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Sumas () is a city in
Whatcom County, Washington Whatcom County (, ) is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of the ...
, United States. It had a population of 1,583 as of the 2020 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of
Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the most populous municipality in the province outside metropol ...
. 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 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, with some gold mining operations still ongoing in the area such as at Lone Jack Mine. It was 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 vaqu ...
in the early 20th Century, the "Sumas Roundup." The area around Sumas drains into the
Fraser River The Fraser River () is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain (Canada), Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of V ...
in Canada, in a broad floodplain. Floods from the Nooksack and
Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ...
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

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. Because of the limits of technology when the border with Canada was surveyed, the border west of the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
lies above the 49th parallel; the most extreme offset (three city blocks) is at Sumas, which is thus the northernmost incorporated place in the contiguous United States.


Demographics


2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 1,307 people, 482 households and 329 families living 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 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 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 ...
, 1.5%
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 ...
, 2.4% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 6.6% from other races, and 4.2% 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 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 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, 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/km2). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 287.2 per square mile (110.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.15%
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 ...
, 3.23% Native American, 4.17% Asian, 4.79% from other races, and 1.67% 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 7.81% 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 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 und ...
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 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 $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 ...
, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.


Notable residents

* Gale Bishop, professional basketball player * Harry Delmar Fadden, sailor and U.S. Medal of Honor recipient * Casey Bauman, NFL Quarterback.


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.


Education

The city is served by the Nooksack Valley School District. Nooksack Valley High School is the district's comprehensive high school.


References


External links

*
City website
{{Authority control Cities in Whatcom County, Washington Cities in Washington (state) Washington (state) placenames of Native American origin