Chehalis, Washington#Claquato

The name "Chehalis" is derived from {{Lang|cea|c̓x̣íl̕əš}}, the name of principal village of the Lower Chehalis people, located near what is now Westport, Washington.{{Cite book |last=Hajda |first=Yvonne |title=Handbook of North American Indians |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |year=1990 |isbn=0-16-020390-2 |volume=7 |page=503 |chapter=Southern Coast Salish}} It translates to "place of sand" or "shifting sand" in English.{{cite web|url=https://www.chehalistribe.org/|title=Chehalis Tribe|publisher=Chehalis Tribe|access-date=March 29, 2020|archive-date=January 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113064856/https://www.chehalistribe.org/|url-status=live}} It has also been spelled Atchixe-lish, Chachelis, Checalish, Chehaylis, Chickeelas, Chixeelis, Ebihalis, Tcheles, Tsehalish, and Tse-he-lis. Early non-native explorers of the Pacific Northwest vocalized the words as "Chehalis" and proceeded to describe the original inhabitants as such.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Evan |title=Post office name becomes Chehalis |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1975/09-23/page-2 |access-date=October 29, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=September 23, 1975 |page=2}}

The community was originally known as Saunder's Bottom and as the town of Saundersville, named after Schuyler and Eliza Saunders on whose donation land claim it was founded when they settled on the land in 1850. Differing timelines and recognition of the name change to Chehalis exist. A founding member of the community and its postmaster, Obadiah B. McFadden, renamed the town as Chehalis in 1870.{{efn|The exact date that McFadden changed the name fluctuates depending on the source, often vaguely listed as 1870. He officially reestablished the local post office under the Chehalis moniker on September 23, 1870.{{cite news |title=The Beautiful And Commodious New Federal Building And Postoffice In Chehalis That Was Appropriately Dedicated With Ceremonies Recently |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h4A9AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA8 |access-date=October 29, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=January 19, 1934 |page=8}}.}} Another account claims officials for the Northern Pacific Railroad, in 1874, began to refer to the location as Chehalis but for unknown reasons.{{cite news |last1=Banel |first1=Feliks |title=All Over The Map: How Kittitas, Klickitat and Lewis counties were named |url=https://mynorthwest.com/3173561/all-over-the-map-how-kittitas-klickitat-and-lewis-counties-were-named/ |access-date=February 28, 2024 |work=MYNorthwest |date=October 1, 2021}} The naming was officially recognized by the state legislature on September 23, 1879. The Chehalis nomenclature is believed to denote its location to the Chehalis people and the Chehalis River.

The meaning of the names of Saunder's Bottom and Chehalis were fitting for the growing town due to the muddy bottomland along the Chehalis River which had long vexed stagecoach travelers on the Washington arm of the Oregon Trail between Kalama and New Market (Tumwater).{{cite web|url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8645|title=Chehalis Thumbnail History|publisher=HistoryLink.org|access-date=March 29, 2020|archive-date=February 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205005912/https://www.historylink.org/File/8645|url-status=live}}

An early motto for the city, "What Chehalis makes makes Chehalis" was initiated under Mayor John West in late-1926.{{cite news |title=Condensed Synopsis Of Late State News |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=VASHON19261231.1.1 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |work=Vashon Island News-Record |date=December 31, 1926 |page=1}} As red roses had long been a symbol of the community, including the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) accredited Chehalis Municipal Rose Garden,{{cite news |last1=Slaughter |first1=Mai Ling |title=Chehalis rose garden grows in importance |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2000/08-15/page-1 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 15, 2000 |pages=A1, A12}} the city adopted the red rose as an official community flower in 1955,{{cite news |title=Chehalins Adopt Red Rose As Their Community Flower |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1955/05-10/page-1 |access-date=October 30, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=May 10, 1955 |page=1}} leading to the nickname for Chehalis, "The Rose City", which was made official in 2000. The city's motto, "A Heritage to be Proud Of" was concurrently adopted. The community has been informally known as "The Mint City" due to I.P. Callison's mint plant{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Chehalis becomes Rose City |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2000/07-25/page-1 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |pages=A1, A8}}{{cite book |last1=McDonald Zander |first1=Julie |title=Images of America - Chehalis |date=2011 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=9780738576039 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaVwkcPhFwEC |access-date=April 24, 2024}}{{rp|31}} and as "The Friendly City", nomenclature born from social symbolism connected to roses. An attempt to change the official moniker to "The Friendly City" in 2009 did not pass, but the city changed its motto to "Where Heart and History Shape Our Future".{{cite news |last1=Pearson |first1=Adam |title=Chehalis Changes Motto to 'Where Heart and History Shape Our Future' |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-changes-motto-to-where-heart-and-history-shape-our-future,178565? |access-date=August 13, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 13, 2010}}

Chehalis began as a settlement around a warehouse beside a railroad track in 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railroad built northward from Kalama to Tacoma. Northern Pacific's decision bypassed the town of Claquato, then the county seat. This allowed Chehalis, in 1874, to become the central location for Lewis County government. That same year, a store was added to the warehouse, and a courthouse and several houses were constructed.{{cite web|url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/Chehalis%20History%20on-line_0.pdf|title=History of Chehalis, Washington|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=June 28, 2020|archive-date=June 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630153017/https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/Chehalis%20History%20on-line_0.pdf|url-status=live}} Chehalis was incorporated on November 23, 1883.

Logging soon began in the nearby forests. Lumber workers of Scandinavian, English, and Scots-Irish descent arrived and settled in the neighboring valleys.{{cite news|date=1909|title=The City of Chehalis, County Seat of Lewis County, State of Washington|publisher=Chehalis Bee-Nugget|language=en}} In 1940, the chief local industries were dairying, poultry raising, fruit growing, milk condensing, fruit and vegetable packing, brick and tile manufacturing, coal mining, portable house manufacturing, and fern shipping.{{cite web |last1=Tenlen |first1=Jenny |title=Chehalis History |url=https://jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/chehalis.html |website=Lewis Co., WA GenWeb Project |access-date=May 9, 2021 |archive-date=May 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509234713/https://jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/chehalis.html |url-status=live }}

During World War II, Chehalis was home to a Boeing manufacturing plant. The factory was responsible for producing wing parts for airplanes, particularly for B-17 and B-29 bombers. The plant, which received Boeing's excellence pennant, existed between 1943 and 1945 and was located in the Harry B. Quick building. Built in the mid-1920s, it has been owned by the Lewis County Public Utilities District since the early 1940s. A plaque, installed on the exterior of the building in 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the war's end, honors the workers of the Boeing manufactory, of which 70% were Rosie the Riveters.{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Gathering marks 80th anniversary of war era Boeing plant in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/gathering-marks-80th-anniversary-of-war-era-boeing-plant-in-chehalis,329493 |access-date=November 20, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 17, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Farley |first1=Glenn |title=Boeing's forgotten World War II factories |url=https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/boeings-forgotten-world-war-ii-factories/281-48240553 |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=King 5 News (Seattle, Washington) |date=November 11, 2015}}

The city, known for its flooding events, suffered damages and hardship during other natural disasters and severe weather events. A report in the aftermath of the 1949 Olympia earthquake listed that approximately 40% of local Chehalis businesses and homes were damaged, including a tally of over 1,300 chimneys.{{cite web |last1=Lange |first1=Greg |title=Earthquake hits Puget Sound area on April 13, 1949 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/2063 |website=History Link |access-date=August 21, 2023 |date=January 1, 2000}} One Chehalis resident was reported as injured and the Green Hill School, which lost the use of four buildings, recorded $2 million in damages.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=1949 Was Earth-Shaking, Heart-Breaking Time Here |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/1949-was-earth-shaking-heart-breaking-time-here,213996? |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 17, 2007}} The high school and the West Side School were destroyed; neither was rebuilt.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=Florence Kennicott Lived a Colorful Life |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2007/03-31/page-3/ |access-date=August 21, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 31, 2007 |page=A3}} Chehalis was also hit hard during the Hanukkah Eve windstorm of 2006, with the interstate closed south of the city due to fallen trees.{{cite news |last1=Sistek |first1=Scott |title=Dec. 14-15, 2006: Historic Hanukkah Eve windstorm pummeled Western Washington |url=https://komonews.com/weather/seattle-weather-history/10-years-ago-today-historic-hanukkah-eve-windstorm-pummeled-western-washington# |access-date=November 14, 2023 |work=KOMO 4 News |date=December 14, 2016 |quote=Article contains a copy of a live blog during the storm and an original Associated Press article from December 15, 2006}}

A vessel in the United States Navy, the gunboat USS Chehalis (PGM-94), was named in honor of the city.{{cite web |last1=Francis |first1=Timothy L. |title=Chehalis II (PG-94) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/chehalis--pg-94--1969.html |website=Naval History and Heritage Command |publisher=U.S. Navy - Director of Naval History |access-date=August 12, 2021}}

{{main|Flood history in Chehalis, Washington}}

Due to Chehalis being located near several large rivers and resting in a valley, heavy rains and snowmelt has led the city to experience numerous historic flooding events,{{cite news |author1=David Kroman |author2=Hal Bernton |title=Residents fight to keep waters at bay in Chehalis area, where threat of floods is a constant |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/residents-fight-to-keep-waters-at-bay-in-chehalis-area-where-threat-of-floods-is-a-constant/ |access-date=May 7, 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=January 7, 2022}} often recorded between November and February.

Historical accounts and spiritual lessons passed down in the history of Native American people living in and around the Chehalis River tell of major floods in the basin.{{cite news |author1=Julie McDonald |author2=Edna Fund |title=From Native American Legends to 2007: A History of Flooding in the Chehalis River Basin |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/from-native-american-legends-to-2007-a-history-of-flooding-in-the-chehalis-river-basin,21216? |access-date=July 26, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 6, 2017 |quote=Article a copy from the book "The Flood of 2007: Disaster and Survival on the Chehalis River"}} The first record of a flood, when the community known as Saundersville was settled, was in 1865.{{rp|45}} The first newspaper accounting of floods mention events in 1887 and 1897 that disrupted sawmill operations and river and railroad traffic.

The 20th century recorded over two dozen notable flooding events in and around the Chehalis community. The earliest recordings of floods are from 1906, 1909, and 1910, with major floods in 1915 and 1919. Chehalis, which was submerged in a month-long rain event, broke flood records in 1933 and moderate floods followed later in the decade. A 1948 weather pattern, a widespread disaster for the state, led to flooding in Chehalis. Heavy rains in the early-to-mid 1950s bought moderate floodwaters.

The Christmas flood of 1964 led to widespread floodwaters in 1965. A record-setting flood occurred in 1972, submerging the interstate for the first time in the city. The Chehalis River crested twice in January 1974, causing $10 million in losses. A major flood disaster developed in 1986 after {{convert|8|in|cm}} of rainfall over several days that led to the submerging of the fairgrounds and a contamination spill at a closed industrial site near Millett Field. The highway was covered with floodwaters again during a major flood disaster 1990. A 100-year flood occurred in February 1996,{{cite news |author1=Emily Fitzgerald |author2=Eric Rosane |title=So Far 120 Homes, Structures Reporting Damage Totaling at Least $2 Million From January Flooding |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/so-far-120-homes-structures-reporting-damage-totaling-at-least-2-million-from-january-flooding,283395 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 26, 2022}} with the Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers setting flood stage records. A state of emergency was declared and I-5 was closed for four days.{{cite news |last1=Yardley |first1=William |title=Anger and blame after deadly flood in Northwest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/world/americas/03iht-03flood.9002047.html |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=January 3, 2008}}

The city in the 21st century has had several floods of various levels including a record flood that closed the interstate in the town in December 2007 due to the Great Coastal Gale of 2007.{{cite news |title=Floodwaters linger in Washington, Oregon |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22082408 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=December 3, 2007}}{{cite news |title=Northwest floods likened to Mount St. Helens |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22128563 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=December 6, 2007}}{{cite news |last1=van Schagen |first1=Sarah |title=Massive flooding in western Washington linked to man-made causes |url=https://grist.org/article/playing-the-blame-game/ |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=Grist |date=January 10, 2009}} Another major flood materialized over a year later in January 2009, immersing several regions within Chehalis, and I-5 and railroads were shut down once again.{{cite news |title=Roads slowly reopen in storm-hit Washington |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28541070 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=January 7, 2009}}{{cite news |title=Northwest floods close roads, stall commerce |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28578505 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=January 9, 2009}} Less severe floods transpired during record daily rainfalls in 2010,{{cite news |title=Storms bring flood threat to Wash., Ore. rivers |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna40630310 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=December 12, 2010}} 2012,{{cite news |author1=NBC News staff and news services |title=Storm slams Pacific Northwest with record rain, wind; at least one dead |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/storm-slams-pacific-northwest-record-rain-wind-least-one-dead-flna1c7165140 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |date=November 20, 2012}} and 2015.{{cite news |last1=Chen |first1=Natasha |title=Water surrounds homes in Southwestern Washington, more rain expected |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/water-surrounds-homes-southwestern-washington-more/19124769/ |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=KIRO 7 News |date=December 10, 2015}} A stretch of I-5 between Chehalis and Centralia was closed for several hours after a major flood in January 2022.{{cite news |last1=Horne |first1=Deborah |title=Lewis County hard hit by flooding |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/flooding-closes-20-mile-stretch-i-5-lewis-county/VYEBKRY3GZEB7KMTPGFODCTXWE/ |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=KIRO 7 News |date=January 7, 2022}}{{cite news |author1=Antonio Planas |author2=Phil Helsel |title=Flooding in Washington state shuts down interstate, forces evacuations |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rising-floodwaters-prompt-closing-interstate-closure-evaucations-washi-rcna11413 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |work=NBC News |date=January 7, 2022}}

