Clarkston is a city in Asotin County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Lewiston–Clarkston, ID-WA metropolitan area, and is located west of Lewiston, Idaho, across the Snake River. The population was 7,161 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 7,138 in 2024.
History
thumb|left|Clarkston, 1918
Clarkston was first settled in 1862 by Robert Bracken, and was officially incorporated on August 14, 1902. Before becoming an official town, the area was known by various names, including Jawbone Flat, and Concord (after Concord, Massachusetts).
The name Clarkston is a reference to William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition fame. Directly east across the Snake River is Lewiston, named for Meriwether Lewis and the larger and older of the two cities. The expedition passed westbound through the area by canoe in 1805 on October 10; neither Lewis nor Clark ever visited the Clarkston side of the river. Eastbound, they returned to the area in early May 1806.
Geography
Clarkston is in the Lewis-Clark Valley, at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. Immediately across the Snake River from Clarkston is the city of Lewiston, Idaho.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (7.8%) is water.
Climate
This region experiences hot and dry summers, with average monthly temperatures in the upper-80s to mid-90s, but some days reach . The official record high of was set in August 2018; the unofficial record high, set in June 2021, was .
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Clarkston has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.