10 Adorable Small Towns in Washington
Washington may be best known for its eye-popping scenery, but the state’s beauty isn’t only relegated to nature.
Throughout Washington, quaint population centers support fishing, agriculture and tourism industries. They are home to historic downtowns, tasty eateries, and vibrant festivals. These beautiful small towns lie sprinkled along seasides and tucked amidst mountains.
For lovers of art and culture, they offer gallery-hopping and window-shopping opportunities.
And for recreation enthusiasts, they act as fantastic launchpads for adventures into the state’s great outdoors.
QUAINT TOWNS IN WASHINGTON STATE
The United States isn’t exactly known for its historic cities. Especially on the West Coast, many communities consist of strip malls and characterless building clusters.
There are, of course, some noteworthy exceptions.
In the years I’ve spent living in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve had the opportunity to visit many of the most highly-touted small towns in Washington.
Some are quaint historic communities with well-preserved downtowns. Others have gotten makeovers to increase their tourist appeal.
Yet, whether they be manufactured or authentic, the cutest towns in Washington add character to the state’s rural areas.
And—though they are often positioned in places with abundant nearby beauty—their historic city centers deserve more than just a passing glance.
1. FRIDAY HARBOR
Friday Harbor is the only community of significant size in Washington’s San Juan Islands. A low-key village of about 2,000 permanent residents, it contains a walkable urban core full of eateries, art galleries, and boutiques.
Dan and I visited Friday Harbor as part of a day trip to San Juan Island. The seaside town contains all the ingredients of a touristy waterside getaway. It is aesthetically pretty, replete with mom-and-pop shops, and a launch-pad for whale-watching excursions in the northern Puget Sound. Many consider Friday Harbor to be among Washington’s most beautiful towns.
As the hub of the San Juan Islands, Friday Harbor boasts plenty of attractions for a city its size. Cultural amenities include the Whale Museum, the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, the San Juan Community Theatre, and the San Juan Historical Museum.
2. ROCHE HARBOR
San Juan Island’s Roche Harbor is smaller than Friday Harbor and every bit as picturesque. Anchored by the historic Haro Hotel, it boasts delicate white architecture that is more than 100 years old.
The town’s landmark buildings date back to 1886, when the village served as a company town for John McMillin’s lime works. Preserved remnants of the lime kilns are still visible near the village’s parking area.
During our trip to San Juan Island, Dan and I explored the town and its surroundings on foot. After touring the wharf and stopping by a tiny white chapel built in 1892, we found ourselves meandering through the grounds of the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park.
The sculpture park—along with the adjacent Whimsy Forest—is a must-see Roche Harbor attraction. The 9-acre garden features more than 100 art installations by Pacific Northwest sculptors.
Though the garden does not have a formal entrance fee, $5 donations are encouraged.
3. LANGLEY
Little Langley lies at the southern end of Whidbey Island. Though it is located only one hour north of Seattle as the crow flies, the small community may as well be a million miles away. Langley’s tiny waterfront downtown feels straight out of a tourist brochure.
Like Friday Harbor, it boasts independent eateries, local boutiques, and a handful of art galleries. The town’s unusual number of galleries reflects the island’s artistic inclination.
Langley sits on the water, with direct access to the sound. It is the perfect base for exploring southern Whidbey Island.
4. COUPEVILLE
Like Langley, the small village of Coupeville offers visitors an opportunity to explore one of Whidbey Island’s adorable population centers.
Coupeville is a waterside town that sits along the shores of Penn Cove. It boasts a picturesque red wharf that juts out into the sound. Many of Coupeville’s buildings are listed in the National Historic Register.
As Washington State’s second-oldest community, much of downtown Coupeville’s architecture reflects the era in which it was founded.
Today, its storefronts house galleries, wine tasting rooms, and bookstores.
5. LA CONNER
La Conner is a beautiful historic waterfront village located on the Swinomish Channel.
The small community is one of the top places to visit in the Skagit Valley. Nestled between the Skagit River Delta and the Salish Sea, La Conner is both a fishing village and an artists’ colony. The community is known for its architecture and its adorable waterfront shops.
With views of the water and a historic crescent-shaped bridge, the beautifully-positioned town is a must-see when visiting Skagit County.
Every spring, nearby farms burst to life with colorful carpets of blooming tulips—making La Conner the optimal base for an April weekend trip.