Chehalis has not been immune to a history of hate crimes, racism, and white supremacy groups. An article written in the Chehalis Bee-Nugget newspaper from 1909 details a letter from a Black man who considered Chehalis a "white man's city" and would not move to the town. While the piece mentions that the people of Chehalis have not exhibited hostilities towards non-White people, the editorial does report that a Black family has never resided in the city while also acknowledging a lack of representation for citizens of Asian heritage.{{cite news |title=This Is No Place For... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aUxUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=November 21, 2023 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=November 26, 1909 |page=9}} At the beginning of the 1910 Chehalis Gophers baseball season, the club and its ballplayers participated in a minstrel show, receiving positive reviews in a local paper.{{cite news |title=The Minstrel Farce Is Great |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXs9AAAAIBAJ |access-date=November 10, 2023 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=April 22, 1910 |page=12}}{{cite news |title=Minstrel Show A Success |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ons9AAAAIBAJ |access-date=November 10, 2023 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=April 29, 1910 |page=1}} An "anti-Greek and Italian" movement existed in Chehalis around 1911 that demanded to abolish the employment of foreigners within the town.{{cite news |title=Another Anti-Greek Gathering |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-weekly-chronicle/1911/07-19/page-6 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Centralia Weekly Chronicle |date=July 19, 1911 |page=6}}

In 1924, a rally for the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was held at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds and the estimated attendance was recorded between 20,000 and 30,000 members from around Washington. During the Great Depression, Chehalis and the surrounding cities and counties saw a rise in the participation of "Silver Shirts", a group that followed similar aspects to the Nazi movement of the era.{{cite news |last1=Voie |first1=Brittany |title=Lewis County No Stranger to Extreme Right, Supremacist Groups |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/voice-of-voie-lewis-county-no-stranger-to-extreme-right-supremacist-groups,24295 |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 18, 2017}} In a Life magazine article from March 1939, the publication reported regarding hate groups and said Chehalis had a hate group leader in it, purportedly a local insurance man.{{cite news |title=Fascism In America - A Cell In Chehalis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lU0EAAAAMBAJ |access-date=February 23, 2024 |work=Life Magazine |date=March 6, 1939 |page=62}} A trio of female high school students wrote to the magazine, believing that the feature "did not accurately depict the feelings of local citizens" just the insurance man and his followers, and a follow-up photo article from Life in May showcased the city's actual more varied and "American ideals" atmosphere which tended to more highlight inclusion, tolerance and diversity. It was noted that the leader of that fascist group had left town after the original story had published.{{cite news |last1=Moeller |first1=Bill |title=Remembering When Chehalis Made Life Magazine |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/bill-moeller-commentary-remembering-when-chehalis-made-life-magazine,313753 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 8, 2023 |quote=Based on an original article from July 23, 2008}}{{cite news |title=Pictures To The Editors - Chehalis: Students' View |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUkEAAAAMBAJ |access-date=February 23, 2024 |work=Life Magazine |date=May 15, 1939 |pages=86–87}}

After World War II, the emergence of the John Birch Society (JBS), which opposed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, began to circulate in and around the community, though much of the group’s noted activity occurred outside Chehalis with the group opening a bookstore in Centralia. Active and open participation from county residents in either the KKK or the JBS began to wane in the 1970s and 1980s, and the last activity of either group was recorded as taking place at the end of the century. The city, due to its early history and present-day lack of a Black population, was listed as a sundown town though there is no evidence the city ever had sundown policies.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=Are White Supremacists Welcome Here? Is Lewis County Racist? |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/julie-mcdonald-commentary-are-white-supremacists-welcome-here-is-lewis-county-racist,321738 |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 3, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Loewen |first1=James W. |title=Sundown Towns - Chehalis, Washington |url=https://justice.tougaloo.edu/sundowntown/chehalis-wa/ |access-date=September 19, 2023 |work=History and Social Justice}}

Residents in the city in more recent years have protested in favor of the Black Lives Matter movement, holding two demonstrations in 2020 at the Lewis County Courthouse after the murder of George Floyd. The second event was attended by approximately 300 people who knelt for 8 minutes 46 seconds in protest against police brutality. Notwithstanding a brief interruption, the assembly remained peaceful.{{cite news |last1=McCarty |first1=Emily |title=Small town activists show up big for Black Lives Matter |url=https://crosscut.com/2020/06/small-town-activists-show-big-black-lives-matter |access-date=February 29, 2024 |work=Crosscut (Cascade PBS) |date=June 19, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Jackson |title=More Than 300 People Kneel in Chehalis in Second Demonstration Against Police Brutality, Racism |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/more-than-300-people-kneel-in-chehalis-in-second-demonstration-against-police-brutality-racism,3304 |access-date=February 29, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 2, 2020}}

A rise in hate crimes against LGBTQ people in the 21st century also affected Chehalis, usually perpetrated or led by non-Chehalis residents. In the 2020s, a billboard in Chehalis supporting LGBTQ and racial equality movements was vandalized.{{cite news |last1=Mikkelsen |first1=Drew |title=Billboard supporting people of color and LGBTQ communities vandalized in Lewis County |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/chehalis-billboard-hamilton-lgbtq-people-of-color/281-02d5fb83-ca85-400f-8443-13d2fbeea18d |access-date=June 28, 2023 |work=KING 5 News |date=September 21, 2020}} And a drag show held in June 2023 at the Chehalis Theater was a site of controversy when a political fundraiser that referred to drag performers as "groomers" was hosted nearby without theater approval by the Lewis County GOP, headed by a non-Chehalis resident, and timed so as to coincide with the drag show in the Chehalis Theater and a similarly protested Pride event that had been held in Centralia earlier that day. The GOP’s actions were shortly after condemned by local leaders.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Pollock Doubles Down on Criticism After Outrage From Lewis County Republicans |url= https://www.chronline.com/stories/pollock-doubles-down-on-criticism-after-outrage-from-lewis-county-republicans,321228 |access-date=July 9, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 21, 2023}} A few weeks later, a single-evening hate crime act occurred that targeted LGBTQ charities and symbols within various locations of the city.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Four Lewis County LGBTQ+ Advocate Sites Vandalized in One Night |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/four-lewis-county-lgbtqplus-advocate-sites-vandalized-in-one-night,321415 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 26, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Girgis |first1=Lauren |title=Flags stolen, vandalized throughout Washington during Pride month |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/flags-stolen-vandalized-throughout-washington-during-pride-month/ |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=July 7, 2023}} The Chehalis Friendship Fence was vandalized during the hate crime attack.{{cite news |last1=Baumgardner |first1=Gwen |title=Lewis County sees wave of LGBTQIA+ spaces vandalized, believed to be hate crimes |url=https://mynorthwest.com/3904493/lewis-county-sees-wave-of-lgbtqia-spaces-vandalized-believed-to-be-hate-crimes/ |access-date=July 3, 2023 |work=KIRO 7 News |date=June 30, 2023}} The fence was repainted days later through a volunteer effort.{{cite news |last1=Wenzelburger |first1=Jared |title=Volunteers Repaint Friendship Fence in Chehalis After Vandalism |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/in-focus-volunteers-repaint-friendship-fence-in-chehalis-after-vandalism,321599 |access-date=July 3, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 30, 2023}} The fence was targeted again in February 2024 after a group of three people, all with ties to a variety of hate groups, as well as previous hate crime acts, splashed the artwork with black paint. The perpetrators, who were not from Chehalis, were chased down by a local resident and caught; fellow neighbors were able to wipe the paint off before it dried but the damages were severe enough that parts of the local attraction needed to be repainted.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Three arrested for vandalizing Friendship Fence in Chehalis after neighbor gives chase |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/three-arrested-for-vandalizing-friendship-fence-in-chehalis-after-neighbor-gives-chase,335356 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 26, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Bail set at $20K for three Chehalis 'Friendship Fence' vandalism suspects |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/bail-set-at-20k-for-three-chehalis-friendship-fence-vandalism-suspects,335438 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 26, 2024}} The trio were found guilty of misdemeanor malicious mischief but were acquitted by jury on hate crime charges.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Lewis County jury acquits three Chehalis Friendship Fence vandals of hate crime charges |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-jury-acquits-three-chehalis-friendship-fence-vandals-of-hate-crime-charges,362592 |access-date=October 3, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 27, 2024}}

As translated from the Chehalis Native American language, Claquato means "high prairie" or "high land".{{cite news |last1=Skinner |first1=Andy |title=A Brief Look at the Rich History of the Claquato Church and Cemetery |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-brief-look-at-the-rich-history-of-the-claquato-church-and-cemetery,19697 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 2, 2018 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214100/https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-brief-look-at-the-rich-history-of-the-claquato-church-and-cemetery,19697 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Rush |first1=Jessica |title=Ghost Town: Claquato, Washington |url=http://www.lewistalk.com/2018/07/15/ghost-town-claquato-washington/ |website=LewsiTalk.com |date=July 15, 2018 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215859/http://www.lewistalk.com/2018/07/15/ghost-town-claquato-washington/ |url-status=live }} The town began as a settlement in 1853 by Lewis Hawkins Davis, who originally named the area Davis Prairie.{{cite web |title=Lewis County Towns |url=https://jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/townsal.html |website=jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221081304/http://www.jtenlen.drizzlehosting.com/walewis/townsal.html |url-status=live }} The community grew quickly to include Claquato Church, a cemetery, hotels, and several stores and was, for a time, the largest populated town between the Columbia River and Olympia.{{cite web |title=Claquato Church |url=https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WA-01-041-0034 |website=SAH-Archpedia.org |date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602220124/https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WA-01-041-0034 |url-status=live }} Davis donated land for the construction of a courthouse and by 1862 the town became the county seat for Lewis County{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=She's a grand old flag, the American flag |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/shes-a-grand-old-flag-the-american-flag,220496? |access-date=August 28, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 1, 2006}} until that designation was transferred to Chehalis in 1874.{{cite web |last1=Wilma |first1=David |title=Lewis County - Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/7449 |website=HistoryLink.org |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214149/https://www.historylink.org/File/7449 |url-status=live }} A blockhouse was built and used in the community during an 1855-1856 war between settlers and Native Americans, sheltering the founding family of Chehalis during the conflict.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=White Settlers Flee to Blockhouses During Indian Wars |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/julie-mcdonald-commentary-white-settlers-flee-to-blockhouses-during-indian-wars,300549? |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 26, 2022}}

Claquato is no longer a recognized town or municipality, and is considered a neighborhood outside the Chehalis city limits.{{cite web |title=Map of Chehalis City Limits |url=https://maps.lewiscountywa.gov/maps/CtyTwnUninc/chehalis.pdf |website=maps.lewiscountywa.gov |publisher=Lewis County Government |access-date=July 22, 2021}} While described as a ghost town as it was officially vacated in 1902,{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Sharon |title=Ghost Town Wednesday: Claquato, Washington |url=https://digging-history.com/2015/03/11/ghost-town-wednesday-claquato-washington/ |website=Digging-History.com |date=March 11, 2015 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214100/https://digging-history.com/2015/03/11/ghost-town-wednesday-claquato-washington/ |url-status=live }} the area has been populated since its inception.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|5.55|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|5.53|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 19, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=January 12, 2012}}

The city rests in a valley bordered by foothills of the Cascade Range to the east and the Willapa Hills to the west. Chehalis straddles Interstate 5 at a point almost exactly halfway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The historic downtown and most of the city's amenities lie on the east side of the freeway, nestled at the base of a small range of forested hills. On the west side of the freeway are parks, farms, a few subdivisions developed in the hills to the west, and a centralized shopping district, the Twin City Town Center.{{cite web|url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/airport/available-twin-city-town-center-properties|title=Twin City Town Center|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323043047/https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/airport/available-twin-city-town-center-properties|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Lawton |first1=Mark |title=Twin City Town Center continues growth spurt |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/twin-city-town-center-continues-growth-spurt,240644? |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 1, 2004}} The Chehalis–Centralia Airport is located immediately west of the freeway towards the northern end of the city. From numerous vantage points in the city and the Willapa Hills, there are views of Boistfort Peak and the three major volcanic mountains of the Cascades, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens, depending on weather conditions.

The Chehalis River winds its way through the valley in which the city resides, and is joined by a tributary, the Newaukum River. This confluence of waters, along with the intersections of tributaries and railroads within Chehalis, helped the city become known as "The Maple Leaf City".{{cite web|title=The Evergreen State Souvenir by J.O. Hestwood, Chicago: W.B. Conkey Co., 1893, p.38|url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv37008fd3|access-date=June 6, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203170716/http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv37008fd3|url-status=live}} Both the Chehalis and Newaukum rivers are prone to flooding during periods of abnormally heavy or persistent rain, and the lowlands from the freeway westward are particularly susceptible to inundation. Near the Port of Chehalis is Dillenbaugh Creek, a watershed encompassing over {{convert|17|sqmi}}.{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=Dillenbaugh Creek : Where salmon and industry mingle |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2005/01-21/page-1 |access-date=June 19, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 21, 2005 |pages=A1, A8}}

This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chehalis has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=788654&cityname=Chehalis,+Washington,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Chehalis, Washington: Köppen Climate Classification|website=Weatherbase|access-date=February 24, 2020|archive-date=January 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130022821/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=788654&cityname=Chehalis,+Washington,+United+States+of+America&units=|url-status=live}}

The city was hit with 100 mph winds gusts during the Columbus Day storm of 1962.{{rp|111}} The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 107.0 °F (41.7 °C) in July 2009. Chehalis matched that record high on June 28, 2021, while surpassing other daily and monthly heat records for the month during the 2021 Western North America heat wave.{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Weather Service: Chehalis-Centralia Narrowly Misses All-Time High Temperature Monday at 106 Degrees |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/weather-service-chehalis-centralia-narrowly-misses-all-time-high-temperature-monday-at-106-degrees,268406 |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 30, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Sweltering Temperatures Expected in County, Region; Cooling Centers Open |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/sweltering-temperatures-expected-in-county-region-cooling-centers-open,270632 |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 11, 2021}}

Image:Chehalis, WA.jpg in Chehalis.]]

