Your Guide to Buying a Home in Port Angeles, WA

Buying a Home in Port Angeles, Washington

Port Angeles is located in Clallam County

Port Angeles, a full-service city, is the activity center of the North Olympic Peninsula and the seat of government for Clallam County.

The convenient downtown shopping district is alive with friendly shops, flowers and outdoor art. Rising high above the city is snow-capped Hurricane Ridge, the most popular feature of Olympic National Park.

Port Angeles' geography makes it ideally suited to those who love the outdoors. From golfing to gardening, weather seldom interferes. The region offers incomparable recreation opportunities for year-round activities.

Close by are the Dungeness National Wildlife Preserve, Lakes Crescent and Sutherland, Sol Duc Hot Springs and numerous rivers, beaches and parks. Olympic Discovery Trail, for hiker, bicyclists and equestrians, is one of the longest trail systems in the nation.

The community is proud of the award-winning Port Angeles Symphony and the hilltop Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, a noteworthy museum of contemporary art. All year long there are opportunities to enjoy live theater, concerts and festivals. A new $4.2 million library was constructed in 1997.

The Olympic Medical Center, based in Port Angeles, provides state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical facilities and a broad range of ancillary services. Several independent medical clinics are located throughout the community. The city provides 24-hour advanced life support paramedical services to Port Angeles residents for a nominal fee.

Housing costs are significantly lower than the adjacent Puget Sound area and many homes come with a mountain or water view. That view often includes the lights of Victoria, B.C., clearly visible across the Strait.

City History
The first official reported sighting of the Peninsula was made by an explorer named Juan Perez on August 10, 1774, and the first confirmed report of the Strait of Juan de Fuca was made by Captain Charles Barkely in 1787.

A Greek named Apostolos Valerianus, who had a reputation for "tall tales", claimed to find the Strait in 1592, but, Captain John Kendrick, an American, visited the Strait in 1792 and is credited with its naming.

Education:
Good schools produce a good work force. Peninsula College serves degree-seeking students and those pursuing specialized training or retraining. The college works in partnership with local businesses to design curricula responding to local needs. It's Corporate Training Institute attracts companies and their executives from a broad area. Four-year degree and certificate programs from Washington State University and Western Washington University are available through Peninsula College.

Further opportunities for training are provided by programs such as the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center.

The motto of the Port Angeles School District, "Quality Education in a Quality Community", is exemplified by the district's partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates Foundation grants go to districts that demonstrate the characteristics of nationally recognized districts. Port Angeles students consistently score above state and national averages on standardized tests. The community contributes generously to a local scholarship program for graduating seniors.

Information Coutesy of Port Angeles City Government