Island County, Washington
Encyclopedia
Island County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington. In 2010 census, its population was 78,506. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Coupeville
Coupeville, Washington
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...

, while its largest city is Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor, Washington
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census.Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.-History:Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city...

.

Its name reflects the fact that it consists of two large islands, Whidbey
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

 and Camano
Camano Island
Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...

, and seven smaller islands (Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith
Smith Island (Washington)
Smith Island is an island located in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington, about mid-way between Admiralty Inlet and Lopez Island. It is connected to the smaller Minor Island, to its east, by a low spit that is covered at high tide. The low, grassy islands have a few trees and are an...

, and Strawberry). Island County was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...

, and is the eighth-oldest county in Washington. It originally encompassed what are now Snohomish, Skagit
Skagit County, Washington
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...

, and San Juan Counties.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the county has a total area of 517 square miles (1,339 km²), of which 208 square miles (538.7 km²) is land and 309 square miles (800.3 km²) (59.71%) is water.

Geographic features

  • Puget Sound
    Puget Sound
    Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

  • Strait of Juan de Fuca
    Strait of Juan de Fuca
    The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...

  • Whidbey Island
    Whidbey Island
    Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

  • Camano Island
    Camano Island
    Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...


Adjacent counties

  • Snohomish County, Washington
    Snohomish County, Washington
    Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...

     - east
  • Kitsap County, Washington
    Kitsap County, Washington
    Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton....

     - southwest
  • Jefferson County, Washington
    Jefferson County, Washington
    Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Thomas Jefferson. As of 2010, the population was 29,872. The county seat is at Port Townsend, which is also the county's only incorporated city....

     - west
  • San Juan County, Washington - northwest
  • Skagit County, Washington
    Skagit County, Washington
    Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. As of 2010, the population was 116,901. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area...

     - north

National protected areas

  • Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
  • Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
    Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
    Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve is a unit of the National Park Service near Coupeville, Washington.-Description:The Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, a rural historic district, preserves and protects an unbroken historical record of Puget Sound exploration and settlement from...


Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 71,558 people, 27,784 households, and 20,254 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 343 people per square mile (133/km²). There were 32,378 housing units at an average density of 155 per square mile (60/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.17% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.36% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.97% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 4.19% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.44% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.43% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 3.44% from two or more races. 3.97% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 16.2% were of German, 11.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 9.9% Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...

, 7.2% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 or American and 6.0% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 92.5% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, 2.5% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 and 2.2% Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...

 as their first language.

There were 27,784 households out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,513, and the median income for a family was $51,363. Males had a median income of $35,331 versus $25,612 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $21,472. About 5.10% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.80% of those under age 18 and 4.40% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The primary islands of Island County, Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...

 and Camano Island
Camano Island
Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...

 are served by a total of 3 Washington State Routes, those being SR 20 and SR 525, on Whidbey Island, and SR 532
Washington State Route 532
State Route 532 is a short Washington state highway in Island and Snohomish counties, located in the United States. The long roadway begins at Sunrise Boulevard in Camano and travels east through Stanwood to end at...

 on Camano Island. SR 20 enters Island County via the Port Townsend
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...

-Coupeville
Coupeville, Washington
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...

 (Keystone
Keystone, Washington
Keystone, Washington may refer to:*Keystone, Adams County, Washington, an unincorporated community in Adams County*Keystone, Island County, Washington an unincorporated community in Island County...

) ferry route from the West, and departs via the Deception Pass Bridge
Deception Pass Bridge
The Deception Pass Bridge is a two-lane bridge connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island in the U.S. state of Washington. It was a Washington State Highways project, and included project elements built by young workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps...

 in the North. SR 525 enters Island County from the East/South via the Mukilteo
Mukilteo, Washington
Mukilteo , which means "good camping ground", is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,254 at the 2010 census. It is on the shore of the Puget Sound, and is the site of a Washington State Ferries terminal linking it to Clinton, on Whidbey Island.Mukilteo is...

-Clinton
Clinton, Washington
Clinton is a community and census-designated place located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The town was named after Clinton, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the village was 928. However, the post office serves at least 2,500 people.Clinton is the western...

 ferry and terminates at an intersection with SR 20, South of Coupeville. SR 532 begins on Camano Island, just a few hundred yards inside Island County at an intersection with Sunrise Boulevard and departs Island County to the East via the Mark Clark Bridge
Mark Clark Bridge
The Mark Clark Bridge, built in 1949, carried Washington State Route 532 across the Stillaguamish River to connect Stanwood, Washington to Camano Island. It provided the only road access to the island. The bridge was named to honor General Mark W. Clark, a decorated Army officer of World War II...

.
These islands are also served by a fare-free/pre-paid bus service called Island Transit
Island Transit (Washington)
Island Transit is a zero-fare transit system in Island County, Washington serving Whidbey Island, Camano Island, and the cities of Mount Vernon, Washington, Stanwood, Washington, and Everett, Washington. The system consists of fixed-route service, paratransit, and vanpool. It is funded by 9/10th...

.

Politics

Island County is divided in many ways between its north and south. While the north (Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor, Washington
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census.Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.-History:Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city...

