Overview
Richland is a city of 51,000 people (2020) in the Columbia River Plateau, where the Yakima River flows into the Columbia. It is the closest city to the Hanford Nuclear Site, where development of its historic nuclear reactor lead to a large national research lab and a waste remediation effort that is the single largest construction project in the country.
Richland is one of the Tri-Cities of Washington, which also includes Kennewick and Pasco. The Tri-Cities are the third most populous metropolitan area in the state, after Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane.
2 sights · 13 things to do · 4 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 5 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Richland
The Reach Museum
LIGO Hanford Observatory
a 4-km-by-4-km gravitational wave detector, measuring the minute ripples in space-time caused by cataclysmic cosmic events such as colliding neutron stars, black holes, and supernovae.
Tri-City Raceway
The only 0.500 mi paved trioval in North America.
Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours
Shorter tours visit only the B Reactor, the world's first large-scale nuclear reactor. Like the site tours, advance reservations are necessary; 50 tour dates per year between April and September, including most weekends.…
Hanford Reach National Monument
The monumental Hanford nuclear fuel production site lies to the northwest of Richland, and strict security means that the land surrounding it was not developed — and became a surprising wildlife preserve. A National Monu…
Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve
Badger rises above the Tri-Cities and is a popular hiking destination for a wide variety of climbers. There are a number of trails climbing the mountain with varying levels of difficulty.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 19°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Leavenworth)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PSC Tri Cities Airport, Pasco — 8 mi away. Directions
- PDT Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton, Pendleton — 46 mi away. Directions
- GEG Spokane International Airport, Spokane — 124 mi away (major hub). Directions
Richland's central business district is immediately off of Interstate 182 (I-182) at Exit 5, George Washington Way.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The Reach Museum, Chamna Natural Preserve, Richland Players Theater
- Lunch Apollo Authentic Greek Restaurant
- Afternoon W. E. Johnson Park, Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve
- Dinner Monterosso’s Italian Restaurant
- Evening Atomic Ale Brewpub
Day 2
- Morning Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours, Hanford Reach National Monument
- Lunch Spudnuts Donut
- Afternoon Pre-War Historic Site Tour
- Dinner Sterling's Restaurant
- Evening Whiskey River Bar & Grill
Day 3
- Morning Saddle Mountain B.L.M. Recreation Lands
- Afternoon Bateman Island
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Richland and the greater Tri-Cities region were developed as one of the secret sites of the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. The atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 contained plutonium produced at the Hanford Nuclear Site, surrounding the world's first full-scale nuclear reactor.
Today, the nuclear site has changed its mission from plutonium enrichment to environmental clean up and restoration. The city is home to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a large national research lab.
Get in
By car
Richland's central business district is immediately off of Interstate 182 (I-182) at Exit 5, George Washington Way.
The Tri-Cities are close to each other but a long way from anyone else: expect at least a 75-minute drive from Yakima, 3.5 hours from Seattle.
By air
Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) is in Pasco, roughly 10 mi east of Richland. There are daily flights from Seattle/Tacoma, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Get around
See
Do
Hanford Nuclear Site
Established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, the site is home to the B Reactor, the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world. Plutonium manufactured at the site was used in the bomb dropped at Nagasaki. During the Cold War, the project expanded to include nine nuclear reactors and five large plutonium processing complexes, which produced plutonium for most of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The production reactors were shut down between 1964 and 1971.
Many early safety procedures and waste disposal practices were inadequate, resulting in the release of significant amounts of radioactive materials into the air and the Columbia River. Hanford became the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup, with over 10,000 workers employed on cleanup activities.
Hanford also hosts a commercial nuclear power plant and various centers for scientific research and development, such as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Fast Flux Test Facility, and the LIGO Hanford Observatory.
As Hanford is still an active research and industrial cleanup site, the only public access is through guided tours. Tours are infrequent and capacity is limited, so reservations should be made months in advance.
