Kittitas is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,438 at the 2020 census. It is also a part of the Ellensburg micropolitan area. There are numerous interpretations of the name, which is from the language of the Kittitas American Indian Sahaptin language. According to toponymist William Bright, the name "Kittitas" comes from the Sahaptin placename, referring to a gravel bank in the Yakima River.