Olympia Genealogy Records
Olympia genealogy research benefits from an exceptionally deep archive. As the capital city of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County, Olympia is home to state-level archives, county records offices, and city records dating to the territorial period. Birth, death, marriage, land, naturalization, probate, court, and funeral records for families in Olympia are held across multiple repositories, and many have been digitized. This guide shows you where to find each type of record.
Olympia Overview
Olympia City Records
The City of Olympia website provides access to the City Clerk, who maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records. Olympia was incorporated in 1859 and serves as both the capital city of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. The clerk's office holds historical municipal records dating to the territorial period and processes public records requests from the public and researchers. Because of the city's early incorporation date, its records span well over 160 years.
The city website is the gateway to Olympia's extensive municipal archives.
The City Clerk's office handles public records requests for Olympia's municipal documents, with records stretching back to the city's founding in the territorial period before Washington became a state.
Thurston County was created January 12, 1852 from Clark County, making it one of Washington's oldest counties. The county seat is Olympia, so county offices and city offices are co-located in the same general area. The Thurston County Courthouse is at 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Olympia, WA 98502, phone 360-786-5560. Known beginning dates for county government records are: Birth 1891, Marriage 1877, Death 1891, Court 1852, Land 1852, Probate 1852, and Census 1850.
Thurston County Vital Records
Thurston County has a rich set of vital records that have been substantially digitized at the Washington State Archives. For birth records, two collections are available: the 1891 to 1907 Thurston County Auditor Birth Register and the 1891 to 1907 Thurston County Auditor Birth Returns, both at the Washington State Archives with index and images. The Washington State Digital Archives holds additional digitized collections for Olympia and Thurston County.
Marriage records have exceptional depth for this county. The following collections are at Washington State Archives with index and images: the 1852 to 1857 Thurston County First Record Book; the 1891 to 1898 and 1970 to 2022 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Records; and the 1927 to 1950 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Certificates. Marriage records for Thurston County date back to 1844 at the Thurston County Auditor's office according to the RootsWeb Thurston County Genealogical Society resources.
Death records from 1891 to 1907 are at the Washington State Archives with index and images. Divorce records are kept by the county clerk. Thurston County divorce case files from 1889 to 1952 are at the FamilySearch Library.
The Washington State Digital Archives collection for Olympia area research is one of the core sources.
These digitized records from the Washington State Digital Archives give researchers direct access to historical documents tied to families in Olympia and the surrounding Thurston County area.
Thurston County Auditor
The Thurston County Auditor's Office is at 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501. Phone: 360-786-5224. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, with the first Wednesday of each month opening at 9:00am. The Auditor is the county's recorder of vital records and real property documents.
Real property records from 1852 to the present are at the Thurston County Auditor's office. Marriage records are from 1844 to the present. Military discharge records are also held here. The Auditor records maps, surveys, and land documents. For land records specifically, the Washington State Archives holds indexed collections including the 1855 to 2022 Thurston County Auditor Plats and Surveys, the 1900 to 2022 Recorded Land Records, and the 1979 to 2022 Recorded Agreements and Contracts, all with index and images at the Digital Archives.
Birth and death records from 1891 to June 30, 1907 are at the Thurston County Auditor's office. After July 1, 1907, the state took over registration of births and deaths. For those more recent records, contact the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501, info line (360) 236-4300.
Note: Field books showing chain of title from 1961 to the present are at the Thurston County Assessor's office, which may be useful for property-related genealogy research.
State Archives Southwest Branch
The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch is located in Olympia at 1129 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98504. Telephone: (360) 753-1684. Email: swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday excluding state holidays. In-person research is by appointment. There are three free parking spaces in front of the building, with additional paid parking available nearby.
This branch provides archival and records management services for Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties. For Thurston County and Olympia specifically, the branch holds birth and death records from the pre-state registration era, marriage records, court records (naturalization records, court dockets, and civil, criminal, and probate case files), land records, county commissioner proceedings, and school district records. There is no charge to view public archival documents, though fees apply for copies and special research services.
The RootsWeb Thurston County resources note that all original county records have been relocated to the Southwest Washington Branch Archives in downtown Olympia; the genealogical society has microfilms of this information. Naturalization records at this branch are extensive, including declarations of intention 1849 to 1974, naturalization case files 1849 to 1907, petitions and recommendations 1930 to 1974, and repatriation oaths 1940 to 1964.
FamilySearch, Probate, and Funeral Records
The FamilySearch Wiki for Thurston County is a thorough guide to available collections. It notes naturalization records at FamilySearch dating from 1834 to 1974, along with the 1849 to 1853 and 1906 to 1974 Thurston County Clerk Naturalization Records at Washington State Archives with index and images. Indexes to Naturalization Records of the Thurston County Territorial and Superior Courts from 1850 to 1974 are also at FamilySearch.
Probate records from 1853 to 1970 and indexes from 1887 to 1949 were filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Excise affidavits from 1951 to the present and real and personal property tax records from 1977 to the present are at the Thurston County Treasurer's office.
For school records, the 1899 to 1932 Thurston County Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses are at the Washington State Archives with index and images. Directories from 1902 to 1903, 1906, and 1909 (R.L. Polk and Co., Olympia and Thurston County Directories) are also at the Archives. And for funeral home records, the 1901 to 1912 Olympia Funeral Records are at the Washington State Archives with index and images. This last collection is quite specific to Olympia and can be an important source for death-related genealogy research in the city.
The Washington State Digital Archives has an additional digitized collection for Olympia-area research.
This supplemental collection at the Washington State Digital Archives broadens the available sources for Olympia genealogy research with additional digitized records from Thurston County.
Marriage and Divorce Records
Marriage records from 1968 to the present can be ordered through the Washington State Department of Health. For events before January 1, 1968, contact the Thurston County Auditor where the license was obtained. Divorce records for events from 1968 onward are available at the state level through the Department of Health at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater. Before 1968, contact the Thurston County Superior Court Clerk.
The county clerk at the Thurston County Courthouse holds divorce records and probate files. Since Olympia is the county seat, the courthouse is right in the city. Researchers in Olympia have the advantage of being able to walk to county offices, the state archives branch, and related agencies all within a relatively small geographic area.
The FamilySearch Wiki notes that the 1852 to 1857 Thurston County First Record Book is at the Washington State Archives with index and images and contains some of the oldest official records from the territorial period for Olympia and the surrounding area. This can be especially valuable for researchers tracing families back to the earliest American settlement in this part of Washington.
Thurston County Genealogy Records
Olympia is both the county seat of Thurston County and the state capital, making it the center of records access for the entire county. For a full overview of Thurston County's genealogy collections, archives, and research offices, visit the county records page.
Nearby Cities
These qualifying cities are near Olympia. Each has its own genealogy records page.