Stevens

Formed January 20, 1863 (20^th county)

Stevens County (43,531), Colville (4,673)

The tan brick Federalist structure was erected in 1938.  The building is on Oak Street at Astor Avenue.  The facility is one block east of United States Highway 395 passing through the town.  G. A. Pehrson is the designer of the courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1973.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an 1899 courthouse earlier in Colville, the only county seat.  The county was created on January 20, 1863 from Walla Walla County as the 20^th county.  It is named for Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens.  Colville was named for Hudson Bay Company official Andrew Colville. 

Stevens County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three Superior Court Judges serve Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties and One District Court Judge serve Stevens County.  Stevens County is in the northeast part of the state.  Spokane, Washington is southeast and Seattle, Washington is southwest of the county.  The Columbia River forms its western border.  The county center is 8.2 miles South of Colville nearer Addy.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Pend Oreille, Spokane, Lincoln, and Ferry counties. 

The area of the county is 2541 square miles.  It is 6 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 23 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 17.13 persons per square mile making it 27 out of 39 in the state.  Stevens County has 22.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 395 enters the county from the northwest, Ferry County, and exits to the southeast, Spokane County.  The county resembles a flat headed bird.  Colville is located in the northern third of the county.  Colville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.7% of the county population.