Grays Harbor County is a county in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 75,636. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Montesano, and its largest city is

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. Grays Harbor County is included in the Aberdeen Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county is presently named after a large estuarine bay near its southwestern corner. On May 7, 1792, Boston fur trader Robert Gray crossed the bar into a bay which he called Bullfinch Harbor, but which later cartographers would label Chehalis Bay, and then Grays Harbor. The area that now comprises Grays Harbor County was part of Oregon Territory in the first part of the nineteenth century. On December 19, 1845, the Provisional Government of Oregon created two counties (Vancouver and Clark) in its northern portion (which is now the state of Washington). In 1849, the name of Vancouver County was changed to Lewis County, and on April 14, 1854, a portion of Lewis County was partitioned off to become Chehalis County. This county's boundaries have not changed since its creation, but on June 9, 1915, its name was changed to Grays Harbor County to eliminate confusion with the town of Chehalis in Lewis County.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (14%) is water.

Geographic features

State parks

Griffiths-Priday State Park Griffiths-Priday State Park (formerly Griffiths-Priday Ocean State Park) is a state-operated, public recreation area at the mouth of the Copalis River on the Pacific Ocean in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The park has beach, low dunes, and ...

Lake Sylvia State Park Lake Sylvia State Park is a state-operated, public recreation area in the northern part of Montesano in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The park is located in dense temperate rain forest. The park offers swimming, hiking, camping, fishing, an ...

Ocean City State Park Ocean City State Park is a state-operated, public recreation area on the Pacific Ocean in Grays Harbor County, Washington, about north of downtown Ocean Shores. The park offers of beach, dunes, and lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with ...

Pacific Beach State Park Pacific Beach State Park is a public recreation area in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The state park offers of Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Ar ...

Twin Harbors State Park Twin Harbors State Park is a public recreation area covering on the Pacific Ocean two miles south of the town of Westport in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The site was once a U.S. Army training ground, which the state began acquiring for pa ...

Westhaven State Park Westhaven State Park was a public recreation area in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The park's acreage was subsumed into the expanded Westport Light State Park Westport Light State Park is a public recreation area of on the Pacific Ocean in ...

(now part of Westport Light State Park) *

Westport Light State Park Westport Light State Park is a public recreation area of on the Pacific Ocean in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Grays Harbor County, Washington (state), Washington. It sits adjacent to the historic Grays Harbor Light, the tallest lighthouse i ...

Major highways

* State Route 8 * U.S. Route 12 * U.S. Route 101 * State Route 105 * State Route 107 * State Route 109

Adjacent counties

* Jefferson County – north * Mason County – northeast * Thurston County – east/southeast * Lewis County – south/southeast *

Pacific County Pacific County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,365. Its county seat is South Bend, and its largest city is Raymond. The county was formed by the government of Oregon Territory in Feb ...

– south

National protected areas

* Chehalis Indian Reservation * Colonel Bob Wilderness * Copalis National Wildlife Refuge * Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge *

Olympic National Forest Olympic National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington, USA. With an area of , it nearly surrounds Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountain range. Olympic National Forest contains parts of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jeffer ...

(part) *

Olympic National Park Olympic National Park is a United States national park located in the State of Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier ...

(part) * Quinault Indian Reservation

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 67,194 people, 26,808 households, and 17,907 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 35 people per square mile (14/km²). There were 32,489 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.30% White, 0.34%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

or African American, 4.66% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.11%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.27% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.10% from two or more races. 4.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.3% were of German, 11.9%

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

or American, 9.9% English, 9.2%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and 6.1%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

ancestry. 94.1% spoke English and 3.9%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

as their first language. There were 26,808 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.70% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,160, and the median income for a family was $39,709. Males had a median income of $35,947 versus $24,262 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $16,799. 16.10% of the population and 11.90% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.60% of those under the age of 18 and 40% of those 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 Census, there were 72,797 people, 28,579 households, and 18,493 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 35,166 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.9% white, 4.6% American Indian, 1.4% Asian, 1.1% black or African American, 0.3% Pacific islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.0% were German, 13.5% were

, 11.7% were English, 6.8% were

, and 4.2% were American. Of the 28,579 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.3% were non-families, and 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 41.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,899 and the median income for a family was $49,745. Males had a median income of $42,998 versus $34,183 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,656. About 11.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the

, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Grays Harbor used to be one of the most consistently Democratic counties in the nation. Until 2016, the last

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

presidential candidate to carry the county was Herbert Hoover in 1928; the last Republican gubernatorial candidate to win the county until

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

was Daniel J. Evans in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

. However,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

carried the county in the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...

and went on to win a majority of its votes four years later. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Grays Harbor is part of

Washington's 6th congressional district Washington's 6th congressional district encompasses the Olympic Peninsula, most of the Kitsap Peninsula, and most of the city of Tacoma. Its counties include the entirety of Clallam, Kitsap, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor counties, and part of ...

