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West Coast of the United States

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West Coast of the United States
Location of the West Coast (red) in the United States (tan) as defined by the Census Bureau.
Location of the West Coast (red)

inthe United States(tan)

as defined by theCensus Bureau.
CountryUnited States
Principal citiesLos Angeles
San Diego
San Jose
San Francisco
Sacramento
Portland (Oregon)
Seattle
Anchorage
Honolulu
Largest cityLos Angeles
Largest metropolitan areaGreater Los Angeles
Area
• Total1,009,688 sq mi (2,615,080 km2)
• Land895,287 sq mi (2,318,780 km2)
• Water21,433 sq mi (55,510 km2)
• Coastal28,913 sq mi (74,880 km2)
Highest elevation20,310 ft (6,190.5 m)
Lowest elevation−282 ft (−86 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total53,669,422[a]
Time zone
MountainUTC−7:00
• Summer (DST)UTC−6:00
PacificUTC−8:00
• Summer (DST)UTC−7:00
AlaskaUTC−9:00
• Summer (DST)UTC−8:00
HawaiiUTC−10:00

TheWest Coast of the United States– also known as thePacific Coast,and theWestern Seaboard– is thecoastlinealong which theWestern United Statesmeets theNorth Pacific Ocean.The term typically refers to thecontiguous U.S.states ofCalifornia,Oregon,andWashington,but it occasionally includesAlaskaandHawaiiin bureaucratic usage. For example, theU.S. Census Bureauconsiders both states to be part of a larger U.S. geographic division.

Definition

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There are conflicting definitions of which states comprise the West Coast of the United States, but the West Coast always includesCalifornia,Oregon,andWashingtonas part of that definition. Under most circumstances, however, the term encompasses the three contiguous states andAlaska,as they are all located in North America. For census purposes,Hawaiiis part of the West Coast, along with the other four states.[3]Encyclopædia Britannicarefers to the North American region as part of the Pacific Coast, including Alaska andBritish Columbia.Although the encyclopedia acknowledges the inclusion of Hawaii in some capacity as part of the region, the editors wrote that "it has little in common geologically with the mainland states."[4]

Several dictionaries offer different definitions of the West Coast.Lexicorestricts the West Coast's definition to "the western seaboard of the U.S. from Washington to California."[5]However,Macmillan Dictionaryprovides a less specific definition as "the western coast of the U.S., along thePacific Ocean."[6]As for theCambridge Dictionary,the West Coast is "the area of the Pacific coast in the U.S. that includes California."[7]

History

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Thehistory of the West Coastbegins with the arrival of the earliest known humans of the Americas,Paleo-Indians,crossing theBering StraitfromEurasiainto North America over a land bridge,Beringia,that existed between 45,000 BCE and 12,000 BCE (47,000–14,000 years ago). Small isolated groups ofhunter-gatherersmigrated alongside herds of largeherbivoresfar intoAlaska.Between 16,500 BCE and 13,500 BCE (18,500–15,500 years ago), ice-free corridors developed along thePacific coastand valleys of North America and possibly by sea.[8]

Alaska Natives,indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast,andCalifornia indigenous peopleseventually descended from thePaleo-Indians.They developed various languages and establishedtrade routes.[citation needed]

Later, Spanish, British, French, Russian, and American explorers and settlersbegan colonizing the area.[citation needed]

On May 10, 1869, thefirst transcontinental railroadwas completed joining the West Coast to the East of the United States.

Climate

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The West Coast of the United States has anoceanic climatein its Northwestern, Northern, and Eastern edge towards the U.S.-Canada border, but from Northern California, towards the U.S.-Mexico border the climate ismediterranean.While the northern half of the west coast, particularly coastal Washington and Oregon has moderate rainfall, particularly during the winter months, much of coastal California is drier year-round.

