Clallam County, Washington

Clallam County
County
Clallam County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 48°06′45″N123°26′27″W / 48.1125°N 123.44083333333°W / 48.1125; -123.44083333333
Country	United States
State	Washington
Founded	April 26, 1854
Seat	Port Angeles
Largest city	Port Angeles
Area
• Total	2,671 sq mi (6,920 km2)
• Land	1,738 sq mi (4,500 km2)
• Water	932 sq mi (2,410 km2)  35%
Population  (2020)
• Total	77,155
• Estimate  (2022)	77,805
• Density	44.4/sq mi (17.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.clallam.net

Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 77,155, ^[1] with an estimated population of 77,805 in 2022. The county seat and largest city is Port Angeles; the county as a whole comprises the Port Angeles, WA Micropolitan Statistical Area. ^[2] The name is a Klallam word for "the strong people". The county was formed on April 26, 1854. ^[3] Located on the Olympic Peninsula, it is south from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which forms the Canada–US border, as British Columbia's Vancouver Island is across the strait.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,671 square miles (6,920 km²), of which 1,738 square miles (4,500 km²) is land and 932 square miles (2,410 km²) (35%) is water. ^[4]

Located in Clallam County is Cape Alava, the westernmost point in both Washington and the contiguous United States, with a longitude of 124 degrees, 43 minutes and 59 seconds West (−124.733). Near Cape Alava is Ozette, the westernmost town in the contiguous United States. Clallam County also contains the west-northwesternmost, northwesternmost, and north-northwesternmost points in the contiguous United States. ^[5]

Geographic features

Mount Angeles Cape Flattery Clallam River Dungeness Spit Elwha River Gray Wolf Ridge Hoh River

Hoko River Lake Crescent Lake Ozette Lyre River Pacific Ocean Pysht River

Seven Lakes Basin Sol Duc Hot Springs Sol Duc River Strait of Juan de Fuca Tatoosh Island Waadah Island

Adjacent counties

• Capital Regional District, British Columbia – north
• Jefferson County – south & east

National protected areas

• Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
• Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
• Flattery Rocks National Wildlife Refuge
• Olympic National Forest (part)
• Olympic National Park (part)
• Quillayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	149		—
1870	408		173.8%
1880	638		56.4%
1890	2,771		334.3%
1900	5,603		102.2%
1910	6,755		20.6%
1920	11,368		68.3%
1930	20,449		79.9%
1940	21,848		6.8%
1950	26,396		20.8%
1960	30,022		13.7%
1970	34,770		15.8%
1980	51,648		48.5%
1990	56,464		9.3%
2000	64,525		14.3%
2010	71,404		10.7%
2020	77,155		8.1%
2022 (est.)	77,805	[6]	0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9] 1990–2000 [10] 2010–2020 [1]

Sol Duc River

Lake Crescent

2000 census

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 64,525 people, 27,164 households, and 18,064 families living in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile (14 people/km²). There were 30,683 housing units at an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.12% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 5.12% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. 3.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.2% were of German, 13.1% English, 9.3% Irish, 8.3% United States or American and 6.0% Norwegian ancestry. 95% spoke English and 3.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 27,164 households, out of which 25.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.90% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.50% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.00% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 22.80% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 21.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,449, and the median income for a family was $44,381. Males had a median income of $35,452 versus $24,628 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,517. About 8.90% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 71,404 people, 31,329 households, and 19,713 families living in the county. ^[12] The population density was 41.1 inhabitants per square mile (15.9/km²). There were 35,582 housing units at an average density of 20.5 units per square mile (7.9 units/km²). ^[13] The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% white, 5.1% American Indian, 1.4% Asian, 0.8% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.8% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.1% of the population. ^[12] In terms of ancestry, 21.4% were German, 16.4% were English, 12.6% were Irish, 6.5% were Norwegian, and 5.2% were American. ^[14]

Of the 31,329 households, 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.1% were non-families, and 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 49.0 years. ^[12]

The median income for a household in the county was $44,398 and the median income for a family was $54,837. Males had a median income of $44,609 versus $32,125 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,449. About 9.5% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. ^[15]

Politics

Modern Clallam County is generally regarded as a competitive area politically. In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden won with 50.2% of the vote versus 46.9% of the vote for Republican Donald Trump. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump won with 46.7% of the vote, compared to 44.0% of the vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama narrowly won with 48.4% of the vote, compared to 48.0% of the vote for Republican Mitt Romney. In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama won the county with 50.6% of the vote, compared to 47.3% for candidate Republican John McCain.

Clallam County is a bellwether, holding the longest record, as of 2020, for predicting official presidential election winners in the entire country. ^[16] It has voted the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1980, and in every election since 1920 except for 1968 and 1976. ^[17] As of 2020, it is the only county in the United States that has voted for the presidential winner in every election since 1980, and currently has the longest streak as a bellwether county in the United States. ^[16]

Democratic candidates are generally most successful in the county seat and largest city, Port Angeles, which casts a significant number of votes. The city of Sequim and its general vicinity (excepting newer developments such as Bell Hill which tend to be Republican) is generally considered a battleground area. The Forks area is generally Republican, with the exception of American Indian areas. The Makah tribe areas around Neah Bay are some of the most Democratic areas in the state. Otherwise, with the exception of a few locations (such as Blyn and Jamestown near Sequim), unincorporated Clallam County has a strong Republican lean.

