Walla Walla County is a county in Washington, United States, on the state’s southeastern border with Oregon, where the Columbia and Snake rivers meet the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It had a population of 62,584 at the 2020 census and covers 1,299 square miles (3,360 km2), of which 1,270 square miles are land and 29 square miles are water, centred near 46°14′N 118°29′W.
Walla Walla is the county seat, and its postal code is 99362. The county has four incorporated cities — Walla Walla, College Place, Prescott and Waitsburg — plus six census-designated places. It sits in the Pacific time zone and anchors the Walla Walla, WA metropolitan area, one of the smallest official metro areas in the country.
Towns & Villages in Walla Walla County
Most of the county’s people live in or around the city of Walla Walla, with smaller farm towns strung along U.S. Route 12 and the Walla Walla and Touchet rivers.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla | City · seat | — | 99362 |
| College Place | City | — | — |
| Waitsburg | City | — | — |
| Prescott | City | — | — |
| Burbank | CDP | — | — |
| Touchet | CDP | — | — |
| Wallula | CDP | — | — |
| Walla Walla East | CDP | — | — |
| Garrett | CDP | — | — |
| Dixie | CDP | — | — |
| Lowden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eureka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ayer | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 99362 — Walla Walla (also serves the rural east side of the county)
Other incorporated cities and CDPs in the county each have their own ZIP code, and smaller unincorporated places such as Lowden, Eureka, Ayer and Walla Walla East use the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Walla Walla County spans a low, wide basin between the Columbia River and the Blue Mountains foothills. The western third, along the Columbia and Snake rivers, is flat, arid farmland and shrub-steppe; the eastern third rises toward timbered ridges near the Oregon line. The Walla Walla and Touchet rivers cross the county from the mountains to the Columbia, and the McNary National Wildlife Refuge sits along the Columbia in the county’s northwest corner.
Walla Walla County borders Franklin County to the north, Columbia County to the east, Umatilla County, Oregon to the south, and Benton County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 62,584 residents; a 2025 estimate put the population at roughly 62,400, essentially flat. Walla Walla, the county seat, and College Place are the two largest communities. Washington’s statewide 2023 ACS median household income was $94,605; Walla Walla County, a largely agricultural county, has historically run well below the state figure. Overall population density is about 46 people per square mile, concentrated around the city of Walla Walla.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county’s economy — wheat, onions, alfalfa and orchard fruit on the valley floor, and wine grapes on the surrounding hillsides, which have made the Walla Walla Valley one of the Pacific Northwest’s best-known wine regions. Walla Walla, the county seat, is also a college town, home to Whitman College, and neighboring College Place is home to Walla Walla University. The Washington State Penitentiary, one of the state’s largest employers, is in Walla Walla. The county holds its Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days each September.
History
Walla Walla County was created by the Washington Territorial Legislature on April 25, 1854, one of the territory’s original counties, and takes its name from the Walla Walla people who lived along the river of the same name. The Whitman Mission, established by missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman near present-day Walla Walla, sits within the county and is preserved today as the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. The county has since been subdivided several times as neighboring Washington counties were formed from its original territory.
Getting There
U.S. Route 12 runs the length of the county, connecting Walla Walla to Waitsburg and on toward Spokane; U.S. Route 730 links Wallula to the Tri-Cities and the Oregon side of the Columbia.
- Tri-Cities (Kennewick/Pasco/Richland) — about 45 miles northwest
- Pendleton, Oregon — about 45 miles south
- Spokane — about 150 miles northeast
- Portland, Oregon — about 240 miles west
Walla Walla Regional Airport, on the city’s east side, offers commercial flights; Amtrak does not serve the county directly, with the nearest station at Pasco.
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is Walla Walla, Washington in?
Walla Walla is the seat of Walla Walla County, which it shares its name with.
What is the Walla Walla postcode?
Walla Walla’s postal code is 99362.
How big is Walla Walla County?
It covers 1,299 square miles (3,360 km2), of which 29 square miles are water.
What is Walla Walla County known for?
Its wine industry, wheat and onion farming, Whitman College and Walla Walla University, and the historic Whitman Mission.
What are the incorporated cities in Walla Walla County?
Walla Walla, College Place, Waitsburg and Prescott.
Which counties border Walla Walla County?
Franklin and Benton counties to the north and west, Columbia County to the east, and Umatilla County, Oregon to the south.
When was Walla Walla County created?
April 25, 1854, by the Washington Territorial Legislature.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Washington.