Communities on the Olympic Peninsula
Forks
Forks is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the forks in the nearby Quillayute River, Bogachiel River, Calawah River, and Sol Duc River.
For many years, the city's economy was fueled by the local timber industry. With recent declines in the industry, however, Forks has had to rely on the nearby Clallam Bay Correctional Center and Olympic Corrections Center as a source of jobs. Forks is a popular destination for sport fishers who fish for salmon and steelhead in nearby rivers. It is also supported by visitors to Olympic National Park. This city is also the setting for the highly acclaimed novels Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse written by Stephenie Meyer. In the novel, Forks is noted to be a wet but beautiful place.
Port Angeles
Port Angeles is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. According to the 2000 census, its population is 18,397, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Port Angeles is the county seat of Clallam County. The area's harbor was dubbed Puerto de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles (Port of Our Lady of the Angels) by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-1800s the name had been shortened and partially Anglicized to its current form.
Port Angeles is home to Peninsula College and is the birthplace of football hall of famer John Elway. It was a location in the novels Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. The city is served by William R. Fairchild International Airport, with daily flights to Port Angeles by Kenmore Air.
Port Ludlow
Jefferson County's Port Ludlow is a growing community north of the Hood Canal Bridge, and south of Port Townsend, on the North East side of the Olympic Peninsula. With its 300-slip marina, 27-hole golf course and waterfront resort, Port Ludlow is a popular destination for visitors.
Port Townsend
Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 8,334 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the city is also known for the many Victorian homes and commercial buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts.
Sequim
Sequim is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,334 at the 2000 census. It is located along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. The city has been increasing in population dramatically in recent years and has become a magnet for retirees, losing its rural character. Real estate and new home construction are rapid growth industries, with a limited amount of property available between the National Forest and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The city and the surrounding area are particularly known for their production of lavender, as the unique climate allows a commercial growth industry that is only rivaled in France. The area is also known for its Dungeness crab. Sequim lies within the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives an average of less than 15" of rain per year, nearly qualifying it as a desert.
Pronunciation: Sequim is pronounced "s'kwim". The e is silent.