Ocosta

History

The town, originally called Ocosta-by-the-sea, was the product of a disagreement between Aberdeen, WA and the Northern Pacific Railroad. In those days, it was common for the NP to accept a cash incentive from a town that wished to connect to the system. Aberdeen refused to pay, and the NP established the town in an attempt to bypass the city. The town was reached in 1892; however, Ocosta's harbor was found to be unsuitable, and the NP instead struck a deal with Aberdeen to build a spur into the city. When the 1893 financial panic occurred, the Northern Pacific ultimately halted progress, and the city of Aberdeen finished the spur, using rails from a sunken barque. A post office called Ocosta was established in 1890, and remained in operation until 1943. The community was named for the nearby ocean coast. The ZIP Code for Ocosta is 98520.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  9,486
• Double-crested Cormorant

  Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson, 1831) · Aves
  8,251
• Brown Pelican

  Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  7,447
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  6,864
• Western Gull

  Larus occidentalis Audubon, 1839 · Aves
  6,586
• California Gull

  Larus californicus Lawrence, 1854 · Aves
  6,353
• Surf Scoter

  Melanitta perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,769
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,639

Most recent

• M 2.65 — 2025-12-19
  5 km WSW of Pe Ell, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2025-10-09
  21 km NW of Hoodsport, Washington
• M 2.84 — 2025-05-13
  25 km WNW of Hoodsport, Washington
• M 2.5 — 2025-03-28
  16 km NNE of Amanda Park, Washington
• M 2.74 — 2024-12-31
  7 km NNW of Montesano, Washington
• M 2.65 — 2024-09-12
  15 km NNW of Amanda Park, Washington