Transportation Services in Okanogan County
Transportation services in the Okanogan County region are provided by an array of service providers. It takes a network of providers, operating in close coordination, to meet the mobility needs of the region's residents. Transportation services and availability vary based on the type of organization, its funding sources, and other provisions.
Following is information about the known providers serving constituents in the region along with links to their service websites. If we have missed a service provider that should be included here, please let us know.
TranGO is the public transportation agency for the Okanogan region. Established in 2015, TranGO provides fixed-route and deviated fixed-route bus and paratransit services throughout the Okanogan Valley and the Methow Valley six days a week, Monday-Saturday. In late 2024, TranGO launched round-trip service three times daily between Pateros and Chelan, where passengers can transfer to Link Transit for service to Wenatchee and beyond. All fixed-route vehicles are wheelchair lift-equipped. Fares are $1 per trip.
TranGO's regional connectivity, frequency, and reliability of service is accomplished in part by focusing core service on state highway corridors except in the larger cities and towns. That is where there is more distributed local access and circulation between destinations like health care facilities, government services, schools, stores, and restaurants, many surrounded by older close-in neighborhoods. This attention to service detail is not just cost-effective, it's meeting more public needs as reflected in higher passenger counts and new growth on older routes. This underscores the utility of services that connect people who don't live close in with existing service on a transit corridor, and highlights the value of having multiple providers offering differing kinds of complementary services.
Southeast Okanogan County is not part of the Public Transportation Benefit Area, which is why Nespelem isn't served directly by TranGO. Instead, TranGO provides the matching funds for operating grants OCTN receives to provide two roundtrips daily, Monday - Friday between between Omak, Nespelem, and Coulee City. TranGO also contracts with OCTN for supplemental paratransit support in the Omak and Okanogan area.
Okanogan County Transportation & Nutrition (OCTN) is a non-profit organization that has provided transportation and nutrition services to Okanogan residents since the 1970s. In partnership with TranGO, OCTN provides local door-to-door service to residents within a ten-mile radius of cities and towns on a reservation basis. Senior fare for all-day door-to-door travel is $2 while general public fares (59 and younger) are $2/trip for city boardings and $4/trip for boardings outside a city or town. Days and hours vary by jurisdiction.
OCTN also provides demand-response long-distance intercity service one day each month between Omak and Brewster, Oroville, Tonasket, and Twisp/Winthrop. Reservations are required. Fares for intercity service vary based on pick-up and drop-off locations.
OCTN provides two round trips daily, Monday-Friday, between Omak, Nespelem and Coulee Dam. An additional mid-day trip is available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. This is a fare-free service.
One roundtrip to Wenatchee is offered on Thursdays. The fare is $8 for seniors and $16 for the general public.
In addition to door-to-door demand response service, OCTN provides service to senior meal sites throughout the Okanogan region.
People for People contracts with OCTN for non-emergency medical transportation as needed.
The Apple Line provides two roundtrips daily between Omak and Ellensburg. In addition to the terminus at the Omak Travel Plaza, the Apple Line stops in Okanogan, Malott, Brewster, and Pateros. Advance bookings are requested, but not required although those requiring a wheelchair lift equipped vehicle need to make advance reservations. The one-way fare between Omak and Wenatchee is $48. Those 62 and over may request a 5% discount. The rate for children is based on the age of the child.
The Apple Line is funded in part through a federal grant awarded by WSDOT to Northwestern Stage Lines, the private carrier operating this service. Planning for intercity bus routes and funding priorities is done through WSDOT's Intercity Bus Program Plan.
People For People is the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) broker for a nine county region that includes Okanogan County. Operating under a contract with the Washington Health Care Authority, People For People arranges transportation for people of all ages who are covered under Washington State Apple Health (Medicaid and CHIP) and have a current Provider One services card and need transportation to non-emergency medical services. Verification for proper eligibility is confirmed and then the most cost-effective, appropriate transportation is arranged.
For people with their own transportation resources, People For People can assist with vouchers for gasoline or mileage reimbursement. For others, transportation is arranged using contracted providers such as OCTN, MedStar, volunteer drivers, non-profits, and other qualified providers. People For People ensures the lowest cost, most appropriate ride is arranged for the client. Trips may be shared with other riders.
Call Center hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 - 4:00 excluding holidays. Reservations for local trips require two business days advance notice. Long-distance or out of area trips require five business days advance notice. Reservations can be booked up to 30 days in advance.
People for People NEMT Service Area
The Colville Confederated Tribes transit program operates two transit routes. One route operates M-Th between Inchelium and Nespelem and supports the 4-day a week, 10-hour work day schedule of employees at the Nespelem Agency. The other route operates between Inchelium and Colville. The Tribes also operate the ferry in Inchelium.
Nespelem is served by three round trips, M-F, that operate between Omak and Coulee City on SR 155. This service is operated by OCTN and is supported by grants and matching funds from TranGO. CCT does not currently provide financial support to any non-Tribal transit service providers traversing through or connecting to the reservation.
