About Lewis County
Lewis County covers a beautiful and green country of forested mountains reaching from the lofty peaks of the Cascades on the east to the lower coastal mountains on the west. Rain is abundant and springs, creeks and rivers are found everywhere. While the terrain is mostly mountainous, the elevation is not real high, generally lower than about 3,000 feet. The peaks of the Cascades along the eastern boundary reach above 7,000 feet in some cases. The valley of the Chehalis River, where most people in the county live, is surprisingly low, close to 200 feet above sea level.
Mount Rainier National Park extends into the northeastern corner of Lewis County. While Mount Rainier itself is largely north of the county line, in Pierce County, much of Washington Highway 706 through the park is on the Lewis County side of the line.
Lewis County was created on December 19, 1845 with 2,436 square miles. The population in the year 2000 was 68,600. The county seat is Chehalis. Interstate 5 passes through the valley of the Chehalis River, and U.S. Highway 12 extends eastward from it, crossing the Cascades into Yakima County.