It was so named because of its high altitude; it was thought to be at the highest point (the crest) between Cheney and Coulee City, Washington, along the railroad grade.

The first structure in town was a small store building moved to the site by Henry Verfurth from the nearby village of Sherman, 5 miles northwest of Creston.

A post office was established shortly thereafter whose jurisdiction extended to the Columbia River on the North and the railroad tracks on the South with ten miles East and West.

The results of the strong harvest were immediate with new businesses, grain elevators, public buildings, churches and the town's first bank and newspaper.

At the same time, Creston was given a boost by a new road and ferry connecting it to the rich mineral belts in the nearby Colville Indian Reservation.

In August 1902, the last surviving member of the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang, Harry Tracy, was shot at a Creston ranch and killed himself there to avoid capture.

Creston is located roughly 20 miles (32 km) west of Davenport, the county seat.

U.S. Route 2 passes through Creston, connecting it to Wilbur a few miles to the west, with which the town shares a school district.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.45 square miles (1.17 km2), all of it land.