{{US Census population

|1890= 1309

|1900= 1775

|1910= 4507

|1920= 4558

|1930= 4907

|1940= 4857

|1950= 5639

|1960= 5199

|1970= 5727

|1980= 6100

|1990= 6527

|2000= 7057

|2010= 7259

|2020= 7439

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 7, 2013|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321050514/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|url-status=live}}
2020 Census

}}

As of the 2010 census,{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 19, 2012|archive-date=December 27, 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/|url-status=live}} there were 7,259 people, 2,868 households, and 1,655 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1312.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,131 housing units at an average density of {{convert|566.2|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 1.7% African American, 1.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.7% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.6% of the population.

There were 2,868 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.02.

The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

As of the 2000 census, there were 7,057 people, 2,671 households, and 1,696 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,259.0 people per square mile (485.7/km²). There were 2,871 housing units at an average density of 512.2 per square mile (197.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.56% White, 1.35% African American, 1.46% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 3.95% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.91% of the population. 18.4% were of German, 11.0% English, 11.0% American and 8.4% Irish ancestry.

There were 2,671 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $41,387. Males had a median income of $32,289 versus $24,414 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,944. About 16.0% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

The Point In Time Count (PTC) is a county census that is required by law to count the number of the population experiencing homelessness.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Lewis County Census of Homeless Population and Services Merge on Third Thursday in January |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-census-of-homeless-population-and-services-merge-on-third-thursday-in-january,308038? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington) |date=January 27, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Roland |first1=Mitchell |title=Seeking 'second chance,' Lewis County residents attend annual resource fair during PIT count |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/seeking-second-chance-lewis-county-residents-attend-annual-resource-fair-during-pit-count,333431? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 29, 2024}} Mandated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since 2003,{{cite news |last1=Block |first1=Brandon |title=Data Shows Thurston's Homeless Population Is Rising - And Still Not Everyone Is Counted |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/data-shows-thurstons-homeless-population-is-rising-and-still-not-everyone-is-counted,930? |access-date=February 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |publisher=The Olympian |date=October 4, 2020}} the annual PTC tracks the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness on a specified date and is usually held in January. It is organized locally with data transmitted to state and federal agencies.{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=Amid Housing Crisis, Local Churches, Organizations Do Their Best |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/amid-housing-crisis-local-churches-organizations-do-their-best,12179? |access-date=February 8, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 21, 2018}} Students and children under the age of 18 who are described as, "in an overnight accommodation insecure situation", are not officially recorded as part of the PTC. However, the city of Chehalis had a count in 2017 reporting 130 students, and an incomplete count the following year of 136, who met the qualifications to be listed as homeless.

After the loss of a large pharmaceutical plant in 1952, the Chehalis community organized a group named "Adventure in Cooperation" which led to the beginnings of a commission that created the Chehalis Industrial Park later that decade.{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=Person of the Year, Gail Shaw: 'We're Really Here to Make This a Better Place to Live' |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/person-of-the-year-gail-shaw-were-really-here-to-make-this-a-better-place-to-live,112709? |access-date=June 27, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 30, 2012}} The economic area began when a new rail line, built by a group of local volunteers known as the "Gandy Dancers", was connected to the grounds. The industrial park, located south of the city district near the interstate, leases land that it purchases to corporations and businesses.{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=Half a Century Later, the 'Gandy Dancers' Are Still Building |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/half-a-century-later-the-gandy-dancers-are-still-building,212650?#lndg2wu823sm3nelb1w |access-date=October 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 5, 2007}} The first tenant was a $1.0 million Goodyear Tire plant that opened in 1957.{{cite news |title=Goodyear To Build In West |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/09/27/archives/goodyear-to-build-in-west.html? |access-date=April 23, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=September 27, 1956 |page=54}}{{cite news |last1=Fund |first1=Edna |title=Thousands Celebrated Opening of Goodyear Plant in 1957 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/thousands-celebrated-opening-of-goodyear-plant-in-1957,209022?#lndg2www09c3tpaox0t3 |access-date=October 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 15, 2007}}

The Port of Chehalis was officially established in September 1986 and was one of the last ports created in the state.{{cite web |author1=HistoryLink staff |title=Washington Public Ports: A List with Founding Dates |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/9809 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=April 29, 2011}} The port was enacted by a public vote in Lewis County, which also developed a port district in the city.{{cite web |last1=Oldham |first1=Kit |title=Washington Public Port Districts - Part 2 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/9495 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=July 30, 2021}} The agency oversees the Chehalis Industrial Park and the port is part of the South Puget Sound Foreign Trade Zone.{{cite web |last1=Fogel |first1=Elise |title=First Port of Chehalis commissioners are sworn in on September 26, 1986 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/9745 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=February 27, 2011}}

Food processing, which included canned or frozen items, has been a long-term economic sector of Chehalis, expanding in importance during the 1950s after the construction of U.S. Route 12 and Interstate 5.{{cite web |last1=Oldham |first1=Kit |title=Agricultural Exports from Washington |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/21005 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=April 23, 2020}}

Callison's, formally known as I.P. Callison's & Sons, was founded in the city in 1903. The company originally processed cascara bark, used as a laxative, and shipped a variety of flora for use in flower arrangements. Callison's expanded to produce peppermint in the 1940s, spearmint in 1952, and eventually essential oils, including the production of foxglove for medicinal use. The company headquarters and exporting components were moved to Lacey but the manufacturing plant remains in Chehalis.{{cite news |last1=Bryan |first1=Saint |title=Mint condition: Washington state leads the nation in mint oil production |url=https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/mint-condition-washington-state-leads-the-nation-in-mint-oil-production/281-a1e23b61-f9ff-40e5-8f48-9469dd3270fe |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=King5 News |date=July 8, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=I.P Callison in Chehalis Honored by Chamber of Commerce |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/ip-callison-in-chehalis-honored-by-chamber-of-commerce,77300 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 6, 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Callisons Wins Large Business of the Year from Thurston Economic Development Council |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/callisons-wins-large-business-of-the-year-from-thurston-economic-development-council,17685 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 3, 2018}} The company produces mint used in the production of candies at Chehalis Mints, a local confectioner that began in 1994.{{cite news |title=Chehalis Mints Should Be Official State Candy |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-mints-should-be-official-state-candy,194199 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 30, 2008}}

The Lewis County Mall, situated south of the Lewis County Fairgrounds, was built in 1972. The mall was home to national chains and major retailers but in 1999, JC Penney's departed the venue and other businesses followed soon thereafter due in part to the growth of other shopping centers in the local area. Sears was the last nationwide company to leave. In the 2000s, the 10-screen Midway Cinema was established in the building. {{As of|2023}}, the mall is home to smaller, regional businesses and plans include a renovation of the center for storage, apartment buildings, and restaurants.{{cite news |last1=Nance |first1=Jesse |title=New Owners Working to Breathe New Life Into Lewis County Mall |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-owners-working-to-breathe-new-life-into-lewis-county-mall,320260 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 2, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Lawton |first1=Mark |title=Lewis County Mall changes with the times |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-mall-changes-with-the-times,235698? |access-date=January 30, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 27, 2004}}

Timber, once an important economic component of the city, began increasing in the 2000s and the city became a warehousing center due to its access to the interstate and its location between Portland and Seattle. Beginning in the 2010s, the city embarked on increasing its economic diversity by creating an auto row for passenger vehicle dealerships at the Twin City Town Center district. Due in part to renovations of the Recreation Park Complex, and a subsequent growth in attendance for sports events, the community entered a growth phase in the hospitality industry.{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Antoinette |title=Doing Business in ... Centralia and Chehalis |url=https://www.southsoundbiz.com/profiles/doing-business-in-centralia-and-chehalis/article_60a33720-7757-11ed-967e-13b11f905537.html |access-date=September 5, 2023 |work=South Sound Business |date=December 12, 2022}}

Based on a plan approved by the city council in 2009, the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team (CCRT){{efn|The Chehalis Community Renaissance Team changed its name to "Experience Chehalis" in 2022.}} was formed and implemented artistic improvements as part of long term revitalization project for downtown Chehalis. With funds provided by CCRT via community donations and various city, county, and state programs, local artists and business owners have produced artworks on utility boxes, trash can lids, and benches, along with additional murals and building façade renovations in the downtown and surrounding business districts.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=Chehalis Renaissance Team Paints the Town — Literally |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/julie-mcdonald-commentary-chehalis-renaissance-team-paints-the-town-literally,7217 |access-date=November 4, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 14, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Celene |title=Chehalis Community Renaissance Team Awards 11 Facade Grants in 2019 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-community-renaissance-team-awards-11-facade-grants-in-2019,5960? |access-date=November 4, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 8, 2020}}

A rainbow painted fence, known as the Chehalis Friendship Fence, is located in the city's Pennsylvania-Westside district near Westside Park. It was first created in 2020 and is a show of support of LGBTQ+ people and their rights.{{cite news |last1=Driver |first1=Michael |title=Chehalis friendship fence |url=https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/875837 |access-date=July 3, 2023 |work=FOX 13 News |date=November 30, 2020}}

Sculptures located in Chehalis include The Guardian, a bronze work situated at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center. Created to honor local police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, the artwork depicts a little girl along with an officer and a police dog.{{cite news |last1=Carper |first1=Krysta |title=A Look at the Murals and Public Art of Lewis County |url=https://www.lewistalk.com/2019/09/25/a-look-at-the-murals-and-public-art-of-lewis-county/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |work=Lewis Talk |date=September 25, 2019}} Four statues, portraying young children in various states of play, are located at the Recreation Park Complex.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Newest statue in Chehalis dedicated to the W.F. West girls fastpitch team |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/newest-statue-in-chehalis-dedicated-to-the-wf-west-girls-fastpitch-team,340259 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 13, 2024}} A bronze sculpture of a little girl sitting on a bench reading a book is located at the Vernetta Smith Timberland Library. The book was stolen but replaced in 2021.{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=Over the Hill ... That Means It Gets Easier, Right? |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/brian-mittge-commentary-over-the-hill-that-means-it-gets-easier-right,273314? |access-date=July 24, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 24, 2021}} A sculpture containing multiple basalt columns is located at a commercial development near the I-5 exchange on Main Street known as Liberty Plaza. Created to honor American military veterans, the piece is part of a fountain. The {{convert|29,000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} artwork was dedicated in 2009 and features a column standing {{convert|25|ft|m|1}} in height, at the time thought to be the tallest such type in the world.{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Victoria |title=Liberty Plaza in Chehalis Dedicated |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/liberty-plaza-in-chehalis-dedicated,188907? |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 15, 2009}}

Chehalis is part of the ARTrails of Southwest Washington initiative. The cooperative, begun in 2003, showcases local artists, art studios and galleries throughout the region, and holds an annual autumnal studio tour that incorporates events in smaller towns within Lewis County.{{cite news |last1=Emerson |first1=Amy |title=Winlock man working to promote local art |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/winlock-man-working-to-promote-nlocal-art,251169? |access-date=August 23, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 9, 2003}}{{cite news |last1=Frazier |first1=Karen |title=ARTrails Seeks to Make Lewis County an Art Destination |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/artrails-seeks-to-make-lewis-county-an-art-destination,94111? |access-date=August 23, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 24, 2013}} The Lewis County Historical Museum has hosted, since 2015, a permanent ARTrails gallery.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Historical Museum Launches Permanent ARTrails Gallery |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/historical-museum-launches-permanent-artrails-gallery,75407? |access-date=August 23, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 6, 2015}}

Among the earliest women's groups in Washington state, the St. Helen's Club of Chehalis was founded on February 5, 1895. The literary organization, a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) since 1896, has advocated for the importance of "literature, arts, science and vital issues of the day", a motto stretching back to the founding days of the club. The St. Helen's Club has invested in lobbying efforts focusing on issues of betterment for the state but mainly provides scholarships for high school and college women, including foreign-born students, attending colleges in the state.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle Staff |title=St. Helens Club of Chehalis Offering $1,000 Scholarship to Female Student |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/st-helens-club-of-chehalis-offering-1000-scholarship-to-female-student,313840 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 10, 2023}}{{cite news |title=Women's scholarship available |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1995/03-18/page-14 |access-date=October 9, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 18, 1995 |page=C2}}{{cite news |title=80th anniversary celebration is held by St. Helens Club |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-helen80/160349147/ |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=March 4, 1975 |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} During the group's history, the women organized petitions in the early 1900s to demand clean streets and organized livestock drives within Chehalis, opened a women's rest stop in downtown, and planted what was referred to as "a mile of trees" at the fairgrounds. The group led restoration endeavors of the John R. Jackson House at the Jackson House State Park Heritage Site in 1915.{{cite web |url=https://www.parks.wa.gov/1060/Jackson-House |title=Jackson House State Park Heritage Site |publisher=Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |access-date=June 29, 2023}} As part of a state-wide GFWC initiative, the St. Helen's Club helped to raise funds to purchase land for the Federation Forest State Park near Enumclaw, Washington during the late 1920s.

