Welcome to Pasco

Pasco is situated on the Columbia River in Franklin County.  It is one of three cities in what are commonly referred to as the Tri-Cities. Richland and Kennewick in Benton County are the other two cities. 

The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by this area during its westbound journey in 1805 and camped at what is now the Sacajawea State Park at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake River, east of Pasco.  The Sacajawea Interpretive Center (see also Lewis and Clark Trail) at the park is an excellent source of information about the expedition and the Sahaptin- and Cayuse-speaking Indians living in this now southeastern region of Washington state.

The Online Encyclopedia of Washington History has several articles on the history of Pasco and its people, including first trains crossing the Columbia River at Pasco, Pasco celebrates first air-mail delivery, and an overview of Franklin County's history.  Use the search option on the encyclopedia's web site for more articles.

Fur trappers, gold traders and the Northern Pacific Railway found their respective ways to the area and contributed to the eventual establishment of the city of Pasco.  Since then Pasco has gone through a series of boom and bust periods with the latest showing growth prompted by the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which originally played a role in the Manhattan Project, and housing construction.  These newer developments have resulted in the formation of the city of West Pasco.  The Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum in Pasco has exhibits and artifacts related to railroad history in the Pasco area.  This site also has useful maps of Pasco and the Tri-City area.  The Franklin County Historical Museum is another excellent source of information about local history.

Pasco and the Tri-Cities region are well served by major highways:  Interstate 82, which runs northwest to southeast from Interstate 90 in Ellensburg, WA to Interstate 84 near Pendleton in Oregon; US395, a major north-to-south highway serving eastern Washington and Oregon running from Spokane southbound to eventually California and Nevada; and US12, a west-to-east route crossing Washington state from its junction with US101 at Aberdeen on the coast to Lewiston in Idaho and points east.

The Tri-Cities area is also a good base for exploring the wine country that has developed over recent years in this part of southeastern Washington and for discovering places of interest along the Lewis and Clark Trail.

The Three Rivers Children's Museum is located in West Pasco.   

The Columbia Basin College contributes to the cultural life of Pasco in addition to providing education in a variety of fields.  The Dust Devils Stadium hosts a local baseball team that is affiliated with the Colorado Rockies.

The Port of Pasco handles barge traffic on the Columbia River and operated the Pasco/Tri-Cities Airport.

There is a good selection of lodging and dining facilities in Pasco and the Tri-City area.

The web sites for the City of Pasco, the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Tri-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau have additional information for planning travel to Pasco and the Tri-Cities Region.

Transportation:   Ben Franklin Transit provides bus services throughout the Tri-Cities region.  This site also has a useful map of the service area.

Airports:   Tri-Cities Airport on the north side of Pasco provides commercial passenger and general aviation services.  

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