La Push, Washington
title: "La Push, Washington" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["unincorporated-communities-in-washington-(state)", "unincorporated-communities-in-clallam-county,-washington", "chinook-jargon-place-names", "quileute", "populated-coastal-places-in-washington-(state)", "managed-retreat"] topic_path: "general/unincorporated-communities-in-washington-state" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Push,_Washington" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | La Push, Washington |
| native_name | Kʷoʔlí·yot̓ |
| native_name_lang | qui |
| settlement_type | Unincorporated community |
| image_skyline | La Push aerial.jpg |
| image_caption | La Push and James Island |
| pushpin_map | USA Washington#USA |
| pushpin_label | La Push |
| pushpin_mapsize | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | United States |
| subdivision_type1 | State |
| subdivision_name1 | Washington |
| subdivision_type2 | Reservation |
| subdivision_name2 | Quileute |
| established_date | |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| area_water_km2 | |
| population_as_of | 2000 |
| population_total | 371 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| timezone | |
| utc_offset | -8 |
| timezone_DST | PDT |
| utc_offset_DST | -7 |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_ft | 23 |
| coordinates | |
| postal_code_type | |
| postal_code | 98350 |
| blank_name | FIPS code |
| blank1_name | GNIS feature ID |
| blank1_info | 1531473 |
| :: |
| name = La Push, Washington | native_name = Kʷoʔlí·yot̓ | native_name_lang = qui | settlement_type = Unincorporated community | image_skyline = La Push aerial.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = La Push and James Island | pushpin_map = USA Washington#USA | pushpin_label = La Push | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = United States | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Washington | subdivision_type2 = Reservation | subdivision_name2 = Quileute | government_footnotes = | government_type = | established_title = | established_date = | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | population_as_of = 2000 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 371 | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone = Pacific (PST) | utc_offset = -8 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = -7 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_ft = 23 | coordinates = | postal_code_type = ZIP code | postal_code = 98350 | area_code = | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 1531473
La Push is a small unincorporated community situated at the mouth of the Quillayute River in the Western Olympic Peninsula. It is the de facto capital and main population center of the Quileute Indian Reservation, which is home to the federally recognized Quileute tribe. La Push is known for its whale-watching and natural environment. The community has historically been located on the coast; however, sea level rise led the community to begin managed retreat to higher grounds in 2017.
History
Etymology
The name La Push is from French term, La Bouche, meaning "The Mouth" of the Quillayute River, adapted into Chinook Jargon.
Quileute Tribe history
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/USA,_Washington,_La_Push,_sunset.jpg" caption="Sunset in La Push"] ::
La Push, 14 miles from Forks, is home to the Quileute Tribe. Tribal members traditionally built cedar canoes for a variety of uses; they ranged in size from two-man to ocean-going freight vessels capable of carrying three tons. The Quileute ranked second only to the Makah as whalers and first among all the tribes as seal hunters. They bred special woolly-haired dogs and spun and wove their hair into prized warm blankets. According to traditional stories, the Quileutes' only kin, the Chimakum, were separated from them by a great flood that swept them to the Quimper Peninsula on the other side of the North Olympic Peninsula. There they were attacked and destroyed in the 1860s by Chief Seattle and the Suquamish Tribe.
Their first treaty with the United States occurred in 1855, when the Quileutes signed a treaty with representatives of the governor of the Washington Territory, Isaac Stevens. A treaty a year later would have moved them to a reservation in Taholah, but the Quileute territory was so remote that it was not enforced. In February 1889, an executive order by President Grover Cleveland established a one-mile square reservation at La Push. At the time the town had 252 inhabitants. Later in 1889, arsonists destroyed La Push while villagers were picking hops in Puyallup.
La Push relocation
Work began in 2017 to relocate the village to higher ground. The plan was to reduce damage from tsunamis and flooding that might result from a higher sea level caused by climate change. The plan required modification of the boundaries of the Olympic National Park. The first building that was moved was the K-12 school.
Geography
Two beaches are near La Push, Rialto Beach to the north of the river mouth and La Push Beach to the south.
The closest incorporated city to La Push is Forks, Washington.
La Push has the westernmost ZIP Code in the contiguous United States, 98350.
