About Us

Royal City is a relaxed farming community in the heart of the Columbia Basin. It is located on State Route 26 between Frenchman Hills to the North and the Saddle Mountains to the South and only 17 miles from the Columbia River from the East.

We are a small community reminicent of a Norman Rockwell setting where the combination of neighborly, caring citizens, year-round pleasant weather and a great school district makes Royal City a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.

Our location makes it ideal for sportsman and vacationers to enjoy some of the best recreation spots in Grant County. The Potholes Reservoir is the largest earthen filled dam open to the community for water sports, boating, some of the best fishing and a whole lot of family fun!

Royal City was founded in 1956 and officially incorporated on Febrary 14, 1962, becoming the first code city in Grant County in 1985. The naming of the city has always been a mystery. The name originated in 1957 when the town of Royal City was incorporated. The early pioneers referred to the area as Royal Flats. One story is about a pair of Scotsmen, who climbed the Saddle Mountains and drank in the view of the south-canted topography – perfect for farming – and remarked "Now that's a Royal Slope."

Another story was that one of the pioneers named the Royal Flats because she always said, "We are so royal here to each other."

A book which describes the origin of Washington State names, 'Washington State Place Names', reads, "Once the area around the post office, known by the topographically descriptive title of Red Rock, the new town situated on Royal Flats adopted its present name in 1957 when it became the center of prime agricultural area as a result of reclamation projects in the Royal Slope area."

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