Sequim is a two hour drive from the I-5 corridor. If you want to know why Sequim is such a peaceful, low crime community, read on, because our distance from the I-5 corridor explains a lot about Sequim. If you are comparing Sequim with areas north of Seattle, or anywhere within the I-5 corridor, you may want to consider the implications of living within the corridor.
I-5 Corridor
The I-5 corridor is carved out by Interstate 5, the major North-South freeway on the west coast running from California through Washington to the Canadian border. This is the primary commercial and non-commercial arterial for millions of trucks and cars 24/7 all year long. Apart from the Seattle and Tacoma waterfront docs, the I-5 corridor feeds the entire Seattle-Tacoma metropolis. Along with these benefits of the I-5 corridor comes something not so beneficial for residential communities.
I-5 Corridor Influence
Sequim is outside the I-5 corridor, and that means Sequim does not get all the drive through traffic of the casual or the curious, including criminals and would-be criminals. No wonder Sequim’s crime rate is so unbelievably low. People who live in Sequim are either retired or they are working. Sequim does not attract street people in large numbers, unemployed beggars, or illegal aliens who wander the streets. This is not a political statement, nor is it a comment about those who are less fortunate. It is a factual statement about the demographics of Sequim.
The I-5 corridor extends on either side of I-5 by a distance of perhaps a one hour drive, but when you get two or three hours from the I-5 corridor, you are getting beyond the reach of it’s influence. For quiet residential communities, being outside the I-5 corridor is a very good thing.
Last Updated on September 7, 2019 by Chuck Marunde
You’re right about the “drive-through traffic” problem, Chuck, and never mind politics. I lived for years in western Montana in a large town located on the intersection of I-90 and Hwy 93 (going through Idaho, Montana, and up to Canada). That area has seen a huge increase in the number of hat-extending travelers, accompanied by the kind of crime you noted, including murders.
I am guessing that Port Angeles would likewise benefit from the distance from I-5, as Sequim does. Is the crime rate similarly low there? Thanks for your blog articles–I always read them!
Barbara, Port Angeles does benefit also by being so far off the I-5 Corridor, but Port Angeles has a substantially different demographic pattern. There are a lot of younger working people, but the economy has struggled in Port Angeles.