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Belfair | |
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Census-designated place (CDP) | |
Coordinates: 47°27′02″N122°49′33″W / 47.45056°N 122.82583°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Mason |
Area | |
• Total | 44.9 sq mi (116 km2) |
Population | |
• Total | 4,279 |
• Density | 95/sq mi (37/km2) |
Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
ZIP code | 98528 [2] |
Area code | 360 |
GNIS feature ID | 1516383 [3] |
Belfair is a census-designated place in Mason County, Washington, United States. Located at the mouth of the Union River at Hood Canal, it serves as the commercial center of northern Mason County. The population of the surrounding area grows in the summertime, as the Canal and the Olympic Peninsula are popular with tourists. The population was 3,931 as of the 2010 census.
Belfair was originally referred to as Clifton, as were several other towns in the state. To avoid confusion, it was renamed in 1925 by Mrs. Murray, then postmaster, who submitted the name Belfair from a book that she was then reading.[ citation needed ]
Belfair is located on an isthmus connecting the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula. It receives an average rainfall of 60 inches (1,500 mm) yearly and has a growing season of 212 days with final spring frost around April 20 usually.
Mason Lake is 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Belfair.
Belfair serves as a gateway town for the Hood Canal region, and is the last town with services before visitors reach Tahuya State Forest.
The Theler Wetlands have walking trails meandering through 135 acres (0.55 km2) of tidal wetlands, offering boardwalks and well-groomed paths with views of Hood Canal, Union River, and a tidal estuary. Other nature trails can be found near Belfair Elementary.
Belfair is home to "The Taste of Hood Canal", an annual event falling on the second Saturday in August. This festival features local artists, foods, a classic car show and is sponsored by the North Mason Rotary Club.
Belfair is also home to the Mary E. Theler Community Center.
Belfair is the regional service hub for northern Mason County. Harrison Hospital operates an urgent care facility in Belfair, and local doctor offices are in the area along with other professional services. The area has local and chain restaurants, along with two major grocery stores. Local shopping includes gift stores. Timberland Regional Library has a local branch in Belfair. Several public golf courses are nearby, including McCormick Woods, Gold Mountain, Alderbrook, Trophy Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Lakeland Village.
Washington State Route 3 is the main road leading into Belfair, from Bremerton and Gorst in the north, and Allyn in the south. Washington State Route 106 also starts at the south end of Belfair, leading toward Union, the next town along the south shore of Hood Canal. Washington State Route 300 begins in Belfair and runs along the north shore of Hood Canal, providing access to Tahuya and Dewatto Bay.
Belfair has two high schools (North Mason High School and James A. Taylor High School, an alternative school), a middle school (Hawkins Middle School), two elementary schools (Sand Hill Elementary and Belfair Elementary), and a co-op preschool.
Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,726. The county seat and only incorporated city is Shelton. The county was formed out of Thurston County on March 13, 1854. Originally named Sawamish County, it took its present name in 1864 in honor of Charles H. Mason, the first Secretary of Washington Territory.
Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. Porter County is the site of much of the Indiana Dunes, an area of ecological significance. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents the region's ecological significance.
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, bordered on the east by the Oconee River. The rapid current of the river here made this an attractive location to build a city. It was the capital of Georgia from 1804 to 1868, including during the American Civil War. Milledgeville was preceded as the capital city by Louisville and was succeeded by Atlanta, the current capital. Today U.S. Highway 441 connects Milledgeville to Madison, Athens, and Dublin.
Cumberland is a city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. It is the primary city of the Cumberland metropolitan area, which had 95,044 residents in 2020.
Brunswick is a city in southwestern Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River; Loudoun County, Virginia occupies the opposite shore. The population of Brunswick was 8,211 at the 2022 Census. There are three schools serving Brunswick: Brunswick Elementary School, Brunswick Middle School, and Brunswick High School.
Woodbridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located 20 miles (32 km) south of Washington, D.C. Bounded by the Occoquan and Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the 2020 census.
Belgium is a town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,513 at the 2000 census. The Village of Belgium is surrounded on all sides by the town, and the unincorporated communities of Decker, Holy Cross, Lake Church, and Sauk Trail Beach are located in the town, as is the ghost town of Stonehaven. The unincorporated community of Dacada is also partially located in the town.
