Sequim, Washington
City
John Wayne Marina in Sequim
John Wayne Marina in Sequim
Sequim, Washington
Sequim, Washington
Coordinates: 48°4′41″N 123°6′5″W / 48.07806°N 123.10139°W / 48.07806; -123.10139
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyClallam
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager[1]
 • MayorTom Ferrell[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total6.40 sq mi (16.58 km2)
 • Land6.32 sq mi (16.37 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation
184 ft (56 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total8,018
 • Estimate 
(2021)[5]
8,241
 • Density1,252.81/sq mi (483.59/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98382
Area code360
FIPS code53-63385
GNIS feature ID1531505[6]
WebsiteCity of Sequim

Sequim (/ˈskwɪm/ ⓘ SKWIM) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. The 2020 census counted a population of 8,018, with an estimated population in 2021 of 8,241.

Sequim lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives, on average, less than 16 inches (410 mm) of rain per year – about the same as Los Angeles, California – giving rise to the region's local nickname of Sunny Sequim. However, the city is relatively close to some of the wettest temperate rainforests of the contiguous United States. This climate anomaly is sometimes called the "Blue Hole of Sequim".[7] Fogs and cool breezes from the Juan de Fuca Strait make Sequim's climate more humid than would be expected from the low average rate of annual precipitation.

Some places have surprisingly luxuriant forests, dominated by Douglas-fir and western red cedar. Other trees growing in the area include black cottonwood, red alder, bigleaf maple, Pacific madrone, lodgepole pine and Garry oak, all of which can grow to a significant size. Historically, much of the area was an open, oak-studded prairie, supported by somewhat excessively-drained gravelly and sandy loam soil; agriculture and development of the Dungeness valley have changed this ecosystem. Most soils under Sequim have been placed in a series that is named after the city.[8] This "Sequim series" is one of the few Mollisols in western Washington and its high base saturation, a characteristic of the Mollisol order, is attributed to the minimal leaching of bases caused by low annual rainfall.[9]

The city and the surrounding area are particularly known for the commercial cultivation of lavender, supported by the unique climate. It makes Sequim the "Lavender Capital of North America", rivaled only in France. The area is also known for its Dungeness crab.

Sequim is pronounced as one syllable, with the e elided: "skwim". The name developed from the Klallam language.

History

Aboriginal inhabitants

Fossils discovered in the late 1970s – at a dig near Sequim known as the Manis Mastodon site, by Carl Gustafson, an archaeologist at Washington State University – included a mastodon bone with an embedded bone point, evidencing the presence of hunters in the area about 14,000 years ago. According to Michael R. Waters, an archaeologist at Texas A&M University, this is the first hunting weapon found that dates to the pre-Clovis period.

The S'Klallam tribe had inhabited the region prior to the arrival of the first Europeans. S'Klallam means "the strong people". The band of S'Klallam Indians disbanded into their own individual federally recognized tribes in the early 1900s. The local tribe is the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe, named after one of their early leaders, Lord James Balch. According to other tales, the town Sequim in S'Klallam means "a place for going to shoot", which represents the abundance of game and wildlife of the area.[10][11]

Settlement

Manuel Quimper and George Vancouver explored the region's coast in the 1790s. The first European settlers arrived in the Dungeness Valley in the 1850s, settling nearby Dungeness, Washington. While the lands along the river became fertile farmlands, the remainder of the area remained arid prairie, known as "the desert".[7] Irrigation canals first brought water to the prairie in the 1890s, allowing the expansion of farmlands.

