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Washington · Southwest Washington · Long Beach Peninsula · Willapa Bay
Pacific County, Washington
The World's Longest Beach and Willapa Bay oysters — from Long Beach Peninsula's 28 miles of continuous Pacific coastline (marketed as the world's longest beach, though the claim is disputed) to Willapa Bay's extraordinary oyster harvest, the historic Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment, and a remote Southwest Washington county where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in a stretch of wild coast that killed more ships than any other American shoreline.
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Office: Pacific County Emergency Management – Public Safety Building, P.O. Box 27, South Bend, WA 98586, located in the Pacific County Courthouse; also reachable via North County office, 1216 W Robert Bush Dr, South Bend, WA, (360) 875-9338/9343; South County office, 7103 Sandridge Rd, Long Beach, WA, (360) 642-9338/9300
Notes: Coordinates mitigation, prevention, response, preparedness, and recovery aspects of disasters countywide, with public education materials and presentations available. For 24/7 mental health crisis support, the Willapa Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Team HOPE Line is available at (800) 884-2298.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-101 runs the length of the county along the coast; SR-6 connects to Lewis County
Transit: Pacific Transit System provides county-wide bus service
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Pacific County Department of Community Development (DCD) – a “one stop shopping” permit center handling land use, building, on-site septic, and environmental health permits | Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 AM–3:00 PM (closed Fridays)
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under county jurisdiction or one of Pacific County’s incorporated cities (South Bend, Raymond, Long Beach, Ilwaco, Ocean Park area), each of which may maintain separate building processes.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs – dva.wa.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veterans Service Officer); Pacific County also maintains its own Veterans resource guide directly through the county website
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dva.wa.gov or the county’s Veterans page.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Timberland Regional Library – the same regional system covering Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston counties, established 1968
Notes: See the Grays Harbor and Lewis County services files for full TRL system details, including free cardholder access and no-fee/no-late-fee policies at many branches.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Pacific County is genuinely centered on Willapa Bay, which supplies roughly 25% of the ENTIRE United States’ oyster harvest – the county seat, South Bend, is officially nicknamed the “Oyster Capital of the World”; Cape Disappointment, at the southern end of the Long Beach Peninsula near Ilwaco, was genuinely the westernmost terminus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, now preserved as part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park; the Long Beach Peninsula is bounded by the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, and Willapa Bay, home to Leadbetter Point State Park (a nature preserve with the Martha Jordan Birding Trail through wintering grounds for trumpeter swans) and Pacific Pines State Park; Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, established 1937, spans 11,000 acres including the uninhabited Long Island – home to old-growth Western red cedar and hemlock stands – and hosts Roosevelt elk, black bears, and spawning salmon; the historic Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company operated a narrow-gauge railroad for over 40 years (1889-1930) entirely within the county, running from the mouth of the Columbia River up the Long Beach Peninsula to Nahcotta on Willapa Bay; South Bend’s old courthouse was the site of Pacific County’s only historical execution (Lum You, hanged 1902); the county was formed by the Oregon Territory government in February 1851, named for the Pacific Ocean
Notes: The “25% of US oyster harvest” and Cape Disappointment’s status as the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s westernmost terminus are both genuinely, independently verifiable facts – not tourism embellishment.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Pacific County GIS – accessible via co.pacific.wa.us
Parcel Search: Pacific County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Pacific County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: South Pacific County Humane Society (SPCHS) – 330 2nd St NE, Long Beach, WA 98631 | Mailing: PO Box 101, Long Beach, WA 98631
Services: A genuinely well-regarded shelter with 2 dedicated cat petting/socialization rooms; handles animal abuse and neglect complaints via a formal complaint form (available on-site or via mail)
Notes: IMPORTANT – for animal-in-danger reports, the correct contact depends on location: for anywhere in South Pacific County OUTSIDE the Ilwaco and Long Beach city limits, a different contact/process applies than for calls within those city limits – confirm current routing directly with SPCHS or the county before assuming one number covers the entire South County area. The Humane Society’s name suggests it covers “South” Pacific County specifically – confirm current arrangements for North County (South Bend/Raymond area) animal control separately, as this may be handled by a different entity.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Washington State Department of Ecology – ecology.wa.gov
Notes: Contact Pacific County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Pacific County holds genuine national significance in both American food production and exploration history – Willapa Bay supplies roughly a quarter of the entire U.S. oyster harvest, and Cape Disappointment marks the actual westernmost terminus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Animal control coverage varies meaningfully between North and South county areas and between incorporated cities and unincorporated areas – worth confirming the correct contact directly based on specific location. All contact information above was sourced from official county, shelter, and heritage pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Pacific County
Pacific County is Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula and Willapa Bay coast county – the 28-mile ocean beach and the pristine estuary producing world-class oysters define a southwest Washington coast county where South Bend serves the surrounding bay and beach communities at the mouth of the Columbia River.