) is conservative - George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 received almost 65 percent of the 2004 vote and carried all precincts - all southern and central precincts voted for John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

. This is probably accounted for by the presence of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, located north of Oak Harbor. The south-central area (Coupeville
Coupeville, Washington
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...

, Langley
Langley, Washington
Langley is a town in Island County, Washington, United States near the eastern end of the north shore of the south end of Whidbey Island. It is the third largest incorporated area on Whidbey. The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census, while the ZCTA for Langley's post office had a population of...

) voted over 60 percent for Kerry. Camano Island
Camano Island
Camano Island is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. Camano Island is separated from mainland...

 has a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 lean and went for Bush with 52 percent of the vote in 2004, but is much less polarized than the rest of the county.

Businessmen, Professionals and Entrepreneurs

  • Craig Platt
    Craig Platt
    Craig Platt is a criminal defense attorney who practices law in Washington State, particularly in the Puget Sound region.-Background:Craig Platt received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1981. Since being admitted to practice, Platt has worked on thousands of cases and has held a...

    , eminent criminal defense lawyer
    Criminal defense lawyer
    A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal conduct. Criminal defense lawyers can be permanently employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts. Such lawyers are often called public defenders. For a much more...

     and senior partner of the Seattle based law firm
    Law firm
    A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

     Platt & Buescher.

Incorporated cities and towns

  • Coupeville
    Coupeville, Washington
    As of the census of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile . There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile...

  • Langley
    Langley, Washington
    Langley is a town in Island County, Washington, United States near the eastern end of the north shore of the south end of Whidbey Island. It is the third largest incorporated area on Whidbey. The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census, while the ZCTA for Langley's post office had a population of...

  • Oak Harbor
    Oak Harbor, Washington
    Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census.Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.-History:Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city...


Census-designated places (CDPs)

  • Ault Field
    Ault Field, Washington
    Ault Field is a census-designated place in Island County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,064 at the 2000 census. It is the primary location of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.-Geography:...

     (Proper name for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
    Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
    Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is a naval air station located in two sections around Oak Harbor, Washington, USA. It was commissioned as an active U.S. Navy installation on 21 September 1942....

    )
  • Camano
    Camano, Washington
    Camano is a census-designated place in Island County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,347 at the 2000 census. Camano has its own ZIP code but shares a post office with Stanwood, despite Stanwood's distance...

  • Clinton
    Clinton, Washington
    Clinton is a community and census-designated place located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The town was named after Clinton, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the village was 928. However, the post office serves at least 2,500 people.Clinton is the western...

  • Freeland
    Freeland, Washington
    Freeland is a town and census-designated place in Island County, Washington, United States. At the time of the 2010 census the population was 2,035. The town received its name based on its origins as a socialist commune in the early 1900s—. Literally, in the eyes of its founders, the land of...


Other communities

  • Admirals Cove
  • Arrow Head Beach
  • Austin
  • Baby Island Heights
    Baby Island Heights, Washington
    Baby Island Heights is a small unincorporated community in Island County, Washington, United States. It is named after a small island offshore of the community commonly known as Baby Island...

  • Bayview
    Bayview, Washington
    Bayview is an unincorporated community centered at the intersection of State Route 525 and Bayview Road on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States....

  • Bells Beach
  • Beverly Beach
  • Cama Beach
  • Camp Grande
  • Camp Lagoon
  • Cavelero Beach
  • Columbia Beach
  • Cornell
  • Glendale
  • Greenbank
    Greenbank, Washington
    Greenbank is an unincorporated community on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, USA.Greenbank, which was named by Calvin Philips after his homestead in Delaware, has a population around 250...

  • Indian Beach
  • Keystone
    Keystone, Island County, Washington
    Keystone is a small unincorporated community on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, in the northwestern United States. It is near the Keystone Ferry Landing, a dock for the Washington State Ferries route to Port Townsend that provides a maritime link for State Route 20 across Admiralty Inlet...

  • Lona Beach
  • Mabana
  • Madrona Beach
  • Maxwelton
    Maxwelton, Washington
    Maxwelton is a mostly summer community located on the south end of Whidbey Island, Washington. It was first settled in 1905 by the Mackie family and named after a place in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, made famous in the song "Annie Laurie." The beach at Dave Mackie Park on Useless Bay is a...

  • Mountain View Beach
  • Pebble Beach
  • Penn Cove Park
  • Possession
  • Prairie Center (area located within the southern section of the town of Coupeville)
  • Rodena Beach
  • San De Fuca
    San De Fuca, Washington
    San de Fuca is an unincorporated community and geographical location on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. Formerly a small town in the 19th century, it lies on the north side of Penn Cove across from Coupeville....

  • Saratoga
  • Smith Prairie
  • Sunlight Beach
  • Sunny Shore Acres
  • Sunset Beach
  • Terrys Corner
  • Tyee Beach
  • Utsalady
    Utsalady, Washington
    Utsalady is an unincorporated community on the north shore of Camano Island, Island County, Washington, USA. It has an elementary school, part of the Stanwood school system...

  • Woodland Beach

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Island County, Washington

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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