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Grays Harbor County, Washington facts for kids

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Grays Harbor County
U.S. county
Grays Harbor County Courthouse
Grays Harbor County Courthouse
Map of Washington highlighting Grays Harbor County
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Map of the United States highlighting Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Washington
Founded April 14, 1854
Named for Grays Harbor
Seat Montesano
Largest city Aberdeen
Area
 • Total 2,224 sq mi (5,760 km2)
 • Land 1,902 sq mi (4,930 km2)
 • Water 322 sq mi (830 km2)  14%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 75,636
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 77,290 Increase
 • Density 38.3/sq mi (14.8/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district 6th
Lake Quinault Mist
Lake Quinault

Grays Harbor County is a county in the state of Washington. It is located in the western part of the state. In 2020, about 75,636 people lived here. The main town, called the county seat, is Montesano. The biggest city in the county is Aberdeen.

History of Grays Harbor County

The land that is now Grays Harbor County was first home to several Native American groups. These included the Quinault and Lower Chehalis tribes. They are part of the Coast Salish people. European explorers first met these tribes in the late 1700s. Sadly, many tribes later suffered from widespread diseases.

Grays Harbor was named after Robert Gray. He was a fur trader from Boston. He sailed into the bay on May 7, 1792. The bay was first called Bullfinch Harbor. Then it was named Chehalis Bay before getting its current name. The first permanent white settler in the area was William O'Leary. He was an Irish immigrant who settled there in 1848.

The Washington Coast was once part of the Oregon Country. This area was shared by the United States and British North America. In 1846, the Oregon Treaty gave this land to the United States. Before the treaty, the American Provisional Government of Oregon created Lewis County in 1845. This county covered most of the land north of the Columbia River. The Grays Harbor area stayed part of Lewis County. It became part of the Oregon Territory in 1848. Later, it joined the Washington Territory in 1853.

On April 14, 1854, the Washington Territorial Legislature created Chehalis County. This new county was made from parts of Lewis and Thurston counties. It surrounded Grays Harbor. The first county seat was in Bruceport. But in 1860, people voted to move it to the Scammon family's land. This place is now Montesano.

The towns of Aberdeen and Hoquiam grew along the north side of Grays Harbor. They became official cities by 1890. By 1900, these cities had 80 percent of the county's population. They tried to move the county seat to one of their cities, but they were not successful. Later, a plan to create a new county called Grays Harbor was approved. The Washington State Legislature passed a bill for it. However, the Supreme Court said it was against the rules on February 27, 1907.

The state legislature passed a new bill on March 15, 1915. This bill officially changed the name from Chehalis County to Grays Harbor County. The name change took effect on June 9. This helped avoid confusion with the town of Chehalis. That town is in nearby Lewis County.

Geography of Grays Harbor County

Grays Harbor County covers about 2,224 square miles. About 1,902 square miles is land. The other 322 square miles, or 14%, is water.

The county's land is mostly flat. The Chehalis River flows through it and drains into the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, the area often has floods. High tides and heavy rains can cause the water to rise. It is often hard for the water to drain away. As of 2024, buildings and roads in flood-risk areas are worth over $1.0 billion.

Geographic Features in Grays Harbor County

  • Aberdeen Lake
  • Chehalis River
  • Duck Lake
  • Failor Lake
  • Grays Harbor
  • Humptulips River

State Parks in Grays Harbor County

Major Highways in Grays Harbor County

  • WA-8.svg State Route 8
  • US 12.svg U.S. Route 12
  • US 101.svg U.S. Route 101
  • State Route 105
  • State Route 107
  • State Route 109

Counties Next to Grays Harbor County

Protected Natural Areas in Grays Harbor County

People and Population in Grays Harbor County

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 285 —
1870 401 40.7%
1880 921 129.7%
1890 9,249 904.2%
1900 15,124 63.5%
1910 35,590 135.3%
1920 44,745 25.7%
1930 59,982 34.1%
1940 53,166 −11.4%
1950 53,644 0.9%
1960 54,465 1.5%
1970 59,553 9.3%
1980 66,314 11.4%
1990 64,175 −3.2%
2000 67,194 4.7%
2010 72,797 8.3%
2020 75,636 3.9%
2023 (est.) 77,290 6.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

Grays Harbor County in 2010

In 2010, there were 72,797 people living in Grays Harbor County. There were 28,579 households, which are groups of people living together. About 18,493 of these were families. The county had about 38 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (84.9%). About 4.6% were Native American. About 1.4% were Asian, and 1.1% were Black. About 8.6% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

About 28.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.45 people. The average family had 2.94 people. The average age of people in the county was 41.9 years old.

The average yearly income for a household was $41,899. For families, it was $49,745. About 16.1% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This means they had a very low income. This included 23.1% of those under 18.

Economy of Grays Harbor County

The main ways people make money in Grays Harbor County are:

  • Making wood and paper products.
  • Processing food, especially seafood.
  • Manufacturing different goods.

Infrastructure in Grays Harbor County

To help with flooding, Grays Harbor County has improved its flood protection systems. This work started in 2012. It is a team effort by the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority and local governments. These projects include building pump houses in areas that flood often. They also build floodwalls and levees to hold back water. As of 2024, this ongoing project is expected to cost over $50 million. It helps protect more than 5,100 homes and 1,300 businesses.

Communities in Grays Harbor County

Cities in Grays Harbor County

Census-Designated Places in Grays Harbor County

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities.

Other Unincorporated Communities in Grays Harbor County

These are smaller communities that are not officially cities or census-designated places.

Notable People from Grays Harbor County

  • Robert Arthur, actor
  • Elton Bennett, artist
  • Adam Bighill, CFL player
  • Gail Brown, actress
  • Trisha Brown, choreographer
  • Mark Bruener, NFL player
  • Jeff Burlingame, author
  • Daniel Bryan, professional wrestler
  • Robert Eugene Bush, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Kurt Cobain, musician
  • Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio host (The Herd with Colin Cowherd)
  • 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, musician
  • Buzz Osborne, musician
  • Douglas Osheroff, Nobel-winning physicist
  • Blanche Pennick, Washington State legislator
  • Patrick Simmons, musician
  • Kurdt Vanderhoof, musician

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Grays Harbor para niños

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