Pierce County · Seattle & Puget Sound
Puyallup, Washington: Things to Do, Where to Eat and When to Visit
Puyallup draws over a million visitors every September for one of the country's great fairs. Almost no one comes back the rest of the year. That is their loss.
POPULATION
About 42,700
COUNTY
Pierce County
FROM SEATTLE
About 35 miles south
FROM TACOMA
10 miles east
KNOWN FOR
Washington State Fair, Puyallup Valley daffodils, Goodguys car show
FOUNDED
1890
Puyallup, Washington sits in the fertile valley southeast of Tacoma, where volcanic soil from Mount Rainier’s flanks produces some of the finest daffodils in the world. The name belongs to the Puyallup people who have lived in this valley for thousands of years. It means “the generous people,” and the pronunciation is pew-AL-up. Every September, the Washington State Fair brings more than a million visitors to the Fairgrounds for 17 days of thrill rides, livestock barns, Fischer Scones, and live concerts on the Grandstand stage. It is one of the largest fairs in the United States.
But the Puyallup that most visitors miss runs the other eleven months of the year: a walkable downtown with one of Washington’s best outdoor sculpture galleries, a Victorian mansion that has stood since 1886, and a farmers market drawing valley growers every Saturday through fall. Hot rod enthusiasts have their own reason to make the drive. The Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals fills the Fairgrounds Events Center each July with over 2,500 hot rods, customs, and muscle cars, making it the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest.
The valley floor blooms every spring in the kind of color that stops drivers on the highway. With Mount Rainier visible to the east on clear days, Puyallup has a setting most cities would spend considerable money advertising. It just lets the fair do the talking.
Getting Here
From Seattle, head south on I-5 to SR-512, then east on SR-167 into downtown. The distance is about 35 miles, and the drive runs 45 minutes to an hour depending on I-5 traffic through the South End. State Fair weekends push that number up considerably. From Tacoma, take SR-512 east for 10 miles. Budget 20 minutes on a normal day. From Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the drive is about 20 miles south via SR-99 and SR-167, roughly 25 to 35 minutes without traffic.
Parking in downtown Puyallup is free and generally available outside of State Fair season. During the fair, Fairgrounds parking fills fast. Use the Park and Ride at South Hill or Sumner and take the Sounder commuter train directly to the Fairgrounds on E Main Ave. It runs daily during the fair and is the most reliable way to arrive on busy weekends.
Things to Do
Festival
The Washington State Fair
The State Fair runs September 4 through September 27, 2026, with 17 days of rides, livestock shows, agricultural exhibits, and Grandstand concerts. The wooden roller coaster at the Fairgrounds dates to 1935 and is one of the last of its kind in the country. Get a Fischer Scone at the Original stand before you do anything else. They have been made the same way since 1911.
Car Show
Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals
Every July, the Washington State Fair Events Center hosts the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals, the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest. The 2026 show runs July 24 through 26. More than 2,500 hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classics from across the country show up for three days of competition, vendor displays, and the kind of automotive obsession that fills the entire Fairgrounds property.
History
Meeker Mansion
Ezra Meeker built this 17-room Victorian mansion in 1886, two years before Washington became a state. Meeker was a founding figure of Puyallup and a tireless promoter of the Oregon Trail he had traveled as a young man. The house has been meticulously preserved and operates as a museum. The period rooms are among the best-maintained examples of Victorian domestic life in the Pacific Northwest.
Art
Puyallup Outdoor Sculpture Gallery
More than 55 permanent and rotating sculptures are installed throughout the downtown area, making Puyallup's outdoor art collection one of the largest accessible collections in Washington. Self guided tours are free any time. Docent-led tours are available through Arts Downtown Puyallup. The collection spans figurative bronze to contemporary abstract and changes regularly.
Market
Puyallup Farmers Market
Pioneer Park hosts the farmers market every Saturday from late April through mid-October, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Puyallup Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in western Washington, and the market reflects that range: daffodil bulbs and cut flowers in spring, berries through summer, apple and pear varieties unavailable in supermarkets come fall. Live music runs most Saturdays.
Nature
Puyallup Fish Hatchery
The state salmon hatchery on the Puyallup River offers free self guided tours year round. During the fall chinook run in October and November, the viewing pools fill with returning adult salmon. It is one of the more striking examples of salmon life history accessible to the public in the South Sound region, managed in partnership with the Puyallup Tribe.
Outdoors
Puyallup Loop Trail
This four-mile trail connects Pioneer Park, the Foothills Trail, and the river corridor into a circuit covering both the downtown area and the Puyallup River waterfront. The terrain is flat throughout and accessible for all fitness levels. The riverside stretch is the best spot in town for bald eagles and great blue herons, particularly through winter.
Orchard
Cockrell Cider
Cockrell Cider operates on the valley floor where the soil that produces world-class daffodils also supports apple and pear orchards. The tasting room is open seasonally for farm visits and cider flights in a setting that puts you squarely in the agricultural landscape that defines the Puyallup Valley.
“The valley floor blooms every spring in the kind of color that stops drivers on the highway. Puyallup has a setting most cities would spend considerable money advertising.”
Explore Washington State
Where to Stay
Hampton Inn and Suites Puyallup
Mid-range Hilton property on River Road, close to the Fairgrounds with indoor pool. Books out months ahead during State Fair season.
Book Hampton Inn PuyallupHoliday Inn Express and Suites Puyallup
IHG property close to the Fairgrounds and SR-167. Consistent quality with free breakfast. Reserve early for any fair weekend.
Book Holiday Inn PuyallupBest Western Plus Puyallup Hotel
Solid mid-range option with complimentary breakfast, convenient to SR-167 and downtown.
