Shelton, WA

17 Apartments for Rent

There were logging towns, and then there were towns like Shelton. Sending old growth logs down flumes to Puget Sound, transporting them out by rail and later milling them in town drove the development of this town situated in huge tracts of dense and giant trees. To this day, saws still buzz here.

The eastern side of Puget Sound saw a lot of the old growth trees logged there, as the early settlements started to turn into towns and cities. The sparsely inhabited Olympic peninsula was opening up just as milling and transportation technologies were improving. Today, ironically, a lot of land in the area is devoted to much smaller trees - Christmas tree farms are big here. The increase of populated areas around the entire Puget Sound region has seen Shelton change over the years from a one horse to a multi-horse town, especially with the rise of tourism as an important part of the Olympic Peninsula economy.

Moving to Shelton

Shelton's proximity to the state capital of Olympia has grown it into a thriving outlying suburb. This has also helped the economy diversify away from just logging and wood production, allowing it to ride out the seasons of the industry better than many other logging towns. That means you may find more competition for house rentals than you might expect. That's not so bad, it just means you need to be proactive!

Get A Plan

Start your search for a place as soon as you think you might be moving here. Make a list of the apartment complexes or homes that have the amenities you want and start working through it. Success comes when you find the place that most closely matches what you want -- and hits your price range!

Be ready to provide a credit and/or background check and have funds ready for first month, last month and a security deposit. Even if you find a deal and don't need it, that beats things being the other way around.

Shelton Neighborhoods

With the Puget Sound's Oakland Bay defining the west side of Shelton and U.S. Highway 101 essentially forming its west side, the city extends to the north and south in a rough rectangle. Neighborhoods are loosely formed around the historic downtown core.

Coffee Creek: A large green space area nearly encircles housing developments here, primarily made up of older single-family homes and a few duplexes. This neighborhood basically runs from Highway 101 west to the historic downtown area on the mouth of Oakland Bay.

Arcadia Road: Extending out from downtown and running eastward along the south side of Oakland Bay, this part of town features pricey homes on the waterfront, some forested areas and homes on relatively large lots slightly inland. If you're looking to pick up a new hobby, Fancy Image Yarn is right down the street.

North Shelton: Commercial development near Highway 101 is the dominant feature here. Near Island Lake, there are nice waterfront homes, many with boat docks. To the west is a mixed residential area that includes a large manufactured home park closer to the highway. Look for three-bedroom apartments at one of the complexes here. For dining out in North Shelton, head to Xinh's Clam and Oyster House or Pine Tree.

Lake Boulevard: This is a main road out of the downtown core that heads out to the southwest. The residential areas are mostly single family homes. You aren't likely to find any high-rise apartments here -- or in any part of Shelton, for that matter -- but you will discover homes and small apartment buildings that might offer a studio for rent.

Old Downtown: At the south end of the historic downtown, where it meets Oakland Bay, you will still see harvested logs piled high, waiting to be loaded onto ships or barges for points near and far. You will see the historic Mason County Courthouse, older buildings that have stood the test of time, and small shops and businesses. A huge fire destroyed much of downtown in 1914, so little remains from before that time.

Living in Shelton

Hey, so it rains, but that's what makes those trees grow so big and beautiful! Everyone knows that, but only locals know the summers are incredible: not too hot and with little rain. Something else you will need to know when living here is just what a Geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) is. The largest burrowing clams in the world, they can grow to well over 10 pounds and three or four feet long, and they can be found in the mud flats at low tide. After going monster clamming, grab a bite to eat at Xinh's Clam and Oyster House or go for traditional American fare at Roosters.

A Short Drive Away

You are fairly close to Olympic National Park and the incredible Hoh Rain Forest. You can drive around the bottom of Puget Sound, through Olympia and Tacoma, to get to Seattle, or you can take the scenic route and combine the drive with a ferry trip across the water.