Deer Harbor, Washington

Not to be confused with Deer Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Deer Harbor
Unincorporated community
Deer Harbor, Washington
Deer Harbor Location within the state of Washington
Coordinates: 48°37′24″N123°00′30″W / 48.62333°N 123.00833°W / 48.62333; -123.00833
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	San Juan
First settled	1852
Population  (2023)
• Total	340
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	98243
GNIS feature ID	1504414 [1]
Website	Deer Harbor Marina

Deer Harbor is an unincorporated community on Orcas Island in San Juan County, Washington, United States.

The population of the community was 340, according to a census that took place in 2023. ^[2]

History

The very first expeditions of the San Juan Islands took place in 1792, directed by the Spanish Empire, during one of the Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest. When the first Europeans arrived on Orcas Island, in Deer Harbor they found a peaceful Lummi people encampment. It would take another 50 years before in the 1840s both the United States and the British Empire explored the area. ^[3]

The very first permanent European settlers would however only arrive in the current spot of Deer Harbor in 1852. ^[3] One year later, the very first post office was established on January 14th. ^[4] In 1858 the name Deer Harbor first officially appeared on British Admiralty charts of the San Juan Islands, signaling an official recognition by the British authorities of the settlements in the area. ^{[3] [4]}

A coastal defense observation post was built behind a local Inn in 1941 in order to help with the war effort during the Second World War. ^[3]

Culture

George W. Hume Co. and Deer Harbor Fisheries Co. salmon canneries at Deer Harbor, 1919

As with most San Juan Islands communities, Deer Harbor is known for its recreation and tourism, including kayaking, whale watching, and fishing. Many people fish for Dungeness crab, rock crab, and shrimp there.

Doe Bay is a community on the opposite side of the island from Deer Harbor. Deer Harbor is assigned the ZIP code 98243.

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deer Harbor, Washington
2. "Free 98243 ZIP Code Map, Statistics, and More for Deer Harbor, WA". www.unitedstateszipcodes.org. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
3. "Deer Harbor Historical Notes – Deer Harbor" . Retrieved May 27, 2025.
4. "Revisiting Washington — Deer Harbor". revisitwa.org. Retrieved May 27, 2025.