Why Yakima

Yakima is located in South Central Washington State among one of the finest wine growing regions in the world.

The Cascade Mountains to the west and arid sagebrush to the east have created fertile valleys with rich volcanic soils that have made agriculture a staple of the economy for over 100 years.

So why should businesses locate in Yakima? Here are some of the advantages...

Utilities
Washington State has the lowest power rates in the nation because of hydroelectric dams built on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

Advanced telecommunications services are available in Yakima with extensive fiber optic cables in place, allowing businesses to tap into broadband services that are required in today's digital economy.

Transportation
Interstate 82 runs through the heart of the Yakima Valley connecting businesses to major hubs in Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Boise and beyond. There are trucking firms in Yakima to handle heavy hauling, motor freight, local cartage, liquids and dry bulk.

The Yakima Airport has daily flights to Seattle and air freight is serviced by Fed Ex and UPS.

Rail shipment is serviced through Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which has 292 active spurs.

International shipping through the ports of Puget Sound is only three hours away.

Health Care
Yakima is the regional medical center for Central Washington with two major hospitals and specialty services for children with disabilities and excellent outpatient cancer treatment facilities. There are 36 medical specialties supported in the Yakima Valley.

Education
Over 18,000 people are enrolled in area colleges and vocational-technical schools.

Central Washington University is in nearby Ellensburg and offers undergraduate and master's level graduate degrees.

Heritage University in nearby Toppenish is a private four-year institution.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima focuses on training a new generation of primary care physicians.

Yakima Valley Community College is a public two-year school that offers 58 programs of study.

Washington State University Learning Center is located on the YVCC campus and offers four year and postgraduate degrees with Central Washington University and Washington State University.

Perry Technical Institute is a nationally recognized vocational and technical program, specializing in engineering and robotics among other technological studies.

Recreation
With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, Yakima offers a wide range of recreation options year round.

In the winter time, there are 12 ski resorts within a 3 hour drive, including nearby White Pass. There are also miles of trails for snowmobiling and cross country skiing.

There are 71 lakes and 14 rivers (plus many streams) for fishing, rafting, boating, swimming, windsurfing, water skiing or any kind of water recreation you can imagine.

You can hunt birds or big game and the mountains contain many trails for hiking and biking.

Golf is a passion in the Yakima Valley and the crown jewel is the Apple Tree Golf Course. "Golf Digest" rates Apple Tree as one of the top ten golf courses in Washington State.

Entertainment
Yakima's historic Capitol Theatre host productions of touring Broadway shows, and the Yakima Symphony Orchestra has regular performances.

Downtown Yakima has a variety of venues with live entertainment to keep your nights hopping.

Fun Facts
Yakima Valley farmers produce 20% of the world's supply of hops; 29% of the nation's cherries; and 38% of the nation's concord grapes.