United States presidential election results for Clallam County, Washington ^{[18] [19]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	23,062	46.81%	24,721	50.18%	1,481	3.01%
2016	18,794	46.37%	17,677	43.61%	4,062	10.02%
2012	18,437	48.03%	18,580	48.40%	1,368	3.56%
2008	18,199	47.25%	19,470	50.55%	851	2.21%
2004	18,871	51.33%	17,049	46.37%	846	2.30%
2000	16,251	50.42%	13,779	42.75%	2,202	6.83%
1996	12,432	42.12%	12,585	42.64%	4,499	15.24%
1992	9,765	34.06%	10,820	37.74%	8,088	28.21%
1988	11,200	49.14%	11,123	48.80%	471	2.07%
1984	13,605	57.32%	9,701	40.87%	429	1.81%
1980	11,515	51.65%	8,029	36.01%	2,752	12.34%
1976	9,132	49.67%	8,268	44.97%	986	5.36%
1972	9,372	58.25%	5,620	34.93%	1,097	6.82%
1968	5,921	41.60%	7,030	49.39%	1,283	9.01%
1964	4,175	31.03%	9,265	68.86%	15	0.11%
1960	6,227	47.61%	6,801	52.00%	52	0.40%
1956	6,852	54.82%	5,632	45.06%	16	0.13%
1952	6,442	53.96%	5,390	45.15%	106	0.89%
1948	4,178	41.38%	5,412	53.60%	507	5.02%
1944	3,551	39.23%	5,441	60.11%	59	0.65%
1940	3,555	36.91%	5,966	61.95%	110	1.14%
1936	2,404	28.56%	5,586	66.36%	428	5.08%
1932	1,870	24.81%	3,954	52.46%	1,713	22.73%
1928	3,319	65.53%	1,705	33.66%	41	0.81%
1924	2,129	52.07%	283	6.92%	1,677	41.01%
1920	1,775	53.76%	489	14.81%	1,038	31.44%
1916	1,475	45.23%	1,339	41.06%	447	13.71%
1912	727	28.67%	464	18.30%	1,345	53.04%
1908	938	59.59%	428	27.19%	208	13.21%
1904	903	68.15%	273	20.60%	149	11.25%
1900	723	60.45%	407	34.03%	66	5.52%
1896	559	43.43%	717	55.71%	11	0.85%
1892	518	38.20%	448	33.04%	390	28.76%

Transportation

US Route 101 at the interchange with Washington State Route 117

Clallam Transit operates bus service between and within the towns of the county and to destinations outside Clallam County.

Major highways

• U.S. Route 101

Airports

The following public use airports are located in the county: ^[20]

• William R. Fairchild International Airport (CLM) – Port Angeles
• Forks Airport (S18) – Forks
• Quillayute Airport (UIL) – Quillayute / Forks
• Sekiu Airport (11S) – Sekiu
• Sequim Valley Airport (W28) – Sequim

Communities

Crossroads in Port Angeles, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island in the background

Cities

• Forks
• Port Angeles (County seat)
• Sequim

Census-designated places

• Bell Hill
• Blyn
• Carlsborg
• Clallam Bay
• Jamestown
• Neah Bay
• Port Angeles East
• River Road
• Sekiu

Unincorporated communities

• Agnew
• Beaver
• Crane
• Diamond Point
• Dungeness
• Elwha
• Fairholm
• Joyce
• La Push
• Maple Grove
• Ozette
• Pysht
• Piedmont
• Sappho
• Schoolhouse Point

Popular culture

The popular Twilight Saga novels and film series are set in Clallam County. The main storyline is set in Forks; however, the characters also visit neighboring Port Angeles.

The rural-comedy film series Ma and Pa Kettle (1949–1957) is set in a fictionalized Cape Flattery.

A popular YouTube series following the restoration of the historic sailing vessel Tally Ho takes place in Sequim since 2017 and often visits other places in Clallam County. ^[21] The county has demanded that donations and work on the project be stopped, citing lack of permits and an unwillingness to issue those permits. ^[22]

See also

• Clallam Transit
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Clallam County, Washington
• People's Wharf Company

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.
4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
5. "16 Extreme Compass Points". Del Leu. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022" . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
12. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
13. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
14. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
15. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
16. "Clallam County continues its streak of picking every presidential winner since 1980". king5.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
17. "What does Clallam County know? Voters just chose a winner for the tenth straight election". kitsapsun.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
19. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 686 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 610 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 36 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 13 votes.
20. "Clallam County Public and Private Airports". www.tollfreeairline.com. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
21. "One man's mission to save a historic ship built a digital community". High Country News – Know the West. September 25, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
22. "Boat restoration project may be asked to move". Peninsula Daily News. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Geographic data related to Clallam County, Washington at OpenStreetMap
• North Olympic Library System
• Clallam County – Thumbnail History
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.

48°6′45″N123°26′27″W / 48.11250°N 123.44083°W / 48.11250; -123.44083