Forks, Washington
Nickname: Logging Capital of the World
Location in the state of Washington
Coordinates: 47°57′4″N 124°23′5″W / 47.95111, -124.38472
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Clallam
Incorporated	August 28, 1945
Government
- Mayor	Nedra Reed
Area
- Total	3.1 sq mi (8.1 km²)
- Land	3.1 sq mi (8.1 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	300 ft (91 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	3,120
- Density	1,000/sq mi (386.1/km²)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	98331
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-24810[1]
GNIS feature ID	1519696[2]
Website: www.forkswashington.org

Forks is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the forks in the nearby Quillayute River, Bogachiel River, Calawah River, and Sol Duc River. EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The political units and divisions of the United States include: The 50 states... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... Washington counties This is a list of counties in Washington. ... Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... PST is UTC-8 The Pacific Standard Time Zone (PST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) resulting in UTC-8. ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... PDT is UTC-7 The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8). ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Mr. ... A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating telephone number ranges to countries, regions, areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks such as mobile phone networks. ... Area code 360 is the area code for western Washington outside the greater Seattle metropolitan area. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... The Quillayute River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. ... The Bogachiel River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. ... The Sol Duc River (also spelled Soleduck) is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. ...

For many years, the city's economy was fueled by the local timber industry. With recent declines in the industry, however, Forks has had to rely on the nearby Clallam Bay Correctional Center and Olympic Corrections Center as a source of jobs. Forks is a popular destination for sport fishers who fish for salmon and steelhead in nearby rivers. It is also supported by visitors to Olympic National Park. This city is the primary setting for the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, where Forks is noted to be a wet but beautiful place. Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... For other uses, see Twilight (disambiguation). ... Stephenie Meyer (born December 24, 1973 in Connecticut) is an American author. ...

History

Forks was officially incorporated on August 28, 1945 following an election of the constituents who would become its first town members. is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Geography and climate

Forks is located at 47°57′4″N, 124°23′5″W (47.950980, -124.384749).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.1 km²), all of it land. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ...

Demographics

Trail in nearby Olympic National Park

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 3,120 people, 1,169 households, and 792 families residing in the city. The population density was 998.6 people per square mile (386.1/km²). There were 1,361 housing units at an average density of 435.6/sq mi (168.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.47% White, 0.42% African American, 5.03% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 8.49% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.54% of the population. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 1,169 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15. Matrimony redirects here. ...

In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 111.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,280, and the median income for a family was $38,844. Males had a median income of $35,718 versus $23,690 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,686. About 14.6% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Government

Forks Municipal Airport CC 2007 by Konrad Roeder

The City is organized under Washington State law as a Non-charter Code City. Its structure is that of an elected Mayor and a five member elected City Council. Unlike other cities on the Olympic Peninsula, Forks operates under what is called a "strong Mayor" form of government with the Mayor being the Chief Executive Officer overseeing four department heads (Clerk/Treasurer, Public Works, Police, and Legal/Planning).^[5]

Forks Municipal Airport

Forks Municipal Airport is located in Clallam County, one mile southwest of Forks. The Airport has 6 based aircraft, including 3 single-engine aircraft and 3 helicopters. The latest available data indicate that the Airport had a total of 13,550 annual operations.

Runway 4-22 is Forks Municipal Airport’s sole runway. This runway is 2,400 feet long, 75 feet wide, is equipped with medium intensity runway lighting, and has an asphalt surface. Approaches to both ends of this runway are visual.^[6]

Tourism

Forks Timber Museum Photo CC 2007 by Konrad Roeder

On the South end of town is the Forks Timber Museum. Constructed in 1990 by the Forks High School carpentry class, the 3,200 square foot building provides a fascinating look back into the local history of the timber industry, loggers of the past and their tools of the trade. The museum has exhibits depicting local history dating back to the 1870s.^[7]

Depending on the person, there are several things to do in Forks. For the child/teenage group there is a group called the Rainy Day. These are gamers that gathers every Friday at the ICN Building located a couple blocks away from the stoplight at 71 North Spartan.^[8]

For others, Forks serves as the hub for numerous day excursions to the Hoh Rainforest, the Pacific Beaches, and various wilderness trails. The Forks Chamber of Commerce can provide visitors with additional details. In addition, the Olympic National Park's Visitor Center can provide NPS and USFS related information to help plan a trip - permits can also be obtained there as well. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the worlds few temperate rainforests and is also the largest. ...

A large percentage of Forks visitors are fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series who seek the attractions mentioned in the novels, and other related places such as La Push and Port Angeles. Stephenie Meyer (born December 24, 1973 in Connecticut) is an American author. ... For other uses, see Twilight (disambiguation). ... La Push is a small unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington. ... Port Angeles is a city located in Clallam County, Washington. ...

Fishing

Forks, WA from south CC 2007 by Konrad Roeder

Forks is well known for its winter steelhead trout fishing with the Quillayute river system - the Hoh, Sol Duc, Bogachiel and Calawah rivers. Other nearby Clallam, Sekiu and Hoko rivers are also good for king salmon fishing and steelheading as well. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Rainbow trout. ... The Quillayute River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. ...

Local guides are available for both native and hatchery runs and for float trips. Fishing gear and clothing is available at local stores.

