Snoqualmie Pass is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It includes the unincorporated community of Hyak. As of the 2020 census, Snoqualmie Pass had a population of 372.
The CDP is named for the mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 across the Cascade Range, which itself is named for the Snoqualmie tribe, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Snoqualmie Valley located west of the pass. The portion of the mountain pass west of the height of land, in King County, is not part of the Snoqualmie Pass CDP.
Based on per capita income, Snoqualmie Pass ranks 8th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. It is also the highest rank achieved in Kittitas County.
Recreation
The area consists of mountain chalets and condominiums that are mainly seasonally occupied by residents of the Seattle metropolitan area, with approximately 300 year-round residents. Winter sports are the main draw, but outdoor recreation is available year-round.
The Pacific Crest Trail crosses through Snoqualmie Pass, and a variety of other trails are also available for hiking and climbing in the summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
Snoqualmie Pass is the site of the Summit at Snoqualmie, a group of alpine ski areas managed by Boyne USA Resorts. The Summit consists of four ski areas: Alpental, Summit West (formerly named Snoqualmie Summit), Summit Central (formerly Ski Acres), and Summit East (formerly Hyak). The Summit at Snoqualmie is the closest ski area to Seattle, so it is often crowded on weekends. Iron Horse State Park in Hyak offers groomed cross-country ski trails, sledding and snowshoeing in winter and hiking and a gravel railroad bed for hiking and bicycling in the summer.
Snowmobiling just east of the pass is also popular during the winter months. Also in the summer and fall, paragliders and hang gliders may be seen flying above the valley, along the ridge and landing at Lake Keechelus.
Geography
right|Location of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington
The community is in westernmost Kittitas County, on the east side of Snoqualmie Pass. Its western border follows the King County border, which is also the height of land of the Cascade Range. The CDP extends southeast as far as Keechelus Lake, the source of the Yakima River. The unincorporated community of Hyak is in the southeast part of the CDP.
Interstate 90 passes through the community, with access from Exits 53 and 54. I-90 leads west to Seattle and southeast the same distance to Ellensburg, the Kittitas county seat. Washington State Route 906 serves as a local main road through the Snoqualmie Pass community, connecting with I-90 at both of its exits.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Snoqualmie Pass CDP has a total area of , all of it land. Situated at a main crossing point of the Cascade Range, Snoqualmie Pass is located along the Mountains to Sound Greenway, which spans parts of King and Kittitas counties. The eastern portal of the Snoqualmie Tunnel is in the CDP at Hyak.
Climate
Due to its elevation, Snoqualmie Pass experiences significantly lower temperatures than Seattle, and receives much more precipitation, much of it being snow. Snoqualmie Pass has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dsb bordering Csb) with cold, very wet and snowy winters, and mild to warm, relatively dry summers.
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Demographics
As of the census