Sequim was officially incorporated on October 31, 1913. For many decades small farms, mostly dairy farms, dotted the area around the small town. Near the end of World War I, Sequim became a stop for a railway that passed through from Port Angeles to Port Townsend, built primarily to carry wood products from the forests of the western Olympic Peninsula.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.37 square miles (16.50 km2), of which 6.31 square miles (16.34 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) is water.[12]

Climate

Sequim experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), sometimes classified as an oceanic climate owing to the relatively cool temperatures. Sequim is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so annual precipitation is only 16 inches. Winters are mostly mild with very little snowfall. Many years there is no snow at all. The highest temperature recorded in Sequim was 99 °F (37.2 °C) on 16 July 1941, and the lowest −3 °F (−19.4 °C) on 19 January 1935.[13]

Climate data for Sequim, Washington, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1980–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)		 63
(17)		 76
(24)		 77
(25)		 86
(30)		 93
(34)		 99
(37)		 91
(33)		 87
(31)		 73
(23)		 70
(21)		 64
(18)		 99
(37)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 56.3
(13.5)		 55.9
(13.3)		 61.6
(16.4)		 67.1
(19.5)		 74.3
(23.5)		 79.1
(26.2)		 82.3
(27.9)		 82.4
(28.0)		 75.5
(24.2)		 66.7
(19.3)		 59.8
(15.4)		 55.2
(12.9)		 85.2
(29.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 46.2
(7.9)		 47.8
(8.8)		 51.3
(10.7)		 55.8
(13.2)		 61.5
(16.4)		 65.4
(18.6)		 70.0
(21.1)		 70.4
(21.3)		 65.9
(18.8)		 57.5
(14.2)		 50.4
(10.2)		 45.9
(7.7)		 57.3
(14.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.2
(4.0)		 39.9
(4.4)		 42.9
(6.1)		 46.8
(8.2)		 52.9
(11.6)		 57.1
(13.9)		 60.8
(16.0)		 60.7
(15.9)		 56.0
(13.3)		 48.7
(9.3)		 42.5
(5.8)		 38.8
(3.8)		 48.9
(9.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 32.3
(0.2)		 32.1
(0.1)		 34.5
(1.4)		 37.9
(3.3)		 44.2
(6.8)		 48.8
(9.3)		 51.5
(10.8)		 51.1
(10.6)		 46.2
(7.9)		 39.9
(4.4)		 34.6
(1.4)		 31.8
(−0.1)		 40.4
(4.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19.7
(−6.8)		 21.5
(−5.8)		 24.8
(−4.0)		 28.0
(−2.2)		 33.2
(0.7)		 39.5
(4.2)		 43.2
(6.2)		 42.4
(5.8)		 36.5
(2.5)		 28.3
(−2.1)		 22.9
(−5.1)		 20.3
(−6.5)		 15.6
(−9.1)
Record low °F (°C) 0
(−18)		 −3
(−19)		 12
(−11)		 19
(−7)		 28
(−2)		 33
(1)		 35
(2)		 33
(1)		 31
(−1)		 19
(−7)		 4
(−16)		 −1
(−18)		 −3
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.18
(55)		 1.39
(35)		 1.49
(38)		 1.23
(31)		 1.16
(29)		 0.94
(24)		 0.51
(13)		 0.56
(14)		 0.87
(22)		 1.63
(41)		 2.64
(67)		 2.25
(57)		 16.85
(426)
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)		 1.4
(3.6)		 1.4
(3.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 16.2 13.5 14.5 12.4 10.7 8.8 4.8 5.2 8.6 13.2 16.7 16.7 141.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3
Source 1: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[14]
Source 2: NOAA[15]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920402—
193053432.8%
194067626.6%
19501,04454.4%
19601,16411.5%
19701,54933.1%
19803,01394.5%
19903,61620.0%
20004,33419.9%
20106,60652.4%
20208,01821.4%
2021 (est.)8,241[5]2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]
2021 Estimate[5]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020,[16] there were 8,018 people and 3,480 households in the city. The population density was 1,269.8 inhabitants per square mile (490.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.7% White, 1.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.5% of the population.

19.3% of residents were under the age of 18; and 34.0% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

2010 census

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 6,606 people, 3,340 households, and 1,626 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,046.9 inhabitants per square mile (404.2/km2). There were 3,767 housing units at an average density of 597.0 per square mile (230.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% (2020=86.7%) White, 0.4% (2020=1.9%) African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.9% (2020=3.1%) Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.8% (2020=8.5%) of the population.

