Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,371 at the 2010 census. Take a look below for 10 obscure and fun facts about Tumwater, Washington, United States.

1. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state capital of Olympia to the north.

2. Tumwater is the oldest permanent Anglo-American settlement on Puget Sound.

3. The site of Tumwater and Tumwater Falls has been home to Southern Lushootseed-speaking peoples known as the Steh-Chass / Stehchass or Statca’sabsh (a subtribe of the Sahewamish (Sahe’wabsh), an subgroup of the Nisqually people; who became part of the post-treaty Squaxin Island Tribe) for thousands of years. “Steh-Chass” is the Lushootseed name for Budd Inlet, Deschutes River and the Tumwater Falls area, and for an important village of the Statca’sabsh.

4. Tumwater was originally called “New Market” by American settlers, and under the latter name was platted in 1845.

5. The present name is derived from Chinook Jargon and means “waterfall”.

6. A post office called Tumwater was established in 1863.

7. The city incorporated in 1875.

8. This region experiences warm and dry summers, with average monthly temperatures between 71.6 °F (22 °C) and 98.1 °F (36.7 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tumwater has a Very warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated “Csb” on climate maps.

9. The Washington State Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Tumwater.

10. The Tumwater School District is home to numerous schools including Tumwater High School and Black Hills High School.