Sumas () is a city in
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Canadian Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts of British Columbia) to the north, Okanogan ...
, United States. It had a population of 1,307 as of the
2010 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the
Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a city located in British Columbia, adjacent to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver and the Fraser River. With an estimated population of 153,524 people it is the largest municipality in the province outside metrop ...
. The
Sumas-Huntingdon port of entry at the north end of
State Route 9 operates 24 hours a day. Sumas shares
Nooksack Valley School District with the cities of
Nooksack and
Everson. It is the northernmost settlement on Washington State Route 9.
History
The area was home to the
Nooksack Indians
The Nooksack (; Nooksack: ''Noxwsʼáʔaq'') are a federally recognized Native American tribe near the Pacific Northwest Coast. They are a sovereign nation, located in the mainland northwest corner of Washington state in the United States alon ...
in the millennia prior to the arrival of the first permanent settler Robert Johnson in 1872.
It was called "Sumas" meaning "land without trees"
or "big flat opening." It is derived from a
Cowichan tribe who also resided in the region.
Originally called "Sumas City,"
the town was officially incorporated on June 18, 1891.
A post office with that name has been in operation since 1897.
The town was a railroad hub and briefly supported the
Mount Baker Gold Rush The Mount Baker Gold Rush (1897 to mid 1920s) occurred in Whatcom County, Washington, 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 Continental United S ...
,
with some gold mining operations still ongoing in the area such as at
Lone Jack Mine. It as also known for a large
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
in the early 20th Century, the "Sumas Roundup."
The area around Sumas drains into the
Fraser River in Canada, in a broad floodplain. Floods from the
Nooksack and
Fraser rivers have been recorded ever since the area was settled.
Although not the largest flood to have occurred prior to 1990, the November 10 flood received notoriety as it caused millions of dollars in damage.
On November 15, 2021, another
regional flood event resulted in catastrophic flooding in Sumas. Approximately 85 percent of homes in the city were damaged and hundreds of residents were rescued after a partial evacuation.
Geography
Sumas is located at (48.997278, -122.265522).
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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Due to a surveying error, part of Sumas lies above the
49th parallel and is thus the northernmost incorporated place in the contiguous United States.
Demographics
2010 census
At the 2010
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 incl ...
,
there were 1,307 people, 482 households and 329 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 531 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 2.4%
Native American, 1.5%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 6.6% 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 4.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 15.8% of the population.
There were 482 households, of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.27.
The median age in the city was 30.6 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 21.3% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 960 people, 346 households and 236 families living in the city. The population density was 687.5 per square mile (264.8/km
2). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 287.2 per square mile (110.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.15%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.23%
Native American, 4.17%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 4.79% 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 1.67% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 7.81% of the population.
There were 346 households, of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.42.
35.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $29,297 and the median family income was $36,250. Males had a median income of $30,227 compared with $20,268 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 city was $13,497. About 13.9% of families and 18.0% of the population 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 23.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
*
Gale Bishop
Robert Gale Bishop (June 4, 1922 – December 26, 2003) was an American professional basketball player.
Born in Sumas, Washington, he played collegiately for the Washington State University.
He played for the Philadelphia Warriors (1948–49) ...
, professional basketball player
*
Harry Delmar Fadden, sailor and U.S. Medal of Honor recipient
Municipal services
The City of Sumas provides electricity to residents and businesses purchased from the
Bonneville Power Administration, as well as offering water, sewer, and analog cable service
including a mix of major Seattle networks, Canadian broadcast TV, expanded cable channels, and Showtime.
References
External links
*
City website
{{Authority control
Cities in Whatcom County, Washington
Cities in Washington (state)