6. POULSBO
Charming Poulsbo lies at the northern end of Liberty Bay, on the Kitsap Peninsula. Aptly nicknamed ‘Little Norway,’ Poulsbo’s architecture reflects its Scandinavian heritage.
Poulsbo was founded by Jorgen Eliason, a Norwegian immigrant. With its nearby mountains and abundant water, the landscape reminded early settlers of their homelands in Scandinavia.
Today Poulsbo’s Scandinavian-style storefronts attract tourists with their quaint European charm.
But unlike Leavenworth, the town’s kinship with Europe is about more than just tourism.
Until World War II, many of Poulsbo’s residents retained Norwegian as their primary language. But when the military constructed 300 residential units for workers at Bremerton’s naval shipyard, the town ballooned in size. The population of Poulsbo almost tripled in the three years following the war.
As a result of the area’s diversification, English replaced Norwegian as the primary language.
Still, the town’s kinship with Norway has not faded.
7. PORT TOWNSEND
The thriving community of Port Townsend is located on the northeast end of the Olympic Peninsula, en-route to Olympic National Park. With its charming architecture and bustling urban core, it is a place that feels much grander than its 10,000-strong population.
The picturesque town is a Victorian seaport steeped in history. In addition to its aesthetic beauty, it boasts a flourishing art scene and hosts an abundance of nearby adventure opportunities.
In recent years, retirees and artists have flocked to Port Townshend in droves. Drawn by sunnier weather and a more laid-back lifestyle, they have breathed renewed vitality into the area.
During our visit to Port Townshend, Dan and I strolled around downtown and admired uptown’s colorful 100+ year-old Victorian mansions.
8. LEAVENWORTH
Leavenworth is a little slice of southern Germany that lies at the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. A logging-town-turned-Bavarian village, it has become Washington’s premier mountain getaway destination.
Leavenworth may be half a world away from Munich, but the town’s European aesthetic is certainly convincing. Throughout downtown, shops sell German souvenirs, lagers flow freely, and mustard-dipped pretzels are standard fare.
Leavenworth’s transformation began in the mid 1900s, following a period of steep economic decline.
After decades of job loss and hardship, Leavenworth’s citizens decided to boost tourism by giving their town a Bavarian-style makeover. The town reinvented itself by embracing every German cliche imaginable.
Its makeover was a resounding success.
Today, Leavenworth is a place where tourists can expect to find beerhalls and bratwursts and lederhosen-clad waitstaff.
Visiting Leavenworth in winter is particularly memorable. Every year between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day, the town transforms into a bustling winter wonderland.
9. WINTHROP
Tiny Winthrop is a major stop along Washington’s Cascade Loop. Situated near the eastern edge of North Cascades National Park in the Methow Valley, its location is unbeatable. With its clapboard architecture and old-timey feel, Winthrop offers a charming window to the wild west.
Winthrop is one of the cutest small towns in Washington, thanks to an aesthetic transformation in the 1970s.
In a bid to boost tourism, the community took a page out of Leavenworth’s playbook.
But instead of turning to Europe, the town decided to rewind the clocks to mid-1800s America. Western-themed storefronts and restaurants adorn Winthrop’s main street, as though part of a movie set.
Winthrop’s wild west theme may not be authentic, but it sure is compelling.
10. STEHEKIN
Stehekin is Washington’s most remote inhabited community. The small town sits nestled at the northern end of Lake Chelan, near the entrance to North Cascades National Park.
Though it has little in the way of architecture, Stehekin is one of Washington’s most beautiful small towns. Its picturesque setting and sheer isolation render it entirely unique.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Stehekin—a small town of 75 residents—is one of my favorite places to visit in Washington.
Stehekin belies the tourist frenzy that descends on the shores of southern Lake Chelan every summer. With its difficult-to-reach-location, the town is everything Chelan is not—quiet, tranquil, remote, and off the beaten path.
The little village oozes calm.
After all, roads do not connect the community’s residents with the outside world. The only way to reach Stehekin is by boat or private plane.
****
Washington’s mountains receive all the attention. And rightly so. They’re pretty epic.
But you don’t have to be an outdoor-lover to appreciate the state’s tourist attractions.
Throughout Washington, quaint small towns boast art galleries, independent shops, nostalgic architecture, and idyllic settings.
These small communities—some wildly popular, others understated—have done their best to jostle their way onto tourist itineraries in a state that is bursting at the seams with places to visit.
_______________________________
Did You Enjoy this Guide to the Most Beautiful Small Towns in Washington State? Pin It!
