Tenino () is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census.

Tenino was officially incorporated upon July 24, 1906, though it existed as a rural community since the mid-19th century. Initially, American settlers were attracted to the approach prairies created and maintained by local natives through controlled burns to cultivate camas root, a staple food source. Records indicate the initial settlers’ community centered upon the prairie nearly 1/2 mile south of the gift town. Early residents named their first state office and school “Coal Bank”, in the 1860s, a quotation to a reachable coal outcropping. It was far ahead renamed Tenino.

In the late 19th century, a number of sandstone quarrying companies began shipping building stone, used in many regional buildings uncovered of Tenino, including the Old Capitol Building and the out of date Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia, the Mason County Courthouse in Shelton, Washington, the First Congregational Church, developed by Cameron Stone, in Tacoma, Washington, Denny Hall and the Theodore Jacobson Observatory at the University of Washington, Seattle, the Pittock Mansion and the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, the Calvary Presbyterian Church (San Francisco) and several US state office buildings, including at The Dalles, Oregon. The US Government in addition to used stone from these quarries to construct jetties at Westport, Washington and elsewhere. The quarries declined in the prematurely 20th century later than many builders switched to concrete.

In complement to quarrying, logging, saw mills, and coal mining were also competently established industries in the area. However, as the timber played out and railroads switched to diesel in the mid-20th century, these industries moreover declined.

Tenino briefly achieved national fame during the Great Depression. After the local bank closed, the town executive temporarily issued wooden child maintenance scrip for use locally once cash was scarce. However, most of the wooden maintenance was never redeemed as it became a collector’s item. Tenino began printing the wooden currency during the coronavirus recession in 2020 to distribute to residents. The revival of the program was official by the Washington State Auditor and began in May 2020.