Port Angeles, Washington | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of downtown Port Angeles, looking towards theOlympic Mountains | |
| Motto: Where the mountains meet the sea. | |
 Show Port Angeles Show Clallam County Show Washington Show the United StatesInteractive location map of Port Angeles | |
| Coordinates:48°07′35″N123°28′40″W / 48.12639°N 123.47778°W /48.12639; -123.47778 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Clallam |
| Founded | 1791 |
| Incorporated | June 11, 1890 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Kate Dexter |
| Area | |
• City | 14.53 sq mi (37.63 km2) |
| • Land | 10.71 sq mi (27.74 km2) |
| • Water | 3.82 sq mi (9.89 km2) |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 19,960 |
• Estimate (2024)[6] | 20,112 |
| • Density | 1,876.7/sq mi (724.61/km2) |
| • Urban | 24,445[3] |
| • Metro | 77,616 (US:79th) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 98362, 98363 |
| Area codes | 360 and564 |
| FIPS code | 53-55365 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411459[4] |
| Website | cityofpa.us |
Port Angeles (/ˈændʒələs/AN-jəl-əs) is a city in and thecounty seat ofClallam County,Washington, United States.[7] The population was 19,960 at the2020 census,[5] it is the most populous city in the county, as well as the most populous city on theOlympic Peninsula. The population was estimated at 20,112 in 2024.[6]
The city'sharbor was dubbedPuerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Port of Our Lady of the Angels) by Spanish explorerFrancisco de Eliza in 1791. By the mid-19th century, after settlement by English speakers from the United States, the name was shortened and partiallyanglicized to its current form,[8] Port Angeles Harbor.[9]
Port Angeles is home toPeninsula College. It is the birthplace of football hall of famerJohn Elway and residents include writers and other celebrities. The city is served byWilliam R. Fairchild International Airport. Ferry service is provided across theStrait of Juan de Fuca toVictoria, British Columbia, Canada on theMVCoho.
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This area was long occupied by succeeding cultures ofindigenous peoples. In 1791, the harbor was entered by Spanish explorerFrancisco de Eliza, who named itPuerto de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (Port of Our Lady of the Angels), claiming it for Spain. He was on an expedition from southern California. This name was shortened to the current one of Port Angeles.
It was not until the 19th century that European Americans began to settle here. A small whaling, fishing and shipping village developed, which traded withVictoria, British Columbia. In 1856–57, the first settlers arrived and were followed by the Cherbourg Land Company in 1859.
Soon afterwards the site caught the attention of Victor Smith. Smith, a protege ofSalmon Chase, was Collector of Customs for the Puget Sound District. He quickly gained approval to relocate theU.S. Customsport of entry forWashington Territory fromPort Townsend to Port Angeles. With Chase's support, he also succeeded in getting PresidentAbraham Lincoln to designate 3,520 acres (1,424 ha) at Port Angeles as a federal reserve for lighthouse, military and naval purposes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers platted a federal town site on the reserve land, laying out the street plan which still exists today. The fact thatWashington, D.C., was the only other city officially laid out by the federal government led the U.S. Board of Trade in 1890 to dub Port Angeles the "Second National City." Settlers soon followed slowly, but Smith's death in the sinking of theBrother Jonathan led to the loss of interest in the area. The Port of Entry was returned to Port Townsend and the area sank into obscurity until the 1880s.
