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 Buyers Tool Box
Area Information
On this page we try to provide comprehensive information about the Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base area. If you don't find what you need here, please call or email Phil, Gina or Stephanie with your questions...we will do all we can to provide you with our personal perspective about the area, recreation, schools and communities.
Phil -
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360-970-9977 - Agent
Stephanie -
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360-455-1366 - Listings Specialist
Gina -
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360-970-6913 - Relocation Sponsor
The documents below are in pdf format. If you need the Adobe Reader, click here to download for free. You can right click on the link and select "Open in New Tab" to view/download in a new window. The information is also presented further down the page if you prefer to not open the document.
Word Docs
Commuting Around the Fort Lewis-McChord Area
Helpful Area Links
State Of Washington Information:
Washington State Visitor Guide
Washington and Thurston County demographic and census information
Seattle Information and Visitor Guide
Thurston County Information:
Thurston County Website
Things to see and do in Thurston CountyThurston County Geo-Data, Plat maps, Property Tax and Land use Information
Fort Lewis Information:
Fort Lewis Website
Fort Lewis Housing Office
Fort Lewis Lodge
Fort Lewis Newspaper; The Guardian
Fort Lewis Newspaper; Fort Lewis Ranger
Madigan Army Medical Center
Fort Lewis Welcome Guide
MWR Information
Civilian Personnel Office
Cities In Thurston County:
City of Olympia
City of Lacey
City of Yelm
City of Tumwater
Thurston County Parks & Recreations
Thurston County Sheriff Office
Pierce County Information:
Pierce County Website
Pierce Co. WA Public Geographic Info. System
Things to do in Pierce County
Ft. Lewis-McChord Information:
McChord AFB Newcomers and Public Information
McChord AFB Official Site
McChord AFB Newspaper; Northwest Airlifter
Madigan Army Medical Center
Fort Lewis Welcome Guide
MWR Information
Civilian Personnel Office
Cities in Pierce County:
City of Tacoma
City of Puyallup
City of Spanaway Info
City of Graham InfoCity of Roy
School Information:
North Thurston Public School District
Olympia School District
Griffin School District
Tumwater School District
Yelm School District
Rainier School District
Rochester School District
Tenino School District
South Sound Community College
Tacoma Community College
Document Information:
Commuting in and Around Fort Lewis WA
When PCS'ing to a new installation, my first concern was always the commute. Arriving at work before first light, multiple trips back and forth to post, and being close to the unit for recalls and trips to the barracks is a big consideration and has a huge impact on quality time versus travel time.
Fort Lewis straddles Interstate 5 just south of Tacoma and North of Olympia Washington. The portion of the installation that is south and east of the freeway is considered as main post, to the north and west of the freeway is north fort. The installation headquarters, main PX, Madigan AMC and numerous other troop units occupy main post. North fort is well known by ROTC Cadets; the barracks used for ROTC until recently were wooden "WW II" barracks located on north Fort Lewis. In the past five years, many new barracks and unit area construction projects have been completed, and others are underway.
When I moved to Fort Lewis, friends and associates who had been stationed here before recommended that I look for housing to the south, in the Lacey or Olympia area. The biggest quantifiable reason I was given was the commute. Traffic from Thurston County is significantly less than that from Pierce county and Tacoma. Additionally, many people feel that crime is less of an issue in Thurston County, which is much more rural that Pierce.
Another area that has become very popular, especially for those who will be working on main post, is Yelm and Roy. Located several miles from the back or "East" gate, Roy (in Pierce County) and Yelm (just south of the Thurston County line) are very convenient commutes. Although both are small agricultural communities, Yelm is the fastest growing small town in the state; primarily because prices are somewhat lower than those in the larger towns on the freeway. If you think you will be working on north fort, Yelm and Roy may not be very good choices; the only route is across main post, and under the freeway at one of two points...always a traffic jam.
To the north are the Pierce County communities. Lakewood is almost right outside of the gate, just a short distance north on the freeway. Not a bad commute, with traffic concerns only during rush hour. Further north is Tacoma, Graham, Puyallup and other small communities and neighborhoods. If you are into being in or near a large city you will most likely want to go north.
For more information about the Fort Lewis area and outlying communities, please visit my website; Fort Lewis Agent.com.
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