Yelm () is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Its population was 6,848 at the 2010 census. At the dawn of the 21st century, Yelm was the 10th fastest growing city in the allow in in regard to population.

The word “Yelm” is said yet to be from the Coast Salish word shelm or chelm, meaning “heat waves from the sun”, referring to heat mirages.

The Yelm Prairie was originally inhabited by the Nisqually and provided good pasture for their horses. The first permanent non-indigenous settlers came in 1853 to associate the Hudson’s Bay Company sheep farmers who already conducted event in the area.

James Longmire, one of the first American settlers, said on arriving in Yelm:

With the coming of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1873, Yelm began to prosper, having found an outlet for its agricultural and forestry products. Its economic base was further enhanced taking into account an irrigation company was formed in 1916, making Yelm a middle for commercial production of beans, cucumbers and berries.