Puyallup, WA Road Trips

The city's name comes from the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans and means "the generous people." Its pronunciation, pew-AL-ep, is so unintuitive that it is commonly used as a regional shibboleth to identify people from outside the area. Puyallup City Council website

Puyallup serves as a springboard to attractions outside of the city, with the preeminent draw for visitors being Mount Rainier National Park. 1 Meeker Mansion, 312 Spring St (3rd St SE & Pioneer Way E). W-Su noon-4PM. The historic residence of Puyallup's founding father, Ezra Meeker.

1 Washington State Fair (Puyallup Fair), 110 Ninth Ave SW. September. Puyallup's premier annual event, and also Washington's largest annual event, for 17 days every September. At other times of the year the state fairgrounds host a variety of events such as antique shows, concerts, holiday events, rodeos, etc. Certain facilities and buildings within the fairgrounds can also be leased for private events. The four-day Washington State Spring Fair is held over two weekends in April. (updated Sep 2024)

1 Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery, 454 E Main (E Main & 5th St SE), ☏ +1 253 845-1370. M-Th 11AM-9PM; F Sa 11AM-10PM. An old electric train power station converted into a Brew-pub. Great food, awesome brew, and great service are what await you at this unique dining experience 2 Ram Restaurant & Brewery, 103 35th Ave SE, ☏ +1 253 841-3317. Su-Th 11AM-10PM; F Sa 11AM-11PM. Best sports bar in Puyallup and great beer.

1 Bumpy's, 116 E Main Ave (Along Main Ave between Meridian and 2nd Ave SE), ☏ +1 253 848-1901. Su-Th 9AM-midnight; F Sa 9AM-2AM. Puyallup's best dive bar. Great prices 2 Charlie's Restaurant & Lounge, 113 E Main, ☏ +1 253 845-0588. Karaoke Friday and Saturday, 9PM

1 Motel Puyallup, 1412 S Meridian St, ☏ +1 253 845-8825. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 11AM. 2 Holiday Inn Express, 812 South Hill Park Dr, ☏ +1 253 848-4900. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. 3 Best Western Park Plaza, 620 South Hill Park Dr, ☏ +1 253 848-1500. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.

Puyallup is located 10 miles east of Tacoma 35 miles south of Seattle. It is most accessible by car via freeway and highway, though limited transit options do exist. From the west: From Tacoma, eastbound State Route 167 (SR-167), also known locally as River Road, runs along the southern shore of the Puyallup River. This turns into a freeway heading north towards its junction with I-405 in Renton through Auburn and Kent. Going south, SR-167 splits into River Road north of Puyallup to continue towards Fife. From Lakewood and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), south of Tacoma, State Route 512 (SR-512) runs east then north into Puyallup, connecting with SR-167. Pioneer Way E is an old two lane road that parallels River Road into Puyallup from Tacoma/Fife. Once in town it goes across town as a main east-west throughfare which divides north from south. It is not designated as state or US highway. E 72nd St connects to Pioneer Way at the northwestern edge of town to I-5 through southeast Tacoma. It can be accessed from I-5 at Exit 129 from both directions. From north or south: Meridian Ave cuts through Milton, Edgewood, Puyallup and South Hill as a main north-south thoroughfare. It stretches 38 mi (61 km) from its intersection with SR-18/S 348th St as Kits Corner S (Enchanted Pkwy S) in Federal Way to its intersection with SR-7 south of the town of Eatonville near Mount Rainier. The road becomes Meridian Ave after crossing the county line into Pierce County.

Driving is the easiest method of seeing Puyallup. Meridian Ave is the main surface street in the city, running from the Puyallup River through downtown Puyallup to the shopping hub of South Hill. Pioneer Ave is the main east/west link, cutting through downtown and serving many of Puyallup's quiet residential neighborhoods. The transportation hubs (bus stations) in Puyallup are in 2 Puyallup (bus) Station at W Stewart & N Meridian, north of the tracks; 3 South Hill Transit Center along 39th Ave Sw, on the southside of the South Hill Mall; and 4 South Hill Park & Ride (P&R): Pierce Transit, ☏ +1 253-581-8000. Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Pierce County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Tacoma with the following serving Puyallup: (updated Jun 2023) 4 Connects Pierce College towards Lakewood Towncenter via South Hill Mall & Lakewood Town Center Transit Center via S 112th St. Transfer to Intercity Transit #620 to Olympia via Lacey; and to Sound Transit #592, 594, 574 at the Lakewood SR-512 P&R. 400 Connects South Hill P&R to Downtown Tacoma via South Hill Mall, South Hill P&R, Downtown Puyallup, Puyallup Station, Pioneer Way S (SR-167). Transfer to Greyhound, Amtrak, and Sound Transit (574, 586, 590, 594) at Tacoma Dome Station. 402 South Hill (171st St Ct E & S Meridian) to Federal Way along Meridian via South Hill Mall, Puyallup Station, and Milton.