Richland

Richland's central business district is immediately off of Interstate 182 (I-182) at Exit 5, George Washington Way.

The Tri-Cities are close to each other but a long way from anyone else: expect at least a 75-minute drive from Yakima, 3.5 hours from Seattle.

Tri-Cities Airport (PSC ^IATA) is in Pasco, roughly 10 mi (16 km) east of Richland. There are daily flights from Seattle/Tacoma, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, the site was home to the B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world. Plutonium manufactured at the site was used in the bomb dropped at Nagasaki. During the Cold War, the project expanded to include nine nuclear reactors and five large plutonium processing complexes, which produced plutonium for most of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The production reactors were shut down between 1964 and 1971.

Many early safety procedures and waste disposal practices were inadequate, resulting in the release of significant amounts of radioactive materials into the air and the Columbia River. Hanford became the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup, with over 10,000 workers employed on cleanup activities.

Hanford also hosts a commercial nuclear power plant and various centers for scientific research and development, such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Fast Flux Test Facility, and the LIGO Hanford Observatory.

• 🌍 Hanford Site Cleanup Tours, 2490 Garlick Blvd, ☏ +1 509-376-6969. Apr-Nov: M-Sa. Four-hour tours of the Hanford Nuclear Site focusing on Hanford's current cleanup projects. Stops include a model waste storage tank used to develop cleanup techniques (the Cold Test Facility), the 200 West Pump and Treat facility (cleaning contaminated groundwater), and the Waste Treatment Plant construction zone. Reservations required on a first come-first serve basis — registration for the year's tours opens in early March and closer dates may fill quickly. Cancellations will open up a few slots, particularly later in the season. This tour is only open to U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old.. No cameras or cell phones are allowed on the tour, and there is no storage for items at the office building where the tour begins. Free. (updated Dec 2019)
• 🌍 Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours, ☏ +1 509-373-2774. Shorter tours visit only the B Reactor, the world's first large-scale nuclear reactor. Like the site tours, advance reservations are necessary; 50 tour dates per year between April and September, including most weekends. Groups will get about two hours on site, plus 45 minutes each way on a chartered bus to reach the isolated facility. Unlike the full site tours, there is no citizenship requirement, but photo ID is mandatory. Also, visitors under 18 are allowed but must be with their parent/guardian or adult designated by them, and have a signed release form. Free.  
• Pre-War Historic Site Tour. This tour covers the remaining buildings of the former farm towns of Hanford and White Bluffs, which were displaced by the military for the construction of the Hanford nuclear site during World War II. This tour does not include the nuclear cleanup projects or the B Reactor, and US citizenship is not required. Free. (updated Feb 2018)

• 🌍 Hanford Reach National Monument, ☏ +1 509-371-1801, hanfordreach@fws.gov. Most areas open from 2 hours before sunrise to 2 hours after sunset. The monumental Hanford nuclear fuel production site lies to the northwest of Richland, and strict security means that the land surrounding it was not developed — and became a surprising wildlife preserve. A National Monument since 2000, Hanford Reach covers thousands of acres in a giant U-shape along the Columbia River.  
• 🌍 Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve. Badger rises above the Tri-Cities and is a popular hiking destination for a wide variety of climbers. There are a number of trails climbing the mountain with varying levels of difficulty. (updated Mar 2018)
• 🌍 Bateman Island. This island in the Columbia River is home to many different species of wildlife, including deer, birds, carp in the wet season, and numerous small animals. Common recreational activities include fishing, bird watching, and hiking. The island also has multiple geocaches on it. (updated Sep 2025)
• 🌍 Chamna Natural Preserve. A 276-acre park near the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia Rivers. It offers 11 miles of hiking trails through a multitude of habitats ranging from grasslands to riparian wooded areas. (updated Sep 2025)
• 🌍 Saddle Mountain B.L.M. Recreation Lands. A large outcrop in the plains. Popular as a hang-gliding spot. A wildlife refuge since 1953, it became part of the Hanford Reach National Monument in 2000.  
• 🌍 W. E. Johnson Park, 2674-2560 Hall Rd (head west on Van Giesen from the Hwy 240 intersection and turn south on Hall Road, adjacent to Wood’s Nursery; entrance off of Tanglewood Drive). 5AM-11PM. A magnificent set of trails in the Yakima Delta area, reminiscent in some ways of nearby Chamna Park. Free. (updated Jul 2024)