Ritzville, Washington:

Our Geography

Our Location

This 3-D map of Washington State shows Ritzville as the white dot at very roughly 119 degrees longitude and 47 degrees latitude.

(To see a large-scale copy of this map, click on it--be aware that, as a large image, it may take a while to download.)

Here, for comparison, is a road map of the State. Ritzville is right at the intersection of Interstate 90 and US 395, where I-90 turns from southwest to due west.

(To see a large-scale copy of this map, click on it--be aware that, as a large image, it may take a while to download.)

There is a famous old saying in real estate: "The three most important things about any property are location, location, and location." Ritzville has an ideal location from both a personal and a business point of view. It is far enough away from major urban areas that it will retain its pleasant small-town virtues far into the future--yet it is a hub for convenient travel. Being at the juncture of the two most important roads in the region, Interstate 90 and US 395, makes both personal auto travel and business trucking remarkably convenient--drive times are one hour to Spokane (and to Spokane International Airport, a major facility), an hour and a half to the Tri-Cities, and four hours to Seattle. The City is right on a major railroad line. And it even has its own general-aviation airport (with recent major upgrades).

Because the City is sited amidst wheat fields, as opposed to being part of some endless suburban sprawl, land for both personal use and business use is abundant. The City has in place both a Development Code and a Comprehensive Plan, assuring that the modest, progressive growth the City is cultivating will proceed in an orderly manner satisfactory to both new and future residents and business owners. The PDA stands ready to assist you with expert local knowledge in identifying suitable sites and properties for your business, whether you envision a small, in-town service or a major commercial facility.

Our Weather

Overall, the weather is refreshingly four-seasonal with extremes in any season being unusual. The average coldest overnight low is 17 degrees and the average hottest midday high is 91 degrees; rainfall is light, averaging about ten inches a year, and the humidity is correspondingly low. The highest average snow depth in winter is 2½ inches. The average annual heating degree-days figure (base 65) is 6546; the cooling degree-day figure (base 70) is 187.

If you have the patience for a long download, here is full, detailed Ritzville climate data. (Even more such data can be found at the Western Regional Climate Center.)

This inland, east-of-the-Cascades region is dramatically different from the coastal region in many important ways. For one thing, this region is very stable geologically: earthquakes are virtually unheard of here, and strong earthquakes are literally unheard of, for ages back. Other unpleasant climatic phenomena are also strangers to the region: tornadoes are quite rare (three in Adams County in 120 years, all very mild), while hail storms are unknown here. And we are environmentally clean (here is a real-time measure of our air quality right now).

Ritzville averages about 2700 hours of sunshine a year. (A well-designed solar house can easily get well over 90% of its annual heating energy from the sun, as could a commercial facility.)