Onalaska Ghost Town

Lewis County, Washington46.5797, -122.7100

Can you visit?

Private land, lived-in town

Private or unlisted land · Streets public, lots private

Nearest town
9.1 miNapavine, WA
Mild months
Mar–Oct8 of 12
Elevation
520 ft157 m
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Onalaska. No free-licensed photo yet.

Onalaska sits in Lewis County, Washington. People call it a ghost town, though 657 residents were counted in 2020. It lies at about 520 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miCentraliaYelmChehalisRochesterWinlockRainierOnalaska
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Onalaska. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Napavine, WA, about 9.1 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lacey, WA, 32 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Kopiah9.9 mi northwest
  2. Mendota11 mi north
  3. Tono15 mi north
  4. Vail19 mi north
  5. Lindberg22 mi east
  6. Bordeaux28 mi northwest
  7. Walville31 mi west
  8. Pluvius33 mi west

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°4635Jan5134Feb5638Mar6141Apr6846May7250Jun7952Jul8151Aug7547Sep6242Oct5237Nov4535Dec
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run March to October, judging by NOAA normals from Toledo Faa Ap.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Toledo Faa Ap station (USW00024241), 8.4 miles away.

Facts

LocationLewis County, Washington
Coordinates46.57970, -122.71000
Elevation520 ft (157 m)
Census counts2010: 621 · 2020: 657
SourcesWikidata Q3474083 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Onalaska ghost town?

In Lewis County, Washington, at 46.5797, -122.7100. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Napavine, WA, about 9.1 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lacey, WA, 32 miles away.

Can you visit Onalaska?

Private land, lived-in town. The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property.

When is the best time to visit Onalaska?

Mild months here run March to October, judging by NOAA normals from Toledo Faa Ap.

Are there other ghost towns near Onalaska?

Yes. Kopiah (9.9 mi), Mendota (11 mi), Tono (15 mi), Vail (19 mi).

More ghost towns in Washington

All 126 ghost towns in Washington · Ghost towns near Portland · Ghost towns near Seattle