Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the capital of Washington State. It is also the seat of Thurston County. The city covers 18.5 sq mi (48 sq km) and has a population of 46,000 people. The city is on Budd Inlet, on the southern end of Puget Sound.

Capitol Lake, Olympia, Washington
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lakefair.jpg
Author: Bluedisk


Olympia experiences a Marine West Coast climate with Mediterranean characteristics. August is the warmest month here, when average high temperature rises to 77°F (25°C). The coldest month is January, when the average low temperature drops to 31.8°F (-0.1°C). Olympia is quite wet, with annual precipitation of 50.79 in (1,290 mm). November is the wettest month in Olympia, receiving 8.13 in (206.5 mm) of rain.

Until the arrival of Europeans, the Olympia area was inhabited by Lushootseed-speaking Native Americans. They comprise different tribes including the Squaxin, Nisqually, Puyallup0, Chehalis, Suquamish and Duwamish. The area was first explored by Peter Puget and members of the British Vancouver Expedition in 1702. The city traces its founding to Edmund Sylvester and Levi Smith, who jointly claimed the land in 1846. The name Olympia was selected in 1853, as the Olympic Mountain is visible from there. Today Olympia is the cultural center of the Puget Sound region.

Visiting Olympia

Olympia is on Interstate 5, off Exit 105.

Places of Interest in Olympia

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