The Skokomish are one of nine tribes of the Twana, a Native American people of western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives along Hood Canal, a fjord-like inlet on the west side of the Kitsap Peninsula and the Puget Sound basin. Historically the Twana were hunters, fishers, and gatherers who had a nomadic lifestyle during the warmer months, while living in more permanent homes during the winter months.
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is one of the minor bodies of water that constitute the Salish Sea. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of an artificial waterway—it is a natural feature.
Seabeck is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2010 census. Seabeck is a former mill town on Hood Canal.
State Route 104 (SR 104) is a 31.75-mile-long (51.10 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, serving four counties: Jefferson on the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap on the Kitsap Peninsula, and Snohomish and King in the Puget Sound region. It begins south of Discovery Bay at U.S. Route 101 (US 101) and crosses the Hood Canal Bridge over Hood Canal to the terminus of SR 3 near Port Gamble. SR 104 continues southeast onto the Edmonds–Kingston Ferry to cross the Puget Sound and intersects SR 99 and Interstate 5 (I-5) before ending at SR 522 in Lake Forest Park. SR 104 also has a short spur route that connects the highway to SR 99 at an at-grade signal on the Snohomish–King county line.
State Route 3 (SR 3) is a 59.81-mile-long (96.25 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington, serving the Kitsap Peninsula in Mason and Kitsap counties. The highway begins at U.S. Route 101 (US 101) south of Shelton and travels northeast onto the Kitsap Peninsula through Belfair to Gorst, where it intersects SR 16 and begins its freeway. SR 3 travels west of Bremerton, Silverdale and Poulsbo before it terminates at the eastern end of the Hood Canal Bridge, signed as SR 104. The highway is designated as a Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) corridor under the National Highway System as the main thoroughfare connecting both parts of Naval Base Kitsap and is also part of the Highways of Statewide Significance program.
Union or Union City is a small census-designated place in Mason County, Washington, United States. The community lies along the southern shore of the Great Bend of the Hood Canal, near the mouth of the Skokomish River, which flows from the nearby Olympic Mountains. The U.S. Census reported a population of 631 inhabitants in the 2010 census. The ZIP Code for Union is 98592.
State Route 106 (SR 106) is a Washington state highway in Mason County, extending 20.09 miles (32.33 km) from U.S. Route 101 (US 101) in Skokomish to SR 3 south of Belfair. The road was once a section of State Road 21 in 1915, which later became State Road 14 in 1923 and Primary State Highway 14 (PSH 14) in 1937 and PSH 21 in 1955. PSH 21 became SR 106 in 1964 and since, the Washington State Department of Transportation has arranged and completed minor projects to improve the roadway.
Eldon is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. Eldon is located along U.S. Route 101 on the scenic Hood Canal north of Lilliwaup and south of Brinnon. Eldon features a small store and several recreational areas and businesses catering to travelers and locals.
Hoodsport is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mason County, Washington, United States. The population was 376 at the 2010 census. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman is 5 miles (8.0 km) up the road on State Route 119. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of the Olympic National Park.
State Route 300 (SR 300) is a short state highway in Mason County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends 3.35 miles (5.39 km) from Belfair State Park to SR 3 in the community of Belfair. The route serves as a connector from Belfair State Park to Belfair and SR 3. The highway was Secondary State Highway 21C (SSH 21C) from 1957 until 1964.
The Tahuya River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates at Tahuya Lake in western Kitsap Peninsula and flows south, emptying into Hood Canal near the Great Bend.
Belfair State Park is a public recreation area located on Hood Canal three miles (4.8 km) southwest of Belfair in Mason County, Washington. The state park consists of 94 acres (38 ha) of tidal flats, wetlands, and beaches with a 3,720-foot (1,130 m) shoreline. Park activities include camping, fishing, swimming, clam digging, crabbing, birdwatching, and field sports.
Sugarland Run is a planned community and census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 11,799. In 2020, it was estimated to be 12,956. Sugarland Run is part of the Washington metropolitan area and is 26 miles (42 km) by road northwest of Washington, D.C.