Climate
La Push has a very wet oceanic climate. The climate is moderated and strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which renders mild winters for a northerly latitude. Located to the west of the Olympic Mountains, La Push and the surrounding coastline absorb considerable rainfall dropped along the mountain front. The warmest month is August and the coolest month is December.
|collapsed= Y |open = |single line = yes |location= La Push, Washington
|precipitation color= green
|Jan record high F= 69 |Feb record high F= 73 |Mar record high F= 72 |Apr record high F= 83 |May record high F= 92 |Jun record high F= 96 |Jul record high F= 97 |Aug record high F= 99 |Sep record high F= 98 |Oct record high F= 90 |Nov record high F= 82 |Dec record high F= 76
|Jan high F= 47 |Feb high F= 50 |Mar high F= 51 |Apr high F= 55 |May high F= 60 |Jun high F= 64 |Jul high F= 68 |Aug high F= 69 |Sep high F= 67 |Oct high F= 59 |Nov high F= 51 |Dec high F= 46
|Jan mean F= 41 |Feb mean F= 42 |Mar mean F= 44 |Apr mean F= 46 |May mean F= 51 |Jun mean F= 55 |Jul mean F= 59 |Aug mean F= 60 |Sep mean F= 57 |Oct mean F= 50 |Nov mean F= 44 |Dec mean F= 40
|Jan low F= 35 |Feb low F= 35 |Mar low F= 36 |Apr low F= 38 |May low F= 42 |Jun low F= 47 |Jul low F= 50 |Aug low F= 50 |Sep low F= 47 |Oct low F= 41 |Nov low F= 38 |Dec low F= 35
|Jan record low F= 7 |Feb record low F= 11 |Mar record low F= 19 |Apr record low F= 23 |May record low F= 29 |Jun record low F= 33 |Jul record low F= 38 |Aug record low F= 36 |Sep record low F= 28 |Oct record low F= 23 |Nov record low F= 5 |Dec record low F= 7
|Jan precipitation inch= 14.5 |Feb precipitation inch= 11.0 |Mar precipitation inch= 11.2 |Apr precipitation inch= 7.7 |May precipitation inch= 5.1 |Jun precipitation inch= 3.3 |Jul precipitation inch= 2.2 |Aug precipitation inch= 2.6 |Sep precipitation inch= 4.6 |Oct precipitation inch= 10.5 |Nov precipitation inch= 14.7 |Dec precipitation inch= 14.5
|source 1=
Arts and culture
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Quileute_Oceanside_Resort_Cabin.JPG" caption="Cabin at Resort in La Push"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/La_Push_by_Gustavo_Gerdel.jpg" caption="La Push, Second Beach at [[Dusk"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/View_of_Pacific_Ocean_from_Resort.JPG" caption="date=September 2021}}"] ::
Culture
La Push is a village of the Quileute Tribe. All of the businesses are owned by the tribe. The Quileute Tribe has revived many of its traditional skills and crafts, which are taught at school along with the Quileute language. It is an isolate language, unrelated to any root language in the world, and one of only five in the world without nasal sounds.
Festivals and events
The popular Quileute Days take place July 17–19 in La Push. The tribal celebration, which is a synthesis of cultural heritage and modern lifestyle, includes a fireworks display, a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, field sports, a horseshoe tournament, arts and craft display, and food concessions.
Tourism and recreation
In the 21st century, La Push has oceanfront resorts, a seafood company, fish hatchery, and a revamped marina. Since the early 21st century, the tribe has grown more interested in tourism.
The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail passes through La Push on the way to its western terminus at Cape Alava.
La Push garners a good amount of tourism partially due to the success of the Twilight novel series in which the town is one of the primary locations, and in which the Quileute Tribe and their traditions are incorporated.
Education
La Push was the location of the K-12 Quileute Tribal School until 2022 when the school was relocated elsewhere in the reservation as part of the Move to Higher Ground initiative.
References
References
- {{GNIS. 1531473
- Meany, Edmond S.. (1923). "Origin of Washington geographic names". University of Washington Press.
- "History". Quileute Nation.
- "Quileute Move to Higher Ground {{!}}".
- Ollikainen, Rob. (2017-11-05). "Quileute Tribe gaining ground on facilities' move to higher elevation".
- Banse, Tom. (November 10, 2017). "Coastal Village Moving To Higher Ground To Escape Tsunami, Flooding Threat". KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio.
- "La Push, Washington climate summary". Weatherbase.
- "La Push, Washington". Weatherbase.
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