Spanaway, Washington
Spanaway is a community of 34,019 people in Pierce County, Washington.
Why visit Spanaway
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 37 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Pacific Lutheran University, LeMay Collection at Marymount, McChord Field Historic District and Cross Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 33°F.
Weather in Spanaway
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Spanaway
Spanaway is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,476 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 34,322 in 2023. Spanaway is an unincorporated area near Tacoma, and is often identified together with the more urban, less wealthy Parkland.
From the Wikipedia article Spanaway, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Pacific Lutheran University
School · 3.4 mi
Private university in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington, USA
Debbie Doolittle's Petting Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 2.3 mi
120 138th St. S., Tacoma
Museums and landmarks6
McChord Field Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic district in Washington, United States
LeMay Collections at Marymount
Museum · 1.6 mi
325 152nd Street East, Tacoma
Tu-Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 12:00-17:00
McChord Air Museum
Museum · 3.7 mi
Military aviation museum in Lakewood, Washington
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Restaurants and cafes37
Mary Mary's
Restaurant · Burger, Coffee Shop, Chicken, Dessert, Sandwich, Salad, Pancake, Juice, American · 0.8 mi
16511 Pacific Avenue South, Spanaway
Mo-Su 06:00-15:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.8 mi
210 166th Street South, Spanaway
Mo-Su 04:00-21:00
Marvel Bay Cafe
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Bakery · 2.8 mi
301 133rd Street South, Tacoma
Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00
Godfather's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.2 mi
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
25 more on the map.
History
The Hudson's Bay Company, headquartered at Fort Nisqually, had control of this region until 1863. Company maps and journals show the company's subsidiary, the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company, raised cattle, grain, and sheep at "Spanueh Station" on the south and east shores of "Spanueh Lake." Spanueh is the Hudson Bay Company's spelling of the native Lushootseed spadue, which means "dug roots" referring to an area where camas and other edible roots can be found. Lushootseed underwent a loss of nasal consonants in the 1800s, so "Spanueh" simply transcribes an older pronunciation of what is now "Spadue".
The first white settler to take a donation claim by the lake, Henry de la Bushalier, tried to rename the lake after himself. That faded away with his death one year later. In 1890 the area was renamed "Lake Park" as a planned community by the Lake Park Land, Railway and Improvement Company, which bought all the nearby land east of the lake and built a rail line to its "recreation mecca" on the shore of "Spanaway Lake." When Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899, tourists would take the train to its terminus in Lake Park and from there make the two-day journey to Mount Rainier, making Spanaway the original "gateway" to Mount Rainier. The journey was made by stagecoach, with an overnight stop in Eatonville; the route was in operation as early as 1893.
From the History section of Spanaway, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries49
Bethel Elementary Learning Academy
School · 3.3 mi
16117 Canyon Road East, Puyallup
Carter Lake Elementary School
School · 5.1 mi
3420 Lincoln Blvd Sw, Jblm Mcchord Field
Healthcare6
Franciscan Medical Clinic - Spanaway
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
144 169th Street South, Spanaway
MultiCare Family Medicine - Spanaway
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
225 176th Street South, Spanaway
Map of Spanaway
139 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 | 6.1 in | 1.5 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 33°F | 4.3 in | 0.5 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 36°F | 4.8 in | 0.6 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 39°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 64°F | 44°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 69°F | 49°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 52°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 53°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 48°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 42°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 36°F | 7.1 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 33°F | 6.0 in | 1.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mcmillin Rsvr Hcn (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
Pierce County has had 13 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)
- 2020-09-09: Sumner Grade Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-03-05: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
McChord Field (TCM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Frederickson 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Parkland 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Elk Plain 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Lakewood 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Fort Lewis 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Graham 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Puyallup 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Fife 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Tacoma 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Edgewood 11 mi northeast, about 18 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
- Spanaway Village Shopping Center, Tacoma, United States Oct 20, 2021 06-10-33 PM, Senapa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Harstad Hall, Ben Cody, Public domain
- Formicoxenus diversipilosus casent0003227 dorsal 1, April Nobile, CC BY 4.0
- Formicoxenus diversipilosus casent0003227 head 1, April Nobile, CC BY 4.0
- Formicoxenus diversipilosus casent0003227 profile 1, April Nobile, CC BY 4.0
- SeanTheCamelFootPads, McKenzieKay, CC BY-SA 4.0
- McChord Air Force Base (10133057383), Atomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS030-E-121210 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-377017 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-377016 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-156522 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-375687 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Valiant, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- 15 Glacial Outwash Channels—Pierce County 16-9 ratio, 7200x4050 pixels, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Volvo with B-18, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - SAAB 95, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Army is having a Bake Sale, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - 95 with trailer, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Chrysler, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - For Sale, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - 1951 Chevrolet (1), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- '52 Buick (6145313975), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Parkland, WA, USA - panoramio (71), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Parkland, WA, USA - panoramio (76), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Parkland, WA, USA - panoramio (80), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Pontiac wagon, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Parkland, WA, USA - panoramio (111), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - For Sale - 1954 Ford Sunliner, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Parkland, WA, USA - panoramio (69), Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - 95 in the shade, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - 1959 Oldsmobile (2), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - 1959 Oldsmobile, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - Hugo90 - SAAB Sonnet, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- 1953 Jaguar XK-120 (20810131888), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Lancia Flaminia (21020540121), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- 1963 Studebaker Avanti (21573241990), JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
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