Steilacoom, Washington
Steilacoom is a town of 6,686 people in Pierce County, Washington.
Why visit Steilacoom
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fort Steilacoom, Rhodesleigh, Fort Steilacoom Park and Saltar's Point Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 36°F.
Weather in Steilacoom
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Steilacoom
Steilacoom is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,727 at the 2020 census. Steilacoom incorporated in 1854 and became the first incorporated town in what later became the state of Washington. It has also become a bedroom community for service members stationed at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, aka McChord AFB and Fort Lewis.
From the Wikipedia article Steilacoom, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks18
Fort Steilacoom
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Former U.S. Army outpost near Lake Steilacoom
Rhodesleigh
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Building in Washington, United States
Thornewood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Building in Washington, United States
Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum
Museum · 0.4 mi
1515 Lafayette Street, Steilacoom
Sa 10:00-16:00
Nathaniel Orr Pioneer Home Site
Monument and historic site
1811 Rainier Street, Steilacoom
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds20
Fort Steilacoom Park
Park · 1.4 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America, United States of America
Charlie's Park
Park · 0.4 mi
Lafayette Street & Pacific Street, Steilacoom
(sunrise-00:30)-(sunset+00:30)
Pioneer Orchard Park
Park · 0.4 mi
Commercial Street & Wilkes Street, Steilacoom
(sunrise-00:30)-(sunset+00:30)
8 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes7
The Bair at The Bair Drug & Hardware
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
1617 Lafayette Street, Steilacoom
We-Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 08:00-14:00
Steilacoom Pub & Grill
Bar and pub · 0.5 mi
1202 Rainier Street, Steilacoom
History
The Steilacoom people, a Coast Salish tribe, lived in what became the city of Steilacoom. Their main village was called Scht’ləqʷəm, later anglicized as Steilacoom. William Bright says the name comes from the Southern Coast Salish subgroup /č'tílqʷəbš/, anglicized as "Steilacoom".
The United States Army established Fort Steilacoom in August 1849 following attacks on Fort Nisqually. European-American settlement at Steilacoom began with Lafayette Balch, a sea captain from Maine who arrived in 1851. The following year, Balch opened a sawmill to process and export lumber to San Francisco and named the settlement "Port Steilacoom". An adjacent settlement, Steilacoom City, was founded in June 1851 by John B. Chapman. The two settlements were merged into Steilacoom, which was named the county seat of Pierce County on December 12, 1852, and incorporated on April 22, 1854. Steilacoom was the first town in Washington Territory to be incorporated.
From the History section of Steilacoom, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Lakewood Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.3 mi
10202 112th Street Southwest, Lakewood
Lighthouse Church
Church · United Methodist · 1.2 mi
11116 Military Road Southwest, Lakewood
St. Joseph-St. John Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.2 mi
11111 Military Rd SW, Lakewood
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Beachwood Elementary School
School · 3.4 mi
8890 Concord Avenue, Jblm Lewis North
Carter Lake Elementary School
School · 4.4 mi
3420 Lincoln Blvd Sw, Jblm Mcchord Field
Healthcare1
Map of Steilacoom
110 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 36°F | 6.1 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 36°F | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 38°F | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 41°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 64°F | 46°F | 2.1 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 51°F | 1.4 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 54°F | 0.7 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 54°F | 0.9 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 51°F | 1.5 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 46°F | 4.3 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 40°F | 7.2 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 36°F | 5.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Tacoma Narrows Ap (7 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, 6 miles away.
- Lakewood 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- North Fort Lewis 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- University Place 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Anderson Island 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- DuPont 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Fort Lewis 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- McChord AFB 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Fircrest 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Fox Island 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Parkland 8 mi east, about 12 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
- Steilacoom, WA - Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center 02, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thornewood 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Immaculate Conception Church 2, Ben Cody, Public domain
- Rhodesleigh, Ben Cody, Public domain
- Fort Steilacoom Officer's Quarters 2, Ben Cody, Public domain
- Fort Steilacoom Park playground - March 2006, travisl, CC BY-SA 3.0
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