Best Small Towns in Washington
The best small towns in Washington are Port Townsend for Victorian streets and wooden boats, Leavenworth for its Bavarian village under the Cascades, La Conner for Skagit Valley tulips, Winthrop for the Methow Valley, and Coupeville for Whidbey Island farmland. Most sit on salt water or in the mountains, and the east side of the Cascades sits in a dry rain shadow. Here are 12 worth the trip, grouped by region.
- Best season: July to September for mountains and islands; April for tulips; December for Leavenworth lights
- Regions: Olympic Peninsula & Kitsap, Puget Sound & San Juan Islands, Pacific Coast, Cascades & Lake Chelan, Southeast Washington
- Closest big cities: Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Portland
| Town | Region | Best for | Nearest airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Townsend | Olympic Peninsula & Kitsap | history, Victorian architecture, beaches, boating, festivals | Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 2 hr |
| Leavenworth | Cascades & Lake Chelan | Christmas trips, hiking, river walks, families, food and beer | Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 40 min |
| La Conner | Puget Sound & San Juan Islands | art museums, tulip season, birding, waterfront strolls, weekend getaways from Seattle | Bellingham (BLI), about 45 min |
| Winthrop | Cascades & Lake Chelan | cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, lake days, Old West history | Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 1 hr 45 min |
| Coupeville | Puget Sound & San Juan Islands | coastal hiking, history, lighthouses, seafood, ferry trips to Port Townsend | Seattle Paine Field (PAE), about 1 hr 15 min |
| Eastsound | Puget Sound & San Juan Islands | hiking, island getaways, whale watching, lakes, arts and crafts | Orcas Island (ESD), about 5 min |
| Chelan | Cascades & Lake Chelan | lake swimming, boating, wine tasting, summer getaways, camping | Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 50 min |
| Sequim | Olympic Peninsula & Kitsap | lavender farms, hiking, birding, biking, dry-weather getaways | Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 2 hr 30 min |
| Anacortes | Puget Sound & San Juan Islands | whale watching, hiking, boating, maritime history, San Juan Islands trips | Bellingham (BLI), about 45 min |
| Long Beach | Pacific Coast | beach walks, kite flying, biking, lighthouses, Lewis and Clark history | Portland International (PDX), about 2 hr 15 min |
| Poulsbo | Olympic Peninsula & Kitsap | Scandinavian heritage, waterfront walks, kayaking, festivals, day trips from Seattle | Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 1 hr 30 min |
| Dayton | Southeast Washington | history, Lewis and Clark sites, quiet road trips, skiing, camping | Walla Walla (ALW), about 40 min |
Olympic Peninsula & Kitsap
1. Port Townsend
Port Townsend is the Jefferson County seat at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Its Victorian downtown survived a 1890s bust and is now a National Historic Landmark. Fort Worden, the Point Wilson Lighthouse and the September Wooden Boat Festival round it out.
Pop. 10,148 (2020 Census) Jefferson County Founded 1851 Nearest airport: Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 2 hr Known for: Victorian seaport, Fort Worden, Wooden Boat Festival, Kinetic Sculpture Race
- Best for: history, Victorian architecture, beaches, boating, festivals
- Don't miss: Fort Worden Historical State Park; Point Wilson Lighthouse; Downtown and the Museum of Art + History
- Heads up: Reserve the Port Townsend–Coupeville ferry ahead; it can cancel in high winds.
2. Sequim
Sequim sits in the Olympic Mountains' rain shadow and gets under 16 inches of rain a year. Its valley is full of lavender farms, and Dungeness Spit runs 5 miles out to an 1857 lighthouse. The Olympic Discovery Trail and the Manis Mastodon at the local museum round it out.
Pop. 8,024 (2020 Census) Clallam County Founded 1913 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 2 hr 30 min Known for: Lavender farms, Dungeness Spit and lighthouse, rain-shadow sunshine, Manis Mastodon
- Best for: lavender farms, hiking, birding, biking, dry-weather getaways
- Don't miss: Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the New Dungeness Lighthouse; Sequim's lavender farms; Olympic Discovery Trail and Railroad Bridge Park
- Heads up: The lighthouse hike is 11 miles round trip on the beach; check tides and bring cash for the refuge fee.
3. Poulsbo
Poulsbo sits at the head of Liberty Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula, founded by Norwegian settlers in the 1880s. Its Front Street keeps a Scandinavian theme, with Sluys Bakery, free history museums and a marine aquarium. Viking Fest each May and kayaking on the sheltered bay round it out.
