Orondo, Washington
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Orondo
| official_name = Orondo, Washington
| settlement_type = Unincorporated Community
| image_skyline = Orondoappleorchard.jpg
| image_caption = An apple orchard in the Orondo area.
| image_flag =
| motto = The Town Which Held The Key{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pdp2KA7-jIQC&q=orondo+key&pg=PA584 | title=An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country: Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin Counties, State of Washington| last1=Steele| first1=Richard F.| last2=Rose| first2=Arthur P.| year=1904}}{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVoYAAAAIAAJ&q=orondo+nickname |title = Nicknames and Sobriquets of U.S. Cities, States, and Counties|isbn = 9780810812550|last1 = Kane|first1 = Joseph Nathan|last2 = Alexander|first2 = Gerard L.|year = 1979| publisher=Scarecrow Press }}
| image_map =
| map_caption = Location of Orondo, Washington
| coordinates = {{coord|47|37|33|N|120|13|31|W}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name1 = Washington
| subdivision_name2 = Douglas
| population_as_of = 2010
| population_est = 1995{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=98843%20&g=8600000US98843&table=B01003&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B01003&lastDisplayedRow=0&mode=|title = Explore Census Data}}
| pop_est_as_of = 2017
| elevation_m = 231
| elevation_ft = 758
| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| postal_code = 98843
| area_code = 509
| area_code_type = Area code
}}
Orondo is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Washington, United States, located alongside the eastern part of the Columbia River. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area is well known for its robust agriculture industry, and produce fruits such as apples, cherries and pears. The name was derived from a mythical Great Lake Indian and was first settled in the late 19th century by late Washington politician, John B. Smith.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ|title=Exploring Washington|last=Majors|first=Harry M.|publisher=Van Winkle Publishing Co|year=1975|isbn=978-0-918664-00-6|page=96}}{{cite book|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=218|title=Origin of Washington geographic names|last=Meany|first=Edmond S.|publisher=University of Washington Press|year=1923|location=Seattle|page=202}}
The Auvil Fruit Company is located in Orondo. With the help of founder Grady Auvil, the company introduced the apple cultivar Granny Smith, thus establishing the [https://articles.extension.org/pages/66392/apple-rootstock-info:-m26 M26 root stock] and fostering quality production of Fuji Apples in Washington State.{{Cite web|url=http://www.auvilfruit.com/|title=Auvil Fruit Company {{!}} Premium Fruit Grower|website=Auvil Fruit Company {{!}} Premium Fruit Grower|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-31}}
The town supports a U.S. Post Office, an elementary school, and a multitude of fruit stands along U.S. Highway 97.
According to United States Census, the population is estimated to be 1995 with a marginal error of 338 as of 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=98843%20&g=8600000US98843&table=B01003&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B01003&lastDisplayedRow=0&mode=|website=data.census.gov|access-date=2019-11-26|title=Explore Census Data}}
Parks
Daroga State Park: A 127-acre camping park with 1.5 miles of Columbia River shoreline on the elevated edge of the desert scab-lands. First established as an orchard/ranch site in 1928, the name derived as the first letters of Auvil brother: Dave, Robert, and Grandy. A new peach was developed cataloged as the Daroga Peach. In 1981, Grady Auvil sold the property to the state of Washington and is now currently owned by the Chelan County PUD but operated by Washington State Parks.{{Cite web|url=https://parks.state.wa.us/495/Daroga|title=Daroga State Park {{!}} Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission|website=parks.state.wa.us|access-date=2019-11-25}}
Orondo River Park: established in 1972, the park has been a recreational site since 1976. The port of Douglas and Chelan County PUD own property within the park boundaries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chelanpud.org/parks-and-recreation/our-parks/parks-with-camping/orondo-river-park|title=Orondo River Park|website=www.chelanpud.org|access-date=2019-11-25}}
In October 2017, the port of Douglas has asked the Chelan PUD take over operation and ownership of the facility due to the park losing money for years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chelanpud.org/about-us/newsroom/news/2017/10/17/chelan-county-pud-is-building-2018-budget-with-no-electric-rate-increase|title=Chelan County PUD is building 2018 budget with no electric rate increase|website=www.chelanpud.org|access-date=2019-11-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncwlife.com/douglas-port-appeals-pud-take-orondo-park/|title=DOUGLAS PORT APPEALS TO PUD TO TAKE OVER ORONDO PARK|last=Hair|first=Steve|date=2018-06-05|website=NCWLIFE|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25}}
Education
The town has one school district that operates the preschool, elementary and middle school.{{Cite web|url=http://http/%3A%2F%2Fwa01001287.schoolwires.net%2Fsite%2Fdefault.aspx%3FDomainID%3D1|title=Orondo School District / Homepage|website=http|language=en|access-date=2019-11-25}}
The district is a "non-high" school district and has no high school opportunity in the town. As a result, the neighboring schools provide high school education for Freshman through Senior students.{{Cite web|url=http://http/%3A%2F%2Fwa01001287.schoolwires.net%2Fsite%2Fdefault.aspx%3FDomainID%3D55|title=High School Services / Program|website=http|language=en|access-date=2019-11-25}}
History
1887, the townsite of Orondo was established by J.B Smith.
