98542
ZIP 98542 is Ethel, Washington, in Lewis County; area code 360; Pacific time.
- Type
- Standard
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- County
- Lewis
- Metro area
- Centralia, WA
- Population
- 625
- Coordinates
- 46.5330, -122.7254
Weather right now
Asking the National Weather Service…
Where 98542 is
Approximate ZIP boundary (Census ZCTA 2020). ZIP codes are mail routes, not areas, so the shape shown is the Census tabulation area that approximates it.
- 🔢 Type 98542 into a pocket calculator and turn it upside down: ZhSBG — not quite a word, sorry.
- ➕ As a number, 98,542 = 2 × 29 × 1699. Its digits add up to 28, a total 1,520 other ZIP codes share.
- 💾In binary, the way a computer stores it:
11000000011101110 - 🏠 Its numerical neighbours: 98541 (Elma, WA, 48 mi away) and 98544 (Galvin, WA, 20 mi away).
- 🔄 Backwards, 98542 becomes 24589 — and that is a real ZIP code: Scottsburg, VA, 2,335 miles away.
- 👥 52 other ZIP codes are made of exactly the same digits (24589, 24598, 24859, 24895, 24985, 25849, …). The farthest-flung twin is 28594 in Emerald Isle, NC, 2,495 miles away.
- 🧭 Farther north than 95% of all ZIP codes, and farther west than 97%.
- 🎯1,295 miles northwest of the geographic center of the Lower 48, near Lebanon, Kansas.
- 🌏 Dig straight through the Earth from 98542 and you would come out at 46.53°S, 57.27°E — 629 miles from Port-aux-Français, French Southern Territories, the nearest big city to that spot.
- ☀Longest day of the year: 15h 50m of daylight. Shortest: 8h 34m.
- 📏 At 10.9 square miles of land, 98542 is bigger than 28% of ZIP codes — room for about 8.3 Central Parks.
- Working out the sun…
- Checking the USGS…
Source: USGS.
People and housing
| Population | 625This ZIP625 |
|---|---|
| Households | 230This ZIP230 |
| Housing units | 230This ZIP230 |
| Median age | 40.7This ZIP40.7Washington38.3US 38.9 |
| Median household income | $52,963This ZIP$52,963Washington$98,141US $80,734 |
| Median home value | $372,300This ZIP$372,300Washington$564,600US $332,700 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.9%This ZIP9.9% |
| Mean commute | 25.6 minThis ZIP25.6 min |
| Population density | 57.3 / sq miThis ZIP57.3 / sq mi |
Business and tax activity
| Business establishments | 12This ZIP12 |
|---|---|
| Employees | 32This ZIP32 |
| Annual payroll | $1,488,000This ZIP$1,488,000 |
| Tax returns filed | 260This ZIP260 |
| Total adjusted gross income | $18,832,000This ZIP$18,832,000 |
Land area
| Land area | 10.91 sq miThis ZIP10.91 sq mi |
|---|---|
| Water area | 0.00 sq mi |
ZIP codes near 98542
| ZIP | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|
98582 | Salkum, WA | 4.8 mi |
98591 | Toledo, WA | 6.4 mi |
98570 | Onalaska, WA | 7.6 mi |
98565 | Napavine, WA | 9.2 mi |
98596 | Winlock, WA | 11.2 mi |
98585 | Silver Creek, WA | 13.6 mi |
98645 | Silverlake, WA | 14.0 mi |
98564 | Mossyrock, WA | 15.6 mi |
98593 | Vader, WA | 16.3 mi |
98531 | Centralia, WA | 16.7 mi |
Find every ZIP code within 10 miles of 98542 →
Questions about this ZIP code
Where is ZIP code 98542?
98542 is in Ethel, Washington, in Lewis County, part of the Centralia, WA micropolitan area. Its published point location is 46.5330, -122.7254.
What county is 98542 in?
98542 lies in Lewis County.
What area code is 98542?
Ethel uses area code 360, from NANPA's telephone records.
What time zone is 98542 in?
98542 uses America/Los_Angeles.
How many people live in 98542?
About 625 people live in ZIP code 98542, in 230 households, at 57.3 people per square mile. These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area, not a headcount.
What is the median household income in 98542?
$52,963 a year, against $98,141 across Washington.
What ZIP codes are near 98542?
The closest are 98582 (4.8 mi), 98591 (6.4 mi), 98570 (7.6 mi), 98565 (9.2 mi) and 98596 (11.2 mi).
Is 98542 a PO Box ZIP code?
98542 is a standard ZIP code. A normal ZIP code with street delivery.
Download or cite
Cite this page
zipcodes.pro. “98542 ZIP Code — Ethel, Washington (Lewis County).” Data release 2026-10-12. Retrieved 2026-10-20. https://zipcodes.pro/zip/98542
Machine-readable version of these facts:
curl https://zipcodes.pro/zip/98542.json Underlying data is public domain or openly licensed — sources, vintages and licences.