Alpha, Washington

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Alpha, Washington |settlement_type = Unincorporated community |pushpin_map = Washington#USA |pushpin_label = Alpha  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Washington |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Lewis  |population_as_of = |population_footnotes = |population_total = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi =  |timezone = Pacific (PST) |utc_offset = -8 |timezone_DST = PDT |utc_offset_DST = -7 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> |elevation_ft = 728 |coordinates = {{coord|46|36|41|N|122|36|19|W|region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}  |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 98570 |area_code = 360 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 1515823<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1515823}}</ref> |footnotes = }}

'''Alpha''' is an unincorporated community located in Lewis County, Washington. The town rests alongside Washington State Route 508, between Cinebar, 3.5 miles away to the east,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=Alpha,+Washington&fb=1&gl=us&ei=Ud-BS4LhLJfejAO6i6yPCg&ved=0CA0Q_wY&view=map&f=d&daddr=Alpha,+WA&geocode=CUvPwSwAYSJ1FSc8xwIdrzCx-A&sa=X|title=Map data|publisher=Google Maps|accessdate=February 22, 2010}}</ref> and Onalaska to the west.

A post office existed from 1890 to 1954<ref name="BALTL">{{cite news |last1=Nicholls |first1=Julia |title=Bringing a lost town to life |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/bringing-a-lost-town-to-life,229288? |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 23, 2005}}</ref> but due to its rural setting with little settlement concentration, it did not meet qualifications as a Census Designated Place, a program used by the U.S. Census Bureau for unincorporated communities. Alpha appears on the Mayfield Lake U.S. Geological Survey Map.

The area has been named Alpha Prairie, Shoestring, and Tilton, with the current iteration chosen by either a local postmaster after the Greek letter or by settler Harold Hanson.<ref name="BALTL"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Alpha History |url=https://revisitwa.org/waypoint/alpha/ |website=revistwa.org |publisher=Washington Trust for Historic Preservation |access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lewis County Towns, Alpha |url=https://jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/townsal.html |website=jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com |publisher=Lewis Co. WA GenWeb Project}}</ref>

==Government and politics==

===Politics=== {| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;" |+ Presidential Elections Results |- bgcolor=lightgrey ! Year ! Republican ! Democratic ! Third parties |- | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''2008'''<ref name="LC2008E">{{cite web|title=November 04, 2008 General Election - Lewis County |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20081104/lewis/precincts-1.html |website=Results.Vote.WA |access-date=December 31, 2025}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.5%''' ''423'' | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.8% ''215'' | style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% ''18'' |- | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''2012'''<ref name="LC2012E">{{cite web|title=November 06, 2012 General Election - Lewis County |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20121106/lewis/precincts-1.html |website=Results.Vote.WA |access-date=December 31, 2025}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.5%''' ''431'' | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.2% ''215'' | style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% ''22'' |- | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''2016'''<ref name="LC2016E">{{cite web |title=November 8, 2016 General Election - Lewis County |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20161108/lewis/precincts-1.html |website=Results.Vote.WA |access-date=December 31, 2025}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''69.3%''' ''484'' | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|24.2% ''169'' | style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.4% ''45'' |- | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''2020'''<ref name="LC2020E">{{cite web|title=November 3, 2020 General Election - Lewis County |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20201103/lewis/precincts-60513.html |website=Results.Vote.WA |access-date=July 22, 2021}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''71.0%''' ''594'' | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.3% ''220'' | style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% ''23'' |- | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''2024'''<ref name="LC2024E">{{cite web |title=November 5, 2024 General Election - Lewis County |url=https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20241105/lewis/precincts-162430.html |website=Results.Vote.WA |access-date=December 15, 2025}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''71.7%''' ''632'' | style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.3% ''232'' | style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.0% ''18'' |- |}

As Alpha is an unincorporated community, there are no defined bounds, and the precinct may be incongruous with the census boundaries.

The 2020 election included 16 votes for candidates of the Libertarian Party, 3 votes for the Green Party, and 4 votes for write-in candidates.{{r|LC2020E}} In the 2024 election, there were 2 votes cast for write-in candidates and 8 votes were tallied for Robert F. Kennedy Jr..{{r|LC2024E}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Unincorporated communities in Lewis County, Washington Category:Unincorporated communities in Washington (state)