Welcome to Eastern Washington Windermere

WHITMAN COUNTY

County Offices
400 N Main Street
Colfax 509-397-4622
http://whitmancounty.org/

Chamber of Commerce
214 N Main Street
Colfax 509-279-1220
https://www.explorecolfax.com

The water-rich expanse of Whitman County is part of the Palouse, a rolling, prairie-like expanse of the middle Columbia Basin. With an economy strongly based on agricultural activity, the county grows an abundance of wheat across its rolling hills—a crop that is farmed without irrigation. Whitman County is also a national leader in the production of edible dry peas, barley, and lentils and leads the state in hog production. Kentucky bluegrass seed is another significant crop in this fertile region. Other industries that lend diversity and stability to the economy are led by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, a high-tech giant in hydroelectric power technology, and the flagship campus for Washington State University—both in the city of Pullman.

Geographic highlights include the Snake and Palouse rivers along with several picturesque creeks and four lakes or reservoirs. Lake Herbert G. West, Lake Bryan, and Lower Granite Lake are all situated behind dams. Of the four summits and peaks, the highest is Tekoa Mountain at 4,009 feet. Major highways that serve the county include U.S. Route 194 and Washington State Routes 23, 26, 27, 127, 270, 271, and 272. General aviation operations and commercial airline service connecting to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are available close to home at Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in Pullman. Although Colfax is the seat of county government, Pullman is the largest city. The Pullman Metropolitan Statistical Area actually encompasses all of Whitman County.

Services

Residents enjoy the slower pace and country pleasures of rural life without sacrificing access to first-rate healthcare and education. The city of Colfax serves as a healthcare hub for a 1,200-square-mile district that includes six small communities. Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax has been recognized as one of the “Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals” in the nation in the area of Patient Perspective. Recently renovated to better serve a growing population, the facility is affiliated with Providence Health, one of the region’s largest and most respected systems. The full spectrum of services includes emergency, obstetrics, surgical, imaging, laboratory, outpatient, and therapy. Pullman Regional Hospital in Pullman provides diagnostics, treatment, and prevention services at the forefront of clinical care. Services include 24-hour emergency care, 24-hour access to stroke neurologists via Telestroke technology, advanced digital imaging, a full range of therapies, genetic counseling, state-of-the-art surgical suites, same-day surgery services, minimally invasive de Vinci robotic-assisted surgical procedures, and full-service obstetrics care and education.

Some of Washington’s top-ranked schools are located in Whitman County, where the student/teacher ratio is 15:1 and both math and reading proficiency scores are well above the state average. Options for private and parochial schools are also available in Pullman, where Washington State University (WSU) maintains its flagship campus. With a total enrollment nearing 30,000, the university is classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities-very high research activity.” The depth and breadth of academic offerings includes 95 majors, 86 minors, and more than 100 in-major specializations. WSU has developed a network of branch campuses that include Spokane and the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington. WSU’s Global Campus launched in 2012 to expand and increase access to online degree programs. Other institutions of higher education are minutes away across the Idaho state border in Moscow, home to the University of Idaho and the private religiously-affiliated institution of New Saint Andrews College. The two leading public universities offer cooperative parking to enhance access to either campus for faculty, staff, and students participating in cooperative programs and cross-listed courses.

Lifestyle

Whitman County offers a relaxed lifestyle in welcoming small towns where community spirit runs high and neighbors become lifetime friends. Opportunities for outdoor adventure and exploration are available throughout the four seasons, including the vast geological wonders awaiting in three state parks. Home to a National Landmark and the highest elevation in Whitman County, Kamiak Butte State Park features miles of forested hiking trails with panoramic views. Artists and hikers both flock to Palouse Falls State Park, where the Palouse River runs through a narrow cataract and drops 200 feet into a churning bowl. This breathtaking wonder is Washington’s own state waterfall and among the last active waterfalls on the Ice Age floods path. One of the most popular and useful of recreational amenities, the Bill Chapman Palouse Trail offers seven miles of paved pathway that connect Washington and Idaho states, passing through the Washington State University and University of Idaho campuses and the respective cities of Pullman and Moscow. Local communities have developed their own lush parks, many of them filled with amenities from playgrounds, sports courts, and ballfields to boat launches.