In 2021, two restaurants in the city, Once Upon A Thyme, a luncheon diner,{{cite web |title=Once Upon A Thyme |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/wa/once-upon-a-thyme |website=foodnetwork.com}} and Mackinaw's, which caters to fine dining, were featured in back-to-back episodes of the television show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Food Network's 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives' Touched Down at Three Woman-Owned Restaurants in Twin Cities |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/food-networks-diners-drive-ins-and-dives-touched-down-at-three-woman-owned-restaurants-in,275336 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 15, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Monson |first1=Dori |title=Mandate defiant Chehalis restaurant owner claims LCB agents recently raided Mackinaw's |url=https://mynorthwest.com/3439758/dori-mandate-defiant-chehalis-restaurant-owner-claims-lcb-agents-recently-raided-mackinaws/ |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=KIRO News Radio |date=April 18, 2022}}

Mackinaw's, which was located at the Hotel Washington, was subjected to fines, loss of a liquor license, and eventual closure for failing to adhere to Covid-19 protocols for restaurants.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Liquor License Reapplication Denied for Chehalis Restaurant That Flouted COVID Closure Orders |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/liquor-license-reapplication-denied-for-chehalis-restaurant-that-flouted-covid-closure-orders,315731 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 17, 2023}} Another restaurant, Spiffy's, continued indoor dining in 2020 during early lockdown laws amid the Covid-19 pandemic.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Kirk |title=Restaurants in Washington State defy governor and invite guests inside |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/04/world/covid-19-coronavirus |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=December 4, 2020}} The establishment was levied with $400,000 in fines and the restaurant, which existed for 50 years, shut down the following year.{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Nick |title=Chehalis restaurant that racked up $400,000 in fines over COVID rules to close permanently |url=https://mynorthwest.com/3065328/spiffys-restaurant-chehalis-covid-fines-to-close-permanently/ |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=MyNorthwest.com |date=August 3, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Craighead |first1=Callie |title=Washington roadside restaurant that defied COVID-19 rules, Spiffy's, permanently closes |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/spiffys-restaurant-in-chehalis-closes-permanently-16360772.php |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=The Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=August 3, 2021}}

The city hosts a yearly, June-to-October, Community Farmers Market of Chehalis in its historic downtown on Boistfort Street. First begun in 2005,{{cite news |last1=McGinnis |first1=Robin |title=Farmers market in Chehalis ends first season |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/farmers-market-in-chehalis-ends-first-season,227676? |access-date=April 4, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 4, 2005}} the market is part of a larger Lewis County farmers market initiative.{{cite web |title=Community Farmers Market of Chehalis |url=https://www.communityfarmlandtrust.org/2021-farmers-market-guide.html |website=communityfarmlandtrust.org |publisher=Community Farm Land Trust |access-date=July 19, 2021}} It is opened on Tuesday afternoons and as of 2024, is the only such market within a {{convert|20|mi|adj=on}} radius.{{cite news |last1=Saldanha |first1=Alison |title=Building an oasis in a rural WA 'food desert' |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/building-an-oasis-in-a-washington-rural-food-desert/ |access-date=February 7, 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=January 27, 2024}} Locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as prepared food and art wares from the area, are often the leading focus of the market.{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Chehalis Farmers Market Kickstarts 17th Season |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-farmers-market-kickstarts-17th-season,267087 |access-date=June 28, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 2, 2021}} The history of farmers markets in the city date to 1928, when the community began its first public market at the Chehalis municipal auditorium; the market shifted to Boistfort Street later that year due to lack of shoppers.{{cite news |title=Mayor West Announces Place for Public Market |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1928/04-20/page-1 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=April 20, 1928 |page=1}}{{cite news |title=Public Market Will Be On Boistfort Saturday |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1928/08-10/page-1 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=August 10, 1928 |page=1}}

An annual, multi-day "ChehalisFest" is usually held at the end of July. Once titled, "Krazy Days", the early festival included a "saucer drop" of candy and gift-filled cardboard flying saucers that celebrated the 1947 flying disc craze.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Flying Saucer Party Lands in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/flying-saucer-party-lands-in-chehalis,7665? |access-date=August 30, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 18, 2019}} The event is hosted by Experience Chehalis (previously the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team),{{cite news |last1=Warn |first1=Daniel |title=Renaissance Team Changes Name to 'Experience Chehalis' |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/renaissance-team-changes-name-to-experience-chehalis,286319 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 18, 2022}} and is centrally located in the historic downtown district but expands to local tourist locations, including the Chehalis-Centralia Airport and Veterans Memorial Museum. Food, music, child activities, art walks, sidewalk sales, and car shows are often the highlights of the festivities.{{cite news |last1=Haines |first1=Amanda |title=It's Baaaaack! |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/its-baaaaack,210346? |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 22, 2007}}{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Will |title=Expanded Array of Attractions to Headline ChehalisFest |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/expanded-array-of-attractions-to-headline-chehalisfest,8466? |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 19, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=ChehalisFest to Span Nearly a Full Week |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalisfest-to-span-nearly-a-full-week,269324 |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 19, 2021}}

A mid-summer Music in the Park free concert series takes place annually at Recreation Park. The event is typically held on three consecutive Fridays, with a different performer each evening. Based on local music demographics, country singers and cover bands often headline the series.{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Katie |title=Free Chehalis Music in the Park Series Boasts All Country Headliners This Year |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/free-chehalis-music-in-the-park-series-boasts-all-country-headliners-this-year,10072? |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 11, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Organizers Announce Summer 2021 'Music in the Park' Lineup in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/organizers-announce-summer-2021-music-in-the-park-lineup-in-chehalis,268899 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 12, 2021}}

Chehalis borders the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, which hosts an annual state fair, usually in August.{{cite news |last1=Yaw |first1=Claudia |title='Guessing Game': The Southwest Washington Fair Is on for August, but Planning Proves Difficult |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/guessing-game-the-southwest-washington-fair-is-on-for-august-but-planning-proves-difficult,264995? |access-date=June 28, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 5, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Southwest Washington Fair - History |url=https://southwestwashingtonfair.org/general-info/about-us/history/ |website=southwestwashingtonfair.org |access-date=June 28, 2021}} The Lewis County Fair first took place in the city in 1891 and continued to do so until 1909 when the fairgrounds began hosting the event after the site was constructed.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Southwest Washington Fair: A Celebration Dating Back to 1877 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/southwest-washington-fair-a-celebration-dating-back-to-1877,323533 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 10, 2023 |quote=Reprint from a 2006 Chronicle article}}

In commemoration of the Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting and the city's connection to the event, the downtown district hosts the "Chehalis Flying Saucer Party" which first began in 2019. The festival revived the Krazy Day's tradition of the "saucer drop"{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest returning this September for Chehalis Flying Saucer Party; entries accepted through August |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/northwest-flying-saucer-film-fest-returning-this-september-for-chehalis-flying-saucer-party,333850 |access-date=February 8, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 2, 2024}} and is usually a two-day, September celebration. It includes symposiums, a parade, musical performances, and UFO-themed activities in the city, with several exhibits about the sighting displayed at the Lewis County Historical Museum.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Final Speakers for Chehalis Flying Saucer Party Announced, Schedule Released and Tickets on Sale |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/final-speakers-for-chehalis-flying-saucer-party-announced-schedule-released-and-tickets-on-sale,322447 |access-date=August 30, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 19, 2023}} In 2023, a short film competition, the "Northwest Flying Saucer Film Fest", was introduced to the event.{{cite news |author1=The East Oregonian staff |title=Northwest Flying Saucer Film Festival seeks submissions |url=https://www.eastoregonian.com/community/news/northwest-flying-saucer-film-festival-seeks-submissions/article_daedd1a0-bbc4-11ed-9777-83535a02b36d.html |access-date=August 30, 2023 |work=The East Oregonian (Pendleton, Oregon) |date=March 6, 2023}}

Chehalis's Santa Parade takes place in early December. A theme is chosen every year and local residents are selected as grand marshals as recognition for their community service. The route courses thru the historic downtown district and immediate business core with floats and school marching bands the prime spotlight of the event. Held almost continuously since the 1940s, the parade celebrated 70 years in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Celene |title=Santa Parade in Downtown Chehalis on Saturday for its 70th Year |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/santa-parade-in-downtown-chehalis-on-saturday-for-its-70th-year,6422? |access-date=November 24, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 4, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=The Chronicle Staff |title=Santa Parade Kicks Holidays Into Action This Weekend |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/santa-parade-kicks-holidays-into-action-this-weekend,66638? |access-date=November 24, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 3, 2015}}

File:Vernetta Smith Timberland Library.jpg

File:The Chehalis Theater.jpg

{{see also|History of theaters in Chehalis, Washington}}

The city began a historical commission in the 1980s to honor and recognize buildings in Chehalis for their historical importance as well as preservation efforts. Given the moniker, the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission, the committee's largest listing was in 2005 with 37 homes recognized; all were located in NRHP districts in the community. Each home or building is given a plaque that lists the original construction date, and may contain dates and names regarding conservation efforts.{{cite news |last1=VanTuyl |first1=Aaron |title=History repeats itself |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/history-repeats-itself,215772? |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 16, 2006}}{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Commission doing well with project to preserve homes |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/commission-doing-well-with-project-to-preserve-homes,230098? |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 21, 2005}} The commission, in the mid-2000s, was responsible for the beginnings of restoration efforts in the downtown district, specifically programs to improve and revitalize building façades.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Facade improvement proving success for downtown Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/facade-improvement-proving-success-for-downtown-chehalis,219243? |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 19, 2006}}

The Chehalis Downtown Historic District was honored with placement on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1997, notably for its Colonial Revival architecture.{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/97001407 |website=NPGallery |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=March 8, 2021}} Two other NRHP district locations registered within Chehalis include the Hillside Historic District and the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District. NRHP-listed buildings include the Chehalis Post Office, the Lewis County Courthouse, the county museum once known as the Burlington Northern Depot, the 1920s St. Helens Hotel, and the Troop 373 and 7373 Scout Lodge. The homes of John R. Jackson, O.B. McFadden, and O.K. Palmer are also listed with the NRHP.

Other historical buildings include the Chehalis Theater, originally known as the Pix Theater when it was opened in 1938, but renamed in 1954. The building, constructed in 1923, was first home to a Ford car dealership.{{cite web|url=http://www.lewistalk.com/2016/12/21/chehalis-theatre-historical-building-lives/|title=The Chehalis Theatre: A Historical Building Lives On|date=December 21, 2016 |publisher=LewisTalk|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626121556/https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/js/devicepx-jetpack.js?ver=202125|url-status=live}} Across from the courthouse sits the Judge Seymour White House, a Victorian house built in 1904 that was planned for demolition in 1986 after it was deemed a public nuisance. A public outcry saved the home. Given the nickname, "House of Ill Repute", it once was used as a brothel.{{cite web |title=Judge Seymour White House - 1904 |url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/visitors/11-judge-seymour-white-house-1904-120-northwest-pacific-avenue |website=City of Chehalis |access-date=June 23, 2023}}{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Lewis County Dignity Guild's New 'Home Base' Is in Downtown Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-dignity-guilds-new-home-base-is-in-downtown-chehalis,320974 |access-date=June 23, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 16, 2023}} The 1889 Washington Hotel is situated in the downtown district and was restored by a local family in 1997 following a destructive fire. It served as a movie house and vaudeville theater, known as the Dream Theater, and once hosted the Vintage Motorcycle Museum.{{cite web|url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/visitors/32-hotel-washington-%E2%80%93-1889-545-north-market-boulevard|title=Washington Hotel|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017135134/https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/visitors/32-hotel-washington-%E2%80%93-1889-545-north-market-boulevard|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last=Peredina|first=Graham|date=December 1, 2017|url=http://www.chronline.com/news/128-year-old-hotel-washington-vintage-building-sold-in-chehalis/article_a801097e-d727-11e7-96af-138e2a2e3211.html|title=128-Year-Old Hotel Washington|publisher=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626121524/https://www.chronline.com/stories/128-year-old-hotel-washington-vintage-building-sold-in-chehalis,21305|url-status=live}}

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ezra Meeker's journey on the Oregon Trail, the city, by way of the Lewis County Historical Society, installed an historical marker at city hall. As part of a promise from towns along Meeker's trip to erect markers to honor the trail, Chehalis was one of the last areas to fulfill the obligation. Another marker was subsequently placed at Claquato Church in the nearby neighborhood of Claquato, the oldest continuously used church in Washington state.{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Roadside sights bring history alive |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/roadside-sights-bring-history-alive,221825? |access-date=July 29, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 22, 2006}}{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=Chehalis Couple Bringing Services Back to Historic Claquato Church |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-couple-bringing-services-back-to-historic-claquato-church,22958? |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 6, 2017}}

The Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library, built in 2008 as a replacement of the city's 1910 Carnegie library, is operated by the Timberland Regional Library and named in honor of the mother of former Chehalis resident, Orin Smith.{{cite news |last1=Tomtas |first1=Justyna |last2=Schwartz |first2=Eric |title=Person of the Year: Orin Smith Conquered the Business World, Then He Gave Back |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/person-of-the-year-orin-smith-conquered-the-business-world-then-he-gave-back,20381? |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 5, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.trl.org/locations/chehalis|title=Chehalis Timberland Library|publisher=Timberland Regional Library|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018014701/https://www.trl.org/locations/chehalis|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Haines |first1=Amanda |title=Library Namesake Makes Special Visit |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/library-namesake-makes-special-visit,207370? |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 18, 2007}}

