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Pullman Community

Seven people standing against a backdrop of rolling green fields.
Alla Kostyukova’s group at the top of Kamiak Butte, overlooking the Palouse hills and Pullman, WA (front, l to r) Samantha Grover, Natalia Moroz, Thu Ly, Kevin Gray; (back, l to r) Mert Colpan, Dimitri Tolkatchev, Dillon Cooper. Alla Kostyukova is The Paul Hohenschuh Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering.

Interesting Facts

Pullman is a small agricultural community with Washington State University as a major employer. Some interesting facts about the city:

  • About 32,000 people live in Pullman.
  • Pullman is located in a region called “The Palouse” (there is a town also called Palouse which is about fifteen miles north of Pullman).
  • Pullman is built on four hills. Locals usually give directions using the name of the hill – College Hill (NE), Military Hill (NW), Pioneer Hill (SE), and Sunnyside Hill (SW).
  • The town was originally named “Three Forks” because two streams and a river join downtown.
  • Pullman is named for the man who invented the Pullman railroad cars, which are cars with small rooms and beds. The city changed its name to Pullman hoping that the inventor would donate money to the city. No money was received.
  • The Palouse region is noted for its hills, fertile soil, and crops of wheat, barley, peas, and lentils. The hills were formed in prehistoric times by volcanic ash that drifted from the volcanoes in the west. In 1980, the people of Pullman saw volcanic ash when Mount St. Helens erupted and ash drifted over to cover the area.
  • Moscow, Idaho is the home of the University of Idaho and is about seven miles east of Pullman.

More Information

Visit Washington State University’s Community Life website to find out more about Pullman, it’s nearby schools, and the surrounding area.

The City of Pullman website provides information on housing, food, employment, daycare, doctors, dentists, and more.

The Pullman Chamber of Commerce website provides interesting facts and other information for tourists and visitors.