Leavenworth Webcam – Watch Washington’s Bavarian Village

The Leavenworth Webcam looks west over Front Street in Leavenworth, Washington, from the Kris Kringl building. Gabled storefronts with balconies and outdoor tables line the left of the frame, the weeping willows and lawn of Front Street Park fill the middle, and US Highway 2 runs along the right behind its double yellow line. The tall maypole stands at the far end of the park. Above the rooftops, the forested slopes of Tumwater Mountain climb steeply, and the operator points out the mouth of Tumwater Canyon, where the highway follows the Wenatchee River up toward Stevens Pass. The scene changes hard with the seasons: orange and yellow leaves in October, snow on the park and rooftops through the winter, and holiday lights after dark from late November.

Five Camera Views Over Leavenworth

The main camera is one of five that Visit Leavenworth streams from around the village, and the other four sit in the tabs above the player. The Promenade tab faces west down the heart of Front Street to the Tannenbaum Building, whose Glockenspiel chimes and runs a figurine show every hour. The Maypole tab comes from the roof of the Rhein Haus beer hall and looks south and east to the 29 meter (96 foot) maypole at the center of town. The Park Gazebo tab looks over Front Street Park and its gazebo, where seasonal events gather. The Above Town tab is the newest, set high on the hillside at the Leavenworth Adventure Park, with the alpine coaster track in the foreground and the town and valley spread out to the south and east.

About Leavenworth

Leavenworth is a small city in Chelan County, on the east side of the Cascades, where Icicle Creek meets the Wenatchee River. Downtown sits at 356 meters (1,168 feet), about 190 kilometers (117 miles) east of Seattle by road over Stevens Pass. The 2020 census counted 2,263 residents.

The town was incorporated on September 5, 1906, and lived on the railroad and its lumber mills. The railroad moved its operations to Wenatchee in 1925, the mills closed, and by the 1950s the economy was sliding. In 1962 residents formed Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) and took up an idea two Seattle businessmen, Ted Price and Bob Rodgers, had raised in 1960: rebuild the town as a Bavarian alpine village. The first remodeled buildings opened in the mid-1960s, and the painted trim, flower boxes and deep eaves along Front Street come from that decision.

The festival calendar follows the theme, with Maifest in spring, the Autumn Leaf Festival, Oktoberfest, Krampusnacht and a Christmas tree lighting that starts the Village of Lights season.

Weather and Climate in Leavenworth

Winters are cold and snowy. NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals put average highs at about 1 C (34 F) in December and January, with lows near -7 C (19 F). Snowfall averages 204 centimeters (80.2 inches) a year, most of it from November to February, when the park and rooftops on camera are often white.

Spring warms quickly: April averages 16 C (61 F) by day and still drops to freezing at night, and May reaches 22 C (71 F). July and August are hot and dry, with average highs of 31 C (87 F), nights near 11 C (51 F) and only about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) of rain each month. Autumn is when the main camera looks its best. October highs average 17 C (62 F), nights fall to about 1 C (33 F), and the trees in and around the park turn orange and yellow. Annual precipitation is 652 millimeters (25.69 inches), and November, December and January are the wettest months.

Things to Do Near Leavenworth

Front Street is the place to start, with the Glockenspiel, the maypole and the park gazebo all on camera, and the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum is in town as well. For the view the Above Town camera gets, ride the alpine coaster at the Leavenworth Adventure Park on the hillside above the village, and in winter the Leavenworth Ski Hill, a listed historic district, has the town’s own ski slope.

About 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) south of downtown, the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery on Icicle Creek opened in 1940 to make up for fish lost in the Columbia River system after the Grand Coulee Dam was built, and it raises spring Chinook salmon for Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River. Northwest of town, US 2 enters Tumwater Canyon and climbs beside the river to Stevens Pass, at 1,238 meters (4,061 feet). Upstream, the Wenatchee River leaves Lake Wenatchee and runs 85 kilometers (53 miles) southeast to the Columbia.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more of the Cascades and another Bavarian town, try these cameras.

• Mountain Springs Lodge Webcam
• Snoqualmie Pass Webcam
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Leavenworth located?

Leavenworth is in Chelan County in central Washington, on the Wenatchee River where Icicle Creek joins it, at 356 meters (1,168 feet). It is about 190 kilometers (117 miles) east of Seattle by road on US 2 over Stevens Pass, a drive of a little over two hours.

What can you see on the Leavenworth Webcam?

The main camera looks west over Front Street and Front Street Park to the forested slopes of Tumwater Mountain, and US 2 runs along the right of the frame. Four tabs add the Promenade and its Glockenspiel, the maypole from the Rhein Haus, the park gazebo, and a high view over the town from the Leavenworth Adventure Park.

Does the Leavenworth Webcam show Stevens Pass or Snoqualmie Pass?

No. The main camera looks toward the mouth of Tumwater Canyon, where US 2 begins its climb, but Stevens Pass is about 36 kilometers (22 miles) to the northwest in a straight line and hidden behind the mountains. Snoqualmie Pass is farther still, on Interstate 90.

Is the Leavenworth Webcam a WSDOT traffic camera?

No. Visit Leavenworth runs all five cameras to show the village, not the road. US 2 passes along the edge of the main view, but for road conditions over Stevens Pass, use the Washington State Department of Transportation’s own highway cameras.

What is the weather like in Leavenworth?

Winters are cold, with average highs near 1 C (34 F) in December and January and lows around -7 C (19 F). Summers are hot and dry: July and August average 31 C (87 F) by day and 11 C (51 F) at night.

Does it snow in Leavenworth?

Yes, a lot. The town averages 204 centimeters (80.2 inches) of snow a year, most of it between November and February, and December is the snowiest month at 82 centimeters (32.4 inches). On average no snow falls from April to September.

Can you see the Leavenworth Christmas lights on the webcam?

Yes. Visit Leavenworth says the Village of Lights shines nightly from Thanksgiving through February and points visitors to its live cameras to watch it. The main camera and the Park Gazebo tab both look over Front Street Park.

Source: Visit Leavenworth