Why visit Lapwai
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 1 place to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Thunder Hill / yewninwees and Nez Perce National Historical Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; December lows average 30°F.
Weather in Lapwai
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lapwai
Lapwai is a city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lapwai had a population of 1,169. It is the seat of government of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
From the Wikipedia article Lapwai, Idaho (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Nez Perce National Historical Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Multi-state U.S. National Historic Park
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
History
The area that is today Lapwai was the home of Hin-ma-tute-ke-kaikt, also known as Big Thunder and later as James. It was here that Henry Spalding established a Protestant mission among the Nez Perce in 1836. This was also the general region that Bill Craig settled, since his wife was James' daughter.
The city's predecessor, Fort Lapwai, operated on the site from 1863 to 1884. The village of Lapwai was incorporated in 1911, with a model rural school.
The word "Lapwai" means place of the butterflies, as the area had thousands in early summer in earlier years.
Lapwai is part of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the History section of Lapwai, Idaho on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
First Presbyterian Church (Lapwai, Idaho)
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Map of Lapwai
12 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 30°F | 1.1 in | 2.7 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 32°F | 1.0 in | 3.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 36°F | 1.3 in | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 41°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 72°F | 48°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 54°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 61°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 60°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 52°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 1.3 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 30°F | 1.1 in | 4.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lewiston Nez Perce Co Ap Hcn 72783 (10 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
Nez Perce County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2026-04-07: Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2024-07-26: Gwen Fire (Fire)
- 2024-07-16: Texas Fire (Fire)
- 2021-08-13: Bedrock Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-09: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport (LWS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Culdesac 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Lewiston 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Clarkston 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- West Clarkston-Highland 12 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Genesee 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Moscow 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Pullman 29 mi northwest, about 46 min by car
- Cottonwood 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
- Kamiah 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Grangeville 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 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
- 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
- First Presbyterian Church - Lapwai Idaho, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Lapwai Bank 2 - Lapwai Idaho, Lisa B. Reitzes, Public domain
- First Lapwai Bank 1 - Lapwai Idaho, Patricia Wright, Public domain
- Park memorial in Lapwai Idaho, Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lapwai School District Idaho, Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nimiipuu Health Center Lapwai Idaho, Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Downtown Lapwai Idaho, Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bear Paw Battlefield, NPS, Public domain
- ISS063-E-111215 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-60351 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-111216 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.