1888, Smith donated a plot of land to attract more settlers to Orondo
Climate
{{Weather box
|collapsed = Y
|single line= yes
|location= Orondo, Washington
|temperature color=
|Jan record high F= 55
|Feb record high F= 62
|Mar record high F= 76
|Apr record high F= 82
|May record high F= 97
|Jun record high F= 102
|Jul record high F= 107
|Aug record high F= 103
|Sep record high F= 100
|Oct record high F= 87
|Nov record high F= 70
|Dec record high F= 60
|Jan high F= 35
|Feb high F= 42
|Mar high F= 54
|Apr high F= 63
|May high F= 71
|Jun high F= 78
|Jul high F= 86
|Aug high F= 87
|Sep high F= 78
|Oct high F= 63
|Nov high F= 45
|Dec high F= 34
|Jan low F= 22
|Feb low F= 25
|Mar low F= 31
|Apr low F= 36
|May low F= 42
|Jun low F= 48
|Jul low F= 53
|Aug low F= 53
|Sep low F= 46
|Oct low F= 37
|Nov low F= 29
|Dec low F= 21
|Jan record low F= -13
|Feb record low F= -9
|Mar record low F= 14
|Apr record low F= 26
|May record low F= 30
|Jun record low F= 33
|Jul record low F= 42
|Aug record low F= 37
|Sep record low F= 27
|Oct record low F= 11
|Nov record low F= 2
|Dec record low F= -16
|precipitation colour=
|Jan precipitation inch= 1.82
|Feb precipitation inch= 1.37
|Mar precipitation inch= 1.10
|Apr precipitation inch= 0.68
|May precipitation inch= 0.90
|Jun precipitation inch= 0.83
|Jul precipitation inch= 0.32
|Aug precipitation inch= 0.26
|Sep precipitation inch= 0.41
|Oct precipitation inch= 0.96
|Nov precipitation inch= 2.14
|Dec precipitation inch= 2.39
}}
Literature
In East of the Mountains (1999), Orondo is mentioned when one of two Spanish speaking brothers on a bus asked Catherine Donnelly, where they are and wondering how long till they arrive at Orondo. The brothers then mentioned that they work at Orondo picking apples.{{Cite book|title=East of the mountains.|last=Guterson, David.|date=2000|publisher=Bloomsbury|isbn=0-7475-4508-1|location=London|oclc=42578805}}
Orondo is mentioned by a band of outlaws in the second novel by author D.F Bissonnette "The Smoke Road" (2017), while they flee from the US Cavalry after a spate of crimes along the Columbia River during the Yakima Wars. {{Cite book|title=The Smoke Road.|last=Bissonnette, D.F.|date=2017|publisher=Indipendent|isbn=1973313510|location=Seattle}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Douglas County, Washington}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|47|37|33|N|120|13|31|W|type:city_region:US-WA|display=title}}
Category:Unincorporated communities in Washington (state)
Category:Unincorporated communities in Douglas County, Washington
Category:Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area
Category:Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River