In 1884, a hotel was built and the trading post was expanded into the area's first general store. A wharf was soon built upon the site where the current ferry pier stands. A village of 300 in 1886, Port Angeles' population grew to 3,000 by 1890. Hundreds of its new residents were part of thePuget Sound Cooperative Colony, which was established in 1887 and built several of the settlement's first permanent civic facilities, including a sawmill, church, office building, andopera house.[10] The town was incorporated on June 11, 1890, and was named thecounty seat of Clallam County later that year.[11] A depression a few years later was weathered and the town continued to grow into the new century. In 1914, large-scale logging began with construction of a large mill and a railway connecting the hinterlands to the mill. Other mills were soon built and the lumber and pulp mills supported the economy of the area until well into the century.[citation needed]
Tourism became increasingly important as the growing national affluence, and especially the 1961 opening of the Hood Canal Bridge that cut driving time from the populated central Puget Sound region, brought more visitors drawn by the mountains, rivers, and rainforest of Olympic National Park and by fishing and boating along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The mills began to close in the 1970s and 1980s until only one pulp mill remained in operation; theRayonier specialty pulp mill was shuttered in 1997.[12]
In August 2003, a $275 million construction project known as the Graving Dock Project was started in Port Angeles near the water as part of theHood Canal Bridge east-half replacement project. It was intended to construct an area for anchoring pontoons for the bridge.[13] During construction, human remains and artifacts were discovered. This site was found to be the "largest prehistoric Indian village and burial ground found in the United States," according to a senior archaeologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle. The archeology site also included Native American burials of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[13]
Archeologists were called in to conduct a professional excavation. They found about 300 graves and 785 pieces of human bones, in addition to numerous ritual and ceremonial Indian artifacts of the formerTse-whit-zen village of the federally recognizedLower Elwha Klallam Tribe. This site had appeared to have been continuously occupied for thousands of years; some of the remains date back at least 8,000 years.[14] Because of the significance of the site for Native American history, in December 2004, the graving dock project was abandoned.[13]
Many of the graves uncovered appeared to hold entire families, who seemed to have died suddenly. Archeologists speculate that this could have been the result ofpandemics ofsmallpox and other infectious illnesses. These caused massive death tolls among Native American populations in 1780 and 1835, as they had no acquiredimmunity.Infectious diseases contracted from interactions with European fur traders are believed to have killed about 90 percent of the people living in the Northwest before European American settlement of the area.[citation needed]
In 2016, Port Angeles installed two street signs in English andKlallam to revitalize and preserve the area'sKlallam culture.[15]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.530 square miles (37.63 km2), of which 10.711 square miles (27.74 km2) is land and 3.819 square miles (9.89 km2) is water.[2]
The city is situated on the northern edge of theOlympic Peninsula along the shore of theStrait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles features a long and narrow glacial moraine namedEdiz Hook that projects northeasterly nearly three miles into the Strait. Ediz Hook creates a large, natural deep-water harbor shielded from the storms and swells that move predominantly eastward down the Strait from the Pacific Ocean.Coast Guard Air Station / Sector Field Office (SFO) Port Angeles is situated on the end of Ediz Hook. The harbor is deep enough to provide anchorage for large ocean-going ships such as tankers and cruise ships. The south shore ofVancouver Island and the city ofVictoria, British Columbia are visible across the Strait to the north.
Port Angeles is located in therain shadow of theOlympic Mountains, which means the city gets significantly less rain than other areas of western Washington. The average annual precipitation total is approximately 25 in (640 mm), compared to Seattle's 38 in (970 mm). Temperatures are moderated by the maritime location, with winter lows rarely below 25 °F (−4 °C) and summer highs rarely above 80 °F (27 °C). However, in the winter, the city can be vulnerable to windstorms and Arctic cold fronts that sweep across theStrait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles receives about 4 in (10 cm) of snow each year, but it rarely stays on the ground for long.
Port Angeles is also the location of the headquarters ofOlympic National Park, which encompasses most of the Olympic Mountains. This park was established by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, during theGreat Depression.
Port Angeles has a warm summermediterranean climate (KöppenCsb). It is heavily moderated by thePacific Ocean, resulting in cool summers and mild winters for its latitude. Summers are far cooler than those of nearbySeattle. On June 27, 2021, Port Angeles set a new all-time record high of 97 °F (36 °C), breaking the city's previous all-time record high of 96 °F (36 °C). Port Angeles is in therain shadow of theOlympic Mountains, resulting in much lower precipitation (only 26.54 in [674 mm] per year) than locations to the west outside of the rain shadow.
