Wenatchee

Wenatchee is a mid-size metropolitan area in the North Cascades region of Washington State. The greater area also incorporates East Wenatchee.

Understand


Wenatchee sits at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers and is within the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, which means that unlike cities in western Washington, Wenatchee gets nearly 300 days of sunshine per year. Its climate is very similar to that of other eastern Washington cities, yet it retains the picturesque views of the Cascade mountains.

It is believe by archeologists that an ancient people had migrated to the Wenatchee area during the last ice, some 12,000 years ago. This belief is based on many Clovis artifacts that have been found in or around the greater Wenatchee. These ancient people are thought to be the descendants of who would later become known as the Yakima Indians. White settlers began to move into the area during the late 1800s and early 1900s and colonization began.

The Wenatchee Valley provides an ideal climate for agriculture, and therefore, the area has become widely known for its produce. There are a plethora of orchards in the valley, especially apple orchards, from which Wenatchee has earned the slogan “Apple Capital of the World.”

The city has grown substantially in the 21st century. The greater Wenatchee area incorporates East Wenatchee, which lies on the opposite side of the Columbia River, as well as Rock Island and Malaga. The greater area has a population estimated at over 100,000 residents. It is a popular destination for outdoor adventurers and enthusiasts looking to find a refreshing getaway from their every day surroundings.

By plane
The next nearest airports for commercial flights with additional airlines to/from additional destinations are in Everett and Seattle-Tacoma  which is connected to Wenatchee by the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle for those traveling without a car (see below under 'By bus').

By car
Driving is the most common way to get into and around town from the surrounding regions. It is NE of Seattle via I-90, SR-970 (Exit #85 from I-90) and US Hwy 97. From Spokane it is west via I-90, SR-281 (Exit 151 from I-90) and SR-28 through Quincy.
 * US 2.svg & US 97.svg passes through town from Peshastin west of town and north and south along the east side of the Columbia River from Orondo,  north of town.
 * US 2.svg continues east towards Coulee City from Hwy 97 in Orondo and  west to Leavenworth from its junction with Hwy 97 west of town in Peshastin.
 * US 97.svg continues north to Chelan from its junction with US Hwy 2 in Orondo and  south towards Ellensburg from US Hwy 2, west of town. Alternatively US Hwy 97 ALT parallels US Hwy 97 along the west side of the Columbia River to Chelan.


 * WA-28.svg Connects Wenatchee to Quincy and Ephrata from the south end of town.
 * WA-285.svg Connects downtown to US Hwy 2 & 97 in the north as N Wenatchee Blvd & Mill St. It goes through downtown as Chelan Ave (SB) and Mission Ave (NB) and crosses the river to connect with SR-28, south of downtown, in East Wenatchee as Stevens St.

By train

 * Route serving Wenatchee:
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.  Between Seattle and Spokane, trains stop in Edmonds, Everett, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and Ephrata.
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.  Between Seattle and Spokane, trains stop in Edmonds, Everett, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and Ephrata.

By bus
The is next to the Columbia Station Building at 300 S Columbia St at Kittitas & Columbia, across the street (Columbia) from the Amtrak station parking lot. The ticket desk for Northwestern Trailways and the customer service desk for Link Transit are inside the building. It is served by:

See

 * Children's Discovery Museum, Riverside Playhouse, and Music Theatre
 * Ohme Gardens
 * Stemilt Growers
 * Wenatchee Valley Museum

Do

 * Wenatchee Confluence State Park
 * Wenatchee Conference Center, Stanley Civic Center, and B of A Performing Arts Center
 * Wenatchee Conference Center, Stanley Civic Center, and B of A Performing Arts Center

Buy

 * Antique Shop District

Go next

 * Cashmere
 * Chelan - Chelan County county seat
 * Leavenworth
 * Chelan County Historical Museum
 * Earthquake Point
 * Echo Valley - ski resort
 * Golden West Visitors Center
 * Lake Chelan - ride the boat to Stehekin
 * Lake Chelan State Park
 * Lake Wenatchee State Park
 * Leavenworth - ski resort
 * Lincoln Rock State Park
 * Mission Ridge - ski resort
 * Peshastin Pinnacles State Park
 * Slidewaters
 * Squilchuck State Park
 * Twenty Five Mile Creek State Park