Chehalis is home to the Veteran's Memorial Museum which was originally begun in 1995 and opened in Centralia in 1997.{{cite news |last1=MIttge |first1=Brian |title=New museum rising in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-museum-rising-in-chehalis,245198? |work=The Chronicle |date=January 3, 2004}} The museum contains a volumetric library of military history, and visitors can participate in direct interactions with visiting United States war veterans as well as browse thru a 9,000 square foot gallery.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Filling the Void: Amid Pandemic, Veterans Memorial Museum Asks 'What Can We Do?' |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/filling-the-void-amid-pandemic-veterans-memorial-museum-asks-what-can-we-do,267613? |access-date=June 28, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 14, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Veteran's Memorial Museum - Mission of the Museum |url=http://veteransmuseum.org/about |website=veteransmuseum.org |access-date=June 28, 2021}} The site is home to the mast of the USS Nicholas (DD-449), and the grounds exhibit both a complete Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter and a Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber.{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Historic World War II destroyer's mast now standing outside of the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/historic-world-war-ii-destroyers-mast-now-standing-outside-of-the-veterans-memorial-museum-in,325742 |access-date=September 26, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 18, 2023}} The museum has hosted an annual, late-summer "Rust or Shine Car Show and Music Festival" since 2015, becoming the biggest automobile show in the county.{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Rust or Shine: Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis prepares for its final and biggest car show of the year |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/rust-or-shine-veterans-memorial-museum-in-chehalis-prepares-for-its-final-and-biggest-car-show-of,324583 |access-date=September 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 30, 2023}} In cooperation with other organizations, the museum sponsors an annual American Civil War reenactment in the city.{{cite news |last1=Tomtas |first1=Justyna |title=Civil War Re-enactment Returns to Chehalis |url=https://cdn6.creativecirclemedia.com/lafromboise/files/20201209-133545-2017-07-13.pdf |access-date=February 26, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |page=7|date=July 13, 2017}}

The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Museum (CCRM) is located south of the veteran's museum and hosts the Chehalis–Centralia Railroad which offers an {{convert|18.0|mi|adj=on}} passenger train ride that traverses through the Twin City corridor and the Chehalis River Valley.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Chehalis-Centralia Railroad to resume weekend excursions beginning April 6 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-centralia-railroad-to-resume-weekend-excursions-beginning-april-6,336932 |access-date=April 1, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 22, 2024}} The train, a 1916 Baldwin Locomotive Engine No. 15 from the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade Railway, was once a display located at Recreation Park and was restored in the mid-1980s.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=Highlighting Lewis County: Goodbye, Harold Borovec, Chehalis and Railroad Icon |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/highlighting-lewis-county-goodbye-harold-borovec-chehalis-and-railroad-icon,321090#lndg2wrpxju6o2o4gn |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 19, 2023}}

A swap meet mall, Yard Birds, is a local landmark known for its large, metal and wood sculpture of a black bird.{{cite web |title=Yard Birds Mall |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yard-birds-mall |website=atlasobscura.com |publisher=Atlas Obscura |access-date=July 19, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Broadt |first1=Lisa |title=The Resurgence of Yard Birds: How a New Focus and a Renewed Effort Brought a Lewis County Landmark Back to Relevance |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-resurgence-of-yard-birds-how-a-new-focus-and-a-renewed-effort-brought-a-lewis-county-landmark,86522 |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 6, 2014}} The mall was permanently closed in 2022 and threatened to be condemned due to code compliance and safety issues but the order was lifted at the end of the year.{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Yard Birds Tenants Evicted, Building's Future Uncertain |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/yard-birds-tenants-evicted-buildings-future-uncertain,302960 |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 2, 2022}}{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=City of Chehalis Removes Condemnation Notices From Yard Birds |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/city-of-chehalis-removes-condemnation-notices-from-yard-birds,304873 |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 7, 2022}} {{As of|2023}}, the attraction still remains.{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title=Applicant Eyes Demolishing Yard Birds Shopping Center for New 622,167-Square-Foot Warehouse |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/applicant-eyes-demolishing-yard-birds-shopping-center-for-new-622167-square-foot-warehouse,320387? |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 5, 2023}}

File:McKinley Stump - Ezra Meeker 01.jpg

Located at the Lewis County Historical Museum is the McKinley Stump, a replica of a {{convert|6|foot|abbr=off}} tall remnant of a Douglas fir cut down in 1901 near Pe Ell. Dated between 360 and 700 years old, it was meant to be used as a speech pedestal for President William McKinley, but the event was cancelled. Theodore Roosevelt used it two years later and William H. Taft employed the stump as a podium in 1907. The artifact was originally placed in downtown under a pagoda, but was moved to the railroad depot and then to Recreation Park after damages due to arson in the late 1940s. After an infestation of carpenter ants and subsequent rot, the stump was removed from the park in 2007 and a replica stump, cut from Tenino, was installed at the museum in 2008 with a restored pagoda and a display of an undamaged slab of the original stump.{{cite news |title=Different stump, same memories |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/jan/19/different-stump-same-memories/ |access-date=February 22, 2024 |work=The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington) |publisher=Associated Press |date=January 19, 2008}}{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Alan J. |title=The McKinley Stump in Chehalis is removed on October 23, 2007 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8374 |access-date=February 22, 2024 |work=HistoryLink |date=October 17, 2013}}

Bicycling is a popular sport in Chehalis, hosting along with other towns on the State Route 6 corridor an annual "Ride The Willapa" bike ride that raises money for the Willapa Hills Trail.{{cite web |title=Ride The Willapa 2021 |url=http://ridethewillapa.com/rtw2021-is-coming/ |website=ridethewillapa.com |access-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025719/http://ridethewillapa.com/rtw2021-is-coming/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Katie |title=Ride the Willapa Brings in Nearly $9K for Trail Improvements |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/ride-the-willapa-brings-in-nearly-9k-for-trail-improvements,16445 |access-date=July 27, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 26, 2018}} The Lewis County Historic Bike Ride, an annual fundraising event since the early 1990s, features ride options that vary from easy to advanced, and traverses through the city. The bike ride is used by Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP) participants as a practice run.{{cite news |last1=The Chronicle Staff |title=Annual Lewis County Historic Bike Ride Set for This Saturday |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/annual-lewis-county-historic-bike-ride-set-for-this-saturday,264985 |access-date=June 14, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 5, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614032344/https://www.chronline.com/stories/annual-lewis-county-historic-bike-ride-set-for-this-saturday,264985 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Zylstra |first1=Matthew |title=Annual Lewis County Historic Bike Ride Returns |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/annual-lewis-county-historic-bike-ride-returns,290281? |access-date=August 31, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 29, 2022}} Chehalis is included as part of the route for the STP which traverses around the airport and winds through downtown and connected neighborhood districts. Riders of the STP will overnight in the city as an overflow option to Centralia.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Centralia-Chehalis-Chamber: Community Support Sought in Seattle to Portland Bike Ride's Return |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/centralia-chehalis-chamber-community-support-sought-in-seattle-to-portland-bike-rides-return,282961 |access-date=June 29, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 19, 2022}} Klein Bicycle Corporation, connected to the city during its early years of production, sponsored the three-stage Klein Classic in the 1990s.{{cite news |last1=Atwood |first1=Dwayne D. |title=Hundreds of riders race through Lewis County |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1994/08-01/page-1 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 1, 1994 |page=1}}{{cite news |last1=Kotik |first1=Larissa |title=Ride into the Future |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1995/01-11/page-40 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 11, 1996 |pages=40, 41}} A bicycle event for local residents, known as the Centralia to Chehalis Bike Ride, was held continuously from the late 20th century into the 3rd millennium. The "C to C" route meandered from George Washington Park in Centralia, to around the airport, and finishing at Recreation Park after traversing through several residential neighborhoods.{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=Pedal pushers bridge cities in C to C |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2005/06-06/page-7 |access-date=August 12, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 6, 2005 |pages=A1–A7}}

Chehalis's Millet Field used to host minor league baseball, including such teams as the Gophers, Proteges, and Farmers; the 1912 Chehalis Farmer's team was awarded the league championship.{{cite web |last1=Eskanazi |first1=David |title=Play Ball! A Slideshow of the History of Early Baseball in Washington |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/7074 |website=historylink.org |access-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025725/https://www.historylink.org/File/7074 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Stats Crew - Millet Field |url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-493 |website=statscrew.com |access-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025717/https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-493 |url-status=live }} The field accommodated semi-pro baseball and football from the turn of the 20th century into the 1970s.{{cite news |last1=Voie |first1=Brittany |title=Voice of Voie: Remembering Millett Field, a Former Crown Jewel of Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/voice-of-voie-remembering-millett-field-a-former-crown-jewel-of-chehalis,20699 |access-date=June 14, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 22, 2017 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025720/https://www.chronline.com/stories/voice-of-voie-remembering-millett-field-a-former-crown-jewel-of-chehalis,20699 |url-status=live }} Several Negro League games were played in the town.{{cite web |title=A Calendar, Including Newspaper Clippings, of the 1914 Chicago American Giants |url=http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/agh.html |website=negroleagues.bravehost.com/ |access-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025721/http://negroleagues.bravehost.com/agh.html |url-status=live }}

Two parks within the city limits, Recreation and Stan Hedwall Parks, are used for a variety of W.F. West High School sports competitions and for tournaments involving high schools within Lewis County. The high school hosted a preseason exhibition game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1970, marking the beginning of the I-5 Rivalry.{{cite news |date=September 26, 1970 |title=Chehalis NBA Contest Viewed Historic Event |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-chehalis-nba-contest/131184538/ |work=The Daily Chronicle |access-date=September 6, 2023}}

{{main|Parks and recreation in Chehalis, Washington}}

The city has several parks, many of which are based on land donated by Chehalis residents. Money raised to build, maintain, or upgrade the area's park system has long been done by community fundraising efforts.

The largest park, the Recreation Park Complex, is located in Chehalis's South Market district and contains four separate units. The Gail and Carolyn Shaw Aquatics Center' opened in August 2014 and it replaced the original 1959 Chehalis Community Pool.{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=The Chronicle Person of the Year 2014: Connie Bode |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-chronicle-person-of-the-year-2014-connie-bode,77808 |access-date=July 27, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 31, 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Spurr |first1=Kyle |title=Aquatic Center: A Splashing Success |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/aquatic-center-a-splashing-success-see-the-video,81418 |access-date=July 27, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 9, 2014}} The Chet and Henrietta Rhodes Spray Park, completed in 2007, adjoins the aquatic center, geared mostly for young children and people with disabilities.{{cite web|url=https://chehalisfoundation.org/project/chet-and-henrietta-rhoades-spray-park/|title=Chet and Henrietta Rhodes Spray Park|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=February 23, 2020|archive-date=February 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224010215/https://chehalisfoundation.org/project/chet-and-henrietta-rhoades-spray-park/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Spurr |first1=Kyle |title=Chehalis Aquatic Center Named in Honor of Shaws |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-aquatic-center-named-in-honor-of-shaws,97119 |access-date=July 27, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 12, 2013}} Recreation Park is the largest of the area, and is home to four softball and youth baseball fields, picnic areas, paved walking paths, and a community center and kitchen.{{cite news|last1=Rubin |first1=Will |url=http://www.chronline.com/news/recreation-park-groundbreaking-scheduled-for-monday/article_5b13c2b8-c5f1-11e9-aff9-eb96bb4a29a1.html|title=Recreation Park Groundbreaking Scheduled For Monday|publisher=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=March 1, 2020|archive-date=March 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302045107/http://www.chronline.com/news/recreation-park-groundbreaking-scheduled-for-monday/article_5b13c2b8-c5f1-11e9-aff9-eb96bb4a29a1.html|url-status=live}} It was recently rebuilt in 2020 along with the abutting Penny Playground, a fenced play area geared for children.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Celene |title=Grand Opening Ceremonies at Recreation Park and Penny Playground Postponed |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/grand-opening-ceremonies-at-recreation-park-and-penny-playground-postponed,2522? |access-date=November 1, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 15, 2020}} The playground's name comes from the donation drives used to help fund the building of the park in 1993.{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=A Playground Project Like No Other |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-playground-project-like-no-other,8156? |access-date=November 1, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 14, 2019}}

Two additional parks are furnished for athletics and organized sports. Stan Hedwall Park straddles the Newaukum River with 200 acres of ball fields, RV parking, trails, and open and forested areas.{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=City of Chehalis Celebrates Handover of Stan Hedwall Park |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/city-of-chehalis-celebrates-handover-of-stan-hedwall-park,82038 |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 22, 2014}} Millett Field was formerly home to a semi-pro baseball team in the early 20th century, and regularly used for sports since it opened in 1898 and developed in 1908. A basketball court and a playground area, both created by local charitable acts in the early 2000s, are the focus of the {{convert|3|acre|ha|adj=mid}} park.{{cite web|url=http://www.chronline.com/opinion/voice-of-voie-remembering-millett-field-a-former-crown-jewel/article_1a005852-e792-11e7-99ed-5b5d1f0811a9.html|title=Millett Field Crown Jewel|date=December 22, 2017 |publisher=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=March 8, 2020|archive-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507032400/http://www.chronline.com/opinion/voice-of-voie-remembering-millett-field-a-former-crown-jewel/article_1a005852-e792-11e7-99ed-5b5d1f0811a9.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/parksandrecreation/millett-field|title=Millett Field|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=March 8, 2020|archive-date=October 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017140054/https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/parksandrecreation/millett-field|url-status=live}}

