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Liberty Lake, Washington

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Liberty Lake, Washington
City
Liberty Lake welcome sign on Harvard Road
Aerial view of Liberty Lake (lake and city, 2013) from roughly south by southeast. The city is immediately north of the lake and runs somewhat further west than the lake. The Spokane River, near the top of the photo, forms the northern border of the city.
Map
Interactive map of Liberty Lake, Washington
Coordinates: 47°40′06″N 117°06′15″W / 47.668451°N 117.104201°W / 47.668451; -117.104201
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountySpokane
IncorporatedAugust 31, 2001
Named afterLiberty Lake
Government
[1]
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorCris Kaminskas
Area
[2]
 • Total
6.344 sq mi (16.432 km2)
 • Land6.344 sq mi (16.432 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.000 km2)  0.0%
Elevation
[3]
2,070 ft (630 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total
12,003
 • Estimate 
(2024)[5]
13,353
 • Density1,891.9/sq mi (730.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
99019
Area code509
FIPS code53-39335
GNIS feature ID2410834[3]
Websitelibertylakewa.gov

Liberty Lake is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, located adjacent to the eponymous lake. Located just over a mile (about 2 km) west of the Washington–Idaho border, Liberty Lake is both a suburb of Spokane, Washington, and a bedroom community to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The population was 12,003 at the 2020 census,[4] and was estimated at 13,353 in 2024.[5]

Liberty Lake was named after a pioneer who settled near the lake, Etienne Edward Laliberte (anglicized as Steve Liberty). The town was previously called Arturdee.

History

[edit]

The first homestead on modern-day Liberty Lake was established in 1871 by Etienne Eduard La Liberte, a Quebec-born mail carrier known locally as Stephen Liberty, for whom the lake is named.[6] The area was also known as Arturdee.[7] The lake later became a recreation destination for Spokane residents and a resort hotel was built on the north shore. A private club purchased 50 acres (20 ha) on the north side of the lake in 1945 for a nine-hole golf course and residential community. The land was sold to the county government in 1957 and became the Liberty Lake Golf Course, a public facility.[8] Liberty Lake itself was noted for its trout fishing and had four lakeside resorts by 1959.[9]

A sewer district around Liberty Lake was formed in 1973 to address water pollution issues within the lake that had been studied by Washington State University. A sewage system was built later in the decade and was followed by a wastewater treatment plant in 1982.[10][11] A citizens' group proposed the incorporation of Liberty Lake into a city in the late 1990s to manage recent residential and commercial growth in the community.[12] Liberty Lake was officially incorporated on August 31, 2001, but the lake remained outside of the city's boundaries.[13][14] Within its first three years, the city government purchased a private golf course, expanded an existing community library, and established a police department with six officers.[14]

Geography

[edit]

Liberty Lake is located in the Spokane Valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.344 square miles (16.43 km2), all land.[2]

The city is bounded by the Spokane River on the north from Hodges Road in the west to approximately Molter Road. At Molter the border shifts south to Interstate-90, which it follows to within a mile of the Idaho state line. Sprague Avenue marks the southern portion of the city limits in the east to Liberty Lake Road, from which it zig-zags west to Appleway Road at Hodges. The lake itself is located outside of the city limits about three blocks south of Sprague.[15]

Liberty Lake is one of the fastest-growing communities in the State of Washington. Liberty Lake is south of the Spokane River from Otis Orchards-East Farms, Washington, east of Greenacres, Washington (now part of Spokane Valley, Washington), and west of Spokane Bridge, Washington, State Line, Idaho, and Post Falls, Idaho.

Areas east of Liberty Lake Road and areas north of Appleway Road lie on the relatively flat land along the floor of the Spokane Valley. Elevations there range from between 2,000 feet above sea level at the river to around 2,150 feet around Liberty Lake Elementary School. The areas west of Liberty Lake Road and south of Appleway Road show far more topographical relief, rising from around 2,100 feet to over 2,600 feet on Carlson Hill. Kramer Hill, which rises just beyond the eastern limit of the city, quickly rises to above 2,700 feet. While Mica Peak, which rises beyond the southern shore of the lake, climbs to nearly 5,200 feet.[16][17]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19801,599—
19902,01526.0%
20004,660131.3%
20107,59162.9%
202012,00358.1%
2024 (est.)13,353[5]11.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1970[19] 1980[20] 1990[21]
2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[4]
1980, 1990, and 2000 reflect the population
of the Liberty Lake CDP

Prior to incorporation, Liberty Lake was the name of a census-designated place (CDP) first listed in the 1980 U.S. census.[20][19] The city itself includes portions of the dissolved Liberty Lake CDP, Green Acres CDP, and other areas.[23]