Pop. 11,975 (2020 Census) Kitsap County Founded 1907 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), about 1 hr 30 min Known for: Little Norway, Scandinavian downtown, Viking Fest, Sluys Bakery, Liberty Bay
- Best for: Scandinavian heritage, waterfront walks, kayaking, festivals, day trips from Seattle
- Don't miss: Front Street and Historic Downtown; Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park; SEA Discovery Center
- Heads up: The SEA Discovery Center opens only Fridays and Saturdays; museums keep short hours.
Cascades & Lake Chelan
4. Leavenworth
Leavenworth is a Chelan County town on U.S. 2 that remade itself as a Bavarian village starting in 1965. Half a million Christmas lights, the Nutcracker Museum and Front Street's shops draw millions a year. Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River add trails, river beaches and a salmon hatchery.
Pop. 2,263 (2020 Census) Chelan County Founded 1906 (incorporated); town laid out 1893 Nearest airport: Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 40 min Known for: Bavarian-style village, Christmas lights, Nutcracker Museum, Icicle Creek
- Best for: Christmas trips, hiking, river walks, families, food and beer
- Don't miss: Front Street and the Bavarian village; Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum; Christmastown and the Village of Lights
- Heads up: U.S. 2 backs up badly during festivals and December weekends; come early or midweek.
5. Winthrop
Winthrop is a tiny Okanogan County town on the North Cascades Highway, rebuilt with Old West false fronts in 1971. It's the base for the Methow Trails, one of North America's largest cross-country ski networks, plus Pearrygin Lake and the Shafer Museum. The Methow Valley is also where smokejumping began in 1939.
Pop. 504 (2020 Census) Okanogan County Founded 1890 (incorporated 1924) Nearest airport: Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 1 hr 45 min Known for: Old West false-front downtown, Methow Trails skiing, Shafer Museum, birthplace of smokejumping
- Best for: cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, lake days, Old West history
- Don't miss: Downtown Winthrop's Old West boardwalk; Shafer Historical Museum; Methow Trails
- Heads up: The North Cascades Highway closes west of Mazama every winter; summer wildfire smoke is common.
6. Chelan
Chelan sits at the south end of Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in the U.S. Boats leave town for Stehekin, and Lake Chelan State Park has one of Washington's busiest beaches. About 40 wineries and the 1914 Ruby Theatre round out a dry, sunny summer base.
Pop. 4,222 (2020 Census) Chelan County Founded 1902 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Wenatchee Pangborn (EAT), about 50 min Known for: Lake Chelan, boat trips to Stehekin, wineries, summer resort town
- Best for: lake swimming, boating, wine tasting, summer getaways, camping
- Don't miss: Lady of the Lake to Stehekin; Lake Chelan State Park; Lake Chelan wineries and Tsillan Cellars
- Heads up: Summer burn bans are common, and state parks need a Discover Pass.
Puget Sound & San Juan Islands
7. La Conner
La Conner is a Skagit County town of under 1,000 people on the Swinomish Channel. It's the arts town of the Skagit Valley, with the free Museum of Northwest Art, a quilt museum in an 1891 mansion and the county history museum. Tulips fill the fields in April, and snow geese arrive in winter.
Pop. 965 (2020 Census) Skagit County Founded 1867 (settled) Nearest airport: Bellingham (BLI), about 45 min Known for: Skagit Valley tulips, Museum of Northwest Art, quilt museum, Swinomish Channel waterfront
- Best for: art museums, tulip season, birding, waterfront strolls, weekend getaways from Seattle
- Don't miss: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival; Museum of Northwest Art; Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum
- Heads up: Tulip-season weekends jam valley roads; go early or midweek.
8. Coupeville
Coupeville is the Island County seat on Whidbey Island's Penn Cove, laid out in the 1850s. The whole town sits inside Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, created in 1978, with farm views and a bluff trail. Fort Casey's 1903 lighthouse, the 1905 wharf and Penn Cove mussels round it out.
Pop. 1,942 (2020 Census) Island County Founded 1850s (laid out); incorporated 1910 Nearest airport: Seattle Paine Field (PAE), about 1 hr 15 min Known for: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Fort Casey, Coupeville Wharf, Penn Cove mussels
- Best for: coastal hiking, history, lighthouses, seafood, ferry trips to Port Townsend
- Don't miss: Ebey's Landing and the Bluff Trail; Fort Casey Historical State Park; Coupeville Wharf
- Heads up: Trailhead parking is limited; reserve the Port Townsend ferry for vehicles.