Several parks organized and built for leisure and family activities are dispersed within the city limits. Westside Park, located in the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District, contains basketball courts, a playground, and picnic areas.{{cite web|url=https://discoverlewiscounty.com/outdoors/westside-park|title=Westside Park|publisher=Discover Lewis County|access-date=March 8, 2020|archive-date=June 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626121535/https://discoverlewiscounty.com/outdoor-adventures/westside-park|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Chehalis City Council Approves $40,000 for Westside and Lintott-Alexander Park Improvement Groups |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-city-council-approves-40000-for-westside-and-lintott-alexander-park-improvement-groups,266974 |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 31, 2021}} Lintott-Alexander Park, located on land that was donated in the early 20th century by a Chehalis family, is a {{convert|6|acre|ha|adj=mid}} park that was restored after a monetary contribution from a former community resident in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.chronline.com/news/parks-gone-wild/article_db3481fa-53de-5492-836a-a586d487f4f9.html|title=Parks Gone Wild|date=July 10, 2004 |publisher=The Daily Chronicle|access-date=March 8, 2020|archive-date=August 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827013555/http://www.chronline.com/news/parks-gone-wild/article_db3481fa-53de-5492-836a-a586d487f4f9.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://chehalisfoundation.org/project/lintott-alexander-park/|title=Lintott-Alexander Park|publisher=Chehalis Foundation|access-date=March 8, 2020|archive-date=February 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224010247/https://chehalisfoundation.org/project/lintott-alexander-park/|url-status=live}} A pair of the oldest recreational areas in the city, John Dobson and McFadden Parks, are a combined {{convert|56|acre|ha|adj=mid}} and are located in the Hillside District on Park Hill. A shared trail, the Dobson-McFadden, bridges the parks and leads to open views to much of Chehalis, including downtown, and the Newaukum River valley.

Several Chehalis parks contain walking paths and trails but there are three separate trails of note. The Airport Levee Trail is a mixed paved-gravel trail that loops for up to {{convert|3.5|mi}} and is situated between farm land and the Chehalis-Centralia Airport.{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=Walkway Around Chehalis Airport Part of Grand Plan for Twin Cities |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/walkway-around-chehalis-airport-part-of-grand-plan-for-twin-cities,172572 |access-date=July 9, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 2, 2010}} It connects with the nearby Airport Road Trail, a paved, mixed-use trail that parallels Interstate 5 for {{convert|2.0|mi}}; it is part of long-term plan to link the recreational areas between the Twin Cities.{{cite web|url=https://discoverlewiscounty.com/outdoors/airport-road-trail|title=Airport Road Trail|publisher=Discover Lewis County|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323043046/https://discoverlewiscounty.com/outdoors/airport-road-trail|url-status=live}} The Willapa Hills Trail stretches {{convert|56.0|mi}} from Chehalis to South Bend, Washington. Built over a late 19th century railroad, it is now a mix of paving and compact gravel and is open to hikers, bicyclists, and horse riding.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Celene |title=Lewis County Community Trails Pledges $10,000 Toward Willapa Hills Trail Restoration |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-community-trails-pledges-10000-toward-willapa-hills-trail-restoration,2150 |access-date=July 28, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 3, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Trent |first1=Eric |title=Tales From the Trail: Two Local Cyclists Bike Entire Willapa Hills Trail |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/tales-from-the-trail-two-local-cyclists-bike-entire-willapa-hills-trail,1563 |access-date=July 28, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 2, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Willapa Hills State Park Trail |url=https://parks.state.wa.us/1023/Willapa-Hills-Trail |website=parks.state.wa.us |publisher=Washington State Parks |access-date=July 28, 2021}}

The city owns and operates the Chehalis Poplar Tree Farm located east of Claquato on State Route 6. The 11-unit, {{convert|250|acre}} site grows nine hybrid varieties of poplar and the trees are harvested on a rotating basis in sectioned units every 8 to 10 years. The lumber is sold to produce paper. The farm is part of Chehalis' water treatment program. As of 2008, Class 1 wastewater, rather than be fully discharged in the Chehalis River as was common practice before the tree farm was created, is used to hydrate the poplar fields through the use of irrigation pipes. Reclaimed and treated water not absorbed by the poplars recharges the local aquifer.{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=Poplars take root in second year |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/poplars-take-root-in-second-year,228086 |access-date=July 25, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 20, 2005}} The farm was informally known as the "Chehalis Poplar Tree Plantation" and was renamed to its current moniker in 2021 due to local action requesting the removal of the word "plantation" as the term was considered objectionable.{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Chehalis Site Renamed 'Poplar Tree Farm' After Concerns Over 'Plantation,' City Manager Says |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-site-renamed-poplar-tree-farm-after-concerns-over-plantation-city-manager,269936 |access-date=July 25, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 30, 2021}}

The area is populated by cascara, defined as a bush or tree depending on its size. The main harvesting of the plant is for its bark, commonly used as a laxative.

The Chehalis River and Dillenbaugh Creek watersheds in the city are home to migrating coho salmon and the ecosystems support beaver and deer.

The city contains two Superfund sites. A major flood in 1986 led to a contamination cleanup at a closed industrial site, known as American Crossarm and Conduit, near Millett Field. Approximately {{convert|10,000|USgal}} of a mixture of creosote and diesel fuel, as well as cancer-causing chemicals such as dioxins and pentachlorophenol used in the treatment of lumber, spread into the surrounding neighborhoods as well as the Dillenbaugh Creek watershed.{{cite news |last1=Vowell |first1=Michele |title=Danger at out doorstep? |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1995/01-12/page-27 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 12, 1995 |pages=A1, A10}} The $9.5 million hazardous cleanup was undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the area was listed in 1988 as a federal superfund site; {{cite news |last1=Vowell |first1=Michele |title=Health concerns remain |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1995/01-31/page-24 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 31, 1996 |pages=A1, A10}} the remediation was not completed until 1996.{{cite news |last1=Vowell |first1=Michele |title=The end of a hazard |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1996/05-25/page-1 |access-date=February 18, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 25, 1996 |pages=A1, A7}} The Hamilton/Labree Roads Groundwater Contamination site is an ongoing remediation project. Split into two units, the more than {{convert|10|acre|ha|adj=mid}} contaminated area is located {{convert|2|mi}} south of the city at Berwick Creek. The concerns include the dumping of PERC and buried drums of other hazardous chemicals which has affected the soil and water system in the area. First noticed in 1993, an initial cleanup, referred to as "interim", began in 2020 and was completed in 2024. Continued monitoring of the site will evaluate if further mitigation will be required.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=EPA reviewing cleanup of contaminated Superfund site south of Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/epa-reviewing-cleanup-of-contaminated-superfund-site-south-of-chehalis,378501 |access-date=April 16, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 9, 2025}}{{cite web |title=HAMILTON/LABREE ROADS GW CONTAMINATION CHEHALIS, WA |url=https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=1002174 |publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=February 18, 2025 |date=2025}}

File:Chehalis City Hall 01.jpg

Chehalis has a council–manager system of government that consists of an elected city council and an appointed city manager. The city council has seven members, of which three come from at-large seats, and selects a ceremonial mayor from its members.{{cite news |last=Perednia |first=Graham |date=May 23, 2017 |title=Four Candidates Seeking Three Chehalis Council Seats |url=http://www.chronline.com/news/four-candidates-seeking-three-chehalis-council-seats/article_be695fee-3fde-11e7-ba5c-bf9212cc2d5d.html |work=The Chronicle |access-date=November 13, 2020 |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113085820/http://www.chronline.com/news/four-candidates-seeking-three-chehalis-council-seats/article_be695fee-3fde-11e7-ba5c-bf9212cc2d5d.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Chehalis/#!/Chehalis02/Chehalis0208.html#2.08|title=Chehalis Municipal Code Chapter 2.08: City Council|publisher=City of Chehalis|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811191003/https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Chehalis/#!/Chehalis02/Chehalis0208.html|url-status=live}} The council was formed in November 1975 after a city-wide vote to change from a three-person commission to a seven-member board. The inaugural council included the election of the first woman mayor of Chehalis, Viviane Roewe.{{cite news |last1=Auvil |first1=Dennis |title=New Chehalis council elects woman mayor |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1975/11-25/page-1 |access-date=September 12, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=November 25, 1975}}

The city is located in District 1 of Lewis County and as of March 2021, represented by County Commissioner Sean Swope.{{cite web|url=https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/commissioners/district-1/|title=Lewis County District 1|publisher=Lewis County|access-date=March 8, 2021|archive-date=October 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016171621/https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/commissioners/district-1/|url-status=live}}

Chehalis historically leans to the right, but less than Lewis County as a whole.

Third parties receiving votes in the 2016 and 2020 election were the Libertarian Party and Green Party, and there were 15 votes for Write-in candidates. The 2016 election also included votes for the Constitution Party.

The Green Hill School, the state's only maximum security penitentiary for youths, is located in the South Market district.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Patricia |title=When people in charge are mostly white, what's a black kid in jail to think? |url=https://kuow.org/stories/when-people-charge-are-mostly-white-what-s-black-kid-jail-think/ |access-date=June 12, 2023 |work=KUOW.org |date=July 17, 2017}} The city is also home to the Lewis County Jail, situated across from the Lewis County Courthouse in the government district.{{cite web |title=Lewis County Corrections Bureau |url=https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/sheriff/corrections-jail/ |website=Lewis County, Washington}}

The Chehalis School District (CSD) provides public education to Chehalis students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.{{cite web |title=Chehalis School District |url=https://chehalisschools.org/ |website=ChehalisSchools.org |publisher=Chehalis School District |access-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510174747/https://chehalisschools.org/ |url-status=live }} Elementary students attend James W. Lintott Elementary from pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade, moving to Orin C. Smith Elementary to complete third to 5th grade. Chehalis Middle School, built in 1989, hosts grades 6th thru 8th. W.F. West High School, opened in 1951, provides a completion of primary education from 9th to 12th grades.

Both elementary schools were built concurrent in 2018 and fully opened in 2019. They replaced the previous primary schools of Cascade (built 1922), R.E.Bennet (opened in 1928), and Olympic (built 1960).{{cite web |title=About CSD |url=https://chehalisschools.org/about-csd/ |website=Chehalis Schools |publisher=Chehalis School District |access-date=May 21, 2021 |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522000043/https://chehalisschools.org/about-csd/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Katie |title=Chehalis' Orin Smith Elementary Almost Finished |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-orin-smith-elementary-almost-finished,10455 |access-date=May 10, 2021 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=March 22, 2019 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510003836/https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-orin-smith-elementary-almost-finished,10455 |url-status=live }}

The city also provides schooling for rehabilitating juvenile males at Green Hill School, with options for students to obtain a high school or general equivalency diploma (GED), vocational training, and college prep courses, with additional opportunities to earn an associate or bachelor degree via a joint partnership with Centralia College.{{cite web |title=Green Hill School |url=https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/juvenile-rehabilitation/residential-facilities/green-hill |website=dcyf.wa.gov |publisher=WA State Dept. of Children, Youth & Families |access-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510003837/https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/juvenile-rehabilitation/residential-facilities/green-hill |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Roland |first1=Mitchell |title='We believe in second chances': Green Hill staff members focus on rehabilitation |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/we-believe-in-second-chances-green-hill-staff-members-focus-on-rehabilitation,337945 |access-date=April 9, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 8, 2024}}

Several movies have been filmed in and around Chehalis, including Captain Fantastic,{{cite news |last1=Brewster |first1=Kaylee |title=Commentary: Movies made in the PNW |url=https://lmtribune.com/a_and_e/commentary-movies-made-in-the-pnw/article_742c5863-5976-54a5-93da-5202382aa5c4.html |access-date=July 29, 2021 |work=The Lewiston Tribune |date=September 7, 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Chakrabartty |first1=Nishan |title=Where Was Captain Fantastic Filmed? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-captain-fantastic-filmed/ |website=TheCinemaholic |date=March 2021 |access-date=July 29, 2021}} and the independent film Maysville.{{cite news |last1=Denney |first1=Lydia |title=Independent Movie to Feature Lewis County Landmarks |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/independent-movie-to-feature-lewis-county-landmarks,10611 |access-date=July 29, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 15, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Vander Stoep |first1=Isabel |title='Maysville' Movie Filmed in the Twin Cities Hits Amazon, to Show at Midway Cinema |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/maysville-movie-filmed-in-the-twin-cities-hits-amazon-to-show-at-midway-cinema,280624 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 11, 2021}} Diverse documentaries filmed in the city include the environmental feature about the Chehalis river basin, Chehalis : A Watershed Moment,{{cite news |last1=Barker |first1=Doug |title=Film shows the Chehalis from many angles |url=https://www.thedailyworld.com/life/film-shows-the-chehalis-from-many-angles/ |access-date=July 29, 2021 |work=The Daily World |date=June 9, 2020}} and the movie, Skinny and Fatty: The Story of Yard Birds, a reflection on a local market attraction.{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Eric |title=Yard Birds Movie Ready for Viewing |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/yard-birds-movie-ready-for-viewing,188442? |access-date=July 29, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 2, 2009}}

The earliest recorded newspaper published in Chehalis was in 1883, the Lewis County Nugget, with the Lewis County Bee forming a year later. Between 1887 and 1888, both publications dropped the county title and became the Chehalis Bee and the Chehalis Nugget. The city was also home to The People's Advocate beginning in 1892, providing three competing papers in Chehalis until the Bee and Nugget merged in 1898 to become The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. The Advocate became the Lewis County Advocate in 1903. The Bee-Nugget survived until 1938 when it joined with the Lewis County Advocate to become The Chehalis Advocate.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=A look back at the history of newspapering in Greater Lewis County |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-look-back-at-the-history-of-newspapering-in-greater-lewis-county,220924 |access-date=July 10, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 17, 2006}}{{cite news |title=The Chehalis Advocate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B1M9AAAAIBAJ |access-date=June 18, 2024 |date=August 2, 1938 |page=1}} With the exception of "The Scoop", a brief upstart of a daily publication in the 1950s, the merger left Chehalis with one surviving news publication produced in the city. The Chehalis Advocate, due to a loss of ad revenue and rising costs, folded in 1963.{{cite web |title=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget 1989-1938 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085553/ |website=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Humanities - Library of Congress |access-date=July 10, 2021}}{{cite web |title=The Chehalis Advocate 1938-1963 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085053/ |website=chroniclingamerica.loc.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Humanities - Library of Congress |access-date=July 10, 2021}} A weekly newspaper known as The Weekly News, and then as the Chehalis Times, was begun in 1979 but folded two years later. Since then, Chehalis has been without a city-produced newspaper and local news reports for the residents of Chehalis are provided by The Chronicle, a weekly newspaper published in Centralia.

