Steptoe is a small unincorporated rural community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Whitman County

Whitman County, Washington

Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...

, Washington, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Steptoe is 11 miles north of the county seat, Colfax

Colfax, Washington

Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States.The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census.It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S...

 and is 43 miles south of Spokane

Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

. It is named after Colonel Edward Steptoe

Edward Steptoe

Edward Jenner Steptoe was an officer in the United States Army who served in the Mexican-American War and the Indian Wars. He is primarily remembered for his defeat at the Battle of Pine Creek during the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War. It was at Pine Creek where Steptoe and 164 men were ambushed...

 for a battle located north of Steptoe near Rosalia, Washington

Rosalia, Washington

Rosalia is a town in Whitman County, Washington, U.S.A. It is an agricultural community in the Palouse region, at an elevation of 2238 feet above sea level. Its population was 550 at the 2010 census.-History:...

. Steptoe has an elementary school consisting of students 1st through 8th grade, a post office (zip code 99174), a gas station catering to the local community. Local tourist attractions include Steptoe Butte

Steptoe Butte

Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington. It is contained by Steptoe Butte State Park. The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15–7 million year old Columbia River basalts that...

. Steptoe's main roads include U.S. Route 195 and State Route 23

State Route 23 (Washington)

State Route 23, also known as SR 23, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Washington. Originating at an intersection with U.S. Route 195 in Steptoe, SR 23 extends in a roughly northwestern direction for about before terminating at SR 28 in Harrington.-Major intersections:-External links:*...

. The 2010 census placed the population at 180.