Raymond, WA Properties | Real Property Associates, Inc.

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Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, set on the Willapa River where it flows toward Willapa Bay in the southwestern corner of the state. It is the largest municipality in Pacific County, with a population of roughly 2,900, and it anchors the northern half of the county along State Route 101, the region's coastal highway. The city is surrounded by timber country, winding waterways, and the forested Willapa Hills, giving it a distinctly rural, maritime Pacific Northwest character. Raymond grew up as a lumber town. In the early 1900s, mills lined the river, freshly cut logs filled the rail yards, and ships carried lumber out of Willapa Harbor, and by 1913 the town claimed a population of around 6,000. City promoters styled it the "Empire City of Willapa Harbor," and many of the community's older homes and public buildings date from that boom era. Timber and the working waterfront still shape local identity, even as the industry has consolidated over the decades. Today Raymond's economy is more diversified. The Port of Willapa Harbor operates the Willapa Harbor Airport, an industrial park, and marine facilities, and the surrounding county has added agricultural and manufacturing jobs to its traditional timber base. The city remains a service center for the northern Willapa Bay region, offering schools, shops, and civic services to a spread-out rural population. Recreation and the outdoors are central to life in Raymond. The Willapa Hills State Park Trail reaches the city's edge, and riverfront parks such as the L.V. and Stella Raymond Memorial Park and Willapa Landing Park provide boat launches, fishing piers, ball fields, and picnic areas along the water. For residents who value small-town living, working landscapes, and year-round access to forests and waterways, Raymond offers a setting that is increasingly hard to find elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

Population 2,910

County Pacific County

Active Listings 101

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Raymond in?

Raymond is located in Pacific County, Washington, in the southwestern part of the state on the Willapa River near Willapa Bay. It is the largest city in Pacific County, whose county seat is nearby South Bend.

What is Raymond known for?

Raymond was founded as a lumber-mill town in the early 1900s and once promoted itself as the 'Empire City of Willapa Harbor.' Timber and the working waterfront remain central to the city's identity today.

What is there to do in Raymond?

Raymond offers riverfront parks with boat launches, docks, and fishing access, along with the Willapa Hills State Park Trail, which reaches the city's edge for walking and cycling. Willapa Bay and the surrounding forests provide additional outdoor recreation.

How do you get to Raymond?

Raymond is reached by State Route 101 and State Route 6, which connect the city to the Washington coast, the Willapa Hills, and the rest of Pacific County. The Port of Willapa Harbor also operates Willapa Harbor Airport.

City Guide

About Raymond

Real Estate & Housing

Raymond's housing stock reflects its mill-town origins, with a compact grid of older single-family homes, many dating to the city's early-1900s timber boom, alongside more recent construction. Homes are generally modest in scale and set on small to mid-size city lots, with riverfront and view properties scattered along the Willapa River. The market is characteristically affordable for the region, and the mix of vintage and newer housing gives buyers options within a small, walkable city. The setting offers an unusual combination of in-town living with direct access to water, trails, and open country.

Neighborhoods

Raymond is a compact city laid out near the confluence of the Willapa River and Willapa Bay. Its older neighborhoods cluster around the downtown and mill districts, while quieter residential streets fan out toward the city's edges. Riverfront areas near the L.V. and Stella Raymond Memorial Park and Willapa Landing Park offer direct access to the water, boat launches, and fishing. Because the city is small and walkable, most homes sit within easy reach of schools, parks, and the commercial core, reinforcing the town's connected, small-scale feel.

Lifestyle in Raymond

Life in Raymond carries the rhythms of a small Pacific Northwest river town. The city's identity remains rooted in timber, fishing, and the working waterfront, even as the economy has diversified through the Port of Willapa Harbor and local agriculture. Residents enjoy a close-knit community where civic life centers on schools, the riverfront, and the surrounding outdoors. The pace is unhurried, the cost of living modest, and the natural setting—where the Willapa River meets the bay—offers a daily backdrop of water, forest, and abundant wildlife that larger communities rarely match.

Schools & Education

Public school students in Raymond attend the local Raymond School District, which serves the city and the surrounding Willapa Bay area. The small district keeps school campuses within the community, reinforcing Raymond's close-knit, small-town character and giving families short commutes between home and school. The district's scale allows for close relationships among students, staff, and families, consistent with the broader community feel of this rural Pacific County city.

Getting Around

Raymond sits at the junction of State Route 101 and State Route 6, two of southwest Washington's main roadways. State Route 101 connects the city north toward the Olympic Peninsula and south toward the mouth of the Columbia River and the coast, while State Route 6 heads east through the Willapa Hills. The Port of Willapa Harbor operates Willapa Harbor Airport for general aviation. With no passenger rail or major freeway, travel is car-oriented, and the city functions as a regional crossroads for northern Pacific County.

Parks & Recreation

Raymond's recreation is tied to its waterways and forests. The Willapa Hills State Park Trail reaches the city limits, providing a long-distance walking and cycling corridor through Pacific County's hills. Riverfront parks along the Willapa River, including the L.V. and Stella Raymond Memorial Park and Willapa Landing Park, offer boat launches, docks, fishing piers, ball fields, and picnic areas. Willapa Bay itself supports fishing, clamming, and wildlife watching, while the surrounding timber country opens up to hiking and outdoor exploration. The city's location makes it a natural base for enjoying the coast, the bay, and the hills.

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