Island County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 48°09′N122°35′W / 48.15°N 122.58°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
Founded | 1852 |
Seat | Coupeville |
Largest city | Oak Harbor |
Area | |
• Total | 517 sq mi (1,340 km2) |
• Land | 208 sq mi (540 km2) |
• Water | 309 sq mi (800 km2) 60% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 86,857 |
• Estimate (2022) | 86,625 |
• Density | 381/sq mi (147/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
Congressional district | 2nd |
Website | islandcountywa |
Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 86,857. [1] Its county seat is Coupeville, [2] while its largest city is Oak Harbor.
The county's name reflects the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. [3] It contains two large islands, Whidbey and Camano, and seven smaller islands (Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith, and Strawberry). Island County was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, [4] [5] and is the eighth-oldest county in Washington. It originally encompassed what are now Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan Counties.
Island County comprises the Oak Harbor, Washington Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Seattle–Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 517 square miles (1,340 km2), of which 208 square miles (540 km2) is land and 309 square miles (800 km2) (60%) is water. [6] It is the second smallest county in Washington by land area after San Juan, and second smallest by total area after Wahkiakum.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 294 | — | |
1870 | 626 | 112.9% | |
1880 | 1,087 | 73.6% | |
1890 | 1,787 | 64.4% | |
1900 | 1,870 | 4.6% | |
1910 | 4,704 | 151.6% | |
1920 | 5,489 | 16.7% | |
1930 | 5,369 | −2.2% | |
1940 | 6,098 | 13.6% | |
1950 | 11,079 | 81.7% | |
1960 | 19,638 | 77.3% | |
1970 | 27,011 | 37.5% | |
1980 | 44,048 | 63.1% | |
1990 | 60,195 | 36.7% | |
2000 | 71,558 | 18.9% | |
2010 | 78,506 | 9.7% | |
2020 | 86,857 | 10.6% | |
2022 (est.) | 86,625 | [7] | −0.3% |
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790–1960 [9] 1900–1990 [10] 1990–2000 [11] 2010–2020 [1] |
As of the 2020 census, there were 86,857 people, 35,102 households in the county. [1] The racial makeup of the county was 84.8% White, 5.3% Asian, 1.0% American Indian, 3.3% African American, 0.5% Pacific Islander, and 5.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.7% of the population. [1]
As of the 2010 census, there were 78,506 people, 32,746 households, and 22,156 families living in the county. The population density was 376.6 inhabitants per square mile (145.4/km2). There were 40,234 housing units at an average density of 193.0 per square mile (74.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% white, 4.4% Asian, 2.2% black or African American, 0.8% American Indian, 0.5% Pacific islander, 1.5% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were:
Of the 32,746 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 43.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $57,190 and the median income for a family was $68,106. Males had a median income of $46,801 versus $35,189 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,079. About 5.7% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
The primary islands of Island County, Whidbey Island and Camano Island are served by a total of 3 Washington State Routes, those being SR 20 and SR 525 on Whidbey Island, and SR 532 on Camano Island. SR 20 enters Island County via the Port Townsend-Coupeville (Keystone) ferry route from the West, and departs via the Deception Pass Bridge in the North. SR 525 enters Island County from the East/South via the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry and terminates at an intersection with SR 20, South of Coupeville. SR 532 begins on Camano Island at Terry's Corner and departs Island County to the East via the Camano Gateway Bridge.
These islands are also served by a fare-free/pre-paid bus service called Island Transit.
The county government is led by a board of commissioners with three elected members that represent geographical regions of Island County. [12]
Island County is divided politically between its north and south. While the north (Oak Harbor) is conservative – Donald Trump received almost 55 percent of the 2016 vote and carried most precincts – most southern and central precincts voted for Hillary Clinton.
