Chewelah, Washington
Chewelah is a city of 2,606 people in Stevens County, Washington, founded in 1873.
Why visit Chewelah
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 11 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Chewelah
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chewelah
Chewelah is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. It is located approximately 45 mi (72 km) northwest of Spokane. The population was 2,470 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Chewelah, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes11
History
The name of the town comes from a Kalispel word, sč̓ewíleʔ, meaning 'watersnake' or 'gartersnake'. Prior to colonization by European-Americans, Chewelah was home to a band of the Kalispel people. The band was known as the slet̓éw̓si, meaning "valley people". Originally, the area was called Fool's Prairie, after the indigenous Kalispel who left his own tribe because of a dispute. Chewelah and the rest of the Colville River Valley were part of the Colville Indian Reservation from April 9, 1872, when the reservation was created, until July 2, 1872, when a subsequent executive order reduced the size of the reservation. The Chewelah Band of Indians is currently part of the Spokane Tribe.
Thomas and Mary Brown moved to the Fool's Prairie in 1859. On May 8, 1872, Thomas Brown received authority to establish a post office called Chewelah. The name was first used in Stevens County Commissioner Journals on May 6, 1872. That post office disbanded on February 23, 1875. In 1879, the post office was reestablished with Major John Simms, Indian Agent, as postmaster. Chewelah was officially incorporated on January 26, 1903.
From the History section of Chewelah, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping7
Hartill's Mountain Saw & Tractor
Hardware store · 0.6 mi
101 West Robert Avenue, Chewelah
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare1
Map of Chewelah
44 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 20°F | 2.2 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 21°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 27°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 33°F | 1.9 in |
| May | 70°F | 40°F | 2.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 46°F | 2.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 49°F | 1.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 47°F | 0.7 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 39°F | 0.9 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 31°F | 1.8 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 26°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 21°F | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chewelah (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
Stevens County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-08-03: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2026-08-02: Autumn Lane Fire (Fire)
- 2021-08-16: Ford Corkscrew Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-01-15: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Felts Field Airport (SFF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 45 miles away.
- Fairwood 38 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Priest River 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Airway Heights 44 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Spokane 45 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Spirit Lake 45 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Spokane Valley 48 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Liberty Lake 51 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rathdrum 51 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Post Falls 53 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Sandpoint 53 mi east, about 1 h 30 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Chewelah, BrandonHansen18, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.