The coastline sees significantly milder temperatures compared to inland areas during summer. In far Northern California there is a difference of 17 °C (30 °F) betweenEurekaandWillow Creekin spite of only 25 miles (40 km) separating the locations and Willow Creek being located at a 500 metres (1,600 ft) elevation. Slightly narrower fluctuations can be seen all through the coastline, and could partially be explained by the cold currents in the Pacific Ocean moderating coastal temperatures and the mountain ranges blocking the maritime air from moving farther inland than its foothills during summer.[citation needed]

Coastal fogis also prevalent in keeping shoreline temperatures cool. While famous in theSan Francisco Bay Area,coastal fog also affectsSanta MonicainLos Angeles,Southern California,leading to May gray andJune gloomconditions. Coastal California has very little yearly temperature differences with cool summers similar to those expected in parts ofNorthern Europein San Francisco but warmer temperatures year-round further south. A short journey inland and summer temperatures are comparable with the rest of the United States on the same latitudes, sometimes warmer due to prevailing winds from theNevadaandArizonahot desert climate.[citation needed]

Government and politics

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With the exception ofAlaska,theDemocratic Partyhas dominated West Coast politics in contemporary history, with the states consistently voting for Democrats in elections at various levels. Four out of five West Coast states have voted for Democrats in presidential elections since1992,three of which have done so since1988.

State governments

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Governors of the West Coast
State Governor Party Term
Start End
Republican December 3, 2018 2026
Gavin Newsom Democratic January 7, 2019 2027
Democratic December 5, 2022 2026
Democratic January 9, 2023 2027
Democratic January 16, 2013 2025

Ideology and party strength

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In politics, the West Coast usually refers to the contiguous coastal states of California, Oregon, and Washington because of their similar political leanings. In 2017,The OregoniancolumnistDavid Sarasohndescribed the West Coast as a "blue wall"of shared values onimmigration,abortion,climate change,andcivil liberties.[9]By 2016, the West Coast stateslegalized marijuanaafter Californiavotedto do so.[10]According to a 2019Pew Research Centerpoll, 72% of adults in Pacific states said that "climate change is affecting their local community at least some", higher than in any other region in the country.[11]

Since1992,the three states have voted forDemocratsin presidential elections without interruption, but Oregon and Washington also voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in1988.[12]Although the three states have reliably voted Democratic, no Democratic presidential candidate from any of the three states has won their party's nomination as of 2020.[13]

After the2022 elections,the Democratic Party controlled every single Western coastal seat in theUnited States House of Representatives.

In the 2010s, Democrats strengthened their political power along the West Coast. After winning aspecial electionfor a seat in the Washington state senate in 2017, Democrats built agovernment trifectain all three West Coast states.[14]After the2022 U.S. House of Representatives elections,Democrats controlled all congressional districts touching the Pacific.[15]

Hawaii is not usually considered part of the West Coast in the political definition, though it is considered a Democratic stronghold. Before achieving statehood in 1959, Hawaii became a state favorable to Democrats to the point that they sought statehood for the territory.Southern Democratsopposed the move because it would mean additional votes against their region on several issues.[16]Since achieving statehood, Hawaii consistently voted for Democrats in presidential elections, except in1972and1984.[17][18]

Unlike the other West Coast states, Alaska has been a reliable state for Republicans in presidential elections. Since achieving statehood, Alaska has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate only once in1964.In1960,the state narrowly voted for RepublicanRichard Nixonover DemocratJohn F. Kennedyand had voted for Republicans uninterrupted since1968.[19]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
19002,634,285
19104,448,53468.9%
19205,877,78832.1%
19308,622,01146.7%
194010,228,55618.6%
195015,114,96447.8%
196021,198,04440.2%
197026,524,13125.1%
198031,799,70519.9%
199039,127,30623.0%
200045,025,63715.1%
201049,880,10210.8%
202053,669,4227.6%
Source: 1910–2020[20]
Ethnic origins in Pacific states

According to the results of the 2020 United States Census, 16 of the 20 largest cities on the West Coast exist in California.Los Angeles,San Diego,andSan Jose,all among the top 10 most populous cities in the country, lead the West Coast in population with more than a million people in each city, with Los Angeles being nearly three times the size of San Diego's population. Behind these three cities,San Francisco,SeattleandPortlandare respectively fourth, fifth and sixth in population. Hawaii's capital and largest city,Honolulu,is the 13th largest city, and Alaska's largest city,Anchorage,is 17th on the West Coast.[21]

