27 Outstanding Facts About Olympia, Washington That You Should Know

Olympia, the Washington state capital, is the largest city and country seat in Thurston County, with a population of approximately 50,000 people.

Olympia is a large city with a fascinating history and has been called by various names over time. The very first name for  Olympia, Washington territory that we are aware of is Native American ancestry.

Native Americans have resided in the area for thousands of years. In English, their name for the location that would later become the capital city is 'Cheetwoot.'

In the Lushootseed language spoken by Native Americans in South Puget Sound, the previous name for Olympia, Washington, means 'Place of the Bear.' Perhaps this refers to the peninsula on which downtown Olympia currently stands, the original bear-shaped structure, or the fact that bears once roamed the area.

Did you know that Olympia High School's mascot is a bear, which is appropriate given Olympia's history with bears?

Congress formed the Customs District of Puget Sound for Washington Territory, and the customs house was constructed in Olympia.

After reading these exciting facts about Olympia city, also check out Pennsylvania facts and Grenada facts.

Geography And Climate

Olympia, Washington, is the largest city in Thurston County. Below are some interesting geographical facts about Olympia, Washington.

Did you know that the city has a total area of 19.68 sq mi (50.9 sq km), with 17.82 sq mi (46.18 sq km) of land and 1.86 sq mi (4.8 sq km) of water, according to the United States Census Bureau?

At the southern extremity of Puget Sound, Budd Inlet is home to Olympia. In 1951 by damming the Deschutes River estuary called Capitol Lake. Much of downtown Olympia's lower portion is made up of the reclaimed ground. Olympia, Washington, is bordered by the cities of Lacey and Tumwater.

The territory around Olympia, Washington, has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, whereas the local microclimate enjoys dry summers and cold nightly lows in July and August. The majority of the weather in western Washington is brought in by weather systems that form near Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

This western Washington, cold rain provides cold, damp air, cloudiness, and fog to western Washington.

Parks

There are numerous public parks and nature preserves in Olympia. The Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area is a 222 sq hectares (550 sq acre) tract along the Woodard and Chapman Bays of the Henderson Inlet that protects more than 5.5 mi (8.8 km) of Puget Sound waterfront.

Percival Landing Park features a playground, picnic spots, and ample open space, as well as one mi (1.6 km) boardwalk along Budd Inlet. Percival Landing was closed to the public in 2010 for a significant refurbishment due to saltwater contamination and reopened in the warmer months of 2011.

The Watershed Park, which includes a circular walk and a vast second-growth forest, was once the site of the city's waterworks. Trillium Park, which was created through the efforts of adjoining neighborhood associations using private property easements.

The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and the Capitol State Forest are both located near outside Olympia. Sunrise Park, Yauger Park, which is host to a few of Olympia's public skate parks, as well as Friendly Grove, which is nestled in a small Eastside community, are among the other parks.

Artesian water

Artesian springs were the primary source of water for early residents in Swantown and Tumwater. The main community well, located at Fourth Avenue and Main Street (now known as Capitol Way), was where people met to socialize.

Artesian Commons Park, a former parking lot, has an operating artesian well. At the corner of Olympia Avenue and Washington Street, another stream continues to run. In the Bigelow Neighborhood, a small park was built around another spring.

Until the development of a new park that included alterations to the coastline, an artesian well was located at the northeast end of Capitol Lake.

Twenty-six artesian wells supply the former Olympia Brewery, and McAllister Springs, Olympia's principal water source, is provided by artesian wells.

In 1991, Jim Ingersoll, a local psychologist, petitioned the city council to acquire the free-flowing artesian well on fourth Avenue in downtown Olympia and develop it as a community park.

A meeting with Dick Batdorf, co-founder of Batdorf and Bronson coffee roasting, piqued Ingersoll's curiosity in the well.

Twin Towns And Sister Cities

Olympia has a twinning relationship with various cities across the world.

Katō, Hyōgo, Japan; Damascus, Syria; Nanchang, China. Agreements made with Olympia, Greece, and Samarkand, Uzbekistan, were in place, and they're no longer applicable.

Schools And Universities

Here are some facts about Olympia, Washington, and their schools and universities.

Olympia's chief public school system is the Olympia School District. The 2005–06 school year had 9,231 pupils in grades K–12. There are 18 schools in the district, with 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools.

Olympia launched the Parent Partnership Program in the 2007–08 school year, which gives homeschooled households more options. Olympia Regional Learning Academy, Olympia's online high school, is part of the same scheme. Evergreen Christian, Olympia Community School, Olympia Waldorf School, Holy Family, and St. Michael School are among the private elementary schools.

The city of Olympia features a lot of higher education institutions, including South Puget Sound Community College and The Evergreen State College, in addition to primary and secondary schools. Bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and science, as well as master's degrees.

Associate degrees are available in arts, science, biology, elementary education, pre-nursing, applied science, general studies, and business at South Puget Sound Community College.

Food In Olympia

The city of Olympia is bustling downtown, which is mostly within walking distance of the city's generally beautiful shoreline, is full of cozy coffee shops and lived-in bakeries.

Another 90s-era tradition that is still running strong is the Olympia Farmers Market, which shifted to a permanent place at the upper end of Capitol Way in 1996 after years of moving around town and is still running strong today. Here are some interesting food-related facts about Olympia, Washington.

The market has to be your first destination if you just have time for one.

A walk through Olympia's farmers market provides one of the many recurring memories that the Northwest truly is best. From the closely curated tables of fresh vegetables and oysters from just up the road for $10 per dozen.

It's espresso time!

No account of Northwest coffee heritage is complete without at least Olympia's achievements; for instance, the original Batdorf & Bronson is still working in the city decades later.

Are you looking for a drink?

Six from every ten apples consumed in the Country are grown in Washington, so you can expect to discover some excellent cider here.

Art In Olympia

The city of Olympia is a fine arts hub for the entire region. At the historic State Theater, groups such as Animal Fire Theater, Olympia Family Theater, Theater Artists Olympia (TAO), Olympia Little Theater, and Harlequin Productions offer a variety of theatrical experiences. Below are some facts about Olympia, Washington, and its art!

At the Washington Center, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra plays five regular-season concerts and two pop concerts. At the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, the Masterworks Chorale Ensemble performs multiple season opener concerts.

Bonus fun fact! Some neighborhood coffeehouses, such as  Batdorf & Bronson, Obsidian in downtown, Olympia Coffee Roasting Co., include visual art venues.

Art House Designs is a gallery that exhibits sculpture, painting, and printing, as well as hosting a jazz performance area. In Olympia, murals and public art installations projects are abundant, particularly on the State Capitol Campus and along Percival Landing at the urban waterfront.

Visual art exhibitions are held in the wide foyer spaces of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts throughout the season.

The Washington State Arts Commission commissioned permanent installations by Alfredo Arreguin, which are supplemented by various solo and group shows throughout the year. Reservations are required to visit the artwork.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about Olympia Washington, then why not take a look at birds in Georgia or Tennessee facts.