Long Beach is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,688 at the 2020 census.

History

Long Beach began when Henry Harrison Tinker bought a land claim from Charles E. Reed in 1880. He platted the town and called it "Tinkerville." Long Beach was officially incorporated on January 18, 1922. From 1889 to 1930, a

narrow-gauge railroad A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curv ...

called the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company ran up the whole peninsula. The Long Beach depot was built between First and Second Streets on the east side of the track, which ran north along "B" Street. Two hotels were constructed near the depot by Tinker and later the Hanniman family; the latter was destroyed in a fire on December 6, 1914.Hobbs and Lucero, ''Long Beach Peninsula'', at 24 The Driftwood Hotel was another common Long Beach destination. Longbeach WA coast

The boardwalk area near the station was known as "Rubberneck Row." Businesses existing in August 1911 that can be identified along Rubberneck Row from photographs (see images in this article) include, on the west side of the tracks, an establishment advertising "Baths" (possibly the Crystal Baths, an indoor swimming pool), Milton York Candies, a "Postal Shop," and a soda fountain just across from the station advertising "Milk Shake." A somewhat earlier photograph shows a sign for a livery stable immediately to the west across the tracks from Tinker's Hotel, followed (proceeding southwards) by a barber shop, "Vincent's Souvenirs," and "The Candy Man". A banner stretching above the tracks advertises a restaurant. The photo published by Feagans shows it was produced by H.A. Vincent, Ilwaco and Long Beach, who was probably the owner of Vincent's Souvenirs.

Geography

Long Beach is located on the

Long Beach Peninsula The Long Beach Peninsula is an arm of land on the southern coast of the state of Washington in the United States. Entirely within Pacific County, it is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the south by the Columbia River, and the east by ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. It is 28 miles long.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Long Beach and the

have a moist (in winter), cool

warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(''Csb''), with cool, but long, dry summers and mild winters. Both extreme heat and extreme cold are rare. The record high temperature is on August 10, 1981, and June 27, 2021, and the record low is on December 8, 1972. Long Beach records nearly of rainfall annually. Snow is far less common than rain, but can happen every once in a while.

Earthquake and tsunami vulnerability

If a magnitude 9.0 earthquake were to hit the Cascadia subduction zone, emergency planners estimate the first tsunami waves could hit Long Beach 20 to 25 minutes later. At a December 2016 open house, the city government presented initial plans for a proposed berm which could potentially accommodate 850 persons. The structure would have had a "modified prow," much like a ship looking out to sea. The shape was also designed to withstand the backwash from a tsunami. The total cost was estimated at $3.4 million, of which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was to pay 75%, the Emergency Management Division of Washington State 12.5%, and the City of Long Beach 12.5%. The project was abandoned in 2017 after new scientific reports indicated it was designed at least too short to withstand a worst-case tsunami.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,392 people, 726 households, and 342 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.7% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 7.7% of the population. There were 726 households, of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.9% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.54. The median age in the city was 50.1 years. 14.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.1% were from 25 to 44; 32.1% were from 45 to 64; and 24.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,283 people, 660 households, and 314 families residing in the city. The

was 1,018.7 people per square mile (393.2/km²). There were 1,155 housing units at an average density of 917.1 per square mile (353.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.87%

, 0.08%

, 1.09% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 1.56% from other races, and 6.00% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.83% of the population. 19.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 11.5% Irish, 10.3% English, 6.3% American and 5.7% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. There were 660 households, out of which 17.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.3% were non-families. 43.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.63. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,611, and the median income for a family was $33,029. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $20,625 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $21,266. About 13.4% of families and 18.7% 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 ...

, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The Long Beach Razor Clam Festival has been held since 1940. During the event's first year, an wide frying pan used to make the world's largest omelet in 1933 was loaned to the city from Chehalis, Washington. The festival cooked a fritter containing of local clams. Long Beach forged a larger pan, the '' World's Largest Frying Pan'', the next year, using it until the late 1940s where it was then displayed in the downtown district as a tourist attraction.

Gallery

Image:Crystal Baths, Long Beach, WA about 1905.jpg, Crystal Baths, Long Beach, c. 1905, looking south towards Cape Disappointment (high land in background) Image:Long Beach, WA Rubberneck Row, 1909.jpg, Long Beach, July 1909 "Rubberneck Row," looking north towards depot (building with 2 windows in distance just to right of telegraph pole) Image:Long Beach WA about 1911.jpg, Waiting for train, Long Beach, August 1911, looking south, probably from depot window or roof Image:Tinker's hotel Long Beach WA.jpg, Tinker's Hotel, Long Beach, looking east Image:Long Beach Hotel Long Beach WA April 1953.jpg, Long Beach (formerly Tinker's Hotel), April 1953 Image:Breakers hotel Long Beach WA.jpg, Breakers Hotel, Long Beach, looking east from beach Image:Breakers Hotel, Long Beach, WA about 1914.jpg, Breakers Hotel looking west File:Jake The Alligator Man.jpg,

Jake the Alligator Man Jake the Alligator Man is an alleged half-man, half-alligator creature on display in apparently Mummy, mummified condition at Marsh's Free Museum, a tourist trap located at 409 South Pacific Avenue in Long Beach, Washington. He was acquired by th ...

at Marsh's Free Museum in Long Beach File:Long Beach Whale Skeleton Monument.JPG, The whale skeleton on the Long Beach Trail File:Marsh's Free Museum - Long Beach, Washington.jpg, Marsh's Free Museum File:Police station - Long Beach, Washington.jpg, Long Beach police station File:World's largest chopsticks - Long Beach, Washington.jpg, World's largest chopsticks

References

External links

City of Long Beach
{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Pacific County, Washington Populated coastal places in Washington (state)