Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city of 7,587 people in Lewis County, Washington, founded in 1873.
Why visit Chehalis
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 58 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include McFiler's Chehalis Theater, Midway Cinema, Chehalis Post Office and Burlington Northern Railroad Depot.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; February lows average 34°F.
Weather in Chehalis
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chehalis
Chehalis is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Chehalis, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks22
Chehalis Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington
Burlington Northern Railroad Depot
Museum · National Register of Historic Places
Railroad depot, historical society, museum, and NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington
Centralia Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic district in Centralia, Washington
Centralia station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Train station in Centralia, Washington, USA
Chehalis Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Chehalis, Washington
George E. Birge House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in Centralia, Washington
Hillside Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Chehalis, Washington, United States
Hubbard Bungalow
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
NRHP-listed residence in Centralia, Washington, US
Joseph Borst House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic house in Centralia, Washington
Lewis County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Washington state, US
Main Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
U.S. Post Office in Centralia, Washington
O. B. McFadden House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
NRHP-listed site in Chehalis, Washington
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
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Henderson Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Park in Lewis County, Washington, United States of America
Seminary Hill Natural Area
Park · 3.3 mi
Natural area in the city of Centrailia, Washington, United States of America
Restaurants and cafes58
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
620 Northwest Arkansas Way, Chehalis
Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 05:00-22:00
46 more on the map.
History
Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouse beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama to Tacoma. Northern Pacific's decision bypassed the town of Claquato, then the county seat. This allowed Chehalis, in 1874, to become the central location for Lewis County government. That same year, a store was added to the warehouse, and a courthouse and several houses were constructed. Chehalis was incorporated on November 23, 1883.
Logging soon began in the nearby forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavian, English, and Scots-Irish descent arrived and settled in the neighboring valleys. In 1940, the chief local industries were dairying, poultry raising, fruit growing, milk condensing, fruit and vegetable packing, brick and tile manufacturing, coal mining, portable house manufacturing, and fern shipping.
From the History section of Chehalis, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship13
Claquato Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Iglesia de Dios Pentecostes Peniel
Church · Pentecostal
536 North Market Boulevard, Chehalis
St. Timothy Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.5 mi
1826 Southwest Snively Avenue
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.0 mi
2195 Jackson Highway
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Place of worship · 0.6 mi
123 Southwest 6th Street, Chehalis
Shopping15
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Centralia School District Sped Pre-School
School · 4.4 mi
2320 Borst Ave, Centralia
Healthcare12
Eugenia Center Substance Use Disorder Services
Clinic and pharmacy
151 North Market Boulevard, Chehalis
Woodland Urgent Care Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.1 mi
1299 Bishop Road, Chehalis
Map of Chehalis
173 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 34°F | 5.8 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 34°F | 4.2 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 36°F | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 2.4 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 49°F | 1.5 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 53°F | 0.5 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 53°F | 0.8 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 48°F | 1.6 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 43°F | 4.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 37°F | 6.5 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 34°F | 6.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Centralia Hcn (4 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
Lewis County has had 22 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)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-03-29: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-01-05: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chehalis-Centralia Airport (CLS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Centralia 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Napavine 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Fords Prairie 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Grand Mound 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Winlock 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Tenino 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Rainier 21 mi northeast, about 33 min by car
- Tumwater 23 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Yelm 25 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Olympia 26 mi north, about 42 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
- Lewis County Historic Courthouse, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chehalis Post Office 2023 01, Shortiefourten, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hillside HD Chehalis 96000841 NRHP Lewis County, WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Olympic Club Hotel, G@nymede at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Burlington Northern Depot, Chehalis 01, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Centralia Union Depot, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Centralia, WA - Hubbard Bungalow 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and West Side Street Looking west., Lpinn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- O K Palmer House, Lionel Pinn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McFadden House Chehalis 75001861 NRHP Lewis County, WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Former St. Helens Hotel in Chehalis, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic Borst family home, TateRay, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Claquato Church 2012, TravisL, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Sentinel, statue in Centralia, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Birge House Centralia 86003375 NRHP Lewis County, WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Centralia Downtown Historic District, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Centralia, WA - main post office 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chehalis - Old Lewis County Courthouse 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY 3.0
- Henderson Park (1), Masohpotato, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chehalis Post Office 05, Shortiefourten, CC BY-SA 4.0
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