Clallam County

Clallam County was formed on April 26, 1854. The County was named Clallam, derived from the word Klallam meaning “the strong people.”

Clallam County is on the Olympic Peninsula. Jefferson County borders it on the South East, Juan de Fuca on the north, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia on the North West.

Cities and towns

The County seat is Port Angeles, which is also its largest city. Other cities include Sequim, Clallam Bay, Forks, Sekiu, Neah Bay, La Push, Blyn, Carlsborg, Jamestown, Bell Hill, Port Angeles East, and River Road.

Other populated towns on the county map include Agnew, Bearer, Happy Valley, Lamer Elwha, Little Oklahoma, Sappho, Ozette, Piedmont, etc.

Climate

The temperatures range between the summer highs of 70 degrees and winter lows of 35 degrees. Clallam County gets 79 inches of rain and 6 inches of snow annually, while the US gets 38 inches and 28 inches, respectively. However, you can enjoy an average of 132 sunny days per year in Clallam County compared to 205 experienced in the US.

The comfort index of Clallam County is 6.7 on a scale of 1 to 10(10=best). July, August, and September are the best months, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Clallam County is considered one of the top ten best small towns to reside.

Topography

Clallam County spans over 6,918km2. The County has an average elevation of 217m above sea level. The minimum height is 0m, and the maximum is 2317m above sea level.

Economy

Clallam County relies mainly on marine trades, forestry, tourism, and agriculture. The primary natural resources in Clallam County are forestry, fisheries, and agriculture.

According to public records, the unemployment rate was at 10% in 2020, —however, the job market has been on a growth trajectory over the years.

Taxes

The maximum sales tax in Clallam County is 8.8% as of 2021. The Washington sales tax is 6.5%. The County applies an additional 2%. Further, some local governments and cities collect an extra sales tax of 0.3%, bringing the whole sales tax to 8.8%.

Clallam County’s maximum sales tax is higher than 72% of other Washington counties and 83% of others nationwide. It means that businesses in Clallam County are relatively heavily taxed compared to other counties. Its property tax rate is at 0.19%, with a median home value of $ 238,500.

Demographics

Clallam County is the 18th most populated County in Washington out of the 39 counties. According to the 2010 Population Census, the County’s population was 71,404. However, it is estimated to have increased to 77,155 by 2020.

In 2019, the median age was 50.8 years. According to age and gender, under five years 4.3%, under 18 years 16.7%, above 65 years 30.5%, female 50.6%, male 49.4%.

In 2020, the race/ethnic groups were as follows, white 83.3%, black 1.1%, Asian 1.5%, Native American 4.4%, other 0.4%, Hispanic 6%, Pacific Islander 0.1%, 2 or more races 3.3%.

29.6% of Clallam County residents are religious. Those of the Catholic faith lead at 6.5%, followed by the Church of Jesus Christ at 4.4 %.

The median income of Clallam County households in 2019 was $52,192. However, 9.2% of the families live in poverty.

Crime

Clallam County is relatively a low-crime area. On a scale of 1-100(100=high), the violent crime rate in Clallam County is at 17.0, and the property crime rate is at 48.2 as compared to 22.7 and 35.4 respectively in the US.

Education

Public schools in Clallam County spend on average $9,242 per student per year, while the US spends $12,383 per student annually. There are 19.9 students per teacher.

Some of the colleges and universities in Clallam County include Western Washington University, Peninsula College, Royal Roads University, etc.

Health

The quality of health is measured by several different parameters, including the medical service delivery, water, quality of air, etc. There are 195 physicians per 100,000 Clallam residents, while the US has 210 for every 100,000 people.

The County, on its part, encourages its residents to take preventive measures such as immunizations. It has made it affordable and accessible to its residents. The annual best places health cost index is 80.3(100=best), the water quality index is 60(100=best), and the air quality index is 83(100=best).

Recreation Activities and Attraction Sites

Clallam County is popularly known as the connecting County to the City of Victoria in Canada. Travelers use the year-round ferry to cross the county line over to the City of Victoria. Moreover, Clallam County also offers many other recreational activities such as kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, and camping.

Some of the attraction sites in Clallam County include Salt Creek, Hurricane Ridge, Cape Flattery, Mount Storm King, Hurricane Hill Trail, Dungeness Spit(the longest natural sand spit in the US), Sol Duc River, etc.

County Offices

Clallam County has several government offices, including the county government office located in Port Angeles, Washington, US. You can contact the office at +1 360-417-2000.

The county commissioner’s court is divided into three districts. Mark Ozias heads District 1; Randy Johnson runs District 2; Bill Peach leads District 3. You can contact the commissioner’s court at +1 360-417-2233.

Clallam County Superior Ct Clerk is divided into three-Judge positions. Position 1 is headed by Lauren Erickson, Position 2 by Simon Barnhart, and Position 3 by Brent Basden. You can reach the office at +1 360-417-2231.

The county Attorney is Mark Nichols. You can call him at +1 360-417-2301.

Teresa Marchi is the County Treasurer. You can reach her at +1 360-417-2344.

Also, you can find the Clallam County Emergency Management Office at +1 360-417-2483.

Visit the County’s website for more information on the County’s offices.

Clallam County Offices by Type