Buckley, Washington
Buckley is a city of 5,371 people in Pierce County, Washington, founded in 1889.
Why visit Buckley
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Louis and Ellen Olson House and Trommald Building.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; December lows average 33°F.
Weather in Buckley
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Buckley
Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, founded in 1882. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. Buckley lies on the White River below Mount Rainier and is known for hosting an annual festival named the Log Show.
From the Wikipedia article Buckley, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks10
Louis and Ellen Olson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
Trommald Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic building in Enumclaw, Washington
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes16
BigFoot Java
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
491 Main Street, Buckley
Mo-Su,PH 00:00-00:00
Westside Pizza
Restaurant · 0.8 mi
135 Jefferson Avenue North
Mo-Th, Su 23:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00
Big Burger & Teriyaki
Restaurant · Burger · 0.4 mi
760 Main Street, Buckley
Wally's Drive In
Restaurant · Fish And Chips, American, Barbecue · 0.4 mi
Mo-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi
29401 State Route 410 East, Buckley
4 more on the map.
History
1856 Decisive battle of the Puget Sound War fought at Connell's Prairie, 6 miles (10 km) west of Buckley. It was significant because it boosted the morale of the settlers because it was such a great victory with no casualties to the regulars or volunteers.
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Stilley, first permanent non-Indian resident, settled West of town.
1877 Railroad built from Tacoma to Wilkeson to transport coal.
1884 Northern Pacific built railroad spur track from Cascade Junction (between South Prairie and Buckley) to Perkin's Prairie. Town given name "White River Siding" by railroad men.
Town renamed "Buckley" for J.M. Buckley, Northern Pacific Railway district superintendent.
1888 Town site platted by Alexander and Mary Wickersham. Lumber and shingle mills are established.
District Court appointed five men as trustees of the Town of Buckley.
First newspaper printed and published in Buckley - The Buckley Banner.
May 5 Business District almost wiped out fire. Started on second story of the Buckley Lumber Store. Many brick buildings built after this fire still stand on Main Street.
June 17 New school built at present site of White River School District building on A Street.
World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois - Buckley Mills sell wood, shingles, and supplies to be used at the World's Fair Exhibit Buildings
1898 Business district razed by fire. First high school classes held, building erected.
From the History section of Buckley, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship4
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.5 mi
751 Ryan Road, Buckley
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement (SDARM)
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.4 mi
351 Cottage Street South, Buckley
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Healthcare2
Map of Buckley
76 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 34°F | 5.9 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 34°F | 4.7 in | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 36°F | 5.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 39°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 65°F | 44°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 48°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 52°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 47°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 42°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 37°F | 6.8 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 33°F | 5.6 in | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Buckley 1 Ne Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Pierce County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-09-09: Sumner Grade Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-03-05: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
McChord Field (TCM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Enumclaw 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Prairie Ridge 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Bonney Lake 7 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Lake Tapps 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Alderton 10 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Sumner 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Lake Morton-Berrydale 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- South Hill 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Auburn 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Puyallup 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Enumclaw, WA - Trommald Building 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Enumclaw, WA - 1513 Griffin 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
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