FAQ
Where can I get a map?
Where is Leavenworth?
Is Leavenworth that German town?
Is there a train, airport or bus?
Where is the Tourist Information Center?
What are the GPS coordinates for Leavenworth?
What is it like driving there in the winter?
What is the weather like?
Where can I park
How can I get around?
Where can I get gas?
Where can I get wireless internet?
Do you have places to stay and eat?
How late do the restaurants stay open and do I need reservations?
When are the shops open downtown?
What is there to do?
Are my kids going to be bored?
When are your festivals?
How is the cell phone coverage?
Why is the town named Leavenworth?
What is the early history of Leavenworth?
Why did the town change into a Bavarian town?
Where can I get the Locals Map?
How can I get on the next map?
Where can I get a map?
The Locals Map are everywhere, you can find them in sidewalk stands in downtown, gas stations, the visitor center, hotels, B & B’s, restaurants & local shops. Let us know if you would like maps for your business or sent to you. Just go to our map request page
Where is Leavenworth?
Leavenworth is Located in the heart of Washington State in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Traveling by car Leavenworth isapproximately two and a half hours from Seattle, three hours from Spokane and 5 hours from Portland. The town of Cashmere is 11 miles east of Leavenworth and Plain area is 13miles NW of Leavenworth. Detailed Directions
Is Leavenworth that German town?
Why yes it is. Leavenworth started its Bavarian change in 1965. It even has traditional German festivals and lots of great German food.
Is there a train, airport or bus?
Yes, No but close and Yes. Amtrak just added a stop here and now stops 2 times a day. Leavenworth does not have an airport but Wenatchee (22 miles east) has a small one and of course Seattle has a large international airport which is 120 miles west of us. We do have a bus that goes through here 2 times a day as well. For more information on getting here, go to our Directions page.
Where is the Tourist Information Center?
Leavenworth Visitor Center is located at 940Highway 2 in Leavenworth, check it out on the map, 509-548-5807.
Cashmere Visitor Center is located at 204Cottage Ave in Cashmere, check it out on the map, 509-782-7404.
Lake Wenatchee and Plain do not have a Visitor Center but they do have avisitor website. www.lakewenatcheeinfo.com
What are the GPS coordinates for Leavenworth?
LAT 47°25'45.00 N, LONG 120°39'41.00 W
What is it like driving there in the winter?
The Department of Transportation plows and sands the roads often, but you should always carry chains, have good traction tires, and check the road conditions before you leave.
What is the weather like?
Our valley is beautiful year around and enjoys a full four seasons withonly an annual average of 9 inches of rain a year! We get an abundance ofsun for everyone to enjoy. August is our hottest month with an averagemaximum temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
We do get snow during the winter with an average snowfall of 96 inches, the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 17 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spring and Fall are beautiful and mild. Below are some web site links that provide basic weather information to help you plan your visit.
Check out the links below for current weather:
NOAA Weather Forecast
Weather.com Forecast
Weather Underground Forecast
Where can I park?
Leavenworth has paid and free parking, Check out interactive map to see parking lots. Most neighborhoods are open to parking depending on how far you are willing to walk.
How can I get around?
Leavenworth and Cashmere are small towns and easy to navigate by foot orbike. Exploring the surrounding areas by bike is a great way to spend an afternoon, and can be rented in Leavenworth. Plain and the Lake Wenatchee area is better explored with wheels. Leavenworth andCashmere have atrolley with several stops that can get you from one end of town toanother.There is a public busThat makes a loop in Plain, then goes through Leavenworth and heads easton Hwy 2 towards Wenatchee. The bus stops in Peshastin, Dryden andCashmere. Once in Wenatchee you can get on connecting buses and continueon to places like Lake Chelan if you like.We also have a local taxi.
Where can I get gas?
Leavenworth has 3 gas stations here in town, one at either end of town and one at safeway. Check out the map to see where they are located. There is only one that is open 24 hours near milepost 104 on Hwy 2.
Where can I get wireless internet?
Plain / Lake Wenatchee: Just Plain Grocery, Midway Grocery and mosthotels & B&Bs.
Cashmere: Brians Pizza, Mission District and the Public Library
Leavenworth: Public Library, Good Mood Food, Ducks and Drakes and most hotels & B&Bs
Do you have places to stay and eat?