Top 10 largest cities on the West Coast
City Population (2020)

Los Angeles
3,898,747

San Diego
1,386,932

San Jose
1,013,240

San Francisco
873,965

Seattle
737,015

Portland
652,503

Fresno
542,107

Sacramento
524,943

Long Beach
466,742

Oakland
440,646

[22][23][24][25][26]

Culture

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California's history first as a major Spanish colony, and later Mexican territory, has given the lower West Coast a distinctive Hispanic American tone, which it also shares with the rest of the Southwest. Similarly, two of the three cities in which Asian Americans have concentrated, San Francisco and Los Angeles,[27][28][29]are located on the West Coast, with significant populations in other West Coast cities. San Francisco'sChinatown,the oldest in North America, is a noted cultural center.

The West Coast also has a proportionally large share ofgreen citieswithin the United States, which manifests itself in different cultural practices such as bicycling and organic gardening.[30]

Greater Los Angeles, in particular, has immense global influence due to the presence of theHollywood film industry,and is considered the creative capital of the world[31]due to the proportion of its population involved in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, parts of theSan Francisco Bay Areaare also known asSilicon Valley,due to the tremendous presence of software companies in the area, including tech giants likeApple,Meta,andAlphabet Inc.

In thePacific Northwest,Portland and Seattle are both considered among the coffee capitals of the world.[32]WhileStarbucksoriginated in Seattle, both cities are known for small-scale coffee roasters and independent coffeeshops. The culture has also been significantly shaped by the environment, especially by its forests, mountains, and rain. This may account for the fact that the Northwest has many high-quality libraries and bookshops (most notablyPowell's Booksand theSeattle Central Library) and a "bibliophile soul".[33]The region also has a marginal, but growing independence movement based onbioregionalismand aCascadianidentity.[34]TheCascadian flaghas become a popular image atSeattle Sounders FCandPortland Timbersgames.[citation needed]

Alaska is widely known for its outdoors and its inhabitants engage in a range of activities that are unique to the state. Some of these activities can be experienced through the state's annual events, such as theIron Dogsnowmobile race fromAnchoragetoNomeand on toFairbanks.Other events include theWorld Ice Art Championships(Fairbanks) and the Sitka Whalefest (Sitka).[citation needed]

Transportation

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TheCoast Starlight,anAmtrakpassenger train that traverses most of the West Coast

TheCoast Starlightis the main interstate passenger railroad route provided byAmtrakalong the coast.BNSF Railwayand theUnion Pacific Railroadown and operate railroads that connect cities on the coast. Interstate travel is also served by roads such asInterstate 5,the main high-speed north–south freeway along the West Coast.

Interstate 5 follows the coast only as far north asDana Point, California,before turning inland for much of its route. The main coastal scenic route throughout most of California isCalifornia State Route 1.From the end of SR 1 atLeggett, California,U.S. Route 101serves as the main scenic route along the coast in far Northern California, Oregon, and Washington state.Sierra High Routeis a popular trekking route.