Racial and ethnic composition

[edit]
Liberty Lake city, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[24] Pop 2010[25] Pop 2020[26] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 4,302 6,788 10,126 92.32% 89.42% 84.36%
Black or African American alone (NH) 32 50 84 0.69% 0.66% 0.70%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 8 36 89 0.17% 0.47% 0.74%
Asian alone (NH) 121 267 324 2.60% 3.52% 2.70%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 6 16 23 0.13% 0.21% 0.19%
Other race alone (NH) 7 8 44 0.15% 0.11% 0.37%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 80 198 600 1.72% 2.61% 5.00%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 104 228 713 2.23% 3.00% 5.94%
Total 4,660 7,591 12,003 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, Liberty Lake had a population of 12,003 and a median age of 39.1 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.8 males.[27]

The population density was 1,921.40 inhabitants per square mile (741.9/km2), and there were 4,916 housing units at an average density of 786.94 per square mile (303.8/km2).[27]

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[28]

There were 4,711 households, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 55.9% were married-couple households, 13.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[27]

Of those housing units, 4.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%.[27]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[29]
RaceNumberPercent
White10,34486.2%
Black or African American870.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native980.8%
Asian3412.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander280.2%
Some other race1811.5%
Two or more races9247.7%

2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,591 people, 2,893 households, 2,019 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,236.3 inhabitants per square mile (477.3/km2). There were 3,344 housing units at an average density of 544.6 per square mile (210.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.29% White, 0.67% African American, 0.51% Native American, 3.54% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 0.76% from some other races and 3.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.00% of the population.

There were 2,893 households 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.6% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.15.

The median age was 35.2 years. 30.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

Government

[edit]

Liberty Lake was incorporated on August 31, 2001, and operates with a mayor–council government. There are seven members on the city council who are elected to four-year terms.[1]

Media

[edit]

The Liberty Lake Splash, a free community-oriented weekly newspaper is distributed in the city and in the Spokane Valley; the paper has a circulation of about 6,000 copies per week.[30][31]

Education

[edit]
Ridgeline High School

Liberty Lake's public schools are operated by Central Valley School District 356, which has three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Multiple private schools are located within Liberty Lake as well.[32]

Liberty Lake has a municipal library that has 9,612 square feet (893.0 m2).[33] It is separate from the Spokane County Library District, but the systems have reciprocal agreements to allow members to obtain library cards from each.[34]

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "City Council". City of Liberty Lake, Washington. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "2025 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Liberty Lake, Washington
  4. 1 2 3 "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Julie (March 16, 1989). "Architect builds historical interest with trivia". Spokane Chronicle. p. S9. Retrieved May 2, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
  7. ↑ Rowe, Megan (May 19, 2019). "What's in a name? Features in local parks put on a map". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ Tinsley, Jesse (April 17, 2017). "Then and Now: Liberty Lake Golf Course clubhouse". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  9. ↑ Prager, Mike (September 24, 2017). "Liberty Lake was Spokane's most important year-round playground". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  10. ↑ Rivers, Robin (January 1, 2000). "100 years of valley life: Growing concerns". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  11. ↑ Lutey, Tom (February 3, 2007). "'Prince of a guy'". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  12. ↑ Hutson, Lorie (October 7, 2000). "City dreams: Will Liberty Lake vote to incorporate?". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  13. ↑ "City of Liberty Lake Comprehensive Plan 2015–2037" (PDF). City of Liberty Lake. October 6, 2015. p. 46. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Little, Melodie (May 23, 2004). "Testing its limits". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  15. ↑ "City Boundary Map". libertylakewa.gov. City of Liberty Lake, Washington. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Liberty Lake Quadrangle". usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Mica Peak Quadrangle". usgs.gov. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Decennial Census by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
  19. 1 2 "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 28, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  21. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  22. ↑ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  23. 1 2 "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Washington" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  24. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Liberty Lake CDP, Washington". United States Census Bureau.
  25. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Liberty Lake city, Washington". United States Census Bureau.
  26. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Liberty Lake city, Washington". United States Census Bureau.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  28. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  29. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Liberty Lake Splash". Mondo Times. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  31. ↑ "List of Official Publications". Spokane County. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Schools". City of Liberty Lake. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  33. ↑ Culver, Nina (January 16, 2020). "Liberty Lake Municipal Library needs more space, consultant's report says". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Which Library System is Which?". Spokane Public Library. May 12, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  35. ↑ Allen, Jim (April 12, 2022). "A not so surprising success: Spokane's Lexie Hull the No. 6 pick in the WNBA draft". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  36. ↑ Baker, Geoff (September 22, 2020). "To become a two-time Stanley Cup finalist, Spokane area's Tyler Johnson battled every step of the way". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
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