9. Eastsound
Eastsound is the main village on Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juans. It's the base for Moran State Park and the drive up Mount Constitution, the islands' highest point. A walkable village green, a Saturday market and whale-watching trips from Deer Harbor round it out.
San Juan County Nearest airport: Orcas Island (ESD), about 5 min Known for: Main village of Orcas Island, Moran State Park and Mount Constitution, whale watching
- Best for: hiking, island getaways, whale watching, lakes, arts and crafts
- Don't miss: Moran State Park and Mount Constitution; Turtleback Mountain Preserve; Orcas Island Historical Museum
- Heads up: Reach Orcas by state ferry from Anacortes; plan ahead in summer, and check Moran State Park alerts before going up Mount Constitution.
10. Anacortes
Anacortes sits on Fidalgo Island and is the ferry port for the San Juan Islands. It has a 220-acre waterfront park with a scenic loop road, more than 50 miles of forest trails around Mount Erie, and whale-watching boats in its marina. Deception Pass State Park is just south.
Pop. 17,637 (2020 Census) Skagit County Founded 1891 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Bellingham (BLI), about 45 min Known for: San Juan Islands ferry port, Washington Park, Mount Erie, whale watching, W.T. Preston sternwheeler
- Best for: whale watching, hiking, boating, maritime history, San Juan Islands trips
- Don't miss: Washington Park; Mount Erie and the Community Forest Lands; W.T. Preston and the Maritime Heritage Center
- Heads up: The museums and the W.T. Preston keep limited, seasonal weekly hours; check before you go.
Pacific Coast
11. Long Beach
Long Beach sits on a peninsula with a 28-mile beach where the Columbia meets the Pacific. It's home to Marsh's Free Museum, the World Kite Museum and August's international kite festival. The Discovery Trail links town to Cape Disappointment State Park, where Lewis and Clark's journey ended.
Pop. 1,688 (2020 Census) Pacific County Founded 1922 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Portland International (PDX), about 2 hr 15 min Known for: 28-mile peninsula beach, Marsh's Free Museum and Jake the Alligator Man, World Kite Museum and kite festival, Lewis and Clark's journey's end
- Best for: beach walks, kite flying, biking, lighthouses, Lewis and Clark history
- Don't miss: Long Beach Boardwalk and the Discovery Trail; Marsh's Free Museum; Cape Disappointment State Park
- Heads up: Ocean swimming isn't advised on the peninsula; state parks need a Discover Pass.
Southeast Washington
12. Dayton
Dayton is the Columbia County seat in Washington's far southeast. It has the state's oldest train depot (1881) and oldest courthouse still in use (1887), both restored in a historic district. Lewis and Clark sites line US 12, and Ski Bluewood is up the road in the Blue Mountains.
Pop. 2,448 (2020 Census) Columbia County Founded 1881 (incorporated) Nearest airport: Walla Walla (ALW), about 40 min Known for: oldest train depot in Washington, oldest courthouse still in use, historic district, Blue Mountains skiing
- Best for: history, Lewis and Clark sites, quiet road trips, skiing, camping
- Don't miss: Dayton Historic Depot; Columbia County Courthouse; The Encampment on Patit Creek
- Heads up: Both museums close in January, and the state park is closed November through March.
- July–September: The dry season west of the Cascades and the best window for the islands, the North Cascades Highway and Lake Chelan. Book ferries and island rooms early.
- April: Tulip fields bloom around La Conner. Spring on the Olympic Peninsula is cool and often wet, but Sequim stays drier than its neighbors.
- Winter: Leavenworth lights up for Christmas in December, and the Methow Valley around Winthrop grooms about 120 miles of cross-country ski trails. Check mountain pass conditions before any Cascades drive.
These didn’t make the list, but each has its own guide: North Bend (Snoqualmie Falls, Twin Peaks) · Gig Harbor (harbor town near Tacoma) · Cle Elum (mountain base near Roslyn) · Stehekin (boat-in village, Lake Chelan)
What is the prettiest small town in Washington?
Port Townsend is hard to beat, with a Victorian downtown that is a National Historic Landmark District. Leavenworth and La Conner are close behind.
What small towns in Washington are best for a weekend?
Leavenworth and Winthrop work well from Seattle in summer. Coupeville and Eastsound make an easy island weekend by ferry.
What is the smallest town in Washington worth visiting?
Stehekin, at the head of Lake Chelan, has about 75 residents and no road in. Winthrop, with about 500 people, is the smallest you can drive to on this list.