Wenatchee

Sister cities

• Naju
• Herrenberg
• Kuroishi
• Misawa
• Tynda

History

The Wenatchee Reach of the Columbia River was formed during the Missoula floods, series of ice age floods that inundated much of modern-day Eastern Washington. The earliest known human artifacts in the area were from the prehistoric Clovis culture and discovered in a cache at the East Wenatchee Clovis Site. The site was uncovered in 1987 and include stone and bone tools covered in volcanic ash from a Glacier Peak eruption approximately 13,410 to 13,710 years before present, as determined by radiocarbon dating. Several indigenous villages existed in the area prior to and during Anglo American exploration. The village Nikwikwi'estku was a fishing and gathering camp located in present-day downtown Wenatchee. In 1811, North West Company surveyor David Thompson encountered a group of Native American horsemen at Wenatchee and was invited into a village with huts, the largest measuring 209 feet long. Fur traders document friendly relations through the mid 19th century, even during the smallpox epidemic of 1817 and food shortages in 1841. During the Yakima War in 1856, US Army Colonel Wright intervened on a possible alliance between Yakama and Wenatchi tribes by removing the Wenatchi to Kittitas. The resulting march was estimated to include 1,000 horses and extend five miles long. A contingent stayed behind to fish at Wenatchapam Fishery in preparation for winter. The 1900 U.S. Census counted 451 residents. The Great Northern Railway completed its railroad line between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Seattle in 1893. Its route through the Wenatchee Valley was significant to the development of this region. The railroad not only provided passenger travel to and from Wenatchee, but it provided for freight service for shipments of wheat, apples, and other products to out-of-state…

Geography

Wenatchee is located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers in the Columbia Basin, just east of the foothills of the Cascade Range. Irrigation from the Columbia River and its tributaries allows for the large amount of agriculture in Wenatchee and the surrounding areas. The city of Wenatchee is bordered by the Wenatchee River on the north, the Columbia River to the east, and the Wenatchee Mountains to the south and west. These ridges and peaks form a wall around the western and southern sides of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Wenatchee experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  7,263
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  6,833
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  6,729
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,102
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  6,054
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,972
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,823
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,281

Largest nearby schools

• Wenatchee High School
  High · WENATCHEE · 2,076 students · 20.2:1 ratio
• Pioneer Middle School
  Middle · WENATCHEE · 597 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Foothills Middle School
  Middle · WENATCHEE · 578 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• VALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Cashmere · 571 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• CASHMERE MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · Cashmere · 506 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Cashmere · 503 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Washington Elementary School
  Elementary · WENATCHEE · 494 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Abraham Lincoln Elementary
  Elementary · WENATCHEE · 465 students · 12.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.82 — 2026-06-26
  1 km SSE of Easton, Washington
• M 2.75 — 2026-04-11
  13 km NW of Cliffdell, Washington
• M 2.52 — 2025-09-10
  4 km NW of Waterville, Washington
• M 2.62 — 2025-06-06
  10 km WNW of Entiat, Washington
• M 3.69 — 2025-04-06
  12 km E of Greenwater, Washington
• M 2.62 — 2025-02-20
  16 km WSW of Nile, Washington