Several of the most importantinternational airportsin the United States are located along the West Coast, includingSeattle–Tacoma International Airport,San Francisco International Airport,andLos Angeles International Airport.Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles all connect numerous destinations around the Pacific Ocean to points throughout North America, and are often described as gateways to thePacific Rim.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^The population total consists of the combined population of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, according to the2020 United States census.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Highest and Lowest Elevations".United States Geological Survey.RetrievedApril 29,2021.
  2. ^"Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020"(PDF).United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJune 13,2021.
  3. ^Kiprop, Victor (January 11, 2019)."Which States Are on the West Coast?".World Atlas. Archived fromthe originalon September 25, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  4. ^"Pacific Coast".Encyclopædia Britannica. December 28, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2020.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  5. ^"West Coast".Lexico.Oxford University Press. Archived fromthe originalon November 13, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  6. ^"the West Coast".Macmillan Dictionary.Macmillan Education. Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2018.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  7. ^"the West Coast".Cambridge Dictionary.Cambridge University Press. Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2019.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  8. ^"First Americans Endured 20,000-Year Layover – Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News".RetrievedNovember 18,2009.Archaeological evidence, in fact, recognizes that people started to leave Beringia for the New World around 40,000 years ago, but rapid expansion into North America did not occur until about 15,000 years ago, when the ice had literally broken.
  9. ^Sarasohn, David (December 3, 2017)."David Sarasohn: Trump batters against West coast blue wall".The Oregonian.Archived fromthe originalon November 14, 2020.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  10. ^Fuller, Thomas; Healy, Jack; Johnson, Kirk (November 11, 2016)."Amid Tide of Red on Electoral Map, West Coast Stays Defiantly Blue".The New York Times.San Francisco. Archived fromthe originalon November 8, 2020.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  11. ^Hefferon, Meg (December 2, 2019)."Most Americans say climate change impacts their community, but effects vary by region".Pew Research Center. Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2020.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  12. ^Monkovic, Toni (August 22, 2016)."50 Years of Electoral College Maps: How the U.S. Turned Red and Blue".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon November 8, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  13. ^Sarasohn, David (September 26, 2018)."The Rise of West Coast Democrats".The New Republic.Archived fromthe originalon November 9, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  14. ^Weigel, David (November 9, 2017)."Democrats now control all branches of state government along the West Coast".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2018.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  15. ^Mishanec, Nora (November 22, 2022)."Democrats now control all House seats along the Pacific Ocean for the first time in memory".San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. ^Sprunt, Barbara (August 21, 2020)."Simmering Disputes Over Statehood Are About Politics And Race. They Always Have Been".NPR News.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  17. ^Eagle, Nathan (August 7, 2018)."The Hawaii Republican Party's Slow Path To Extinction".Honolulu Civil Beat.Archived fromthe originalon November 9, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  18. ^Bussewitz, Cathy (November 9, 2016)."Chang wins seat, securing all-Democrat Hawaii Senate".Associated Press.Archived fromthe originalon November 13, 2020.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  19. ^Martinson, Erica (November 5, 2016)."Alaska has a long history of voting strongly Republican for president. Will it continue?".Anchorage Daily News.Archived fromthe originalon August 4, 2020.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  20. ^"Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020"(PDF).United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJune 13,2021.
  21. ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2019".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 14,2020.
  22. ^"U.S. Census".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  23. ^"U.S. Census Region Map".August 17, 2000. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2000.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  24. ^"California Cities by Population".www.california-demographics.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  25. ^"Oregon Cities by Population".www.oregon-demographics.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  26. ^"Washington Cities by Population".www.washington-demographics.com.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  27. ^"Selected Population Profile in the United States".United States Census Bureau.United States Department of Commerce.Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2020.RetrievedJune 25,2011.
  28. ^Lee, Sharon M. (1998)."Asian Americans: Diverse and Growing"(PDF).Population Bulletin.53(2). Population Reference Bureau: 1–40.PMID12321628.RetrievedMarch 9,2013.
  29. ^Ng, Franklin (1998).The History and Immigration of Asian Americans.Taylor & Francis. p. 211.ISBN978-0-8153-2690-8.RetrievedMarch 9,2013.
  30. ^"Top ten green U.S. cities".Mother Nature Network.RetrievedJune 26,2014.
  31. ^"Is Los Angeles really the creative capital of the world? Report says yes".ZDNET.RetrievedJanuary 31,2023.
  32. ^"World's 10 best cities for coffee".USA Today.RetrievedFebruary 22,2015.
  33. ^"Pacific Northwest: bicycles, bookshops, weirdness, and coffee".The Guardian.RetrievedFebruary 22,2015.
  34. ^"The People Who Wouldn't Mind if the Pacific Northwest Were Its Own Country".Vice.September 3, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 22,2015.