Cheney, Washington
Cheney is a city of 12,804 people in Spokane County, Washington, founded in 1883.
Why visit Cheney
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 32 places to eat and 5 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Cheney Interurban Depot and Cheney Odd Fellows Hall.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; December lows average 21°F.
Weather in Cheney
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cheney
Cheney is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The full-time resident population was 13,255 as of the 2020 census. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney. When classes are in session at EWU, the city's population reaches approximately 17,600 people temporarily.
From the Wikipedia article Cheney, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Cheney Interurban Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic railway station in Cheney, Washington, United States
Cheney Odd Fellows Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in Washington, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
Sledding Hill
Park
Public Accessible land that is a local hotspot for sledding in the winter
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes32
The Mason Jar
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Juice · 0.4 mi
101 F Street, Cheney
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00, Sa-Su 08:00-15:00
Bene's
Restaurant · Breakfast · 0.5 mi
24 West 1st Street, Cheney
11:00-20:00
El Rodeo
Restaurant · Mexican
505 2nd Street, Cheney
11:00-22:00
Eagle's Pub
Bar and pub · 0.4 mi
414 1st Street, Cheney
15:00-02:00
New Boundary Brewing
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
505 1st Street, Cheney
14:00-21:00
20 more on the map.
Where to stay5
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History
Named for Boston railroad tycoon Benjamin Pierce Cheney, Cheney was officially incorporated on November 28, 1883.
The City of Cheney is located in Spokane County and is home to 13,255 residents, according to the 2020 Census. Cheney is proud of its small-town nature, which is enhanced by the diverse influence of Eastern Washington University, a public regional university with over 10,000 full-time students. The Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League held the majority of their summer training camps at EWU, from 1976 to 1985, and again from 1997 through the 2006 training camp.
Cheney developed into the city known today because of its strong ties to education, trail riding, and agriculture. This provided a strong economic base for the community and was the result of a much larger event that took place in the United States. In 1858, the last Native American defense occurred in Eastern Washington. Because isolated Eastern Washington was an area of this Native American unrest during the early part of the territorial period, it was not until the late 1860s and early 1870s that settlers made homes in the area. In the latter part of that decade, settlers attracted by plentiful water and timber and the promise of a railway line made their homes near a group of springs bubbling through a willow copse from the bank where the Burlington Northern depot now stands.
From the History section of Cheney, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship12
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon
719 7th Street, Cheney
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.9 mi
2536 North 6th Street, Cheney
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Healthcare3
Map of Cheney
97 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 22°F | 2.2 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 22°F | 1.7 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 27°F | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 32°F | 1.5 in |
| May | 67°F | 38°F | 1.7 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 42°F | 1.3 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 45°F | 0.3 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 43°F | 0.3 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 35°F | 0.5 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 29°F | 1.6 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 24°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 21°F | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Spokane 17 Ssw 74204 (6 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
Spokane County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-08-03: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2026-08-02: Autumn Lane Fire (Fire)
- 2026-08-02: Fairview Fire (Fire)
- 2026-08-01: Old Trails Fire (Fire)
- 2026-06-16: Upriver Fire (Fire)
- 2024-02-15: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Spokane International Airport (GEG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Four Lakes 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Medical Lake 7 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- Fairchild AFB 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Airway Heights 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Spokane 14 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
- Spokane Valley 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Post Falls 34 mi northeast, about 54 min by car
- Rathdrum 38 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Coeur d'Alene 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Hayden 41 mi northeast, about 1 h 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
- Aerial - Cheney, WA 02 - white balanced (9796305533), Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Washington State Normal School in Cheney, WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Philena Apartments - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Disciples of Christ Church - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fisher Building - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Merriman House - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 519 Fourth St - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pomeroy House - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Johnson House - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- David Lowe House in Cheney, Washington USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lowe House - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rosenzweig Houses - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cheney Interurban Depot - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sterling-Moorman House in Cheney, WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- F.M. Martin Grain and Milling Company Office - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 513 1st Street - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cheney Odd Fellows Hall - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pomeroy Building - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Odd Fellows Hall in Cheney, WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cheney Odd Fellows Hall in Cheney, WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 420-424 1st Street - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 404-410 1st Street - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Northern Pacific Depot - Cheney Washington, Conifers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sutton Barn 2 - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cheney Northern Pacific Railway Depot in Cheney, WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sutton Barn entry - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic Railway Depot in Cheney WA USA, KaRudden, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sutton Barn 1 - Cheney Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grain elevators, Cheney, WA. (1666871549), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Monroe Hall - Eastern Washington University, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spokane Transit Authority double decker bus 22 April 2025, JTRamsey, CC0
- Sutton Hall - Eastern Washington University, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hargreaves Hall - Eastern Washington University, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- University House - Eastern Washington University, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dorm room night - panoramio, Brownmonk, CC BY 3.0
- Showalter Hall - Eastern Washington University, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rotc41, Eastern Washington University, CC BY 2.0
- EWU-Roos-Field, Eastern Washington University from Cheney, 99004, CC BY 2.0
- ISS042-E-23947 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS059-E-106376 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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