Wenatchee

Archaeologists believe that an ancient people migrated to the Wenatchee area during the last ice, some 12,000 years ago. This is based on many Clovis artifacts that have been found in the area. These ancient people are thought to be the descendants of the Yakama people. White settlers began to move into the area during the late 1800s.

The city has grown substantially in the 21st century, to over 100,000 residents. The greater Wenatchee area incorporates East Wenatchee, which lies on the opposite side of the Columbia River, as well as Rock Island and Malaga.

Unlike cities in western Washington, it is in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, which means that 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.

• 🌍 Pangborn Memorial Airport (EAT  ^IATA) (15 minutes east). The airport has three Horizon Airlines flights a day to Seattle/Tacoma.  

The next nearest airports for commercial flights with a greater selection of airlines and destinations are Everett Paine Field PAE ^IATA and Seattle Tacoma International Airport SEA ^IATA which is connected to Wenatchee by the Wenatchee Valley Shuttle for those traveling without a car (see below under 'By bus').

Driving is the most common way to get into and around town from the surrounding regions.

• & passes through town from Peshastin 19 mi (31 km) west, and along the east side of the Columbia River from Orondo, 17.5 mi (28.2 km) north.
  • US-2 continues (51 mi (82 km)) east towards Coulee City from Hwy 97 in Orondo and 4 mi (6.4 km) west to Leavenworth from its junction with Hwy 97 west of town in Peshastin.
  • US-97 continues 26 mi (42 km) north to Chelan from its junction with US Hwy 2 in Orondo and 51 mi (82 km) 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 connects Wenatchee to Quincy and Ephrata from the south end of town.
• WA-285 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.

From Seattle, it is 148 mi (238 km) northeast via I-90, SR-970 (Exit #85 from I-90) and US Hwy 97.

From Spokane, it is 169 mi (272 km) west via I-90, SR-281 (Exit 151 from I-90) and SR-28 through Quincy.

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 🌍 Wenatchee station (Columbia station), 1 Kittitas St & S Columbia St (Downtown, along Kittitas to the end of the road). The station is an unstaffed platform with only a shelter. There are no facilities or amenities at this station. (updated Jul 2018)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America (updated Mar 2022) 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.

• 🌍 Columbia Station (Columbia Bus Station), 300 S Columbia St (at Kittitas St, across from the Amtrak station parking lot). The bus hub for Wenatchee and Central Washington. The ticket desk for Northwestern Trailways and the customer service desk for Link Transit are inside the building. (updated Aug 2025)

The following services make stops in Wenatchee:

• Link Transit, 300 Columbia Ave (office in the Columbia Station building), ☏ +1 509-662-1155. Offers local bus service, service to East Wenatchee and intercity services to Ardenvoir (Rt #26); Chelan (#21); Leavenworth (#22); Manson (#21); Rock Island (#23); Cashmere (#22 & 28), etc. $1 one zone (local); $2.50 two zones ('intercity'). (updated Feb 2019)
• Northwestern Stage Lines (Northwestern Trailways / Salt Lake City Express), Intermodal Station @ 221 W 1st Ave, ☏ +1 509-838-4029, team@northwesterntrailways.com. Shuttle service between Tacoma and Spokane (via Seattle, Everett, Stevens Pass, Leavenworth, Wenatchee, George, Moses Lake, Ritzville) on one route. The other route is between Spokane and Boise (via Couer d'Alene, Moscow, Grangeville, McCall). Tickets can also be booked with Salt Lake City Express, Greyhound, and Megabus 
  • Travel Washington Apple Line (Operated by Northwestern Stage Lines), (bus stop) Columbia Station at 300 S Columbia, ☏ +1 509 838-4029, team@northwesterntrailways.com. This line goes north from Ellensburg to Omak via Quincy, Pateros, Wenatchee, Okanogan, etc. along US Hwy 97 twice daily. See schedules. Connections to Greyhound and other bus lines are in Ellensburg. 
• Wenatchee Valley Shuttle (Flixbus), bus stops at Pangborn Airport, Penny Rd P&R and Columbia Station, ☏ +1 509 293-5773. A shared shuttle service that operates several daily departures to Wenatchee and Peshastin in Eastern Washington from Sea-Tac and Bellevue. Check with them regarding local door to door pick-up or drop-off. Tickets can also be booked through Flixbus. $45 one-way, $85 roundtrip. (updated Jan 2018)

• 🌍 Squilchuck State Park, 2805 Mission Ridge Rd. The 249-acre (101 ha) park offers hiking, mountain biking and cross-country ski trails, group camping, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing. (updated Oct 2024)
• 🌍 Wenatchee Confluence State Park, 333 Olds Station Rd. The park consists of 197 acres (80 ha) spanning the Wenatchee River at its confluence with the Columbia River. Park offerings include camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and various sports activities. Discover Pass required. (updated Aug 2025)

Wenatchee is famous for its apples and other fruits. If anything is in season, stop by a fruit stand and try something!

• 🌍 Stemilt Growers, 3615 US-97 ALT. (updated Oct 2024)