Olympia, Washington
Olympia is a city of 55,951 people in Thurston County, Washington, founded in January 28, 1859.
Why visit Olympia
Townapedia lists 45 museums and landmarks, 86 parks and trails, 264 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Capitol Theater, Olympia Farmers Market, Old Capitol Building and American Legion Hall.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; February lows average 32°F.
Weather in Olympia
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Olympia
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 55,605 at the 2020 census, while the Olympia metropolitan statistical area has an estimated 300,000 residents. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County and anchors the South Puget Sound region of western Washington, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Seattle.
From the Wikipedia article Olympia, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Olympia Farmers Market
Farm and orchard · 0.8 mi
700 N Captiol Way, Olympia
Jan-Mar: Sa 10:00-15:00; Apr-Oct: Th-Su 10:00-15:00; Nov-Dec:...
Saint Martin's University
School · 3.7 mi
Benedictine university in Lacey, Washington, USA
Washington Center for the Performing Arts
Cinema and theater
512 Washington Street Southeast, Olympia
Museums and landmarks45
Old Capitol Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
State capitol of Washington (1905-1928)
600 Washington Street SE, Olympia
American Legion Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Clubhouse in Olympia, Washington
Captain Calvin and Pamela Hale House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
Cloverfields
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic farmhouse in Olympia, Washington, United States
Daniel R. Bigelow House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house museum in Olympia, Washington, U.S.
Elks Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Olympia, Washington, United States
Funk House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Thurston County
Hands On Children's Museum
Museum · 0.5 mi
Sensory friendly hour 9 - 10 AM Sunday’s
414 Jefferson Street Northeast, Olympia
Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Henry McCleary House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Olympia, Washington, United States
Joel M. Pritchard Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Former library at the Washington State Capitol
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Long Lake Recreation Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Historic building in Lacey, Washington, United States
Mottman Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic building in Olympia, Washington, United States
33 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds86
Heritage Park
Park · 0.5 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
333 5th Avenue Southwest, Olympia
sunrise-sunset
Percival Landing Park
Park · 0.6 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
Squaxin Park
Park · 2.2 mi
City park in Olympia, Washington, United States of America
2600 East Bay Drive Northeast, Olympia
Watershed Park
Park · 1.0 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
2500 Henderson Boulevard Southeast
Yauger Park
Park · 2.2 mi
Municipal park in Olympia, Washington
3100 Capital Mall Drive Southwest, Olympia
Woodruff Park (Olympia)
Park · 1.3 mi
Public park in Olympia, Washington
74 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes264
Pho Na ( Saigon Rendezvous)
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 0.4 mi
Long-standing Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Olympia. Has large, retro, neon sign above entrance.
117 5th Avenue Southwest, Olympia
Mo-Su 12:00-22:00
3 Magnets Brewing Co.
Brewery and winery
A microbrewery in Downtown Olympia featuring a full tap list.
600 Franklin Street Southeast, Olympia
Su-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00
5th on 4th Sandwiches & More
Restaurant · Sandwich · 0.4 mi
926 4th Avenue East, Olympia
Mo-Fr 11:00-14:00
Anthony's Hearthfire Grill - Northpoint Olympia
Restaurant · Burger, Seafood · 1.3 mi
1675 Marine Dr NE
Su-Th 11:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30
Anthony's HomePort Olympia
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.8 mi
704 Columbia Street Northwest, Olympia
Mo-Th 11:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:30; Su 10:00-21:30
Cascadia Grill
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
200 4th Avenue West, Olympia
Su-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-21:00
Frenchie's on 4th
Bakery · 0.4 mi
Features sourdough donuts
1001 4th Avenue East, Olympia
Th,Fr 08:00-14:00; Sa,Su 08:00-15:00
Gardner's Restaurant
Restaurant · Seafood, Pasta · 0.6 mi
111 Thurston Avenue Northwest, Olympia
We-Th 17:00+; Fr-Sa 16:30+
Hotstone Authentic Korean Cuisine
Restaurant · Korean · 0.4 mi
119 5th Avenue Southwest, Olympia
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
252 more on the map.
History
For thousands of years, the site of Olympia has been home to the Lushootseed-speaking people known as the Stechass (Lushootseed: st̕əč̓asəbš), who are today part of the Squaxin Island Tribe. Other Native Americans regularly visited the head of Budd Inlet, including the other ancestral tribes of the Squaxin, as well as the Nisqually, Puyallup, Chehalis, Suquamish, and Duwamish. The peninsula on which Olympia was built was named bəsčətxʷəd, meaning 'black bear place,' and a Stechass village was located at the site of Olympia. The modern city of Olympia has come to be called st̕č̓as in the Lushootseed language; originally the name referred to all Budd Inlet.
From the History section of Olympia, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
La Quinta Inn & Suites - Tumwater / Olympia
Motel and hotel · 2.5 mi
4600 Capitol Boulevard South, Tumwater
Extended Stay America - Olympia - Tumwater
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
1675 Mottman Road Southwest, Tumwater
Olympia Hotel at Capitol Lake
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
2300 Evergreen Park Drive Southwest, Olympia
Churches and places of worship45
Tumwater Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
102 3rd Avenue Southwest, Tumwater
St. John's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.7 mi
114 20th Avenue Southeast, Olympia
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.5 mi
1925 Boulevard Road Southeast, Olympia
Olympia Hindu Temple and Cultural Center
Place of worship · 2.4 mi
2010 Black Lake Boulevard Southwest, Olympia
Church of Living Water
Church · Pentecostal · 1.3 mi
2200 18th Avenue Southeast, Olympia
Shopping61
Gas and EV charging29
Schools, colleges and libraries56
Healthcare19
Kaiser Permanente Olympia Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.7 mi
700 Lilly Road Northeast, Olympia
Providence Family Medicine - West Olympia
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.9 mi
1620 Cooper Point Road Southwest, Olympia
Map of Olympia
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 33°F | 7.8 in | 2.0 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 32°F | 5.1 in | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 34°F | 5.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 66°F | 43°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 47°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 51°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 50°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 46°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 40°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 36°F | 8.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 33°F | 7.8 in | 1.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Olympia Ap Gsn 72792 (5 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
Thurston County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 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)
- 2022-03-29: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-09-09: Bordeaux Road Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Olympia Regional Airport (OLM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Lacey 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Fort Lewis 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Lakewood 19 mi northeast, about 31 min by car
- Artondale 21 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Centralia 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Tacoma 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Frederickson 25 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Elk Plain 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Gig Harbor 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Graham 29 mi east, about 47 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
- Capitol Lake, Olympia, Washington, July 20, 2025 (cropped), OceanLoop, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ Our Hope - Olympia, Washington, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- US-WA-Olympia-FertileGround-2013-5-25-001, Brylie Oxley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- US-WA-Olympia-FertileGround-2013-5-25-002, Brylie Oxley, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Impressive office building, Olympia, WA. (1678676763), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Bettman-Oppenheimer House in Olympia, Steven and Nadine Pavlov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First schoolhouse in Olympia, Washington (5018160866), UW Digital Collections, No restrictions
- Greetings from Olympia, Washington - Large Letter Postcard (5174561444), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- First schoolhouse in Olympia, Washington, University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections from Seattle, WA, USA, No restrictions
- First Baptist - Olympia, Washington 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Baptist - Olympia, Washington 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TownePlace Suites - Olympia, Washington, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Night view of the Old Capitol Building in Olympia, Washington, circa 1904-1905, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Yakama Nation gathering at the capital, Olympia, Washington, 1921, Jeffers Vibert, Public domain
- Old Capitol Building, Olympia, Washington, circa 1909, Coast Magazine, March 1909, Public domain
- Sylvester Park, Olympia, Washington, circa 1895-1904, Robert Esterly, Public domain
- Old Capitol building and grounds of Olympia, Washington, circa 1907, Underwood & Underwood, Public domain
- Old Capitol Building, Olympia, Washington, before 1928, Jeffers Studios, Public domain
- Sylvester Park, Olympia, Washington, looking West, circa 1890-1899, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- United Churches of Olympia, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- United Churches of Olympia 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hands Off rally in Olympia, WA (2025) - 0728, Roc0ast3r, CC0
- Hands Off rally in Olympia, WA (2025) - 0617, Roc0ast3r, CC0
- Hands Off rally in Olympia, WA (2025) - 0619, Roc0ast3r, CC0
- Hands Off rally in Olympia, WA (2025) - 0595, Roc0ast3r, CC0
- Tumwater Methodist Church, Dog Walking Girl, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Olympia, WA — Old Capitol Building and Sylvester Park, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Long Lake Recreation Hall, BL Weeks, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Captain Calvin and Pamela Hale House 1, Ingmanjc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Bigelow House, 1866 (cropped), OHS&BHM, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Olympia National Bank, Murderbike, Public domain
- Olympia Elks Building, Murderbike, Public domain
- McCleary Mansion, Dog Walking Girl, CC BY-SA 3.0
- American Legion Hall 1, BL Weeks, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic District (Olympia, Washington), Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Washington State Library NRHP 15000501 Thurston County,WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sarcomyxa serotina 59683830, Drew T Henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Le Voyeur Cafe and Lounge, dreamsjung, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Steps to Washington State Legislature (1668831455), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Washington State Capitol dome looks like it's part of a house (1668831729), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
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