Yelm () is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States bordering Pierce County along the Nisqually River. Its population was 10,617 at the 2020 census.
History
The word "Yelm" is said to come from the Coast Salish word shelm or chelm, meaning "heat waves from the sun", referring to heat mirages.
With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced when an irrigation company created the Yelm Ditch in 1916, making Yelm a center for commercial production of beans, cucumbers, and berries.
During the Great Depression, high maintenance costs and an unstructured water-distribution plan bankrupted the Yelm Irrigation Company.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Yelm was the 10th-fastest-growing city in the state in population.
Geography
Yelm is located in southeastern Thurston County, adjacent to its border with Pierce County, along the Nisqually River. The city is near the Nisqually Indian Reservation (located to the northwest on State Route 510), and Joint Base Lewis–McChord on the northeast side of the river. Another major highway, State Route 507, connects Yelm to Centralia and Spanaway near Tacoma.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is covered by water.