[Note: The U.S. Postal Service delivers to 28,000+ people within Sequim's zip code, 98382 (2020=30,000+). 2/3 of these postal patrons live outside the Sequim city limits in Clallam County.]

There were 3,340 households, of which 17.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.3% were non-families. 45.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.57.

The median age in the city was 57.9 years. 15.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.1% were from 45 to 64; and 40.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.4% male and 55.6% female.

2000 census

More detailed information from the 2000 census indicated that the racial makeup of the city was 93.91% White, 0.30% African American, 1.15% Native American, 1.75% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.86% of the population.

There were 2,163 households, out of which 15.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 44.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 30.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.90 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 15.3% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 44.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,880, and the median income for a family was $35,652. Males had a median income of $35,160 versus $20,347 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,253. About 9.8% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Festivals and events

Sequim holds an Irrigation Festival every May. As of 2019, it is the longest continually running festival in the state and is in its 124th year.[17][18]

Over the past two decades, Sequim has become known for growing lavender and holds the annual Sequim Lavender Weekend (the third weekend in July).[19]

Tourism

Drawing of a mastodon skeleton by Rembrandt Peale

Sequim is home to a herd of Roosevelt elk. The herd occasionally crosses US 101 just to the southeast of the town. Radio collars on some members of the herd trigger warning lights for motorists.[20]

The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is located just north of the city, near the mouth of the Dungeness River. It includes the Dungeness Spit and a five-mile (8 km) hike to the New Dungeness Lighthouse[21] at the end of the spit. To the east along Highway 101 is Sequim Bay, a 4-mile (6.5 km) long inlet from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Along the western stretch is the Sequim Bay State Park. The inlet is a popular birdwatching area.[22]

The Museum and Arts Center features both natural and cultural exhibits, including a mastodon mural mounted with the remaining mastodon bones, artifacts, and a video on the excavation.

Education

The Sequim School District served a population of almost 29,000 as of 2018.[23] It is home to the following schools:

  • Sequim High School
  • Sequim Middle School
  • Olympic Peninsula Academy
  • Helen Haller Elementary
  • Greywolf Elementary

Private schools:

Media

Film and television

Due to a social media post, students from the rotary club of Sequim High School were able to procure a film screening of The Boys in the Boat, a movie centered around Joe Rantz and his gold-medal 1936 Summer Olympics rowing team. The 2023 motion picture, directed by George Clooney, was planned to be shown at a school auditorium as the city lacks a formal movie theater.[24] A number of students from the school district were in invited attendance at the premiere in December 2023, held at the SIFF Cinema Downtown in Seattle.[25]

Newspapers

The local news publications consist of the community newspaper Sequim Gazette[26] and the Peninsula Daily News.[27]

Radio

Sequim is served by several radio stations. KSQM, FM 91.5 is a non-commercial station staffed by community volunteers featuring a variety of music. Z-104.9 FM, KZQM is a commercial station featuring classic hits. Newsradio KONP also provides local news, talk and sports programming on 1450 AM and 101.3 FM.

Sister city

Sequim's sister city is Shiso, Hyōgo, Japan. Sequim and Shiso have an exchange student program set up through Sequim High School and Sequim Middle School.[28][29]