In 2025, CCT DOT conducted public surveys about Tribal transit use, one in each of the four Districts: Inchelium, Keller, Nespelem, and Omak. This demonstrated public interest in transit improvements. CCT DOT is supporting the Tribal transit program by conducting a feasibility study starting in 2026 that will enable the Tribes to determine if there is a sustainable need for Tribal transit expansion, ensure how on-reservation efforts can align with connecting non-Tribal transits, and identify necessary infrastructure, vehicles, hubs, and personnel to accomplish any expansion.
The Colville Confederated Tribes Department of Transportation maintains the Tribal Transportation Improvement Program but it is not directly involved in transit operations or systems planning, which is done independently by the CCT transit program. However, CCT DOT recently assumed responsibility for conducting public surveys and completing a transit needs assessment. CCT DOT will also lead the transit feasibility study that gets underway in late 2026. That study will explore whether a centralized hub or smaller District hubs would best meet Tribal mobility needs, develop preliminary cost estimates, and include a schedule for implementing the preferred expansion strategy. This HSTP supports this planning process and funding support for the final preferred direction that CCT determines to pursue.
Non-traditional Transportation Partners
In addition to the more familiar transportation providers who provide service generally available to all, a number of other non-traditional organizations offer transportation services tailored to special mobility needs or population groups. Following is a list of known providers. If you know of other providers who should be included here, please let us know.
Advance NW, in partnership with Thriving NCW, is the Community Care Hub for north central Washington. The Advance NW Community Connect program connects Okanogan residents in need with resources and support through a no-cost referral and support program that includes housing, healthcare, behavioral health, food, and the transportation resources to reach those services.
The NCW Recovery Coach program supports people seeking care and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders and helps to ensure transportation services are available to reach medical and behavioral health services. It is administered by the WA Health Care Authority. The NCW Recovery Coach program covers four counties - Okanogan, Grant, and Chelan-Douglas. In its capacity it also partners with Okanogan County Drug Court, Okanogan Behavioral Healthcare, Family Health Centers' Opioid treatment centers, and regional correctional facilities to support successful reentry pathways into the community for formerly incarcerated individuals, including transportation to meet their basic needs and access health care and behavioral care treatment.
The Foundation for Youth Resiliency & Engagement serves young people in the Okanogan region between the ages of 12-24. This community-based organization works to ensure underserved youth have their needs met in four main areas: 1) education, 2) physical and mental health, 3) basic needs, and 4) resiliency programming. Lack of access to reliable transportation is the common denominator for many of the issues the FYRE staff works to address. They provide some direct transportation to and from key places (court, alternative schools, medical appointments, government services, etc.) They also work to normalize and financially support the use of transit and rideshare options for young people who have access to bus routes and/or someone with a car. This includes paying for bus passes, gas cards, licenses, and drivers education.
Methow at Home is a community-based organization that provides a range of services designed to support learning, well-being, and connection for older residents of the Methow Valley. The aim is to help people age in place, safely and with dignity, in the highly rural Methow Valley. In addition to volunteer support with household chores, education and preparedness training, and social activities that help to forge a strong sense of community, Methow at Home has a volunteer driver program that provides transportation to seniors participating in its program for travel to medical appointments, shopping, errands, social & educational events.
For over 60 years the Okanogan County Communication Action Council has worked to address poverty and its impacts on the community through education, empowerment, and engagement. It is a resource for people living in poverty, connecting them with resources and support. Unreliable transportation and lack of access often underpin the immediate needs of housing and food assistance their clients seek. OCCAC connects people with transportation services and can offer some assistance with gas or fares. OCCAC also has a Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program that provides a number of support services for veterans. This includes transportation assistance for medical trips and other needs. Many veterans health services are in Spokane.
211 is a free, confidential, multilingual helpline. It offers a one-stop connection to local community services from transportation, food, housing, healthcare, elder care, childcare and after school programs, mental health supports and much more. Their provider resources include flyers and rack cards in various languages that can be posted in public areas to direct people to 211 for help.
WA211 connects people to help when they need it, builds community resilience, and advocates for breaking cycles of need. Washington 211 partners with community based organizations, state and local government, local communities and even business to identify and break cycles of need, prepare and respond to emergencies and look at opportunities to create innovation to address complex issues
In addition to connecting individuals with the resources they need, this service includes WA 211 Counts. This may be of particular interest to providers looking for data. Statistics are available at the county level, school district and legislative levels, and can be accessed for specific time periods. It includes percentage of calls and total calls for more than a dozen kinds of general needs, with much finer details within each category about specific needs and the demographics of those seeking assistance.
The local information 211 has available to provide residents is only as good as the information they have been provided with! It is very important that local providers - transportation, health and human services, local government, and more - check that 211 has their information or their most current information. Find out how to verify the information they have for your organization here.