Book Best Western PuyallupTayberry Victorian Cottage Bed and Breakfast
The only Victorian B&B in Puyallup, with period decor that pairs naturally with a Meeker Mansion visit. Smaller and more personal than the Fairgrounds chain hotels.
Book Tayberry Victorian CottageFind a Cabin Near Puyallup
Find a Cabin Near Puyallup
Food & Drink
Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery operates out of a historic power generating substation on E Main Ave, the original brick walls and exposed ironwork intact. Puyallup’s original craft brewpub rotates its taps weekly with Pacific Northwest ales, lagers, and seasonal releases alongside a menu of red brick fired pizzas, burgers, and the wings that regulars order before anything else.
Wicked Pie on S Meridian is three generations of pizza making in a downtown brick building. The dough is hand tossed daily with artisan flour and topped with fresh whole milk mozzarella. Wood fired, properly charred, some of the best pizza in Pierce County.
HG Bistro brings locally sourced steak and seafood to the table in a valley that still grows most of what it eats. The farm to table angle is earned rather than marketed here.
Cockrell Cider farms the valley floor with estate-grown apples and pears and pours the results in a tasting room surrounded by the orchards that produced them. The farmhouse dry is worth the stop if it is pouring.
Festivals & Events
April 4, 2026
Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade
The 93rd annual parade travels through Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting each spring. The Puyallup leg runs at 12:45 p.m. along Fourth, Third, Meeker, and Meridian streets. Floats are covered entirely in fresh daffodils grown in the valley.
April 10 to 19, 2026
Spring Fair
The six-day spring edition of the Washington State Fair opens the Fairgrounds season each April with rides, livestock exhibits, and carnival food. Opening day Friday, April 10 offers free general admission from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a food bank donation.
July 24 to 26, 2026
Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals
The Pacific Northwest's largest car show fills the Washington State Fair Events Center with 2,500 or more hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classics. Three days of show and shine, autocross, and vendor displays.
September 4 to 27, 2026
Washington State Fair
Seventeen days of fair (closed Tuesdays and September 9). Rides, livestock, Fischer Scones, agricultural exhibits, and a Grandstand concert series with national headliners. One of the 10 largest fairs in the United States by attendance.
November to December
Victorian Country Christmas
Holiday celebration at Meeker Mansion featuring Santa's Village, a Winter Wine Garden, and Victorian-style holiday programming. One of the more distinctive holiday events in Pierce County.
Day Trips
Tacoma sits 10 miles west on SR-512, about 20 minutes. The Museum of Glass, Point Defiance Park, and the Chihuly Bridge of Glass are all worth the short drive.
Mount Rainier National Park is roughly 55 miles to the east, about 90 minutes via SR-410. The Nisqually entrance is the closest approach and the most visited gateway to Paradise.
Gig Harbor is 25 miles to the northwest via SR-512 and SR-16, about 35 minutes. The waterfront village and the Narrows Bridge views make it a strong half-day pairing with a Puyallup visit.
Planning Your Visit
The best windows for a Puyallup trip are late March through April for daffodil season and the Daffodil Festival parade, July 24 through 26 for the Goodguys car show, and September for the State Fair. State Fair weekends push hotel prices sharply upward and book out months in advance. If you are visiting during the fair, book early and consider the Sounder commuter train from King Street Station in Seattle rather than driving I-5 on a weekend.
A day trip from Seattle or Tacoma is entirely workable outside of fair season. Downtown Puyallup is compact enough to cover the sculpture gallery, Meeker Mansion, and dinner at Powerhouse or Wicked Pie in a single afternoon.
More Puyallup on EWS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Puyallup, Washington known for?
Puyallup is best known for the Washington State Fair, one of the largest fairs in the United States, which draws more than a million visitors each September. The Puyallup Valley is also one of the world’s leading daffodil-growing regions, and the city hosts the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals, the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest, each July.
How do you pronounce Puyallup?
It is pronounced pew-AL-up. The name comes from the Puyallup people, whose territory covered this valley and the surrounding lowlands for thousands of years before European settlement. The name translates roughly as “the generous people.”
How far is Puyallup from Seattle?
Puyallup is about 35 miles south of Seattle via I-5 and SR-167, roughly 45 minutes to an hour without traffic. During State Fair season, I-5 congestion through Tacoma can extend that considerably. The Sounder commuter train runs from King Street Station in Seattle directly to the Puyallup Fairgrounds during fair season and is the most reliable option on busy weekends.
When is the Washington State Fair in 2026?
The Washington State Fair runs September 4 through September 27, 2026. The fair is closed on Tuesdays and on September 9. Book hotels well in advance for any fair weekend, particularly the opening Labor Day weekend.
Is Puyallup worth visiting outside of fair season?
Yes. The downtown outdoor sculpture gallery covers more than 55 works and is free to walk any time of year. The Meeker Mansion is one of the best-preserved Victorian homes in Washington and offers guided tours. The farmers market runs Saturdays from April through mid-October, and the daffodil bloom in late March and April turns the valley floor into one of the more striking spring landscapes in western Washington.
When is the best time to visit Puyallup?
Three windows stand out. Late March through early April for daffodil season and the Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Parade on April 4. July 24 through 26 for the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals car show. And September for the State Fair. Outside those peaks, Puyallup is a pleasant valley city worth a half-day visit any time.
What is the Goodguys car show in Puyallup?
The Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals is held annually at the Washington State Fair Events Center each July. The 2026 show runs July 24 through 26 and draws over 2,500 vehicles including hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and classics from 1999 and earlier. It is the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest and the primary reason the EWS car shows guide points to Puyallup as the marquee regional event on the calendar.