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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Elma
Elma is a 30-minute stop for a burger or a county fair, not a destination: skip unless you need a bed between Olympia and the coast.
Elma is a small farming and logging town on US 12, 30 minutes east of Aberdeen. Its main draws are the Grays Harbor County Fair (mid-August) and the Grays Harbor County Raceway (Saturday nights, April–October). Most travellers pass through on the way to the Olympic Peninsula or the coast.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, many things closed)
- 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 $60–90 excl. bed · Mid $90–150 excl. bed · High $150+ excl. bed (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 |
|---|---|
| Burger and milkshake at Schmitty's | $10–15 |
| Country breakfast at Rusty Tractor | $12–18 |
| Motel room (Stay Beyond Inn & Suites) | $80–160 |
| Gas (regular, per US gallon) | $3.50–4.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SEA · Seattle–Tacoma International
- About 1.5 h drive via US 12 and I-5
Typical fares
- Elma → Aberdeen, US 12
- about 20 min by car
- Elma → Olympia, WA 8
- about 40 min by car
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Grays Harbor Transit runs limited buses (check schedule).
See and do
Known for
- Grays Harbor County Fair
- Grays Harbor County Raceway
- Schmitty's burger stand
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | US 12 west, 20 min | 20 min |
| Olympia | US 12 east to WA 8, 40 min | 40 min |
| Westport | US 12 west to WA 105, 40 min | 40 min |
Sleep
- US 12 / Main Street
- The only motel cluster; walkable to the burger stand and a gas station.
Language
English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).
- Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
- Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.
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
- The fair and raceway draw crowds: book a motel ahead in August.
- Many businesses close by 21:00 or earlier.
- Cell service is fine on US 12 but patchy on side roads.
Very safe. The main risk is a car accident on US 12 in rain or fog.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Elma yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Grays Harbor County Fair
- Grays Harbor County Raceway
- Schmitty's burger stand
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Elma, revision 5266325 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5266325
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Elma
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No public transport to Elma from outside the county.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/elma). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.