| Climate data for Port Angeles, Washington (William R. Fairchild International Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1998–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) | 69 (21) | 68 (20) | 77 (25) | 86 (30) | 97 (36) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 88 (31) | 78 (26) | 67 (19) | 60 (16) | 97 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.2 (13.4) | 54.4 (12.4) | 58.8 (14.9) | 66.5 (19.2) | 73.4 (23.0) | 81.2 (27.3) | 82.8 (28.2) | 84.8 (29.3) | 78.7 (25.9) | 66.8 (19.3) | 59.0 (15.0) | 54.4 (12.4) | 87.3 (30.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.3 (7.4) | 46.6 (8.1) | 49.8 (9.9) | 54.2 (12.3) | 59.5 (15.3) | 63.4 (17.4) | 68.2 (20.1) | 69.7 (20.9) | 66.1 (18.9) | 56.7 (13.7) | 49.4 (9.7) | 44.8 (7.1) | 56.1 (13.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.2 (4.0) | 39.8 (4.3) | 42.4 (5.8) | 46.5 (8.1) | 51.5 (10.8) | 55.4 (13.0) | 59.7 (15.4) | 60.4 (15.8) | 56.6 (13.7) | 49.2 (9.6) | 42.7 (5.9) | 39.1 (3.9) | 48.5 (9.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) | 33.0 (0.6) | 35.0 (1.7) | 38.8 (3.8) | 43.4 (6.3) | 47.4 (8.6) | 51.1 (10.6) | 51.1 (10.6) | 47.1 (8.4) | 41.6 (5.3) | 36.0 (2.2) | 33.4 (0.8) | 40.9 (5.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 23.3 (−4.8) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 35.5 (1.9) | 40.8 (4.9) | 45.4 (7.4) | 45.1 (7.3) | 39.8 (4.3) | 31.9 (−0.1) | 25.6 (−3.6) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 18.1 (−7.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 12 (−11) | 11 (−12) | 18 (−8) | 28 (−2) | 31 (−1) | 36 (2) | 41 (5) | 42 (6) | 33 (1) | 22 (−6) | 11 (−12) | 13 (−11) | 11 (−12) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.29 (109) | 2.84 (72) | 2.94 (75) | 1.65 (42) | 1.17 (30) | 0.73 (19) | 0.46 (12) | 0.64 (16) | 1.29 (33) | 3.06 (78) | 5.11 (130) | 5.23 (133) | 29.41 (749) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.4 (1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 17.4 | 13.4 | 15.6 | 11.9 | 10.1 | 7.6 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 9.0 | 13.7 | 17.4 | 16.7 | 142.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 88 | 87 | 86 | 83 | 79 | 79 | 75 | 76 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 83 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 127.1 | 117.6 | 179.8 | 234 | 285.2 | 291 | 334.8 | 334.8 | 276 | 170.5 | 147 | 139.5 | 2,637.3 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 9.2 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 7.2 |
| Mean dailydaylight hours | 8.9 | 10.3 | 12.0 | 13.7 | 15.2 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 12.2 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Source 1: NOAA[16][17][18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV and humidity)[19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 2,321 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,286 | −1.5% | |
| 1920 | 5,351 | 134.1% | |
| 1930 | 10,188 | 90.4% | |
| 1940 | 9,409 | −7.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,233 | 19.4% | |
| 1960 | 12,653 | 12.6% | |
| 1970 | 16,367 | 29.4% | |
| 1980 | 17,311 | 5.8% | |
| 1990 | 17,710 | 2.3% | |
| 2000 | 18,397 | 3.9% | |
| 2010 | 19,038 | 3.5% | |
| 2020 | 19,960 | 4.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 20,112 | [6] | 0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] 2020 Census[5] | |||
As of the 2022American Community Survey, there are 9,087 estimated households in Port Angeles with an average of 2.15 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $60,212. Approximately 11.0% of the city's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Port Angeles has an estimated 55.2% employment rate, with 30.7% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 92.9% holding a high school diploma.[21]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (93.4%), Spanish (4.3%), Indo-European (1.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.1%), and Other (0.1%).