Notable people

Musical groups

References

  1. ↑ "City Council". City of Sequim. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Sequim Council Chooses New Mayor". Peninsula Daily News. January 11, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  3. ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021". United States Census Bureau. November 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. 1 2 Mass, Cliff (2008). The Weather of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-295-98847-4.
  8. ↑ "Web Soil Survey". Archived from the original on March 2, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Official Series Description - SEQUIM Series". Archived from the original on November 17, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  10. ↑ "'Quiet waters'? Sequim means something else entirely". Seattle Times. Associated Press. August 4, 2010. Archived from the original on August 5, 2010.
  11. ↑ Olympic Peninsula Intertribal Cultural Advisory Committee (2003). Jacilee Wray (ed.). Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula: Who We Are. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 35. ISBN 0-8061-3552-2.
  12. ↑ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  13. ↑ "SEQUIM, WASHINGTON - Climate Summary". Archived from the original on September 23, 2012.
  14. ↑ "NOWData Forecast Office Seattle, WA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access - Station: Sequim 2E, WA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "US Census Bureau Quick Facts: Sequim, WA". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Irrigation Festival splashes into opening weekend". Sequim Gazette. May 2, 2012. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Sequim Irrigation Festival". Sequim Irrigation Festival. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Sequim Tourism, WA - Official Website - Lavender Weekend". Archived from the original on September 30, 2011.
  20. ↑ Timothy Egan (January 2, 2001), "Sequim journal: elk that call ahead to cross the highway", The New York Times, archived from the original on August 29, 2016
  21. ↑ Petrich, Christopher (2005). A Complete Guide To The Lighthouses on Puget Sound Including Admiralty Inlet. Lulu.com. p. 72. ISBN 1-4116-4186-8.
  22. ↑ McNair-Huff, Natalie (2004). Birding Washington. Globe Pequot. pp. 48−51. ISBN 0-7627-2577-X.
  23. ↑ "Sequim School District - About US". Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  24. ↑ Haun, Riley (March 4, 2023). "New 'Boys in the Boat' film gets a hometown welcome". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  25. ↑ Simms, Ryan (December 8, 2023). "George Clooney-directed film about historic UW rowing team makes US debut in Seattle". KOMO 4 News (Seattle). Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Sequim Online Gazette". Sound Publishing. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Peninsula Daily News". Sound Publishing. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  28. ↑ "Sequim High School / Homepage". Archived from the original on January 3, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Sequim Middle School / Overview". Archived from the original on March 26, 2008.
  30. ↑ Denfield, Duane Colt (May 5, 2015). "Richard B. Anderson receives the Medal of Honor posthumously on August 17, 1944". HistoryLink. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Belgische Prinses Marie-Christine leidt vereenzaamd leven". Story. DPG Media. May 27, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Wij vonden onze 'verdwenen' prinses: Marie-Christine snijdt voorgoed alle banden met België door". Het Laatste Nieuws. DPG Media. November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  33. ↑ Grimmet, Abby (July 18, 2018). "Country star Bailey Bryan, a Sequim native, is taking on Nashville with a new perspective". KING 5 News. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  34. ↑ Graham, Jeff (July 22, 2012). "Sequim's Matt Dryke once ruled the world in skeet shooting". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  35. ↑ Schnotzler, Gail (September 25, 2017). "Dorothy Eck, trailblazer for women in Montana politics, dies at 93". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Former Seattle Mariners GM dies in Sequim". Peninsula Daily News. June 5, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  37. ↑ Jensen, Michael C. (July 25, 1976). "Kendall: Blunt and Politically Minded". The New York Times. p. 82. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Robbie Knievel, son of Evel, finds a haven". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. February 9, 1997. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  39. ↑ Trick, Randy (September 20, 2007). "Sequim strongman died of heart ailment, coroner confirms". Peninsula Daily News. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  40. ↑ Oliver, Myrna (December 10, 2001). "Obituaries: Pauline Moore, 87; Actress Made 25 B Movies in 1930s, Early '40s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  41. ↑ Dashiell, Michael (August 17, 2016). "Joe Rantz's story relived in PBS's 'The Boys of '36'". Sequium Gazette. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  42. ↑ Alexander, Gemma (August 19, 2019). "Sequim-based musician Jennifer Thomas made the Billboard charts with help from a burning piano and dramatic YouTube videos". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  43. ↑ Sequin Gazette. May 19, 2021
  44. ↑ Wooden Boat Building magazine, Nov 2018
  45. ↑ Peninsula Daily News, March 2, 2021
  46. ↑ Nash, Matthew (June 10, 2016). "Sequim's Emblem3 reforms, returns to Northwest as part of tour". Peninsula Daily News. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
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