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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Pasco
Give Pasco one night, two at most: it is the Tri-Cities' airport and rail town, not a sightseeing base. Sleep near the airport or downtown, then drive.
Pasco is the smallest and most workaday of Washington's Tri-Cities, sitting on the north bank of the Columbia where the Snake joins it. Almost everything here is practical: Tri-Cities Airport (PSC), an Amtrak stop on the Empire Builder, the Ben Franklin Transit bus hub, and cheap chain hotels. The reason to stay rather than pass through is Sacajawea Historical State Park at the river confluence, the 23-mile Sacajawea Heritage Trail, and easy drives to Yakima, Walla Walla and the Columbia River Gorge.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (35°C+ afternoons), late Nov–Feb (ice and fog)Jul–Aug (95°F+ afternoons), late Nov–Feb (ice and fog)
- Stay
- 1–2 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 $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–190 excl. bed · High $200+ 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 · Washington State Patrol 509-575-2320
- 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 | $3–6 |
| Diner breakfast | $12–20 |
| Burger or taco lunch | $12–18 |
| Draft beer in a bar | $6–9 |
| 5 km taxi or rideshare3.1 mi taxi or rideshare | $12–20 |
| Museum entry | $5–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PSC · Tri-Cities Airport
- About 3.5 mi northwest of downtown off N 20th Ave; the main airport for the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and the Columbia Basin.
Typical fares
- Ben Franklin Transit single ride
- $1.50 cash (check)
- Grape Line Pasco → Walla Walla
- about $10–15, roughly 1 h 30 min (check)
- Taxi or rideshare PSC → downtown Pasco
- $15–25 (check)
Get around
Ben Franklin Transit runs fixed-route buses across the Tri-Cities and out to Benton City, West Richland and Prosser; the main hub is the 22nd Ave Transit Center. Cash fare is $1.50 (check). Distances between Pasco, Kennewick and Richland are 5–15 km, so a car is far more practical than buses for sightseeing.Ben Franklin Transit runs fixed-route buses across the Tri-Cities and out to Benton City, West Richland and Prosser; the main hub is the 22nd Ave Transit Center. Cash fare is $1.50 (check). Distances between Pasco, Kennewick and Richland are 3.1–9.3 mi, so a car is far more practical than buses for sightseeing.
See and do
Known for
- Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
- Amtrak Empire Builder stop
- Sacajawea Historical State Park
- Sacajawea Heritage Trail
- Columbia and Snake river confluence
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kennewick | US 395 south across the Columbia, about 10 min | 15–20 min |
| Richland | I-182 west, about 15 min | 20 min |
| Walla Walla | US 12 east, about 1 h 15 min by car; Grape Line bus from the airport and Amtrak station | 1.5–2 h |
| Yakima | I-82 northwest, about 1 h 30 min | 1.5–2 h |
| Grand Coulee Dam | US 395 north then WA 17, about 2 h 30 min | 3 h |
| Moses Lake | I-90 northwest, about 1 h | 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- N 20th Ave by the airport
- Chain hotels within a few minutes of the terminal; best for a late arrival or an early flight.
- Burden Blvd / HAPO Center
- Convention-centre cluster next to Gesa Stadium; free parking, 15 min drive to downtown.
- Downtown Pasco
- Closest to the Amtrak station and the Franklin County museum; few rooms, so book ahead.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the bus stop? | Where is the bus stop? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| A table for two, please | A table for two, please |
| Is there a fee? | Is there a fee? |
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
- Summer afternoons regularly pass 35°C; carry water on the river trail.
- Winter brings ice, fog and occasional freezing rain on I-182 and US 395.
- Downtown Pasco is quiet after dark; most services are on N 20th Ave or in Kennewick and Richland.
- Tri-Cities Airport is small: rental desks keep limited hours, so confirm pickup times before a late landing.
Pasco is a normal small US city: the real risks are summer heat on the river trail, winter ice on the highways, and long unlit stretches between the Tri-Cities after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pasco yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
- Amtrak Empire Builder stop
- Sacajawea Historical State Park
- Sacajawea Heritage Trail
- Columbia and Snake river confluence
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tri-Cities Airport: www.flytricities.com/
- Ben Franklin Transit: www.bft.org/
- Amtrak — Pasco station: www.amtrak.com/stations/psc
- Washington State Parks — Sacajawea Historical State Park: parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/sacajawea-historical-state-park
- Grape Line (Travel Washington): www.grapeline.us/
- Wikivoyage: Pasco, revision 5248177 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5248177
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pasco
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Washington State Patrol509-575-2320
No embassies in Pasco; nearest consulates are in Seattle (about 3.5 h by car).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pasco). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.