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Ritzville, Washington
Ritzville is a city of 1,855 people in Adams County, Washington, founded in 1880.
Why visit Ritzville
Townapedia lists 29 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include New Ritz Theatre, Ritzville High School, Ritzville Historic District and City of Ritzville Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; December lows average 23°F.
Weather in Ritzville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ritzville
Ritzville () is a city in Adams County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,767 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Adams County. The city is part of the Othello, WA Micropolitan Area, which comprises all of Adams County, and is part of the larger Moses Lake-Othello, WA Combined Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Ritzville, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks29
Ritzville High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
High school in Ritzville, Adams County, Washington
209 E Wellsandt Avenue, Ritzville
Ritzville Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Washington state, USA
Dr. Frank R. Burroughs House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
Nelson H. Greene House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Ritzville, Washington, United States
Ritzville Carnegie Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic library building in Ritzville, Washington state, USA
N. H. Greene House
Monument and historic site
502 South Adams Street, Ritzville
B. Roth House
Monument and historic site · 0.5 mi
316 East Broadway Avenue, Ritzville
17 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes13
Punjabi Dhaba Indian Food & Market Place
Restaurant · Indian · 0.6 mi
1611 Smittys Boulevard, Ritzville
Mo,Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Tu-Th,Su 11:00-23:00
Mi Jalisco Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
1604 Smittys Boulevard, Ritzville
1 more on the map.
History
The first settler in what would become modern Ritzville was William McKay in 1880. The town was named, however, after Phillip Ritz, who had settled south of modern Ritzville two years earlier. Ritz had come to Walla Walla in 1861 and established a large orchard just outside of town known as Ritz, which consisted of over 100,000 trees of all types, including many fruit trees and shrubbery. Starting in 1866, he worked extensively to establish a second transcontinental railroad. His orchard business entailed many trips across the country by wagon, these trips gave him great political contact and influence.
By December 1880, Ritzville's townsite had been platted by John W. Sprague on behalf of his company, The Northern Pacific Railway. In 1881, McKay built the first house on the townsite. The Northern Pacific grade was under construction in the vicinity, and McKay's home was used as a makeshift hotel for the workers and associated transients.
From the History section of Ritzville, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship10
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness
610 West 2nd Avenue, Ritzville
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.4 mi
606 Wever Ave, Ritzville
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare2
Map of Ritzville
83 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 24°F | 1.6 in | 5.9 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 26°F | 1.1 in | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 51°F | 30°F | 1.3 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 34°F | 1.0 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 41°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 47°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 53°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 53°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 46°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 36°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 45°F | 29°F | 1.6 in | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 23°F | 1.8 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ritzville 1 Sse Hcn (0 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
Adams County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2022-08-04: Lind Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-04-21: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides (Flood)
- 2009-03-02: Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Grant County International Airport (MWH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 45 miles away.
- Davenport 38 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Connell 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Moses Lake 42 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cheney 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Medical Lake 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Moses Lake North 45 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cascade Valley 45 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fairchild AFB 48 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Airway Heights 52 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Lakeview 56 mi west, about 1 h 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
- 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
- Aerial - Ritzville, WA 01 - white balanced (9794496583), Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greene House - Ritzville Washington, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville High School2 NRHP 94000476 Adams County, WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville High School (site) NRHP 94000476 Adams County, WA, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 13, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 04, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 14, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), 04, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 03, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 05, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 15, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), antique equipment, 03, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 08, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), Caboose, 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 06, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 16, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), Caboose, 01, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 07, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), 03, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 09, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 11, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), outdoor bench, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 10, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 01, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 17, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 20, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), Caboose, 05, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 19, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), Caboose, 03, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 12, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 18, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), Caboose, 04, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), antique equipment, 04, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), antique equipment, 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), exhibits, 21, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), 01, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Northern Pacific Railway Depot, (2021-08-07), antique equipment, 01, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ritzville, WA — Ritzville Hotel (2021-08-07), 02, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
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