Colfax consists of wheat farms and a walkable downtown
Fields of wheat surround Colfax, the county seat of Whitman, just over 15 miles north of Pullman on the Palouse River. Agriculture established this city and still plays a major role in its economic development. In recent years, the area has also developed its central business district. “It’s got small town charm with the walkability of downtown Colfax, where there are a lot of boutiques, shops and restaurants,” says Justin Cofer, broker and owner of Beasley Realty with over 11 years of experience. Historic and 21st-century homes fan out from downtown to the farming land.
Century-old cottages and newer homes with traditional influence
Many Traditional homes and cottages, some with Craftsman influence, were erected from the late 1890s through the late 1920s. These century-old homes share a similar price range of about $160,000 to $520,000. New Traditional, ranch-style and bi-level homes were built in the area from 1950 to the present, and they are priced from about $310,000 to $440,000.
Colfax has a CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10, much lower than the nation’s score of 4. “Colfax is still open to change and modernizing, but traditional values are intact,” says Whitney Bond, the executive director of the Colfax Downtown Association. “You still see kids walking down with friends to the pool, and everyone looks out for one another. If kids are being mischievous, their parents have been notified before they get home.”
Main Street, where local businesses support each other
Downtown Colfax’s Main Street has a Rosauers Supermarkets and shops, such as the furniture and décor store Bully for You. Restaurants on this sidewalk-lined road include Fonks Coffee House and Los Amigos Restaurant, which has Mexican food. “In our downtown district, all owners are very embracing of whoever comes through their doors, and they’re the first to say, ‘Oh, I don’t carry that, but so-and-so does down the street.’ It’s very non-competitive and supportive,” Bond says.
City pool, riverside parks and playgrounds
Colfax City Pool sits at the entrance to Schmuck Park, a tree-shaded green space with a playground and a skatepark. After all forms are filed and fees paid, summer pool passes are given out at City Hall. Colfax Golf Club is a public 9-hole course on the bank of the Palouse River. Historically, the river flooded with heavy rainstorms annually, so a canal was dug in mid-1960 to divert water, effectively alleviating annual flooding. McDonald Park’s baseball fields and playground also sit adjacent to the river. “It and the Rotary Field [at Colfax Little League Park] are popular, especially when baseball and softball are in full swing. We have many sporting and school events throughout the year. Sports are a huge part of Colfax,” Bond says.
Strong agricultural roots and events at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds
Farmers bring old equipment and draft horses for the biannual Plowing and Threshing Bee. Palouse Empire Fairgrounds hosts the event on the third weekend in April and Labor Day weekend. “Another big event in Colfax is the county fair, and they have that because we are a very agricultural community,” says Lori Cofer, a local designated broker with Beasley Realty with over 18 years of experience. “Many of the kids will raise steers for the county fair for Future Farmers of America (FFA), and then lots of agriculture companies will buy the steers to help the kids learn.” The Palouse Empire Fair runs from Friday through Sunday, the weekend after Labor Day, and features a carnival and rodeo.
Academics and Career and Technical Education courses in Colfax
Colfax School District includes Leonard M. Jennings Elementary, a kindergarten through sixth-grade school. Niche gives Jennings Elementary School an A-minus grade. Colfax High School serves seventh through 12th graders and earns a B-plus overall. High schoolers may enroll in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, such as agricultural science.
U.S. Highway 195, the gateway to nearby cities
Locally known as “Main Street,” U.S. Highway 195 runs through central Colfax and connects it to Pullman and the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, about 20 miles away. Spokane and the Spokane International Airport are around 60 miles north on US-195. Both airports have direct domestic flights and no international flights. State Highway 26 branches west of US-195 to the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds, about 5 miles away.