The abundance of cultural enrichment opportunities in Whitman County are greatly enhanced by the presence of Washington State University, where Beasley Coliseum hosts events and star-studded performances. The Washington-Idaho Symphony has been bringing live orchestral music to the area’s rural communities for nearly half a century, while the Regional Theatre of the Palouse in Pullman hosts Broadway classics and award-winning shows. Supported by the finest in local talent, Pullman Civic Theater hosts plays, musicals, and classes for all ages. The small city of Tekoa is home to the historic Empire Theatre, a restored Art Deco venue that serves as a regional performing arts center. World-class opportunities for artistic and scientific exploration are available in premier WSU venues including the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, two geology museums, Jewett Observatory and the University Planetarium, the James Entomological Collection, and Conner Natural History Museum with the Northwest’s largest public collection of preserved birds and mammals. Complementing the area’s exceptional quality of life, newcomers will find an attractive, well-kept selection of homes in neighborhood or country settings. Few rural areas in the nation can rival Whiteman County for its blend of small-town pleasures and cosmopolitan advantages.

COMMUNITIES

Colfax
Municipal Offices
509-397-3861
https://www.colfaxwa.org/

Chamber of Commerce
509-279-1220
https://www.explorecolfax.com/chamber-of-commerce
The small but active city of Colfax is home to the Whitman County seat of government and one of the area’s major healthcare resources, Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. Rooted in a strong agricultural heritage and hometown values, the community supports a successful business sector along with attractive housing, first-rate schools, and an outstanding local parks system. Colfax is also the headquarters for the Whitman County Library System, managing an ever-growing inventory and 14 branch locations along with a full calendar of events and activities that are especially focused on children. Nearly a dozen parks dot the cityscape with greenery and recreational amenities that include a skatepark, municipal swimming pool, and soccer and baseball fields. One of the parks doubles as a tourist attraction with its distinctive chainsaw sculpture. Residents enjoy the simple pleasures of country life and a close-knit community spirit just minutes away from the campus for Washington State University and the expanded cultural, entertainment, and shopping advantages in the city of Pullman.

Pullman
Municipal Offices
509-338-3212
https://www.pullman-wa.gov/

Chamber of Commerce
509-334-3565
https://pullmanchamber.com/
With its historic roots in agricultural activity, the bustling city of Pullman has evolved into a hub of education, commerce, and healthcare as well as the center of Whitman County’s metropolitan statistical area. Home to the highly respected research university of Washington State, the city benefits from WSU’s diverse and international student body, competitive sporting events, and premier cultural and entertainment programs. With a prime location perched at the top of a hill, the impressive campus for Washington State University stands as a dominant feature in the cityscape of Pullman and maintains an intimate, dynamic relationship with the community. Other features that distinguish the city are the international headquarters for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and the presence of Pulliam-Moscow Regional Airport, the area’s only facility that offers connector flights to Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle and points beyond. Local recreational amenities are highly developed, including Boyer Park & Marina with more than 60 paved RV sites, camping cabins, and tent sites along the Snake River in a postcard-image setting. The city is consistently recognized on state and national levels for its diversity, health, business climate, green transportation, schools, technology as well as a great place to live, work, study, and raise a family.

Tekoa
Municipal Offices
509-284-3861
http://tekoawa.com/

Chamber of commerce
509-284-3861
https://exploretekoa.com
The small town of Tekoa is big on charm and amenities that make it a highly desirable hometown at the gateway of the Cascades State Park Trail. Nestled between the border of mountainous Northern Idaho and the rolling hills of the Palouse, Tekoa offers well-maintained parks, a golf course, municipal swimming pool, a growing commercial district, convenient services, and one-of-a-kind shops. The city’s community spirit was never more evident than during the restoration of the historic Empire Theater, an Art Deco treasure that now serves as a regional performing arts center. Residents enjoy the pleasures of a tranquil lifestyle at a distance from urban bustle just a short drive from premier regional destinations for education, recreation, and metropolitan cultural and entertainment centers. That list includes the city of Spokane, Lake Coeur d’ Alene, McCroskey State Park, and the campuses for Washington State University and the University of Idaho. Long known for the strength of its community bonds and rich farming history, Tekoa might be the perfect small rural community to call home.