Small town known for lumber mills and oyster farming
Set right on Washington's Highway 101, Shelton offers homes with more acreage at a lower price than larger cities like Olympia, 20 miles away, and Tacoma, about 50 miles away. The town’s proximity to Oakland Bay, nearby lakes and the Olympia National Forest also attracts hikers, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Shelton began as a logging and lumber mill town in the late 1800s, and is still nicknamed “Christmastown, USA” for its surrounding fir and pine tree forests; later, oyster farming took hold on the banks of the bay, and eventually Shelton became the largest town in mostly undeveloped Mason County. Today, visitors flock to Shelton for its annual OysterFest in October, but the town maintains its rural vibe throughout the year, with a small downtown and few large retailers.
The Lumber Mill is the backbone of Shelton and offer many job opportunities to locals.
Sierra Pacific Shelton Lumbar Mill is an expansive staple in the Shelton Community.
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More acreage at a lower price than Olympia
As of early 2025, the median home price in Shelton is about $408,000, on par with the national median but lower than Tacoma's $480,000 and Olympia's roughly $550,000. “We have a huge amount of diversity in our local housing market,” says Kristy Buck, a Shelton resident and managing broker with John L. Scott Real Estate. “You can buy close to the waterfront, in town within city limits, or go rural and get acreage.” Early 20th-century Craftsman cottages are clustered around Oakland Bay, and midcentury ranch-style homes are found in northwestern Mountain View. On the north end of town, The Christmas Village is a 55-plus mobile home park that dates to the 1970s. Development here stalled in the early 2000s, but picked up again in the 2020s. There are open lots still available, ranging in size from 1 to 40 acres; prices tend to increase as lots grow larger and farther from the town's center.
Beautiful hilltop craftsman homes are a common sight to see in Shelton Washington.
Plenty of water access in the Shelton area of Washington.
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Salt and freshwater recreation, close to Olympia National Park
Dense pine forests and waterways surround Shelton. Oakland Bay is a hub for boating, and locals can access the coarse-sand waterfront at Walker Park. Freshwater lakes in the area include Isabella Lake, set south of town. Olympia National Park is about 25 miles away, with over 250 miles of hiking trails through mountains and canyons. Skydive Kapowsin operates out of the local Sanderson Field Airport, and Ridge Motorsports Park has go-karts, motorcycling racing and other motorsports.
Tug boats moving lumbar and rock are a normal sight to see in Shelton Washington.
Island Lake is a great waterside community just outside Shelton Washington.
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Dining on Railroad Avenue and the annual OysterFest
Shelton’s downtown corridor is full of local businesses and centered on Railroad Avenue. Cafes, small fast-casual restaurants and pubs make up the dining scene, interspersed with antique stores and small specialty shops selling candy, vinyl records and more. Also downtown is Shelton Cinemas, a small independent movie theatre, and the Mason County Historical Society Museum. There's a Walmart in Shelton, but for other big-box retail and national chains, locals tend to drive to Olympia. The town’s largest event is OysterFest (also known as the Washington State Seafood Festival), held each October at Sanderson Field. “OysterFest is billed as the West Coast oyster shucking championship,” Buck says. “It drives a huge amount of people here for three days.” The festival also features live music, wine vendors and beer gardens.
Don't miss out on the amaretti biscuits and delicious latte's at Marmo Caffè & Gallery in Shelton Washington.
Stop by Wild Irish Pub in Shelton Washington for delicious burgers.
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Commuting on Highway 101
Highway 101 is the town's main artery, and leads 22 miles to Olympia, which is both Washington's state capital and the nearest major city. Mason Transit Authority buses serve Shelton with several local and county-wide bus routes, and Mason General Hospital is right in town. Industrial train tracks run through the community, and the local Sanderson Field Airport is used only by private and business aircraft. For commercial flights, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about 70 miles away.
Small town Shelton brings a lot of traffic through to the Olympic Mountains.
Mason County Transit is there to get you where you need to go in Shelton Washington.
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Shelton School District offers PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1 in Shelton Washington.
Career-oriented programs at Shelton Public Schools
Shelton Public School District earns an overall C from Niche, serving over 4,540 students. High schools within the district offer several career-oriented academies, including the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology Academy, as well as the Natural Resources Academy. Olympic College has a campus in Shelton with a state-of-the-art welding facility where students can earn a technical certificate or an associate degree.
Mild Washington climate, earthquakes, and crime trends
Shelton has relatively cool, mild weather throughout the year, with high precipitation in the spring and winter. During heavy rainfall, there's some risk of flooding along Goldsborough Creek and close to downtown, but the city’s Public Works Department maintains an elaborate system of pipes and drains to divert stormwater and prevent flooding. Mild to moderate earthquakes are somewhat common in Shelton. According to the Shelton Police Department most recent annual report, the town's violent crime rate increased by 8% between 2022 to 2023, while its property crime rate decreased by 15% during the same period.
Planned improvements to Shelton’s downtown district
Near downtown, the overgrown roots of some street trees have caused sidewalks to lift and crack over time. To address this issue, city officials plan to move some of these problematic street trees and widen sidewalks by removing on-street parking spaces, tentatively beginning in 2030. In the meantime, some pear trees that have been damaged by recent snowstorms will be replaced with tupelo and ginkgo trees.
Written By
Andi Sink
Photography Contributed By
William King
Video By
Daniel Quattro
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Matt Brady,
an experienced agent in this area.
On average, homes in Shelton, WA sell after 61 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Shelton, WA over the last 12 months is $444,000, up 8% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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