The median age in the city was 41.3 years.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 2000[22] | Pop. 2010[23] | Pop. 2020[24] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 16,572 | 16,456 | 16,092 | 90.08% | 86.44% | 80.62% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 123 | 153 | 155 | 0.67% | 0.80% | 0.78% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 562 | 578 | 595 | 3.05% | 3.04% | 2.98% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 238 | 329 | 416 | 1.29% | 1.73% | 2.08% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 32 | 30 | 39 | 0.17% | 0.16% | 0.20% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 9 | 26 | 91 | 0.05% | 0.14% | 0.46% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 431 | 699 | 1,457 | 2.34% | 3.67% | 7.30% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 430 | 767 | 1,115 | 2.34% | 4.03% | 5.59% |
| Total | 18,397 | 19,038 | 19,960 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 19,960 people, 8,883 households, and 4,955 families residing in the city.[25] Thepopulation density was 1,863.5 inhabitants per square mile (719.5/km2). There were 9,567 housing units at an average density of 893.2 per square mile (344.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.73%White, 0.84%African American, 3.31%Native American, 2.15%Asian, 0.21%Pacific Islander, 1.43% from some other races and 9.34% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.59% of the population.[26] 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.7% were under 5 years of age, and 22.4% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.
The ancestry of Port Angeles was 15.3%German, 15.1%English, 13.2%Irish, 5.5%Norwegian, 3.3%Italian, 3.2%French, 2.9%Scottish, 2.3%Polish, and 0.1%Sub-Saharan African.[27]
The median household income was $53,690, with families having $65,994, married couples having $79,727, and non-families having $30,368. A total of 11.5% of the population were in poverty, with 13.4% of people under 18, 11.5% of people between the ages of 18 and 64, and 10% of people over 65 being in poverty.[27]
As of the2010 census, there were 19,038 people, 8,459 households, and 4,808 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,779.8 inhabitants per square mile (687.2/km2). There were 9,272 housing units at an average density of 866.5 per square mile (334.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.86%White, 0.83%African American, 3.20%Native American, 1.75%Asian, 0.18%Pacific Islander, 0.90% from some other races and 4.27% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.03% of the population.
There were 8,459 households, of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% weremarried couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.2% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.79.
The median age in the city was 41.6 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
As of the2000 census, there were 18,397 people, 8,053 households, and 4,831 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,823.1 inhabitants per square mile (703.9/km2). There were 8,682 housing units at an average density of 860.4 per square mile (332.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.35%White, 0.69%African American, 3.26%Native American, 1.29%Asian, 0.17%Pacific Islander, 0.38% from some other races and 2.85% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.34% of the population.
There were 8,053 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,130, and the median income for a family was $41,450. Males had a median income of $33,351 versus $25,215 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $17,903. About 9.9% of families and 13.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
The local newspaper is thePeninsula Daily News, originally thePort Angeles Evening News (founded 1916). ThePeninsula Daily News publishes six days a week and hosts a website for the North Olympic Peninsula.[28]
Newsradio 1450 KONP is a local radio station offering news, sports, information and talk programming on AM 1450. The station is also broadcast on FM 101.7 (founded 1945).[29] The Strait 102KSTI is an FM radio station playing country music. KSTI is located at FM 102.1
Port Angeles is the home base ofRygaard Logging, one of thelogging companies featured in the second season of theHistory Channel programAx Men.
The Strait of Juan de Fuca north of Port Angeles was used for filming some of the open water scenes in the 1990 filmThe Hunt for Red October. Port Angeles was also used in the last scene of the 1994 movieWyatt Earp when Wyatt and Josie were on the boat out from the harbor with the Olympic Mountains in the distance.
Public school education is provided by the Port Angeles School District which operates five elementary schools, one middle school, ahigh school, an alternative high school and a vocational school. In addition, there are two private schools, Queen of Angels Catholic School and Olympic Christian School, both of which serve grades K-8.
Peninsula College is a community college based in Port Angeles that serves the Olympic Peninsula.
Mutsu, Aomori, Japan and Port Angeles becamesister cities in 1995. They have operated anexchange student program intermittently since 1997.[30]
Geographic data related toPort Angeles, Washington atOpenStreetMapMunicipalities and communities ofClallam County, Washington,United States | ||
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