A ghost sign for the Chehalis Bee-Nugget was found in 2009, and subsequently preserved, during a renovation of Chehalis's historic St. Helens Theater.{{cite news |last1=Pittman |first1=Mitch |title='It's a labor of love:' Old Chehalis theater gets new life |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/its-a-labor-of-love-old-chehalis-theater-being-brought-back-to-life |access-date=July 10, 2021 |work=Komo News |date=March 31, 2017}}

The Chehalis area has two licensed FM radio stations, KACS - 90.5 FM, which broadcasts a Christian format, and KMNT - 104.3 FM, providing country music to the community. Additional stations include Centralia College owned KCED - 91.3 FM, which transmits Alternative programming, and the Adult contemporary music radio broadcaster KITI-FM - 95.1 FM, based in Winlock. Centralia based AM radio station, KELA 1470 is a mixed sports and talk broadcaster.

Lewis County and various other regional governments, in association with environmental groups, scientists, and local citizens, organized a partnership in the early 2010s named the Chehalis Basin Strategy to propose and research a combination of plans along the Chehalis River to mitigate flooding and to restore aquatic habitat for local Chinook salmon.{{cite web |title=Learn about how you can help ensure a prosperous future for the Chehalis Basin |url=https://www.chehalisriveralliance.org/learn-more |website=Chehalis River Alliance |access-date=July 27, 2023}} The proposal outlines several flood control reduction measures, with downstream levee improvements particularly at the Centralia-Chehalis Airport, and a flood retention dam in Pe Ell which is planned to limit catastrophic damage from 100-year floods within the Chehalis River Basin.{{cite web|url=https://chehalisbasinstrategy.com|title=Chehalis Basin Strategy|publisher=Chehalis Basin Strategy|access-date=June 21, 2020|archive-date=June 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622141348/https://chehalisbasinstrategy.com/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |author1=Eric Rosane |author2=Claudia Yaw |title=$70 Million Chehalis Basin Board Budget Stalled |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/70-million-chehalis-basin-board-budget-stalled,269483 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 21, 2021}}{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Chehalis Basin Strategy Submits Status Report to Washington State Legislature |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-basin-strategy-submits-status-report-to-washington-state-legislature,321748 |access-date=July 18, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 3, 2023}}

The first known hospital in the city was built in 1903 within the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District. Four years later, the St. Helens Hospital was constructed as a site to treat elderly and poor citizens. The wood building was razed after the 1927 concrete build of a new and expanded St. Helens Hospital. The care center was expanded again in 1952 and a nursing home annex was added in 1964. Another expansion in 1970 included such additions as a surgery center and pharmacy but by the mid-1970s, the hospital was reported as struggling financially.{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=Medical care grew locally from doctor's offices to large hospitals |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/julie-mcdonald-medical-care-grew-locally-from-doctors-offices-to-large-hospitals,338912 |access-date=July 25, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 22, 2024}} The site became of use as a detox and addiction recovery center run by American Behavioral Health Systems.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Marqise |title=Former Chehalis Hospital Changes Hands |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/former-chehalis-hospital-changes-hands,189770? |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 21, 2009}}

Chehalis is served by Centralia's 128-bed, non-profit Providence Centralia Hospital for short-term acute care that also provides services for surgery, cancer, obstetrics, and is equipped with a 24-hour emergency room and an ICU.{{cite web |title=Providence Centralia Hospital |url=https://www.wsha.org/members/providence-centralia-hospital/ |website=wsha.org |publisher=Washington State Hospital Association}} There are several clinics in Chehalis, including Providence Chehalis Family Medicine, Northwest Pediatric Care, and Chehalis Children's Clinic. Mental health services are provided by Cascade Mental Health Care.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Natalie |title=Chehalis ABHS to Be Only Site for Court-Mandated Drug Detox Program in Western Washington |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-abhs-to-be-only-site-for-court-mandated-drug-detox-program-in-western-washington,18994? |access-date=December 7, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 5, 2018}}

The Lewis County Public Health & Social Services building is located in the government district of the city, north of the Lewis County Courthouse.{{cite web |title=Lewis County Public Health & Social Services |url=https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/public-health/about-public-health/ |website=lewiscountywa.gov |publisher=Lewis County, Washington}}

Military veterans were able to procure health services at the Lewis County Community-Based Outpatient Clinic located in the Lewis County Mall but the facilities were closed in 2021 due to patient expenses that were considered the highest in the nation for a Veteran's Administration (VA) clinic. Patients have since been directed to an Olympia VA clinic and additional local health services have been provided by a mobile medical unit overseen by the Seattle-based VA Puget Sound Health Care System.{{cite news |last1=Roland |first1=Mitchell |title=Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez renews call to reopen VA clinic in Lewis County |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/rep-gluesenkamp-perez-renews-call-to-reopen-va-clinic-in-lewis-county,334158 |access-date=February 28, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 7, 2024}}{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Chehalis VA Clinic to Close in October |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-va-clinic-to-close-in-october,269950 |access-date=February 28, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 30, 2021}}

Chehalis is served by Interstate 5, the main north–south freeway in Western Washington, which connects the city to Seattle and Portland. The freeway also carries a section of U.S. Route 12, an east–west highway that continues to Aberdeen and across the Cascades to the Yakima River Valley and Tri-Cities. Chehalis is the location of the eastern cessation point of State Route 6, a highway that travels west to a junction with U.S. Route 101 in Raymond.{{cite map |year=2014 |title=Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2006/06/13/TouristMapFront_withoutHillshade.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-date=February 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221194441/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2D10703F-9ADF-4A95-A14E-2A36FEAF1C20/0/Statewide2014NoHillshade.pdf |url-status=dead }} The Chehalis terminus converts into West Main Street with access to the city through the government district.

Four other bridges provide direct access to the city district. Chamber of Commerce Way connects to the city shopping center and heads over a 1951 railroad overpass{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Replacement of Chamber Way Railroad Bridge Built in 1951 Is Still on City's Radar in New Six-Year Transportation Plan |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/replacement-of-chamber-way-railroad-bridge-built-in-1951-is-still-on-citys-radar-in-new-six-year,267750?#lndg2ztfzcvz70o2bz |access-date=October 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 16, 2021}} and to the original arterial highway before the interstate was built. The West Side Bridge (West Bridge) accommodates traffic into the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District and a route towards downtown. An overpass, referred to as the 13th Street Bridge, provides a connection to the South Market district, Recreation Park, and the Green Hill School.{{cite web |title=WSDOT Report: I-5 protection from 13th Street to Mellen Street near Centralia and Chehalis |url=https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2180/2013/06/WSDOTI-5FloodReportFinal_12-19-12.pdf |website=WSDOT |date=December 19, 2012}} The Labree Road Bridge, built in 2007, provides an access route for the Port of Chehalis.{{cite news |last1=Olson |first1=Erik |title=New Freeway Exit: LaBree Road Construction Kicks Off |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-freeway-exit-labree-road-construction-kicks-off,210056 |access-date=October 5, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 4, 2007}}

Twin Transit provides public transit service to Chehalis and neighboring Centralia, with connections to other communities.{{cite news |date=April 14, 2021 |title=Twin Transit Rolls Out New Routes |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/twin-transit-rolls-out-new-routes,262583 |work=The Daily Chronicle |access-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-date=May 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502064851/https://www.chronline.com/stories/twin-transit-rolls-out-new-routes,262583 |url-status=live }} Early 20th century public transportation for residents relied on a streetcar line operated by the local Twin City Railroad Company, which connected the city with neighboring Centralia. As the community began to favor travel by bus, the service was discontinued by 1929.{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Streetcar Railroad 'Junked' |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/today-in-lewis-county-history-fainted-after-forlorn-fine-annual-parade-of-the-pioneers-draws,96212? |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 2, 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Rosane |first1=Eric |title=Streetcar Tracks Dug Up During Chehalis Reconstruction Project |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/streetcar-tracks-dug-up-during-chehalis-reconstruction-project,266598? |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 21, 2021}}

The Chehalis–Centralia Airport (CLS) is located within the city limits. The airport is a single runway, public use hub for air travel in Lewis County. First begun as a small airfield in 1927, it is bordered by the local shopping district and I-5 and is approximately one mile west of the Chehalis downtown district. It is the largest of the three airports within the county.{{cite web |title=Chehalis–Centralia Airport |url=https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/airports/ |website=Lewis County Airports |publisher=LewisCountyWA.gov |access-date=May 22, 2021 |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522003937/https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/airports/ |url-status=live }}

The earliest connection for Chehalis to new railroads in the region was in 1873 when the first depot in the area was erected in Newaukum. A local resident paid a conductor to stop in Saundersville, eventually leading to the build of a warehouse depot in the town that became Chehalis. A standard train station was completed in 1883, replaced in 1912 by a depot that became the Lewis County Historical Society and Museum. Economic conditions improved drastically in the city, leading to a large build-up of the downtown core. Competing railroads, attempting to connect Chehalis to the Pacific coast, begin around 1890. A rail company, the Pacific, Chehalis & Eastern, operated a line to Sea Haven; funded by prominent residents, the venture failed by 1891. A freight railroad that led to South Bend was operated by the Northern Pacific Railway Company and became successful after full operations began in 1893. Passenger service began on the line and provided the city with an increase in local shopping. The passenger trains began to decrease during the Great Depression and ceased by 1954 due to competition with automobile travel.{{cite magazine |author=Staff writer |date=2006 |title=Lewis County to Willapa Bay by Rail |url=http://www.pacificcohistory.org/sw2006_2.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320011036/http://www.pacificcohistory.org/sw2006_2.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-03-20 |magazine=The Sou'wester |publisher=Pacific County Historical Society and Museum |pages=2–11 |access-date=July 2, 2024}}

Chehalis, in 1916, began being served by a short rail line operated by the Cowlitz, Chehalis, & Cascade Railroad. The line transported milk from local dairy farms to condensing plants in the city and provided lumber from surrounding timberlands to sawmills and woodworking producers in Chehalis.{{cite magazine |last=Brown |first=W.E. |date=May 1927 |title=A Short Line Financed By Four Great Western Roads |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K4zmAAAAMAAJ |magazine=Transportation - The National Monthly of the Transportation Industry |publisher=Transportation Publishing Company, Incorporated |pages=9–11 |access-date=July 2, 2024}}

Other railroads in the city include the Chehalis Western Railroad, a portion of which became part of the Chehalis–Centralia Railroad after the line was sold.

