Why visit Rainier
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Black Dawg Farm and Sanctuary, Rainier School, Rainier School District 307 and Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; February lows average 32°F.
Weather in Rainier
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rainier
Rainier is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Beginning as a train stop in the 1870s, Rainier was first settled in 1890 and would become known as a logging town. The city was officially incorporated in 1947. As of the 2020 census, Rainier had a population of 2,369.
From the Wikipedia article Rainier, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Rainier School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
NRHP-listed school in Rainier, Washington
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
Park · 2.8 mi
Sculpture garden & art gallery in Thurston County, Washington
Restaurants and cafes5
Rainier City Pizza & Burgers
Restaurant · Diner
202 Binghampton Street Southeast, Rainier
Mo 07:00-12:45, Tu-Sa 07:00-19:45, Su 07:00-18:45
DARA Mexican Food
Fast food · Mexican
112 Binghampton Street West, Rainier
Churches and places of worship3
Victory Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.4 mi
207 Olympia Street West, Rainier
Shopping1
Ginger Street Gifts & Home Decor
Shop
101 Binghampton Street West;Binghapton Street east, Rainier
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Map of Rainier
35 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 (12 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 Heliport (OLM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Yelm 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- North Yelm 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Lacey 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Tumwater 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Olympia 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Fort Lewis 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Grand Mound 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Centralia 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Elk Plain 18 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- Spanaway 19 mi northeast, about 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 1915 Historic Schoolhouse, Asyouwish, Public domain
- Rainier School, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park, Wandering Washingtonian, CC BY-SA 3.0
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