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is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,397 at the 2000 census, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. The area's harbor was dubbed
(Port of Our Lady of the Angels) by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791, but by the mid-1800s the name had been shortened and partially anglicized to its current form.
Port Angeles is home to Peninsula College and is the birthplace of football hall of famer John Elway. The city is served by William R. Fairchild International Airport, and ferry service is provided across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on the M/V Coho or Victoria Express.
Port Angeles is located at (48.112969, -123.440713). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 63.1 square miles (163.3 km
Port Angeles is located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which means the city gets significantly less rain than other areas of western Washington. The average annual precipitation total is approximately 25 inches, compared to Seattle's 38 inches. Temperatures are heavily modified by the maritime location, with winter lows rarely below 25 degrees, and summer highs rarely above 80 degrees. However, in winter the city can be vulnerable to windstorms and Arctic cold fronts that sweep across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Port Angeles receives about 4 inches of snow each year, but it rarely stays on the ground for long.
Port Angeles is also the location of the headquarters of Olympic National Park, which encompasses most of the Olympic Mountains, and was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938.