Economy & Business

CHELAN
LAKE CHELAN VALLEY

Lake Chelan is a great place to live, but it is an even better place to work. The valley has two major industries, agriculture and tourism.

Our fiber rich network also allows for easy tele-communiting and our shores house current and retired fortune 500 CEO’s and employees that work from home. Just think… you can play, work and thrive in a place as beautiful as Lake Chelan. Please review the following information below.

We hope that it will provide some useful information on our economy and business community. Chelan Douglas Trends is also a great resource for demographic information and economic trends by county in our state.

Lake Chelan Visitor Center locations:

Chelan
216 East Woodin Ave
Chelan, WA 98816
(509) 682-3503
1.800.4CHELAN

Manson
10 Wapato Point Parkway Unit D
Manson, WA 98831
(509) 888-0332

Visitor Center Hours:
Monday-Friday:
9am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday:
10am-4pm

Schools

Lake Chelan School District:

The Lake Chelan School District enrolls approximately 1,442 students in 6 different schools: Chelan High, Chelan Middle, Chelan Preparatory, Chelan School of Innovation, Holden Village Community, and Morgen Owings Elementary. District wide on time graduation rate is 85.9%.

Classroom Teachers: 91
Avg. Years of Teaching Experience: 14.4
Teachers with Master Degrees: 62.6%

Manson School District:

The Manson School District enrolls approximately 600 students in 2 schools: Manson Elementary and Manson Junior Senior High School. On time graduation rate is 91%.

Classroom Teachers: 41
Avg. Years of Teaching Experience: 11
Teachers with Master Degrees: 65.9%

Hospitals & Health Care

Lake Chelan has more than 200 professionally trained healthcare providers offering a full range of medical services. There are two medical clinics and a community hospital. Lake Chelan Health Hospital has been a valuable member of the community for more than 60 years. It is a vital key in a healthcare network that extends through the state and beyond. Whether in the emergency room or inpatient and outpatient departments, the hospital’s excellent family physicians and care team’s ability to partner with larger facilities ensures a full range of quality medical services close to home. Local services include childbirth, lab, radiology, surgery, home health and physical therapy, as well as paramedic-level emergency ambulance care. Review the impacts of a new hospital in our community by viewing, this economic impact report.

Columbia Valley Community Health
(509) 682-6000
105 S Apple Blossom Drive
Chelan, WA 98816
cvch.org

Lake Chelan Health
lakechelanhealth.org

Express Care, Walk-in Services
(509) 682-8511
219 E Johnson Ave
Chelan, WA 98816

Specialty Care
(509) 682-6134
219 E Johnson Ave
Chelan, WA 98816

Lake Chelan Health Hospital
(509) 682-3300
503 E Highland Ave
Chelan, WA 98816

Agriculture

In agricultural circles, the shores of Lake Chelan are recognized for their world famous apples. Lake Chelan apples are known for their excellent taste, long shelf life, and superior color. Between 9,000-10,000 acres of the Chelan Valley are devoted to growing apples and other fruits. Although apples are the largest crop in the Valley, cherries, pears, apricots, peaches and wine grapes are also produced.

Tourism

Lake Chelan is fortunate to be a major destination resort in Washington State. The valley plays host to over 2 million visitors a year. The total economic impact tourism creates in total spending is over $417 million. This industry employs over 5,000 people in our county. Tourism is Lake Chelan’s second largest industry cluster in the valley, second only to our world impacting agricultural industry. For a complete travel impact study for Chelan County, click on the following, Tourism Study. You can also review the Chelan County Visitor Research – Final Results.

Wineries

With over 350 acres of wine grapes and over 40 wineries, the Lake Chelan Valley is the ultimate wine-lovers vacation destination. The Lake Chelan Valley’s young and lively wine scene is attracting attention from winemakers, grape growers and wine enthusiasts from throughout the region. Many wineries feature live summer music and savory dining options. On May 30, 2009 Lake Chelan was named Washington state’s 11th American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Climate

Chelan’s arid climate and lack of rainfall make it a popular year-round destination among outdoor enthusiasts. The Valley experiences over 300 days of sunshine annually and has four distinct seasons. Despite the area’s desert climate, agriculture abounds thanks to irrigation from the lake as well as the Columbia River.

Annual Precipitation
Chelan & Manson: 12 in. Stehekin/Upper Valley: 35 in.
Annual Snowfall: 39 in.
Average Lake Temperature: 60.5° F

Get The Guides!

Amazing experiences and great deals inside! Click on the guides below to download. These exclusive guides will help you get the most out of your visit to Lake Chelan.