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City Of Waitsburg

147 Main Street
509-337-6371

Community Life At Its Best With a present population of just over a thousand, Waitsburg maintains a comfortable lifestyle in the abundant Pacific Northwest. The town's main streets provide an opportunity for business people to serve area residents with a variety of goods and services. Look downtown for: grocery, hardware, public library, antique and gift shops, a video shop, a beauty salon, a tavern, cafes, a pizza parlor and a motel. Professional services are provided by a bank, an insurance agency, a law office, and a clinic. Medical facilities, including three regional hospitals are only a short drive away in neighboring Dayton and Walla Walla. Appropriately, in 1865, a school was the very first public building in Waitsburg. The early emphasis on education is more evident as the town approaches the 21st century with two new educational buildings in addition to the high school. A complete K-12 program educates nearly 400 students. Dropout rates are extremely low, and the percentage of high school graduates who attend college is well above average. College selection is diverse and accessible. Twenty miles to the south, Walla Walla College and Whitman College offer four-year degree programs. Walla Walla Community College provides vocational/technical training, college credits and continuing education.

The town has five churches and approximately two dozen clubs and lodges offering a wide variety of involvement opportunities. Social activities involving residents and area visitors are equally prevalent. The Waitsburg Junior Livestock Show is held each year in April. "Days of Real Sport," a horse racing event, has been celebrated in town each May since 1896. Every September, the Bruce Mansion, a restored Victorian home, provides the atmosphere for the Pioneer Fall Festival. The local Commercial Club sponsors a Salmon Barbecue, and the Lions put on a Buffalo Feed. Waitsburg's location in southeastern

 Washington, near the Blue Mountains and Snake River, presents residents with an outdoor paradise. Hunting, hiking, fishing and water sports are moments away. A downhill ski basin is a scenic 30 miles from town.

Four distinct seasons punctuate the natural beauty of the area. Average rainfall here is comfortable at 17 inches per year. In the wintertime, warm Chinook winds sustain a climate that many describe as "the Banana Belt." With a growing season of over 220 days, it is easy to understand why folks past and present decide to call Waitsburg "home." Natural resources abound in the area providing abundant, fairly priced power. The watershed from the Blues, which refreshed the early pioneers, provides today's residents with crystal clear spring water right to their taps.