We have over 50 different options to choose from to spend the night and over 25 places to eat. Accommodations range from lodges, hotels, cabins to campgrounds. We also have a variety of restaurants, you won’t starve in this town. We have family friendly restaurants, pubs, pizza, Mexican, Italian, South American, Asian and of course German.
How late do the restaurants stay open and do I need reservations?
In the winter and during the week restaurants tend to close early about 8pm, during the summer months most places serve food until 9 pm. On festival weekends it is a good idea to make reservations especially Oktoberfest and Christmas Lighting Weekends.
When are the shops open downtown?
Typically 10am - 5pm, sometimes later in the summer months.
What is there to do?
Oh my gosh what isn’t there to do. The possibilities are endless. Hiking, Biking, Skiing, Rafting, Tubing, Horseback Riding, Scooter Rentals, Camping, Fishing, Golfing, Shopping, Wine or Cider Tasting, Antique Shopping, Relaxing, Massages, Body Wraps, live music, plays and so much more. Check out our Activities page.
Are my kids going to be bored?
No way, they have tons of options besides what is above. They have the waterfront park, with lots of trails suitable for walking or biking and play areas, a local swimming pool, miniature golf, movie theater, Nutcracker Musuem with a special scavenger hunt for kids and lots of festivals geared towards families. Check out our Activities page.
When are your festivals?
There is a festival almost every month. Check out our Festivals page for descriptions and information.
How is the cell phone coverage?
The town's cellphone coverage is great, however there are dead spots. Mostpeople lose coverage about 6 miles up Icicle Road and about 3 miles upthe Chumstick Hwy for a couple miles and then it is strong again. Plainhas cell phone coverage. Most people also lose coverage on Hwy 2 betweenLeavenworth and Coles Corner, which is 15 miles west of Leavenworth andthen it goes in and out until you reach the summit (Stevens Pass Resort).Then it is strong again. East of Leavenworth, Peshastin, Cashmere and ontoWenatchee, coverage is great.
Why is the town named Leavenworth?
The town is named after Captain Charles Leavenworth a land speculator,from Olympia, Washington. He was the President and chief stockholder inOkanogan Investment Company. In 1893 he platted the current town and laidthe streets parallel to the new RR track and named it after himself.
What is the early history of Leavenworth?
The first people in this area were the Wenatchee, Yakima and Chinooktribes. This was a very bountiful area for their survival. It was agreat hunting grounds for deer and elk and the land supplied roots andberries. But the greatest asset was the ancient salmon spawning grounds in the Wenatchee River.The first white settlers arrived in the area in the 1870’s, but it was theGreat Northern Railroad which arrived in 1892, connecting Seattle to theEast Coast that created the original town site of Leavenworth.Leavenworth became a major rail hub and the Cascade Division point for theGreat Northern Railroad. This brought work and men to the area. Soon thedraw of timber brought a large sawmill and even more people. By 1915Leavenworth boomed to a population of 2500, the same number of peoplethere is today. The town's reputation also grew as "the Wildest Town in the West."
But by 1927 things started to change: the railroad changed coursecircumventing Leavenworth, the logging dried up and by the early 30’s theGreat Depression finally killed what was left of Leavenworth’s economy.Through the 40’s and 50’s times were tough and it wasn’t easy to make adecent living in the area. By the late 50’s one out of every four storefronts in downtown were closed down and boarded up. The local populationthat was still here thought Leavenworth would soon be a true ghost town.
Why did the town change into a Bavarian town?
Through the 40’s and 50’s times were tough and it wasn’t easy to make adecent living in the area. By the late 50’s one out of every four storefronts in downtown were closed down and boarded up. The local populationthat was still here thought Leavenworth would soon be a true ghost town.
The people who lived here loved this area and didn’t want to see it die.In the early 1960’s a group of people created a plan to take advantage oftourism that was springing up along Highway 2 through Leavenworth.In 1963 Project L.I.F.E. (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) wascreated and the townspeople got together and eventually decided to becomea Bavarian-themed town.
With no federal or state support, the local people put time, money andsweat into the creation of the Bavarian Village we all know and love. Today Leavenworth boasts 2.5 million visitors a year and the local passionfor this dynamic little Bavarian town nestled in the eastern foothills ofthe Cascade Mountains remains strong.
How can I get on the next map?
E-mail us and we will keep you in the loop. Check out our Advertise WithUs page.
