Walla Walla

Sister cities

• Tamba-Sasayama

History

Walla Walla's history starts in 1806 when the Lewis and Clark expedition encountered the Walawalałáma (Walla Walla people) near the mouth of Walla Walla River. Other inhabitants of the valley included the Liksiyu (Cayuse), Imatalamłáma (Umatilla), and Niimíipu (Nez Perce) indigenous peoples. Abandoned in 1855, it is now underwater behind the McNary Dam. On October 16, 1836, after news of a Nez Perce expedition to learn about Christianity and a deal was brokered between the Cayuse people for the use of the Waiilatpu region, Calvinist missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman established the Whitman Mission. A deep distrust of the settlers was cultivated between the Cayuse and the settlers as the Whitmans struggled to convert the natives, failed to fulfill promises, and shifted their focus to whites passing through along the Oregon Trail. Catholic missionaries also arrived in the 1840s, and the Catholic ceremonies resonated with the tribe. In 1855, the Walla Walla Treaty Council was held at Waiilatpu between the Washington Territorial Assembly and the tribal leaders of the surrounding area. Despite the indigenous people citing Tamanwit (natural law), the following year the natives agreed to surrender millions of acres of land for a native reservation and $150,000. The Umatilla Indian Reservation's boundaries eventually shrunk to less than . The Walla Walla treaty remained unratified for four years, during which time the conflict between the natives and settlers was increasing due to frontiersmen encroaching on the promised reservation and the Walla Walla and Umatilla peoples' refusal to move to the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The United States Army established a presence in a series of military forts beginning in 1856. A community named "Steptoeville" grew around…

Geography

Walla Walla is located in the Walla Walla Valley, with the rolling Palouse hills to the north and the Blue Mountains to the east of town. Various creeks meander through town before combining to become the Walla Walla River, which drains into the Columbia River about west of town. The city lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, so annual precipitation is fairly low. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Walla Walla has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate according to the Köppen climate classification system (Köppen: Csa; Trewartha: Doak). It is one of the northernmost locations in North America to qualify as having such a climate. In contrast to most other locations having this climate type in North America, Walla Walla can experience fairly cold winter conditions, though they are still relatively mild for its latitude and inland location.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,143
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  7,857
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,306
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  7,241
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  7,114
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  6,811
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,330
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  6,023

Largest nearby schools

• Walla Walla High School
  High · WALLA WALLA · 1,631 students · 21.2:1 ratio
• Davis Elementary
  Elementary · COLLEGE PLACE · 734 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Pioneer Middle School
  Middle · WALLA WALLA · 613 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Garrison Middle School
  Middle · WALLA WALLA · 560 students · 16:1 ratio
• Prospect Point Elementary
  Elementary · WALLA WALLA · 514 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Green Park Elementary School
  Elementary · WALLA WALLA · 482 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• College Place High School
  High · College Place · 461 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Edison Elementary School
  Elementary · WALLA WALLA · 438 students · 15.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8000000000000003 — 2026-02-02
  5 km ESE of Benton City, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2024-04-20
  4 km S of Richland, Washington
• M 2.73 — 2023-05-11
  6 km NNW of Summerville, Oregon
• M 2.67 — 2021-03-23
  12 km WSW of Lostine, Oregon
• M 2.59 — 2017-11-15
  13 km SW of Wallowa, Oregon
• M 2.85 — 2017-02-15
  3 km WSW of Adams, Oregon