Easton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Easton had a population of 407. Easton is the annual site of the start/finish line for the Cascade Crest 100-mile ultra-running race.
History
Easton was platted in 1902. It was given its name by the Northern Pacific Railway due its location near the east end of the Stampede Tunnel through the Cascade Range.
Geography
Easton is located in western Kittitas County in the Yakima River valley. Interstate 90 passes through the community, with access from Exits 70 and 71. I-90 leads northwest over Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle and southeast to Ellensburg, the Kittitas county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Easton CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.46%, are water. Lake Easton, a reservoir at the junction of the Yakima and Kachess rivers, and Lake Easton State Park are at the west end of the community.
Climate
Easton experiences a rare warm-summer Mediterranean-influenced continental climate (Köppen: Dsb) with warm (but not hot) and dry summers, and cold, snowy winters. In comparison with other areas in Western Washington, Easton is significantly colder and snowier during the winter, chiefly due to its high elevation, as well as to a lesser degree, its more inland position. However, just like most of Washington during summer, Easton is also influenced strongly by the Pacific high, resulting in a notable dry-summer trend. This combination of cold, snowy winters and dry summers is quite unusual and only found in a few isolated, high-altitude areas around the world.
Demographics
thumb|Some of the abandoned buildings in Easton
As of the census