Nighthawk is an unincorporated community on the Similkameen River in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. It was named for a nearby (and now-closed) mine. Another source says that it was named after the nighthawks common to the area.
Despite European settlers being in the area as far back as in the 1860s, the town was officially platted in 1903 by the Nighthawk Reality Co.
Soon, the town became the supply center for the mines in the area with hotels, mining house and other businesses that are all still standing today.
By 1950 with the end of mining in the area, the community lost its prominence and thus started to decline.
Nighthawk is a (mostly former) logging area along LoomisâÂÂOroville Highway west-northwest of Oroville, Washington. Just north of Nighthawk is the NighthawkâÂÂChopaka Border Crossing, a 9 am â 5 pm CanadaâÂÂUS border crossing. Nighthawk is located along the former Great Northern Railroad (now BNSF). The town of Nighthawk used to be a booming mine town at the turn of the 20th century with hotels and a burlesque house, but now only has a population of about five people.
The border crossing is usually known as "the Nighthawk crossing" on the Canadian side, though the official name of the Canadian-side locality is Chopaka.