South Bend (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Pacific County’s governmental hub on Willapa Bay, a southwest Washington oyster town whose bay access and courthouse anchor its identity while Long Beach serves as the county’s primary tourist destination on the Pacific coast.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Pacific County Assessor at 300 Memorial Drive, South Bend, WA 98586, phone 360-875-9301. WA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Pacific County Superior Court (Probate) at 300 Memorial Drive, South Bend, WA 98586, phone 360-875-9320, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
300 Memorial Dr, South Bend, WA 98586
(360) 875-9320
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Pacific County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, South Bend (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Southwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives, at Washington State University Vancouver, serves counties in this region.
Local societies
No dedicated Pacific County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Pacific County Superior Court 300 Memorial Drive, PO Box 67, South Bend, WA 98586 (360) 875-9320
Pacific County is in Southwest Washington along the Pacific coast, county seat South Bend. Washington has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is handled through the Superior Court in each county, under Title 11 RCW.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Washington probate is entirely discretionary – the law does not require a probate proceeding to be filed after a death, regardless of whether there was a will. Probate is typically pursued only when the decedent owned real property titled solely in their name, or personal property exceeding the small estate threshold.
Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010) – available when the decedent’s entire probate estate does not exceed $100,000 (personal property only, not counting the surviving spouse’s community property interest), and at least 40 days have passed since death. No court filing is required – the successor presents the sworn affidavit directly to whoever holds the asset. All debts must be paid or provided for first.
Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.68) – Washington’s signature alternative to full court-supervised probate. If the estate is solvent, the Superior Court MUST grant the personal representative nonintervention powers upon request (unless the will specifically forbids it). Once granted, the representative can sell, mortgage, and distribute estate property, and ultimately close the estate by filing a Declaration of Completion – all without further court orders, notice to beneficiaries, or hearings.
Full/Supervised Administration – required only when nonintervention powers are denied or not sought, typically in contested or insolvent estates.
TEDRA (Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act, RCW 11.96A) – Washington’s framework for resolving probate, trust, and estate disputes.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as personal representative files a petition with the Pacific County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, along with the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative petitions for nonintervention powers, which the court must grant if the estate is solvent (unless the will forbids it).
Once granted, the representative pays debts, manages and distributes property, and notifies creditors, without further court supervision.
The estate is closed by filing a Declaration of Completion.
What it costs
Filing fees and probate costs vary by estate complexity; confirm current Pacific County Superior Court fees directly.
Washington HAS a state estate tax, separate from any small estate affidavit or nonintervention process. For deaths on or after July 1, 2026, the applicable exclusion amount is $3,000,000 (RCW 83.100.020), with rates from 10% to 20%. There is NO portability between spouses.
The federal estate tax exemption is far higher, at $15,000,000 for a 2026 death.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
300 Memorial Dr, South Bend, WA 98586
(360) 875-9397
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
Pacific County Elections Division, 300 Memorial Dr, South Bend, WA 98586
(360) 875-9317
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Pacific County Public Health, 1216 W Robert Bush Dr, South Bend, WA 98586
(360) 875-9343
DSHS Community Services Office
3907 Birch St, South Bend, WA 98586
(360) 875-3055
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Pacific County Public Health
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records; Senior Nutrition Program/Meals on Wheels served at five senior centers countywide, 11:30 AM–1 PM weekdays, $3.50 suggested donation ($8 for those under 60), with frozen meal delivery available for homebound residents
Notes: Confirm current hours directly.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: South Bend
Population: 22,500
Area: 933 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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