Medical Lake, Washington
Medical Lake is a city of 4,950 people in Spokane County, Washington, founded in 1890.
Why visit Medical Lake
Townapedia lists 7 parks and trails, 8 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; December lows average 22°F, and about 48 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Medical Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Medical Lake
Medical Lake is a small city in Spokane County, eastern Washington, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 4,874. The city is the site of a psychiatric hospital, Eastern State Hospital, and of Fairchild Air Force Base, two major employers.
From the Wikipedia article Medical Lake, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes8
Tommy G's
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.7 mi
177
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 09:00-16:00
Where to stay2
Ruby's On Silver Lake
Campground · 1.7 mi
17207 West Medical Lake Four Lakes Road, Medical Lake
History
The city of Medical Lake was incorporated in 1890. The city took its name from the nearby eponymous lake.
The Spokane people, a Native American tribe which had long inhabited the area, believed the water and mud of the lake to possess curative properties.
White settlers such as Andrew Lefevre and Stanley Hallett, who moved to the area in the 1870s, promoted this belief and marketed the lake salts for medicinal uses. A salt and soap industry developed here, followed by the construction of commercial bath houses in the 1880s. This was a period when springs and spas were popular developments across the country.
Several resort hotels were constructed along the lake shore. In 1891, the state constructed Eastern State Hospital, and this further stimulated economic growth in the city. Such growth continued until the 1920s, when the lake declined in popularity as a tourist destination.
A period of stagnation was interrupted in the 1940s with the construction of nearby Fairchild Air Force Base to support the US effort in World War II. This brought a surge of population to the city. Medical Lake's economy continues to depend upon the institutional presence of Eastern State Hospital and Fairchild AFB. Many residents of the city commute to work in nearby Spokane, which has a more varied economy.
From the History section of Medical Lake, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship5
St John's Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.6 mi
223 South Hallett Street, Medical Lake
Shopping3
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Michael Anderson Elementary School
School · 4.4 mi
400 W. Fairchild Highway, Fairchild Afb
Healthcare3
Map of Medical Lake
36 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 23°F | 2.0 in | 13.0 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 24°F | 1.4 in | 6.8 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 29°F | 1.8 in | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 34°F | 1.5 in | 1.3 in |
| May | 66°F | 41°F | 1.6 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 46°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 52°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 51°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 43°F | 0.6 in | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 34°F | 1.5 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 27°F | 2.2 in | 6.1 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 22°F | 2.4 in | 15.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Spokane Wfo (8 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
Fairchild Air Force Base (SKA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Fairchild AFB 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Airway Heights 7 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Cheney 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Spokane 14 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
- Fairwood 19 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- Spokane Valley 22 mi east, about 36 min by car
- Davenport 22 mi west, about 36 min by car
- Liberty Lake 28 mi east, about 45 min by car
- Deer Park 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Post Falls 36 mi east, about 58 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
- Medlak3, Gneek, CC BY-SA 3.0
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