The first telephone operations in Chehalis began in 1891 when the city was connected to the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company in Centralia. An official exchange began in 1893 and connection availability for the entirety of the community was completed in 1898, which included 35 total subscribers. The company, then serving approximately 1,000 customers in the Twin Cities, was renamed in 1916 to the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. By the mid-1960s, the area was served by Pacific Northwest Bell and had a subscriber list of over 12,000 between Centralia and Chehalis.{{cite news |title=Telephone Services Came Early - Chehalis Phones Busy |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1966/10-10/page-36 |access-date=July 31, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=October 10, 1966 |page=A22}}

Lewis County PUD provides electricity within the city, 75% that is generated via hydroelectricity.{{cite web |title=Lewis County PUD Power Supply |url=https://www.lcpud.org/about-us/power-supply/ |website=lcpud.org |date=February 7, 2017 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122094541/https://www.lcpud.org/about-us/power-supply/ |url-status=live }} Natural gas and infrastructure for residents and businesses within the city limits is provided by Puget Sound Energy.{{cite web |title=PSE Service Area Map |url=https://www.pse.com/-/media/PDFs/1213_ServiceAreaMap_web.pdf |website=Puget Sound Energy |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215707/https://www.pse.com/-/media/PDFs/1213_ServiceAreaMap_web.pdf |url-status=live }}

Chehalis received grants of $4.45 million in 2021 to build the first hydrogen fueling station in Washington state; it is to be initially overseen by Twin Transit.{{cite news |last=Rosane |first=Eric |date=May 5, 2021 |title=Chehalis Will Be Home of State's First Hydrogen Refueling Station |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-will-be-home-of-states-first-hydrogen-refueling-station,264999? |work=The Daily Chronicle |access-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213954/https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-will-be-home-of-states-first-hydrogen-refueling-station,264999 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Banse |first=Tom |date=March 31, 2021 |title=Interest In Hydrogen Fuel Grows Across The Northwest – And Tax Dollars Follow |url=https://www.nwpb.org/2021/03/31/interest-in-hydrogen-fuel-grows-across-the-northwest-and-tax-dollars-follow/ |publisher=Northwest Public Broadcasting |access-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215726/https://www.nwpb.org/2021/03/31/interest-in-hydrogen-fuel-grows-across-the-northwest-and-tax-dollars-follow/ |url-status=live }} The site, scheduled for completion in mid-2023, is located in the southern portion of the city on Port of Chehalis property off I-5 and is planned to operate on {{convert|1|acre}} of the {{convert|8|acre}} plat and be capable for usage of up to 2 megawatts.{{cite news |last1=Warn |first1=Daniel |title=Plans for State's First Hydrogen Fueling Station Move Forward in Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/plans-for-states-first-hydrogen-fueling-station-move-forward-in-chehalis,285150 |access-date=July 27, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 25, 2022}} The self-service facility will have two fuel pressure stations, light-duty and heavy duty, of 700 and 350-bar fuel pressure, respectively.{{cite news |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Emily |title=Twin Transit Prepares to Submit Material for Hydrogen Fueling Station; On Track for Possible June 2023 Completion |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/twin-transit-prepares-to-submit-material-for-hydrogen-fueling-station-on-track-for-possible-june,295865 |access-date=July 27, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=June 24, 2022}}

The city installed its first charging stations for electric vehicles in 2018 at a shopping center on city-owned land. The station originally had four stalls and was later expanded through legislation from the city government.{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=Chehalis Receives Four Additional Electric Vehicle Charging Stations |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-receives-four-additional-electric-vehicle-charging-stations,284711? |access-date=July 29, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 16, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Chronicle Staff |title=New Tesla Charging Stations Coming to Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/new-tesla-charging-stations-coming-to-chehalis,286321? |access-date=July 29, 2022 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 18, 2022}} Chehalis is part of a broader initiative to provide charging stations along the White Pass Scenic Byway.{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Construction Begins on U.S. Highway 12 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Network |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/construction-begins-on-us-highway-12-electric-vehicle-charging-station-network,315141 |access-date=June 19, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 7, 2023}}

{{As of|2023}}, Chehalis residents obtain garbage collection services, required by city ordinance, with Harold LeMay Enterprises.

The City of Chehalis Water Division is responsible for clean drinking water, including water treatment and operations, and maintains reservoirs and tanks for a storage capacity of over 6.7 million gallons.{{cite web |title=City of Chehalis Water Division |url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/publicworks/water-division |website=ci.chehalis.wa.us |access-date=June 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215954/https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/publicworks/water-division |url-status=live }} The primary source for water is the North Fork of the Newaukum River, which the city is allowed to draw, as of 2023, two-thousand acre feet per year (3.1 million gallons per day).{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Chehalis City Council Roundup: New LeMay Contract Brings Rate Increases, Noise Complaints at Theater and Tax Clarification |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-city-council-roundup-new-lemay-contract-brings-rate-increases-noise-complaints-at,304561 |access-date=June 23, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=December 2, 2022}}{{cite web |title=City of Chehalis Annual Water Quality Report 2022 |url=https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works/page/6479/2023_ccr.pdf |website=City of Chehalis |access-date=August 15, 2023}} The Chehalis River is a secondary source, with the city allowed to siphon 1 million gallons daily. Flouridation of the water supply began in 1951.{{cite news |title=Exner Carries Reward Fight To Top Washington Court |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/utah/ogden/ogden-standard-examiner/1957/04-14/page-10 |access-date=October 2, 2024 |work=Ogden Standard-Examiner |agency=UPI |date=April 14, 1957 |page=10A}}

In the 21st century, water-use efficiency programs, required by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), reached a goal to reduce water use by 25,000 gallons daily and introduced an additional goal of a 3% reduction during summer. Based on a 2024 water system plan, also required by DOH, Chehalis oversees {{convert|577,000|ft|m|1}} of water lines, supplying {{convert|5,800|USgal}} per minute to 3,800 connections. With new water lines built in the southern portion of the city limits in 2023 and 2024, the city has adequate water supply until 2040. {{As of|2024}}, the city's water treatment facilities, built in 1961, provide 4.8 million gallons of water per day and is expected to be of sufficient use until 2036.{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |title=Chehalis city staff, consultants give presentation detailing updated water system plan draft; Bishop Road loop project complete |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-city-staff-consultants-give-presentation-detailing-updated-water-system-plan-draft,332785 |access-date=February 13, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=January 17, 2024}}

Chehalis has been a sister city with Inasa, Shizuoka, Japan since 1990.{{cite news |last1=McClurg |first1=Dian |title=Sister city delegates visit Chehalis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/sister-city-delegates-visit-chehalis,238505? |access-date=December 5, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 23, 2004}} It merged into the city of Hamamatsu, which continues the relationship.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Marqise |title=Chehalis Japanese Sister City Unharmed by Quake and Tsunami |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-japanese-sister-city-unharmed-by-quake-and-tsunami,167175? |access-date=December 5, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 17, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/foreign/english/outline/sister_cities.html|title=Outline of Hamamatsu – Sister Cities|publisher=Hamamatsu City|access-date=January 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101130337/http://www.city.hamamatsu.shizuoka.jp/foreign/english/outline/sister_cities.html|archive-date=January 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}

Chehalis is considered a twin city with adjacent Centralia.{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Pat |title=Clang, clang, clang go the streetcars |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/clang-clang-clang-go-the-streetcars,217363 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |publisher=The Daily Chronicle |date=October 21, 2006 |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626121527/https://www.chronline.com/stories/clang-clang-clang-go-the-streetcars,217363 |url-status=live }}

{{div col|colwidth=24em}}

• Don G. Abel, Washington state supreme court justice{{cite news |title=Post Taken By Chehalin |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1957/07-01/page-1 |access-date=August 22, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |agency=UPI |date=July 1, 1957}}
• Ernst Bechly, American surveyor and map maker{{cite news |title=Ernst Carl Bechly (1872-1954) |url=https://www.olsonengr.com/download/globios/bechlyernstcbio.pdf |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=Sheboygan Press |date=January 25, 1951 |page=7}}
• Kay Bell, football player and professional wrestler
• Morgan Christen, United States federal appellate judge{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Carol J. |title=After 202-day delay, Senate confirms judge for appeals-court seat |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/after-202-day-delay-senate-confirms-judge-for-appeals-court-seat/ |access-date=August 22, 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |publisher=Los Angeles Times}}
• Robert MacArthur Crawford, composer and musician{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=The story of the 'Air Force Song,' a local composer and a trip to the moon |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-story-of-the-air-force-song-a-local-composer-and-a-trip-to-the-moon,220108 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 15, 2006}}
• Henry C. Davis, Washington state pioneer and businessman{{cite news |title=Another Pioneer Is Dead |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1912/01-18/page-7 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=April 25, 1912 |page=5}}
• Dave Dowling, former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball{{cite news |last1=Aadland |first1=Gordon |title='58 team shows there is life after youth baseball |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/58-team-shows-there-is-life-after-youth-baseball,238346? |access-date=September 6, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 28, 2004}}
• Frank Everett, Washington state pioneer and businessman{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1920/03-12/page-3 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=March 12, 1920 |page=2}}
• Judianne Fotheringill, 1963 and 1964 pair skating U.S. national champion
• Dave and Vean Gregg, professional baseball players{{cite news |last1=Eals |first1=Clay |title=Baseball's 'Western Wonder' lefty pitcher knew how to fuel a local comeback |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/baseballs-western-wonder-knew-how-to-fuel-a-negotiation/ |access-date=June 14, 2021 |work=Seattle Times - Pacific NW Magazine |date=March 18, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025939/https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/baseballs-western-wonder-knew-how-to-fuel-a-negotiation/ |url-status=live }}
• Bill Markham, member of the Oregon House of Representatives{{cite book |title=Oregon Blue Book |date=1973 |publisher=Oregon Secretary of State |page=88 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_HYNAAAAIAAJ |access-date=September 5, 2024}}
• Olive McKean, Bronze medalist swimmer at the 1936 Summer Olympics{{cite web |title=Alumni News - In Memoriam |url=https://issuu.com/teamusa.alumni.newsletters/docs/0401theolympian_2006may-june |publisher=United States Olympic Committee |access-date=September 3, 2024 |page=18 |date=May 2006}}
• Seton I. Miller, Oscar winner in 1941 for Best Screenplay{{cite news |title=Chehalis Boy Joint Author of "Scarface" |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYU9AAAAIBAJ |access-date=September 3, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=August 26, 1932 |page=6}}
• Andy Olson, American football player and coach{{cite news |last1=Hansen |first1=Brandon |title=AFL Football: Olson Has Shock in Prime Position |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/afl-football-olson-has-shock-in-prime-position,95928? |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 9, 2013}}
• Brock Peterson, former Major League Baseball player{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Zach |title=The Ultimate Underdog: Brock Peterson goes through a rollercoaster before reaching MLB in St. Louis |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/the-ultimate-underdog-brock-peterson-goes-through-a-rollercoaster-before-reaching-mlb-in-st-louis,359435 |access-date=August 5, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 3, 2024}}
• Ralph Rivers, first United States Representative from Alaska{{cite news |title=Obituaries - Ralph Rivers |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1976/08-13/page-13 |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 13, 1976 |page=12}}
• Wilma Rosbach, member of the Washington House of Representatives, 1979-1983{{cite news |title=Wilma Rosbach Brown |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/wilma-rosbach-brown,19645? |access-date=September 5, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 5, 2018}}
• Lewis D. Scherer, college football player and coach, early 20th century{{cite news |title=L. D. Scherer Succumbs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-chronicle-l-d-scherer-succum/16747709/ |access-date=October 24, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=July 17, 1963 |location=Centralia, Washington |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com }}
• Elmer Schwartz, professional football player in the 1930s{{cite news|title=Former Chehalis Boy A Fine Football Prospect |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vL89AAAAIBAJ&pg=3353,5138975&dq=elmer-schwartz+football&hl=en |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget|date=April 19, 1929 |page=3}}
• Orin Smith, former CEO of Starbucks{{cite news |last1=Perednia |first1=Graham |title=Chehalis City Council Honors Prolific Philanthropist Orin Smith |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-city-council-honors-prolific-philanthropist-orin-smith,22351 |access-date=September 3, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 24, 2017}}
• Harry Hudson Swofford, Washington state legislator{{cite news |last1=Blomdahl |first1=George |title=Harry Swofford, Early-Day Auditor Of Lewis County, Is 91 in February |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1963/12-30/page-10 |access-date=October 22, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=December 30, 1963 |page=10}}
• Warren A. Taylor, first Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives{{cite web |title=Warren A. Taylor |url=https://www.alaska.edu/uajourney/history-and-trivia/alaska-history/creating-alaska/constitutional-convention/delegates/taylor/ |publisher=University of Alaska |access-date=August 28, 2024 |date=March 7, 2022}}
• Ralph Towner, acoustic guitarist{{cite news |last1=Otten |first1=Liam |title=Ralph Towner |url=https://source.washu.edu/2004/09/ralph-towner/ |access-date=August 29, 2024 |work=Washington University in St. Louis |date=September 28, 2004}}
• Albert E. Tozier, founder of the Chehalis Nugget newspaper{{cite news |last1=Ellington |first1=C. |title=Discussing Current Events - Starting Volume LV |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1937/07-09/page-6 |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=July 9, 1937 |page=6}}
• Harry R. Truman, 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption folk hero{{cite news |last1=Paulu |first1=Tom |title=Hard-living Harry was true to his ways to the very end |url=https://democratherald.com/news/local/hard-living-harry-was-true-to-his-ways-to-the-very-end/article_838a0ad5-ac42-5cb7-b3b5-33468f339d91.html |access-date=May 27, 2021 |work=The Daily News |agency=Albany Democrat-Herald |publisher=Lee Enterprises |date=May 17, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527071423/https://democratherald.com/news/local/hard-living-harry-was-true-to-his-ways-to-the-very-end/article_838a0ad5-ac42-5cb7-b3b5-33468f339d91.html |url-status=live }}
• William Muir Urquhart, Chehalis pioneer and businessman{{cite news |title=Lewis County Native Son Is Taken By Death |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tacoma-daily-ledger-lewis-county-nat/89847449/ |access-date=August 29, 2024 |work=The Tacoma Daily Ledger |date=April 15, 1933 |page=8}}
• Thomas Westendorf, American songwriter, composer, and educator{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=Song's writer waited a long time to fulfill promise to his wife |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/songs-writer-waited-a-long-time-to-fulfill-promise-to-his-wife,223908? |work=The Chronicle |date=March 11, 2006}}

{{div col end}}

• {{portal-inline|Pacific Northwest}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Sister project links|auto=y}}

• [http://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/ City of Chehalis website]
• [https://experiencechehalis.com/ Experience Chehalis website]

{{Lewis County, Washington}}

{{Washington (state) county seats}}

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Category:Cities in Washington (state)

Category:Cities in Lewis County, Washington

Category:County seats in Washington (state)

Category:Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin