Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city of 20,874 people in Kittitas County, Washington, founded in 1883.
Why visit Ellensburg
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 36 parks and trails, 113 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Central Washington University, Grand Meridian Theaters, Ellensburg and Olmstead Place State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Ellensburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ellensburg
Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 20,996 in 2024.
From the Wikipedia article Ellensburg, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Central Washington University
School · 0.5 mi
Regional, comprehensive public university in Ellensburg, Washington, U.S.
Museums and landmarks14
Ellensburg
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Former train station in Ellensburg, Washington, United States
Olmstead Place State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
State park in Washington, United States
Clymer Museum of Art
Museum
416 North Pearl Street, Ellensburg
Th-Fr 12:00-16:00; Sa 10:00-14:00
Kittitas County Historical Museum
Museum · 0.4 mi
114 East 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds36
Andreotti Field
Sports field and stadium · 1.3 mi
1559 East Capitol Avenue, Ellenburg
24 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes113
Country Cafe
Restaurant · Breakfast, Brunch · 0.4 mi
105 West 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg
Mo,Th-Fr 08:00-14:00; Sa-Su 07:00-14:00
Winegar's Coffee & Creamery
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Breakfast, Ice Cream
111 East University Way, Ellensburg
Su-Th 06:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-21:00
Oyama Sushi & Steakhouse
Restaurant · Japanese, Sushi · 0.9 mi
Mo, We-Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa-Su 12:00-21:30; Tu off
ABC Donuts
Cafe · Donut · 0.4 mi
304 North Pine Street, Ellensburg
Mo-Su 06:00-14:00
Dirk's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza
408 North Main Street, Ellensburg
We-Mo 11:00-19:00
El Loco
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
207 North Main Street, Ellensburg
Tu-Su 12:00-21:00
101 more on the map.
History
John Alden Shoudy arrived in the Kittitas Valley in 1871 and purchased a small trading post from Andrew Jackson "A.J." Splawn, called "Robber's Roost". Robber's Roost was the first business in the valley, aside from the early trading that occurred among Native Americans, cattle drivers, trappers, and miners. A small stone monument to Robber's Roost with a placard can be found at its original location, present-day 3rd Avenue, just west of Main Street near the alley.
Shoudy named the new town after his wife, Mary Ellen, thus officially starting the city of Ellensburgh around 1872. Shoudy had not been the first settler nor the first business person in the Kittitas Valley, but he was responsible for platting the city of Ellensburgh in the 1870s and also named the streets in the downtown district. Ellensburgh was officially incorporated on November 26, 1883. In 1894, the final -h was dropped under standardization pressure from the United States Postal Service and Board of Geography Names. Ellensburg was an early center of commerce in Washington and was among the first cities in the state to have electrical service.
From the History section of Ellensburg, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
Churches and places of worship25
Prophet Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Mission
Church · Orthodox · 0.7 mi
107 South Dennis Street, Ellensburg
Chestnut Street Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.6 mi
609 North Chestnut Street, Ellensburg
Ecumenical Church
Church · Unitarian, Quaker, Buddhist · 0.5 mi
400 North Anderson Street
Independent Baptist Church
Church · Baptist
1104 North Okanogan Street, Ellensburg
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.4 mi
1700 Brick Road, Ellensburg
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.7 mi
808 Magnolia Street, Ellensburg
Shopping20
Gas and EV charging26
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Yakima Valley College - Ellensburg Learning Center
School · 1.1 mi
401 East Mountain View Avenue, Ellensburg
Healthcare15
Community Health of Central Washington
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
521 East Mountain View Avenue, Ellensburg
Merit Resource Services
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.4 mi
315 East 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg
Whole Health Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
800 South Pearl Street, Ellensburg
Compass Direct Healthcare
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.4 mi
100 West 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg
Kittitas Valley Endodontics
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
201 Mountain View Ave, Ellensburg
Kittitas Valley Healthcare Women's Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
700 East Manitoba Avenue
Occupational and Speech Therapy KVH
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
309 East Mountain View Avenue
Physical Therapy Building KVH
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
301 East Mountain View Avenue
Map of Ellensburg
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 20°F | 1.2 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 22°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 28°F | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 34°F | 0.6 in |
| May | 69°F | 42°F | 0.8 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 48°F | 0.6 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 54°F | 0.3 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 52°F | 0.2 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 43°F | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 34°F | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 26°F | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 20°F | 1.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ellensburg Hcn (2 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
Kittitas County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 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)
- 2021-02-04: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-07-10: Ryegrass Coulee Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Bowers Field (ELN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Kittitas 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Naches 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Nile 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Tieton 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- Cle Elum 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- South Cle Elum 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Selah 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Gleed 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Yakima 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- East Wenatchee 31 mi northeast, about 51 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
- 2008-1019-01-Ellensburg01, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- NPEllensburgWAdepotview050111, Qy0f at English Wikipedia, CC0
- Olmstead Place State Park, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2008-1019-02-CentralWashingtonUniversity, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
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