plan floundered. The Rock Island Dam has the designation as being the first dam to cross the Columbia River. Before the dam was constructed, ferries and other boats would provide travel and shipment of goods through the treacherous rock filled water there.

Take a moment to check out some photos of Rock Island, Washington in our Rock Island Gallery, part of our North Central Washington Communities Photo Gallery.