Tumwater, Washington | |
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 Panoramic view of the upper falls and the formerOlympia Brewery, 2011 | |
 Show Tumwater Show Thurston County Show Washington Show the United StatesInteractive location map of Tumwater | |
| Coordinates:47°0′28″N122°54′40″W / 47.00778°N 122.91111°W /47.00778; -122.91111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Thurston |
| Incorporated | November 25, 1869 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Debbie Sullivan[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.76 sq mi (46.00 km2) |
| • Land | 17.50 sq mi (45.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.67 km2) |
| Elevation | 174 ft (53 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 25,350 |
• Estimate (2024)[4] | 27,826 |
| • Density | 1,372.8/sq mi (530.04/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 98501, 98511–98512 |
| Area code | 360 |
| FIPS code | 53-72905 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1512742[5] |
| Website | ci.tumwater.wa.us |
Tumwater is a city inThurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the2020 census.[3] The city is situated near where theDeschutes River entersBudd Inlet, the southernmost point ofPuget Sound; it also borders the state capital ofOlympia to the north. Tumwater is the oldest permanent Anglo-American settlement on Puget Sound.[6] The city is the southern gateway to the wider Seattle/Tacoma urban area, which stretches from Tumwater to Marysville along the Interstate 5 corridor.
Tumwater was originally called "Newmarket" by American settlers,[7] and under the latter name wasplatted in 1845. The present name is derived from theChinook Jargon wordtumwata, which means "waterfall".[8]
The site of Tumwater andTumwater Falls has been home toSouthern Lushootseed-speaking peoples known as theSteh-Chass / Stehchass orStatca'sabsh (a subtribe of theSahewamish (Sahe'wabsh), a subgroup of theNisqually people; who became part of the post-treatySquaxin Island Tribe) for thousands of years. "Steh-Chass" is the Lushootseed name for Budd Inlet, Deschutes River and the Tumwater Falls area, and for an important village of the Statca'sabsh.
A post office called Tumwater was established in 1863.[9]
Tumwater was incorporated as a town on November 25, 1869,[10][11] and as a city in 1875.[12]
The construction ofInterstate 5, which was completed in 1958, required the demolition of 100 buildings in downtown Tumwater. Major businesses had already relocated northeast to Tumwater Square, which remains a local shopping center. TheTumwater Historic District was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1978 to preserve remnants of downtown amid plans to widen Interstate 5.[13]
Tumwater is located two miles south of the neighboringstate capital ofOlympia.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.49 square miles (37.53 km2), of which, 14.32 square miles (37.09 km2) is land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km2) is water.[14]
This region experiences warm and dry summers, with average monthly temperatures between 71.6 °F (22 °C) and 98.1 °F (36.7 °C). According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Tumwater has avery warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[15]
Based onper capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Tumwater ranks 89th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. It is also the highest rank in Thurston County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 354 | — | |
| 1880 | 171 | −51.7% | |
| 1890 | 410 | 139.8% | |
| 1900 | 270 | −34.1% | |
| 1910 | 490 | 81.5% | |
| 1920 | 472 | −3.7% | |
| 1930 | 793 | 68.0% | |
| 1940 | 955 | 20.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,725 | 185.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,885 | 42.6% | |
| 1970 | 5,373 | 38.3% | |
| 1980 | 6,705 | 24.8% | |
| 1990 | 9,976 | 48.8% | |
| 2000 | 12,698 | 27.3% | |
| 2010 | 17,371 | 36.8% | |
| 2020 | 25,350 | 45.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 27,826 | [4] | 9.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 2020 Census[3] | |||
As of the2010 census,[17] there were 17,371 people, 7,566 households, and 4,460 families living in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,213.1 inhabitants per square mile (468.4/km2). There were 8,064 housing units at an average density of 563.1 per square mile (217.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.0%White, 1.7%African American, 1.2%Native American, 4.8%Asian, 0.5%Pacific Islander, 1.6% fromother races, and 5.2% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.2% of the population.
There were 7,566 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% weremarried couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. Of all households, 31.6% were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the city was 35 years. 27% of residents were under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24; 31.7% were between the ages of 25 and 44; 26.8% from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
As of the2000 census, there were 12,698 people, 5,659 households, and 3,253 families living in the city. The population density was 1,276.1 people per square mile (492.7/km2). There were 5,953 housing units at an average density of 598.2 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.41%White, 1.39%African American, 1.24%Native American, 3.90%Asian, 0.36%Pacific Islander, 1.50% fromother races, and 3.21% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 4.08% of the population.
There were 5,659 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. Of all households, 33.7% were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.2% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,329, and the median income for a family was $54,156. Males had a median income of $41,778 versus $32,044 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $25,080. About 4.3% of families and 8.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
The Davis Meeker oak tree, listed on the Tumwater Register of Historic Places,[18] is a 400-year-old historicGarry oak located at theOlympia Regional Airport on Old Highway 99.[19] Named afterEzra Meeker and Jack Davis, an environmentalist who helped save the oak in 1984 during a highway improvement project, the tree was a trail maker on theCowlitz Trail, and then later on theOregon Trail.[20] In 2024, safety for passing motorists became a concern when a 10 foot (3.0 metres) branch broke and fell several feet near the roadway.[19] Tumwater's mayor, Debbie Sullivan, attempted to remove the tree in May of that year without the support of the city council[21] based on a 2023 report of the city's arborist that concluded the tree was high risk; the report was criticized for having numerous flaws.[22][23] Due to public protests, coupled with a citizen lawsuit and report discrepancies, the mayor paused her efforts and agreed to obtain a second opinion.[24][25][26] Options to save the tree were announced by the city in February 2025[19] and the city council adopted a plan to preserve the tree in April.[27]
Four identical concretetotem poles are located on theArt Deco-style Carlyon Bridge in Tumwater. TheHaida-style sculptures contain, from the top, a raven, agrizzly bear, an eagle, and another bear. The totems were added as part of an overall project on Capitol Boulevard in 1937. The sculptures, when erected, were considered to be the only known concrete totems in the world. They remained without color until 1951, painted with some hues regarded to be non-traditional in indigenous works, but repainted after 1990. The designer of the totems is unknown.[28]
Due to the city being located in close proximity to the state capital, Tumwater is home to many state government offices, including theWashington State Department of Corrections, theWashington State Department of Labor and Industries, theWashington State Department of Health, theWashington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, theWashington State Department of Revenue and the Office of the Attorney General.[29]
The City of Tumwater itself is a non-charter Code City and uses a mayor-council form of government. The Mayor is elected as a chief executive officer and advised by seven council members who act as policymakers and provide guidelines and performance objectives.[30] The Tumwater City Council elections are held in odd-numbered years.[31]
As of 2024[update], the City has 520 full and part-time employees and an annual budget of $330 million.[32] In 2023, the City had 241 employees and a 2023–2024 biennium general fund budget of $84.9 million, an increase from a 2021–2022 biennium expense budget of $63.9 million and 235 employees.[33]
TheTumwater School District is home to numerous schools includingTumwater High School andBlack Hills High School.[34]
Media from Commons
Travel information from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofThurston County, Washington,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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