Editing Copalis Beach, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Copalis Beach, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
| image_skyline      = Digging razor clams on the beach near Copalis, Washington, 1915 (COBB 23).jpeg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Digging razor clams on the beach, 1915
| image_map          = Grays_Harbor_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Copalis_Beach_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Copalis Beach, Washington
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Grays Harbor County, Washington|Grays Harbor]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 9.8
| area_land_km2      = 9.6
| area_water_km2     = 0.3
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.8
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.7
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.1
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 447
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = -8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 10
| coordinates        = {{coord|47|07|34|N|124|10|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 98535
| area_code          = [[Area code 360|360]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-14660<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2407656<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407656}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Copalis Beach''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Grays Harbor County, Washington|Grays Harbor County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 447 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Copalis Beach, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Copalis%20Beach%20CDP,%20Washington |access-date=May 10, 2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

The name "Copalis" comes from the [[Quinault language]] term /k'ʷpíls/.<ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|author-link=William Bright|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA121|accessdate=1 September 2019|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=121}}</ref> The Copalis are a Native American group. Both the [[Lower Chehalis people|Chehalis people]] and [[Quinault Indian Nation]] claim the Copalis are a subdivision of their tribe.<ref name="RubyBrown2013">{{cite book|last1=Ruby|first1=Robert H.|last2=Brown|first2=John A.|last3=Collins|first3=Cary C.|title=A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BYAeZ1IB7ssC&pg=PA102|accessdate=1 September 2019|date=27 February 2013|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-8950-5|pages=102–103}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Cannery workers at the Sea Beach Packing Works, Copalis, Washington, 1915 (COBB 10).jpeg|thumb|Working at a Sea Beach Packing Works clam opening machine]]
[[File:Cannery workers at the Sea Beach Packing Works, Copalis, Washington, 1915 (COBB 1).jpeg|thumb|upright|Sea Beach Packing Works cannery in Copalis, 1915]]
{{unsourced|section|date=February 2025}}
The Copalis Native Americans belong to the coastal division of the [[Salishan languages|Salishan]] language family and historically occupied the area of [[Copalis River]] and the Pacific Coast between the mouth of Joe Creek and [[Grays Harbor]]. In 1805, [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Lewis and Clark]] estimated a population of 200 Copalis in 10 houses. The 5 individuals assigned to a "Chepalis" tribe in an enumeration given by Olson of the year 1888 probably refers to them.

The first non-Native American people settled in Copalis Beach in the 1890s. Copalis, along with the beach of the same name, has become famed as the "Home of the [[Pacific razor clam|razor clam]]." The community sits near the northern end of probably the greatest razor clam bed in the world{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} for the flavor renowned variety abounds, apparently only in the Pacific Northwest, and particularly on Copalis Beach. During the commercial season, Copalis' normal population of about 350 persons, leaped fourfold.

During 1947 and 1948, commercial diggers took more than a million pounds of [[Bivalvia|bivalves]] from Copalis Beach, earned themselves approximately $200,000.00 and brought huge additional sums to cannery men and workers.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} Tourists dug thousands of pounds more.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of 3.8&nbsp;square miles (9.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which, 3.7&nbsp;square miles (9.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it is land and 0.1&nbsp;square miles (0.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of it (2.63%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left| 2000 = 489
| 2010 = 415
| 2020 = 447
| align-fn = center
| footnote = [https://web.archive.org/web/20060208103743/http://www.census.gov:80/prod/www/abs/decennial/ U.S. Decennial Census]
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 489 people, 232 households, and 135 families residing in the CDP. The [[population density]] was 132.0 people per square mile (51.0/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 484 housing units at an average density of 130.7/sq&nbsp;mi (50.5/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.20% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 4.70% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.43% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 2.66% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.43% of the population.

There were 232 households, out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,194, and the median income for a family was $33,807. Males had a median income of $45,694 versus $20,156 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $17,437. About 17.3% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Grays Harbor County, Washington}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Grays Harbor County, Washington]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Washington (state)]]