About the Walla Walla Region
Walla Walla sits at the base of the Blue Mountains in rural Southeastern Washington and is one of the oldest communities in the state. It is a place where scenic beauty, cultural inspiration, outdoor adventures, and small-town friendliness come together.
Its main industries include agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education. Long known as one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the nation, where crops as wheat, asparagus, strawberries, and the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions are abundant. It’s as wine country, however, that Walla Walla is most recently celebrated. Walla Walla was recently awarded the nation’s best wine region for 2020 by USA Today.
A vibrant reflection of past and present, downtown Walla Walla is the place where a walk down tree-lined streets reveals a mix of vintage shops, boutiques, cafes, bookstores, tasting rooms, and restaurants. Add in numerous pieces of public art and special events, the seasonal Farmers Market and outdoor concerts, and you start to see why downtown has been recognized time and again as one of the best small-town Main Streets in the country. In 2019, Walla Walla was named one of the top ten cities to live in Washington State.
Rich in cultural history, the local Native American people of the Walla Walla region are the Cayuse, Palouse, Walla Walla, and Wanapum which continue to thrive in their homeland. Visit the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute to immerse yourself in 10,000 years of living history. The LatinX community has been immigrating to Southeastern Washington and Walla Walla since the 1800’s. Now this community makes up over 20% of Walla Walla County’s population. Walla Walla celebrates the past, present, and future contributions of our proud LatinX community.
Walla Walla also has a robust arts community and is home to the oldest continuous American symphony orchestra west of the Mississippi River. Musicals, comedies and drama can be found on stage as the Power House Theatre, the Little Theatre of Walla Walla, Whitman College’s Harper Joy Theatre, Walla Walla University, and Walla Walla Community College all provide top-notch performances throughout the year. Every January and June during the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, music fills the streets, coffee shops, tasting rooms, libraries and parks of Walla Walla, hosting acclaimed, award-winning musicians who take to the streets and transform two weeks of summer and winter into an ongoing musical experience. Other highlights include the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede and Walla Walla County Fair and Frontier Days, which has been existence since 1866.
Walla Walla is a place where you find not only fresh air, but a fresh perspective. With rolling hills, miles of trails, plenty of sunshine and the many waters that give the region its name, Walla Walla is the region’s hub for all things outdoors. There are plenty of things to see and do, such as cycling, golf, skiing, fishing, birdwatching, horseback riding, and hunting. During the summer, cheer on the Sweets, Walla Walla’s West Coast League baseball team. Walla Walla has 600 acres of public parks to explore, featuring 20 miles of hiking trails, state-of-the-art playgrounds, dog parks, disc golf, swimming pool and tennis courts. Walla Walla’s Visitor Center can connect you with the exciting recreational opportunities available in the Walla Walla region: https://www.wallawalla.org/
Walla Walla County is the largest county in southeast Washington and home to approximately 60,000 residents. With a pleasant mix of new and older homes, the median sale price of homes in the Walla Walla valley is $319,000. Walla Walla is within easy reach of larger metropolitan areas. Walla Walla Airport (ALW) offers daily direct flights to and from Seattle. Tri Cities Airport (PSC) is located just 50 minutes from Walla Walla. If you are traveling by car:
From Seattle: 273 miles, 4.5 hour drive time
From Portland: 243 miles, 4.0 hour drive time
From Spokane: 158 miles, 3.0 hour drive time
From Boise: 252 miles, 4.0 hour drive time