Island County, Washington

County in Washington, United States

"Island County" redirects here; not to be confused with County island or Island country.

County in Washington

Island County

County

Shoreline at Fort Ebey State Park within U.S. Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey Island

Location within the U.S. state of Washington

Washington's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 48°09′N 122°35′W﻿ / ﻿48.15°N 122.58°W﻿ / 48.15; -122.58
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

(2024)

| 86,478
• Density| 381/sq mi (147/km2)
Time zone| UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district| 2nd
Website| islandcountywa.gov

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.

## Geography

[edit]

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.

### Geographic features

[edit]

* Puget Sound
* Strait of Juan de Fuca
* Whidbey Island
* Camano Island
* Saratoga Passage

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
* Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population 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%
2024 (est.)| 86,478| [7]| −0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[1]

### 2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, there were 86,857 people, 35,917 households, and 24,229 families living in the county.[12] The population density was 416.6 inhabitants per square mile (160.9/km2). There were 41,922 housing units at an average density of 201.1 inhabitants per square mile (77.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.2% White, 2.8% African American, 0.8% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from some other races and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.2% of the population.[13] 17.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.5% were under 5 years of age, and 27.8% were 65 and older.

### 2010 census

[edit]

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:

* 21.4% German
* 14.3% Irish
* 14.0% English
* 6.1% Norwegian
* 4.5% Scottish
* 4.3% French
* 4.1% Dutch
* 4.0% Swedish
* 4.0% American
* 3.6% Mexican
* 3.5% Italian
* 2.9% Filipino
* 2.5% Scotch-Irish
* 2.1% Polish
* 1.6% Welsh
* 1.5% Danish

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.

## Transportation

[edit]

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.

## Government and politics

[edit]

The county government is led by a board of commissioners with three elected members that represent geographical regions of Island County.[14]

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.[15]

In 2024, despite the country and state of Washington shifting to the right, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris improved in the county and had one of the best performances in its history, winning 56.43% of the vote. Harris outperformed Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide performance, and was only exceeded by Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 and 1936 performances.

United States presidential election results for Island County, Washington[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 20,967  | 39.98%  | 29,595  | 56.43% | 1,887  | 3.60%
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%

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Langley
* Oak Harbor

### Town

[edit]

* Coupeville (county seat)

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Camano
* Clinton
* Freeland
* Whidbey Island Station, formerly listed as Ault Field

### Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Austin
* Baby Island Heights
* Bayview
* Bells Beach
* Beverly Beach
* Bretland
* Camp Diana
* Columbia Beach
* Glendale
* Greenbank
* Juniper Beach
* Keystone
* Lagoon Point
* Mabana
* Maxwelton
* Midvale Corner
* Northgate Terrace
* Pebble Beach
* Penn Cove Park
* Pioneer Blueberries
* Possession
* Rodena Beach
* San De Fuca
* Sandy Hook
* Saratoga
* Sheliegh Estates
* Smith Prairie
* Sunlight Beach
* Sunny Shore Acres
* Tyee Beach
* Utsalady

Juniper Beach, a wedding ceremony locale in past years,[17] has given its name to the Juniper Beach Water District.[18]

## Education

[edit]

Island County has four school districts that provide public K–12 education to areas of the county: Coupeville School District, Oak Harbor School District, South Whidbey School District, and Stanwood-Camano School District.[19]

## See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. pp. 166.
4. ^ Reinartz, Kay. "History of King County Government 1853–2002" (PDF). p. 2\. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
5. ^ "Washington: Individual County Chronologies". Washington Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
7. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
10. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
12. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
13. ^ "How many people live in Island County, Washington". USA Today. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
14. ^ Stensland, Jessie (January 19, 2024). "Oddly, Island Transit board is now an even six". South Whidbey Record. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
15. ^ "November 8, 2016 Island County Election Results" (PDF). Islandcountywa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2020.
16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
17. ^ Island County Marriage Register, January-April 1939, paid subscription site accessed October 2017.
18. ^ Juniper Beach Water District, accessed October 2017
19. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division (December 21, 2020). 2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Island County, WA (PDF) (Map). 1:95,099. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

Places adjacent to Island County, Washington

| Strait of Juan de Fuca
(Capital Regional District, British Columbia ) | San Juan County | Skagit County

|
|

|  |
Clallam County |

Island County, Washington

| Snohomish County
|  |
Jefferson County | Kitsap County | King County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Island County, Washington, United States

County seat: Coupeville

Cities|

* Langley
* Oak Harbor

Map of Washington highlighting Island County

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* Clinton
* Freeland
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48°09′N 122°35′W﻿ / ﻿48.15°N 122.58°W﻿ / 48.15; -122.58
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