Do Hanford Site Cleanup Tours
Four-hour tours of the Hanford Nuclear Site focusing on Hanford's current cleanup projects. Stops include a model waste storage tank used to develop cleanup techniques (the Cold Test Facility), the 200 West Pump and Treat facility (cleaning contaminated groundwater), and the Waste Treatment Plant construction zone. Reservations required on a first come-first serve basis — registration for the year's tours opens in early March and closer dates may fill quickly. Cancellations will open up a few slots, particularly later in the season. This tour is only open to U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old.. No cameras or cell phones are allowed on the tour, and there is no storage for items at the office building where the tour begins.
Do Manhattan Project B Reactor Tours
Shorter tours visit only the B Reactor, the world's first large-scale nuclear reactor. Like the site tours, advance reservations are necessary; 50 tour dates per year between April and September, including most weekends. Groups will get about two hours on site, plus 45 minutes each way on a chartered bus to reach the isolated facility. Unlike the full site tours, there is no citizenship requirement, but photo ID is mandatory. Also, visitors under 18 are allowed but must be with their parent/guardian or adult designated by them, and have a signed release form.
Do Pre-War Historic Site Tour
This tour covers the remaining buildings of the former farm towns of Hanford and White Bluffs, which were displaced by the military for the construction of the Hanford nuclear site during World War II. This tour does not include the nuclear cleanup projects or the B Reactor, and US citizenship is not required.
Parks and natural areas
Do Hanford Reach National Monument
The monumental Hanford nuclear fuel production site lies to the northwest of Richland, and strict security means that the land surrounding it was not developed — and became a surprising wildlife preserve. A National Monument since 2000, Hanford Reach covers thousands of acres in a giant U-shape along the Columbia River.
Do Bateman Island
This island in the Columbia River is home to many different species of wildlife, including deer, birds, carp in the wet season, and numerous small animals. Common recreational activities include fishing, bird watching, and hiking. The island also has multiple geocaches on it.
Wine tasting
The region's long, warm summer days (an average of 300 days of sunshine per year) and crisp cool nights, combined with rich volcanic soils and controlled irrigation, make it a nearly perfect location to grow premium grapes. A wide variety are grown throughout the region including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir and others.
There are over 160 wineries within an hour's drive. Many of these wineries offer wine tasting and tours.
Buy
Eat
Eat Apollo Authentic Greek Restaurant
Apollo offers a wide variety of fine Greek cuisine. Take-out is available.
Eat Monterosso’s Italian Restaurant
Italian restaurant in an antique railroad dining car.
Eat Sterling's Restaurant
There is an all-you-can-eat or single trip salad bar, several soups prepared daily, and a wide and impressive menu featuring appetizers, fresh omelets (breakfast and dinner), steak, seafood, chicken, pasta, salads, burgers, and a kid's menu with shrimp, chicken fingers, french fries and fruit. Beer, wine, and spirits are on the drink menu. There is a newer branch at 2500 Queensgate Dr.
Drink
Drink Atomic Ale Brewpub
One of the only microbreweries in the area, this brewpub features such locally famous brews as Half-Life Hefeweizen, Atomic Amber and Plutonium Porter. The eatery features gourmet wood-fired pizzas.
Drink Whiskey River Bar & Grill
Working class dive bar, with indoor/outdoor seating, some live music (classic rock, traditional country) and periodic karaoke.
Sleep
Richland doesn't have a large supply of hotels, and many of its travelers are on business at the Lab. As a result, hotels can unexpectedly book out at any time of the year. Kennewick's hotels are generally quite convenient to Richland as well, Pasco somewhat less so.
Stay Holiday Inn Richland on the River
The building is passing through dated and wrapping all the way back around to retro - don't overlook the long curving hallway, or the pickled wood ceilings on the upper floor. Otherwise, a standard midrange hotel. Rates are on the high side for what you get.
Nearby
Kennewick
City / town · 27 listings · 8 mi away
Pasco
City / town · 18 listings · 9 mi away
Prosser
City / town · 6 listings · 24 mi away
Hermiston
City / town · 9 listings · 30 mi away
Sunnyside
City / town · 3 listings · 35 mi away
Boardman
City / town · 15 listings · 37 mi away
Othello
City / town · 1 listings · 38 mi away
Granger
City / town · 1 listings · 44 mi away
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