Tieton is located in central Washington at the far western edge of the Yakima Valley, two thousand feet above sea level, fifteen miles west of Yakima, two and one-half hours from Seattle. Just far enough away from shopping centers, strip malls, highways, and crowds.

To the north, Mt. Clemens creates a striking backdrop. The heart of town is an attractive main square park, with storefronts on all sides. National forest, state wildlife land, and other protected acreage border the local orchards. The Naches and Tieton Rivers are close by.

Surrounded by apple and pear orchards, Tieton has been dependent on agriculture since its founding in the early twentieth century. Various small-scale farms, packing, and storage operations consolidated over the decades into large, modern agribusinesses. Organic and new hybrid orchards, like Harmony Orchards in Tieton, are developing in the area, which increases the diversity of produce and market opportunities.

Locals are quick to relate stories about the vitality of Tieton a few decades ago, mostly relating to the businesses that used to occupy the buildings close to the park: there was a movie theater, a pharmacy and soda fountain, a bowling alley, two taverns, a variety store, an appliance repair shop, a barber shop, and a hardware store. In a pattern repeated across the country in small agricultural towns, improved roads and shopping malls drew business away, leaving those storefronts underused. Mighty Tieton is working with the City of Tieton and local residents to rethink the uses of these spaces.

Although very small, Tieton is a city with an elected mayor, a city council, and professional management staff. It has a population of eleven hundred, over half of which is Hispanic. It has water and sewer systems and a separate and seasonal orchard irrigation system for yard and garden watering.