South Bend is a small city on the Willapa River in southwestern Washington, serving as the county seat of Pacific County. It sits near the point where the river meets Willapa Bay, one of the most productive oyster-growing estuaries on the West Coast. The town began to form in 1869, when the Riddell brothers—Valentine and John—built a sawmill on a bend of the Willapa River, establishing the community that took its name from the river's curve. Timber and later shellfish, Dungeness crab, and oysters became the economic backbone of the town. South Bend's political history is colorful: it became the county seat in 1892 after an election dispute with the rival settlement of Oysterville, when a group of South Bend citizens reportedly sailed to Oysterville and removed the county's books and records. That episode cemented the town's role as the governmental center of Pacific County, a role it retains today. The city proudly brands itself the Oyster Capital of the World, reflecting the centrality of Willapa Bay's shellfish industry to local life. In recent decades, as resource-based industries have shifted, South Bend has leaned on the natural setting—hiking, boating, and birding—to draw visitors and diversify its economy. The population of roughly 1,750 lives in a compact, low-density town where the riverfront, county offices, and residential streets all sit within easy reach. For those considering a move, South Bend offers an authentic, working waterfront small-town experience. It is closely tied to neighboring Raymond, the county's largest city, and positioned within reach of the Long Beach Peninsula and the broader coastal region of southwest Washington. The town's scale, its oyster and timber heritage, and its position on Willapa Bay give it a character distinct from the more tourist-oriented communities along the coast.