Zimfest 2025 will take place on the campus of Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg. Ellensburg is the geographic center of Washington state — at the junction of Interstate 90, Interstate 82, and Hwy 97 — less than two hours drive from Seattle, less than four hours from Portland.
Zimfest Headquarters: The Zimfest Registration Desk and Housing Check-in will be located in the air-conditioned CWU Student Union & Recreation Center (SURC).
Driving Directions to Zimfest at CWU
From Interstate 90 Eastbound
- Near Ellensburg, take exit 106 (US-97 North toward Ellensburg/Wenatchee)
- Continue straight onto University Way (I-90 Business/Hwy 97 North)
- At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit to continue on University Way
- Go 2.9 miles, then turn left onto N Maple St (just before 7-11)
- Go one block, then turn left onto E 11th Ave
- Continue until just before the traffic circle at the end of the street (the SURC building is in front of you)
- Turn left into parking lot I-15 and park
Arriving By Air
The nearest airport to Ellensburg is Yakima Air Terminal Airport, served by a few Alaska Airlines flights to/from Sea-Tac Airport only. If you fly into Yakima, the Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter bus (see below) provides six trips daily to Ellensburg. Otherwise, the best option is probably to fly to Sea-Tac, then take a bus or shuttle, or rent a car. You could also fly into Portland or Spokane.
| Nearest Airports to Ellensburg | Code | Distance | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima Air Terminal Airport | YKM | 41 miles | Alaska |
| Tri-Cities Airport | PSC | 109 miles | Several |
| Seattle-Tacoma International Airport | SEA | 114 miles | Numerous |
| Paine Field/Snohomish County | PAE | 125 miles | Alaska |
| Spokane International Airport | GEG | 172 miles | Several |
| Portland International Airport | PDX | 218 miles | Numerous |
Buses and Shuttles to Ellensburg
Bellair Charters and Airporter provides scheduled shuttle service between Sea-Tac Airport and CWU. There are 3 or 4 daily trips in each direction in their small bus that stops on E 10th Ave, near Starbucks, just a 5-minute walk from the SURC. They also provide service from many other destinations in western and central Washington.
Flixbus provides scheduled bus service to CWU from Sea-Tac Airport, Downtown Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Spokane, and elsewhere. The Ellensburg stop is on E 10th Ave, near Starbucks, a 5-minute walk from the SURC.
Yakima-Ellensburg Commuter (Yakima Transit) is a traditional commuter bus that travels from Yakima to Ellensburg six times daily, and stops at 11th and Maple, a 5-minute walk from the SURC. The fare is $5.
Greyhound has bus routes from several cities to Ellensburg.
Arriving By Train
There are no train stations in the vicinity of Ellensburg. Amtrak provides train service along the I-5 corridor. They have stations in Wenatchee and Leavenworth, but that’s probably not much help.
Getting Around in Ellensburg
Central Transit is Ellensburg’s public transit system, operating fare-free 7 days a week. System Map (PDF; May 2024)
Taxi Services
- Rodeo Town Taxi – call 509-929-4222
- Lyft – use Lyft smartphone app
- Uber – use Uber smartphone app
