Orting is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,041 at the 2020 census. It is located between the Puyallup and Carbon rivers in central Pierce County, approximately northwest of Mount Rainier.
History
The first recorded claims for land in Orting were made in 1854 by William Henry Whitesell, Thomas Headley, Daniel Lane, and Daniel Varner. Streets in the modern city are named after the four men, and a monument in Orting City Park commemorates them. The area was named Gunson's Prairie by early settlers and later known as Carbon. The name is claimed to be an indigenous word meaning "prairie". Orting was officially incorporated as a city on April 22, 1889.
Early growth surrounded the area's production and logging industries. Later, Christmas tree and flower bulb farms also became part of the local economy. Orting was also a supply town for the coal mining towns Wilkeson and Carbonado <!-- Carbonado ? -->. The first railroad in the city was built in 1877 by the Northern Pacific Railway, called "Whitesell's Crossing" because it ran right through the Whitesell property. Because railroads eased transportation, Orting's population quickly increased. Remaining parts from the railroad are part of the Meeker Southern Railroad, which runs between Puyallup and McMillin.
Orting's boundaries remained unchanged until its first annexation was completed in February 1959.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Mount Rainier
thumb|Mount Rainier as seen from the High Cedars Golf Course in Orting, bordering the Puyallup River
The city sits in a fertile valley between two major rivers, the Carbon and Puyallup. It is built entirely on several layers of lahar deposits. Orting is located about from Mount Rainier. Based on studies of past lahar flow and the mountain's structure, Orting has been designated the most at-risk city from Mount Rainier's lahar activity; scientists predict that lahar could reach Orting in 30 minutes from the mountain. The Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System has installed sirens throughout the area, activated by sensors on Mount Rainier. Local schools regularly stage lahar evacuation drills and residents are informed of lahar escape routes. Local citizens are designing the Bridge for Kids, a walking bridge across the Carbon River that could be used for recreation and rapid evacuation toward Cascadia, Washington.