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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Colfax
Colfax, Washington
Half a day to see the Palouse hills and Steptoe Butte, but only if you have a car. Drive through on US-195 between Spokane and Pullman.
Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County and a quiet farming town in the Palouse region. Its main draw is the rolling wheat fields and Steptoe Butte State Park, a quartzite butte with panoramic views. Most travellers use it as a quick stop on US-195 between Spokane and Pullman.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Colfax, Washington
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (snow, some roads icy)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid $100–160 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High $160+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, Fire, Ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–5 (2026 estimate) |
| Lunch sandwich | $8–13 (2026 estimate) |
| Dinner entrée | $12–25 (2026 estimate) |
| Beer (pint) | $4–7 (2026 estimate) |
| Discover Pass (day) | $10 (2026 estimate) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GEG · Spokane International
- About 1 h 15 min drive north on US-195 (check)
- PUW · Pullman–Moscow Regional
- About 30 min drive south on US-195 (check)
Typical fares
- Spokane → Colfax (US-195)
- About 1 h 15 min drive, no tolls
- Pullman → Colfax (US-195)
- About 25 min drive
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. US-195 runs north–south through town; side roads to Steptoe Butte and Hooper are paved but narrow (check).
See and do
Known for
- Steptoe Butte State Park
- Palouse wheat fields
- Hooper ghost town
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Steptoe Butte State Park | Drive north on US-195 about 6 mi, then east on Scholz Rd (check) | About 20 min (check) |
| Pullman | Drive south on US-195 about 25 min (check) | 25 min (check) |
| Spokane | Drive north on US-195 about 1 h 15 min (check) | 1 h 15 min (check) |
| Clarkston, Washington | Drive south on US-195 then east on WA-128, about 1 h (check) | 1 h (check) |
Sleep
- Main Street / US-195 corridor
- The only hotel cluster; walkable to a few restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much? | How much? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Steptoe Butte road is steep and winding; not for large RVs.
- Discover Pass required at state parks — check current rules before visiting.
- Hooper is a ghost town with no services; go in daylight.
Very low crime. Watch for deer on US-195 at dawn/dusk and farm equipment on side roads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Colfax yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Steptoe Butte State Park
- Palouse wheat fields
- Hooper ghost town
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Colfax official website: www.colfaxwa.org/
- Washington State Parks — Steptoe Butte: parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/steptoe-butte-state-park-heritage-site
- Wikivoyage: Colfax (Washington), revision 5242420 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242420
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ColfaxColfax, Washington
Take me to this address
Take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, Fire, Ambulance911
Nearest consulates in Seattle; embassies in Washington, DC.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/colfax-washington). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.