SUBJECTS › GOVERNANCE › SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS
› Alphabetical List of Special Purpose Districts in Washington
Updated 08/06
Alphabetical List of Special Purpose Districts in Washington
Includes Districts Created for Financing Purposes (Noted by *)
See also:
- Special Purpose Districts by Date of Enabling Legislation
- Special Purpose Districts by Type
- Special Purpose Districts by Function
| District | Date Created |
Enabling Statute (RCW) |
| Agricultural Pest Districts | 1919 | Ch. 17.12 RCW |
| Air Pollution Control Authorities | 1957, 1967 | Ch. 70.94 RCW |
| Airport District, County | 1945 | RCW 14.08.290-.330 |
| Apportionment District (Community redevelopment financing Act) | 1982 | Ch 39.88 RCW, Ruled unconstitutional by Leonard v. Spokane, 127 Wn. 2nd 195(1995) |
| Aquifer Protection Areas* | 1985 | Ch. 36.36 RCW |
| Boards of Joint Control (Irrigation districts and other entities) | 1949 | Ch. 87.80 RCW |
| Cemetery Districts | 1947 | Ch. 68.52 RCW |
| City Transportation Authority (Monorail) | 2002 | Ch. 35.95A RCW, Ch. 248 Laws 2002 |
| Community Renewal Area* | 2002 | Ch. 35.81 RCW, Ch. 218 Laws of 2002 |
| Conservation Districts | 1939 | Ch. 89.08 RCW |
| County Public Transportation Authority | 1974 | Ch. 36.57 RCW |
| County Rail Districts | 1983 | Ch. 36.60 RCW |
| County Road District * | 1889 | RCW 36.75.060 |
| Cultural Arts, Stadium, and Convention Districts | 1982 | Ch. 67.38 RCW |
| Diking and Drainage Districts (general provisions - revised, statutes (a) A diking district; (b) a drainage district; (c) a diking, drainage, and/or sewerage improvement district; (d) an intercounty diking and drainage district; (e) a consolidated diking district, drainage district, diking improvement district, and/or drainage improvement district; or (f) a flood control district.) | 1961 Recodification | Title 85 RCW |
| Diking & Drainage Districts in Two or More Counties (Intercounty Diking and Drainage Districts) | 1909 | Ch.. 85.24 RCW |
| Diking Districts | 1895 | Ch. 85.05 RCW |
| Diking, Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District; Drainage and Irrigation Improvement district - Improvement Districts - 1933 Act | 1933 | Ch. 85.22 RCW |
| Diking, Drainage, Sewerage Improvement Districts Funding methods revised by Diking, Drainage, and Sewerage Improvement Districts - 1967 Act | 1913 | Ch. 85.08 RCW, Ch. 85.15 RCW |
| Drainage District | 1895 | Ch. 85.06 RCW |
| Drainage Improvement District; Diking Improvement District - Improvement Districts - 1917 Act (reorganization of Diking or Drainage Dist) | 1917 | Ch. 85.20 RCW |
| Emergency Medical Service Districts | 1979 | 36.32.480 RCW |
| Emergency Service Communication Districts | 1987 | RCW 82.14B.070-.100 |
| Ferry Districts | 1917, Repealed 1994 | RCW 36.54.080-.100 |
| Ferry Districts, passenger-only (Counties of 1 million pop) | 2003 | Ch. 83, Laws of 2003 |
| Fire Protection Districts | 1933 | Title 52 RCW |
| Flood Control by Counties (River Improvement Fund)* | 1907 | Ch. 86.12 RCW |
| Flood Control by Counties Jointly - 1913 Act (Intercounty) | 1913 | Ch. 86.13 RCW |
| Flood Control Districts - 1935 Act | 1935, Repealed 1965 | Ch.86.05 RCW |
| Flood Control Districts - 1937 Act | 1937 | Ch. 86.09 RCW |
| Flood Control Zone Districts | 1961 | Ch. 86.15 RCW |
| Health Districts | 1945 | Ch. 70.46 RCW |
| Horticultural Pest and Disease Board (Horticultural Assessment) | 1969 | Ch. 15.09 RCW |
| Industrial Development Districts (Ports)* - to develop marginal area properties | 1939 | Ch. 53.25 RCW |
