Y akima, Washington is located in south central Washington at the intersection of the Naches and Yakima Rivers. Yakima is the gateway to the lush Yakima Valley in one direction and the stunning Cascade Mountains on the other. Yakima is the county seat of Yakima County and is the second largest sized county in the state with 4,296 square miles of land. The Yakima Valley is known for its production of forest products, manufacturing aircraft parts and supplies, and machinery used in food product packaging. One of the top industries in the region is agriculture specifically tree fruits, hops, mint, vegetables, livestock, dairy and wine. The Wine industry in the Yakima Valley has boomed in recent years, with international recognition of Yakima wines and vineyards.

The Yakima Valley lies at the same latitude as the famous wine regions of France. Due to the northerly latitude, Yakima receives more hours of sunshine (17.4 hours per day - 2 hours more than the Napa Valley) each day during the growing season than does California. This, coupled with a long growing season, cool desert nights, rich volcanic soil makes a perfect environment for ripening premium wine grapes with a proper sugar/acid balance. People used to ask if the Napa Valley produced wine as good as French wine. Napa Valley wines are different from French wine because of the difference in latitude. Today people want to know if Washington State Wines are as good as Napa Valley Wines. Actually, Washington State Wines are as good as the best French wines!

Yakima is a strong community experiencing healthy growth. The active participation of Yakima's citizens was recognized in 1994 when Yakima was named "All-America City". Community members and leaders are proud of their achievements and stand firm in the commitment to work together to keep Yakima a beautiful and thriving community. The population in the city limits of Yakima is 71,845 residents. This is a 33% increase over the past decade. Housing in the area ranges from Lakeside homes and condominiums, to turn of the century historic homes and large sprawling ranches. The median household income in Yakima is $29,475 per year and the median selling price for a house is refreshingly affordable at $190,000. The weather in Yakima is enviable with 300 days of sunshine on average per year. The average winter temperature is 37 degrees and in the summer it is 88 degrees. Yakima and the surrounding area offers camping, fishing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snow boarding, boating, and incredibly beautiful sight seeing. The turn-of-the-century Capitol Theatre, Yakima Valley Museum, and the Visitors and Convention Center, in addition to sports teams such as the Yakima Bears, baseball, and the Sun Kings, basketball, and the Central Washington State Fair, all add to the recreational opportunities and quality of life in the area.

The Yakima Valley enjoys a rich cultural heritage unmatched by most communities. This tradition is celebrated through numerous artistic and entertainment activities throughout the year. This schedule includes the Capitol Theatre, Allied Arts Council of Yakima Valley, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Larson Gallery, and the Yakima Valley Museum. A local favorite is the Yakima Area Arboretum with the Joyful Japanese Garden, Trees of Washington, the Wetland Trail, and Jewett Visitor and Interpretive Center. The collection of over 2000 plant species spread across 46 acres provides a living museum for you to relax, enjoy, free of charge, year round.

The Yakima School District is the 14th largest district in Washington State and the second largest in Eastern Washington with a total enrollment of 14,396 students. YSD Serves a diverse population of over 14,000 students and is committed to bringing resident students an outstanding educational experience. Recently, students participated in the Reading Excellence Act pilot program and exceeded the national average on a standardized test of reading fluency. Yakima residents also enjoy wonderful higher education choices. Central Washington University offers undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences, business, professional education, certain technical fields, and graduate degrees at the master's level in arts and sciences and professional education. Heritage College is a four-year private institution whose major fields of concentration are teacher education, business administration and social sciences. Yakima Valley Community College is a public two-year college providing lower division college arts and sciences, university transfer, and vocational/technical education.