Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a city of 26,956 people in Thurston County, Washington, founded in 1869.
Why visit Tumwater
Townapedia lists 31 museums and landmarks, 69 parks and trails, 119 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Tumwater Falls, Olympic Flight Museum, American Legion Hall and Heritage Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; February lows average 32°F.
Weather in Tumwater
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tumwater
Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. The city is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state capital of Olympia to the north. Tumwater is the oldest permanent Anglo-American settlement on Puget Sound.
From the Wikipedia article Tumwater, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks31
Olympic Flight Museum
Museum · 1.3 mi
Aviation museum in Tumwater, WA
7637 Old Highway 99 Southeast, Tumwater
Tu-Su 11:00-17:00
American Legion Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Clubhouse in Olympia, Washington
Captain Calvin and Pamela Hale House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Historic house in Washington, United States
Cloverfields
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic farmhouse in Olympia, Washington, United States
Daniel R. Bigelow House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Historic house museum in Olympia, Washington, U.S.
Delphi School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Former school in Thurston County, Washington
Elks Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Building in Olympia, Washington, United States
Funk House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Thurston County
Henry McCleary House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in Olympia, Washington, United States
Joel M. Pritchard Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Former library at the Washington State Capitol
Millersylvania State Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
State park in Thurston County, Washington state, United States of America
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Mottman Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic building in Olympia, Washington, United States
19 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds69
Heritage Park
Park · 3.6 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
333 5th Avenue Southwest, Olympia
sunrise-sunset
Pioneer Park
Park · 1.6 mi
In Tumwater, Washington
5801 Henderson Boulevard Southeast, Tumwater
Mo-Su 07:00-21:00
Watershed Park
Park · 3.0 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
2500 Henderson Boulevard Southeast
Grass Lake Nature Park
Park · 4.7 mi
171 acre nature reserve in Olympia, Washington
Percival Landing Park
Park · 4.0 mi
Park in Washington, United States of America
Woodruff Park (Olympia)
Park · 3.9 mi
Public park in Olympia, Washington
57 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes119
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.6 mi
5312 Little Rock Road Southwest, Tumwater
Mo-Fr 05:30-18:00; Sa,Su 06:00-18:00
Mi Luna
Restaurant · Cuban · 3.5 mi
1023 Capitol Way South, Olympia
Mo,Su off; Tu 10:00-14:30; We-Sa 10:00-14:30,17:00-20:00
Ocean 7
Restaurant · Seafood · 3.2 mi
1530 Black Lake Boulevard Southwest, Olympia
Mo-Th 11:30-21:30, Fr,Sa 11:30-22:00, Su 12:00-21:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.0 mi
1301 Yelm Highway Southeast, Tumwater
Mo-Fr 05:30-20:00; Sa 06:00-08:00; Su 06:00-06:30
Streets Of Singapore
Restaurant · Asian · 3.6 mi
913 Capitol Way South, Olympia
Mo-Fr 11:30-14:30, 16:30-18:30; Sa, Su off
Rainwater Brewing Co
Brewery and winery · 2.6 mi
2442 Mottman Road Southwest, Tumwater
Tu-Su 13:00-22:00
Coffee Pub NW
Restaurant · Burger, Coffee Shop, American, Barbecue, Breakfast · 1.7 mi
Coffee shop and Pub, with traditional American Pub fare.
804 79th Avenue Southeast
107 more on the map.
History
The site of Tumwater and Tumwater Falls has been home to Southern Lushootseed-speaking peoples known as the Steh-Chass / Stehchass or Statca'sabsh (a subtribe of the Sahewamish (Sahe'wabsh), a subgroup of the Nisqually people; who became part of the post-treaty Squaxin Island Tribe) for thousands of years. "Steh-Chass" is the Lushootseed name for Budd Inlet, Deschutes River and the Tumwater Falls area, and for an important village of the Statca'sabsh.
A post office called Tumwater was established in 1863. Tumwater was incorporated as a fourth-class municipality, commonly referred to as a town, on November 25, 1869.
The construction of Interstate 5, which was completed in 1958, required the demolition of 100 buildings in downtown Tumwater. Major businesses had already relocated northeast to Tumwater Square, which remains a local shopping center. The Tumwater Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 to preserve remnants of downtown amid plans to widen Interstate 5.
On March 10, 1964, residents in the Town of Tumwater approved the reorganization of Tumwater as a third-class municipality, resulting in the name of the City of Tumwater being adopted. The city was reclassified from a third-class municipality to a non-charter code city on June 21, 1994, retaining the name of the City of Tumwater.
From the History section of Tumwater, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
La Quinta Inn & Suites - Tumwater / Olympia
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
4600 Capitol Boulevard South, Tumwater
Extended Stay America - Olympia - Tumwater
Motel and hotel · 2.4 mi
1675 Mottman Road Southwest, Tumwater
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
1620 74th Avenue Southwest, Tumwater
Motel 6 Tumwater - Olympia
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
400 Lee Street Southwest, Tumwater
Olympia Hotel at Capitol Lake
Motel and hotel · 2.6 mi
2300 Evergreen Park Drive Southwest, Olympia
Churches and places of worship28
Tumwater Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
102 3rd Avenue Southwest, Tumwater
St. John's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 3.0 mi
114 20th Avenue Southeast, Olympia
Olympia Hindu Temple and Cultural Center
Place of worship · 3.0 mi
2010 Black Lake Boulevard Southwest, Olympia
East Congregation-Jehovah's
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 3.4 mi
2225 Cain Road Southeast, Olympia
First Church of Christ Scientist
Church · Christ Scientist · 2.7 mi
1475 Evergreen Park Drive Southwest, Olympia
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.4 mi
1199 North 9th Avenue Southwest, Tumwater
Olympia First Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.6 mi
904 Washington Street Southeast, Olympia
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.5 mi
3800 Henderson Boulevard Southeast, Olympia
Shopping25
Gas and EV charging29
Schools, colleges and libraries58
Healthcare7
Providence Family Medicine - West Olympia
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.2 mi
1620 Cooper Point Road Southwest, Olympia
Map of Tumwater
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 (1 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, 2 miles away.
- Olympia 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Lacey 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Fort Lewis 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Centralia 18 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Shelton 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Lakewood 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Spanaway 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Parkland 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Artondale 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Tacoma 28 mi northeast, about 45 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
- Tumwater pano 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Olympic Flight Museum front of the Building, Articseahorse, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tumwater Methodist Church, Dog Walking Girl, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Captain Calvin and Pamela Hale House 1, Ingmanjc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Delphi School, Jon Roanhaus, 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
- Millersylvania State Park (6129600412), Jason Taellious from Olympia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- McCleary Mansion, Dog Walking Girl, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Olympia, WA — Old Capitol Building and Sylvester Park, Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 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
- Mottman Building, Murderbike, Public domain
- Cloverfields, BL Weeks, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thurston County Courthouse, aka Capitol Court Building, Olympia, Washington, June 23, 2025, OceanLoop, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tugboat Sand Man, March 5, 2007 (cropped), Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.