, which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+5 and is represented by Derek Kilmer. In the Washington State Legislature it lies in the 19th and 24th districts. In the Washington State Senate it is represented by

Kevin Van De Wege Kevin Wayne Van De Wege (born October 2, 1974) is an American firefighter and politician serving as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 24th district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a m ...

( D) and Jeff Wilson ( R). In the Washington House of Representatives it is represented by

Mike Chapman Michael Donald Chapman (born 13 April 1947) is an Australian-American record producer and songwriter who was a major force in the British pop music industry in the 1970s. He created a string of hit singles for artists including The Sweet, Suz ...

(D),

Joel McEntire Joel William McEntire (born 1987) is an American politician of the Republican Party. In 2020, he was elected to the Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legis ...

(R),

Steve Tharinger Stephen Platner Tharinger (born 1949) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He is a member of the Washington House of Representatives The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislatur ...

(D), and Jim Walsh (R).

Economy

Principal economic activities in Grays Harbor County include wood and paper production, food processing (especially seafood), and manufacturing.

Communities

Cities

* Cosmopolis * Elma *

Hoquiam Hoquiam ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. It borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street, with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting, but Hoquiam has maintai ...

* McCleary * Montesano (county seat) * Oakville * Ocean Shores * Westport

Census-designated places

* Aberdeen Gardens * Amanda Park *

Brady Brady may refer to: People * Brady (surname) * Brady (given name) * Brady (nickname) * Brady Boone, a ring name of American professional wrestler Dean Peters (1958–1998) Places in the United States * Brady, Montana, a census-designated plac ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

* Chehalis Village (former) * Cohassett Beach * Copalis Beach * Grayland * Hogans Corner * Humptulips * Junction City *

Malone Malone is an Irish surname. From the Irish "''Mael Eóin''", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John. People * Gilla Críst Ua Máel Eóin (died 1127), historian and Abbot of Clonmacnoise, Ó Maoil Eoin * Adrian Malone (1937–2 ...

* Markham * Moclips * Neilton * Ocean City * Oyehut * Pacific Beach *

Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

Queets Queets is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Grays Harbor and Jefferson counties, Washington, United States. The population was 174 at the 2010 census. The primary residents of the community are Native Americans of ...

(part) * Qui-nai-elt Village * Santiago * Satsop * Taholah

Other unincorporated communities

* Artic * Alder Grove * Bay City * Carlisle * Copalis Crossing * Deckerville * Garden City * Gray Gables * Grays Harbor City * Heather *

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

* Newton * Nisson * Ocosta * Quinault *

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

* South Elma * South Montesano

Notable people

* Robert Arthur, actor * Elton Bennett, artist * Adam Bighill, CFL player * Gail Brown, actress * Trisha Brown, choreographer * Mark Bruener, NFL player * Daniel Bryan, professional wrestler *

Robert Eugene Bush Robert Eugene Bush (October 4, 1926 – November 8, 2005), at age 18, was the youngest member of the United States Navy in World War II to receive the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. He was awarded the medal fo ...

, Medal of Honor recipient * Kurt Cobain, musician * Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio host (''

The Herd with Colin Cowherd ''The Herd with Colin Cowherd'' is a sports talk radio show hosted by Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports 1. The show features commentary on the day's sports news, perspective on other news stories, and interviews with celebrities, spo ...

'') * Dale Crover, musician * Reuben H. Fleet, aviation pioneer * Clarence Chesterfield Howerton, circus performer * Jerry Lambert, actor * Robert Motherwell, artist * Peter Norton, software developer ( Norton Utilities) *

Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, wh ...

, musician *

Buzz Osborne Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept. Biography Born in Morton, ...

, musician * Douglas Osheroff, Nobel-winning physicist *

Patrick Simmons Patrick Simmons (born October 19, 1948) is an American musician best known as a founding member of the rock band The Doobie Brothers. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, he has been the only consistent member of the band throughout their tenure. Simm ...

, musician * Kurdt Vanderhoof, musician

References

External links

Official website

Harborpedia

Maritime Heritage Network
an online directory of maritime history resources in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

, including the Grays Harbor cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam. {{Coord, 47.15, -123.83, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-WA_source:UScensus1990 1854 establishments in Washington Territory Populated places established in 1854 Western Washington