Tillicum Park

Forks Shay Engine Photo CC 2007 by Konrad Roeder

Forks Washington has a display of one of a very few Shay engines remaining in Washington. Shay locomotives are unusual in that they have a crank shaft running down the side, powering all wheels. Rayonier #10 (c/n 3348) was built for stock by Lima in 1930. It has three cylinders and three trucks. It took 11 years until it was finally sold to the Ozette Timber Company. In 1945 it was acquired by Rayonier for their lumber operation near Forks. It was retired near the north end of Forks in Tillicum Park in 1959. The City of Forks erected an attractive shelter over the #10 in 1999.^[9][10][11] The Shay locomotive was the most widely used geared steam locomotive. ... Rayonier NYSE: RYN is the seventh largest private owner of timberland in the United States. ... Lima builders plate, 1918 Concept for a Lima Shay Museum in Lima, Ohio, 2005 Site for Lima Shay Museum Concept, 2005 Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. ...

Community events

Kalaloch Lodge Inlet Photo CC 2007 by Shaners Becker

Rainfest, a celebration of the arts sponsored by the West Olympic Council for the Arts, occurs in April and usually has a combination of arts and craft related events. In recent years there have been quilt classes and a quilt show sponsored by the Piece Makers Quilt Club. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 1. ...

In March of every year, the Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction occurs. This annual fundraising event raises tens of thousands of dollars for scholarships. Since the first scholarship award in 1964, to Robert Henry, D.D.S., the Committee has awarded over $1m in scholarships to Forks students.

In the Summer, Forks hosts its traditional "Old Fashioned Fourth of July" celebration with a Grand Fourth of July Parade with plenty of events to go to, including a demolition derby and a great fireworks display. July is also the month for Quileute Days at La Push with its parade, traditional salmon bake, bone games, softball tournament, canoe races, and street fair. In August, the Forks Family Festival combines arts and crafts vendors with children activities for a truly family oriented event.everyone can come and enjoy family fun

In late September, the Forks Chamber of Commerce partners with the Quileute Tribe and the City of Forks to host the Last Chance Fishing Derby at La Push with cash prizes being the enticement to those wanting to fish for salmon on the Pacific Ocean. The first week in October is when the community celebrates its heritage during Heritage Days. One of the more celebrated events during this week long festival is the "Old Timers Round Table" that is moderated conversation broadcast live via the local radio station involving long time residents of the region talking about days long past.

Twilight Series

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer takes place in Forks. The main character, Bella Swan, reluctantly goes to Forks to attend high school, and visits real places in the town. The series has drawn an unusual amount of attention to Forks. According to Meyer, she didn't visit Forks until after Twilight was published and chose the town only because it is said to be one of the rainiest places in the United States.^[12] For other uses, see Twilight (disambiguation). ... Stephenie Meyer (born December 24, 1973 in Connecticut) is an American author. ... Isabella Swan, better known as Bella Swan, is the fictional main character of the novels Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. ...

Detractors

In December 2006 author Dave Gilmartin referred to Forks as "a festering wound of a town" in his book The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America.^[13]

See also

• Cape Flattery
• Olympic Mountains

The Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. ...

References

The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... InsertSLUTTY WHORES≤ non-formatted text here{| class=toccolours border=1 cellpadding=4 style=float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width: 20em; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%; clear: right; |+ United States Geological Survey |- |style= align=center colspan=2| [[Image:USGS logo. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... KOMO Studio KOMO-TV (KOMO 4) is a television station in Seattle, Washington. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Forks, Washington

• North Olympic Library System
• Forks Chamber of Commerce
• The Official City Site for Forks, Washington
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – The Pacific Northwest Olympic Peninsula Community Museum A web-based museum showcasing aspects of the rich history and culture of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula communities. Features cultural exhibits, curriculum packets and a searchable archive of over 12,000 items that includes historical photographs, audio recordings, videos, maps, diaries, reports and other documents.
  • Great Forks Fire Online museum exhibit that documents the 1951 fire in Forks, Washington, which destroyed 38,000 acres (150 km²).
  • People without Borders Online museum exhibit that highlights the culture and history of Latinos in Forks, Washington.
• Pictures from 2007's Forks annual July 4th demolition derby

• Forks, Washington is at coordinates 47°57′04″N 124°23′05″W / 47.95098, -124.384749 (Forks, Washington)Coordinates: 47°57′04″N 124°23′05″W / 47.95098, -124.384749 (Forks, Washington)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Clallam County, Washington
County seat: Port Angeles
Cities	Forks | Port Angeles | Sequim Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Clallam County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Early morning photograph from the pier tower Port Angeles is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. ... This is a list of cities in Washington, U.S.A.. See also List of towns and the category Census-designated places in Washington. ... Early morning photograph from the pier tower Port Angeles is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. ... Sequim is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. ...
CDPs	Bell Hill | Blyn | Carlsborg | Neah Bay | Port Angeles East | River Road Image File history File links Map_of_Washington_highlighting_Clallam_County. ... A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... Bell Hill is a census-designated place located in Clallam County, Washington. ... Blyn is a census-designated place located in Clallam County, Washington. ... Carlsborg is a census-designated place located in Clallam County, Washington. ... Neah Bay is a town on the Makah Indian reservation, in Clallam County, Washington, United States. ... Port Angeles East is a census-designated place and town in Clallam County, Washington, United States. ... River Road is a census-designated place located in Clallam County, Washington. ...
Unincorporated communities	Agnew | Clallam Bay | Diamond Point | Dungeness | Elwha | Fairholm | La Push | Ozette | Piedmont | Sappho | Schoolhouse Point | Sekiu This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Agnew is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, located on a backroad leading to Port Angeles and just outside of Sequim. ... Clallam Bay is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington. ... Diamond Point is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington. ... Dungeness is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, USA. Located north of Sequim, Dungeness crab is named after the town of Dungeness, which is located on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. ... La Push is a small unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington. ... Ozette is a town in Clallam County, Washington. ... Joyce is a small community in Clallam County, Washington. ... Sekiu is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington. ...