The south-central area (Coupeville, Langley) voted over 50 percent for Clinton, just over 30 percent for Trump. [13]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 22,746 | 42.18% | 29,213 | 54.17% | 1,966 | 3.65% |
2016 | 18,465 | 41.71% | 20,960 | 47.34% | 4,848 | 10.95% |
2012 | 19,605 | 46.27% | 21,478 | 50.69% | 1,289 | 3.04% |
2008 | 19,426 | 46.07% | 22,058 | 52.31% | 680 | 1.61% |
2004 | 19,754 | 51.20% | 18,216 | 47.22% | 610 | 1.58% |
2000 | 16,408 | 49.72% | 14,778 | 44.78% | 1,818 | 5.51% |
1996 | 12,387 | 43.52% | 12,157 | 42.71% | 3,920 | 13.77% |
1992 | 9,526 | 35.06% | 9,555 | 35.17% | 8,087 | 29.77% |
1988 | 12,552 | 58.78% | 8,510 | 39.85% | 291 | 1.36% |
1984 | 13,548 | 65.72% | 6,850 | 33.23% | 218 | 1.06% |
1980 | 10,926 | 58.87% | 5,422 | 29.21% | 2,211 | 11.91% |
1976 | 7,804 | 55.33% | 5,859 | 41.54% | 441 | 3.13% |
1972 | 7,495 | 68.12% | 3,149 | 28.62% | 359 | 3.26% |
1968 | 4,077 | 50.96% | 3,238 | 40.48% | 685 | 8.56% |
1964 | 3,044 | 43.49% | 3,946 | 56.38% | 9 | 0.13% |
1960 | 3,596 | 59.01% | 2,470 | 40.53% | 28 | 0.46% |
1956 | 3,196 | 61.20% | 2,009 | 38.47% | 17 | 0.33% |
1952 | 2,901 | 61.68% | 1,772 | 37.68% | 30 | 0.64% |
1948 | 1,805 | 49.05% | 1,694 | 46.03% | 181 | 4.92% |
1944 | 1,487 | 46.66% | 1,662 | 52.15% | 38 | 1.19% |
1940 | 1,371 | 44.85% | 1,626 | 53.19% | 60 | 1.96% |
1936 | 921 | 32.74% | 1,687 | 59.97% | 205 | 7.29% |
1932 | 803 | 30.17% | 1,517 | 56.99% | 342 | 12.85% |
1928 | 1,487 | 71.25% | 556 | 26.64% | 44 | 2.11% |
1924 | 832 | 46.25% | 114 | 6.34% | 853 | 47.42% |
1920 | 883 | 51.19% | 285 | 16.52% | 557 | 32.29% |
1916 | 804 | 43.58% | 855 | 46.34% | 186 | 10.08% |
1912 | 332 | 21.11% | 310 | 19.71% | 931 | 59.19% |
1908 | 450 | 58.21% | 192 | 24.84% | 131 | 16.95% |
1904 | 424 | 71.99% | 83 | 14.09% | 82 | 13.92% |
1900 | 263 | 62.62% | 123 | 29.29% | 34 | 8.10% |
1896 | 206 | 50.86% | 191 | 47.16% | 8 | 1.98% |
1892 | 161 | 40.66% | 127 | 32.07% | 108 | 27.27% |
Juniper Beach, a wedding ceremony locale in past years, [15] has given its name to the Juniper Beach Water District. [16]
Whidbey Island is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington state. Whidbey is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington. The island forms the northern boundary of Puget Sound. It is home to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The state parks and natural forests are home to numerous old growth trees.
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San Juan County is a county in the Salish Sea in the far northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,788. The county seat and only incorporated town is Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island. The county was formed on October 31, 1873, from Whatcom County and is named for the San Juan Islands, which are in turn named for Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of New Spain.
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.
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Clinton is a community and census-designated place (CDP) located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The town was named after Clinton, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 928. However, the post office serves at least 2,500 people.
Coupeville is a town on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington, United States.
Freeland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 2,252. The town received its name based on its origins as a socialist commune in the early 1900s: in the eyes of its founders, the land of the town was literally to be free for all people. Some of the first settlers were veterans of a prior experiment in socialism, the nearby Equality Colony.
Langley is a city in Island County, Washington, United States. It sits at the south end of Whidbey Island, overlooking the Saratoga Passage. The city's population was 1,035 at the 2010 census, while the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) for Langley's post office had a population of 4,878. By the 2020 census, the population increased to 1,147 people. Langley proper only covers 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), but its ZCTA extends for 26.20 square miles (67.9 km2).
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census. Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.
Marrowstone is a census-designated place (CDP) on Marrowstone Island in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 995 at the 2020 census. All Marrowstone addresses are in Nordland, Washington, and the ZIP code is 98358.
Camano Island is a large island in Possession Sound, a section of Puget Sound. It is part of Island County, Washington, and is located between Whidbey Island and the mainland by the Saratoga Passage to the west and Port Susan and Davis Slough to the east. The island has one road connection to the mainland, via State Route 532 over the Camano Gateway Bridge at the northeast end of the island, connecting to the city of Stanwood.
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) is a naval air station of the United States Navy located on two pieces of land near Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington.
Island Transit is a zero-fare transit system in Island County, Washington, serving Whidbey Island and Camano Island. The system consists of fixed-route bus service, paratransit, and vanpools, and carried a total of 974,899 passengers in 2015. Until 2023, there was no Sunday or holiday service on Island Transit routes.
Camano was a steamboat built in 1906 at Coupeville, Washington which operated on Puget Sound from 1906 to 1917. Camano was later known as Tolo. As Tolo the vessel was sunk in 1917 as a result of a collision at sea. Four people died as a result.
The Camano–Whidbey ferry is a historic and proposed ferry route across Saratoga Passage on Puget Sound linking Camano Island and Whidbey Island, the titular islands of Island County, Washington.