| Inter-County Regular Weed Districts | 1959 | Ch. 17.06 RCW |
| Inter-County Rural Library Districts | 1947 | RCW 27.12.090 |
| Irrigation Districts | 1890 | Ch. 87.03 RCW |
| Irrigation and Rehabilitation Districts | 1961 | Ch. 87.84 RCW |
| Island Library District | 1982 | RCW 27.12.400 - .450 |
| Joint City-county Housing Authorities | 1980 | RCW 35.82.300 |
| Joint Park and Recreation District | 1979 | RCW 36.60.420 - .460 |
| Joint School Districts | 1897 | Ch. 28A.323 RCW |
| Lake Management Districts* | 1986 | Ch. 36.61 RCW; RCW 35.21.403 |
| Legal Authorities (Hydroelectric) - Irrigation Districts | 1983 | RCW 87.03.825 - .840 |
| Library Capital Facility Area* | 1995 | Ch 27.15 RCW |
| Metropolitan Municipal Corporations | 1957 | Ch. 35.58 RCW & Ch. 36.56 RCW |
| Metropolitan Park District | 1907 | Ch. 35.61 RCW |
| Mosquito Control Districts | 1957 | Ch. 17.28 RCW |
| Operating Agencies (Electricity Generation and Distribution, Cities & PUD) | 1981 | Ch. 43.52 RCW |
| Park & Recreation Districts | 1957 | Ch. 36.69 RCW |
| Park & Recreation Service Areas | 1963 | RCW 36.68.400 - .620 |
| Port Districts | 1911 | Title 53 RCW |
| Public Facilities Districts | 1988 - counties, 1999 - cities & towns | Ch. 36.100 RCW for counties, Ch. 35.57 RCW cities/towns |
| Public Hospital Districts | 1945 | Ch. 70.44 RCW |
| Public Housing Authorities | 1939 | Ch. 35.82 RCW |
| Public Stadium Authority | 1997 | Ch. 36.102 RCW |
| Public Transportation Benefit Area | 1975 | Ch. 36.57A RCW |
| Public Utility Districts | 1931 | Title 54 RCW |
| Public Waterway Districts* | 1911 | Ch. 91.08 RCW |
| Reclamation and Irrigation Districts in Reclamation Areas | 1943 | Ch. 89.12 RCW |
| Reclamation Districts of one million acres | 1927 | Ch. 89.30 RCW |
| Regional Library Districts | 1935 | RCW 27.12.080 |
| Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities | 2004 | Ch. 52.26 RCW |
| Regional Transit Authorities | 1992 | RCW 81.112 |
| Regional Transportation Investment District | 2002 | RCW 36.120 |
| River & Harbor Improvement Districts* | 1903 | Ch. 88.32 RCW |
| Roads & Bridges Service Districts | 1983 | Ch. 36.83 RCW |
| Rural County Library Districts | 1941 | RCW 27.12.040 - .070 |
| Rural Partial Library District | 1993 | RCW 27.12.470 |
| Rural Public Hospital District (defined) | 1992 | RCW 70.44.450-.460 |
| Sanitary Districts* | 1933, Repealed 1971 | Title 55 RCW |
| School Districts | 1889 | Ch. 28A.315 RCW |
| Sewage Improvement Districts* - Formerly under Title 85 After 1979 powers of title 85 | 1923 | RCW 57.04.120-.130 |
| Sewer Districts | 1941 | Title 57 RCW |
| Shellfish Protection Districts - "Clean Water Districts" | 1985 | Ch. 90.72 RCW |
| Solid Waste Collection Districts* | 1971 | Ch. 36.58A RCW |
| Solid Waste Disposal Districts* | 1982 | RCW 36.58.100 |
| Television Reception Improvement Districts | 1971 | Ch. 36.95 RCW |
| Transportation Benefit District | 1989 | Ch. 36.73 RCW, RCW 35.21.225 for city |
| Unincorporated Transportation Benefit Areas (UTBA) | 1975 | RCW 36.57.100 |
| Urban Emergency Medical Service Districts | 1994 | RCW 35.21.762 |
| Water Distribution District | 1921, Repealed | |
| Water Districts | 1913 | Title 57 RCW |
| Water-Sewer Districts (water-sewer district, water district, sewer district) | Sewer Dist 1941; water dist 1913; water-sewer consolidation 1971 | Title 57 RCW (districts reclassified, formerly Sewer Title 56, Water Title 57), reclassification 1997 |
| Weed Districts | 1921 | Ch. 17.04 RCW |