71-524: Coupeville is a town on Whidbey Island , in Island County , Washington , United States. It is the county seat of Island County. The population was 1,942 at the 2020 census . Prior to European settlement, Coupeville and the bay in which it is located, Penn Cove, was inhabited by the Lower Skagit , a Lushootseed -speaking Coast Salish people. There were three villages around the bay, with
142-432: A discrepancy. The Census Bureau explained that same-sex "Husband/wife" data samples were changed to "unmarried partner" by computer processing methods in 99% of the cases. In the remaining 1%, computer systems used one of two possibilities: a) one of the two listed sexes was changed, making the partnership appear heterosexual, or b) if the two partners were more than 15 years apart in age, they might have been reassigned into
213-609: A familial parent/child relationship. The process of automatic reassignment of same-sex marriage data was initiated so that the Census Bureau would not contravene the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996. The Act states: In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word 'marriage' means only
284-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 46.9% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 51.1 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
355-580: A retreat center near Coupeville , which was once the barracks for the adjacent Fort Casey . The only bridge that reaches Whidbey Island is the Deception Pass Bridge , State Route 20 , which connects the north end of Whidbey to the mainland via Fidalgo Island . Prior to the completion of the bridge in 1935, Whidbey Island was linked to Fidalgo Island by the Deception Pass ferry , which ran from 1924 to 1935. Modern ferry service
426-697: A sample of blocks. (In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Constitution prohibits the use of such figures for apportionment purposes, but it may be permissible for other purposes where feasible.) The controversy was partly technical, but also partly political, since based on data from the 1990 census both parties believed that adjustment would likely have the effect, after redistricting, of slightly increasing Democratic representation in legislative bodies, but would also give Utah an additional, probably Republican, representative to Congress. Following
497-473: Is Oak Harbor's largest employer; thus, Oak Harbor has a predominantly service-based economy and several national chain stores have been attracted to the Oak Harbor area. The economy of Whidbey Island south of Oak Harbor relies heavily on tourism, small-scale agriculture, and the arts. Tourism is especially important for both Whidbey and Camano Islands. On Whidbey, tourists find a wide range of amenities in
568-463: Is a two-runway airport located at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station north of Oak Harbor . In addition, the Navy also operates a flight training facility named Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville (Coupeville OLF) located just southeast of Coupeville . The Navy named USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41) in honor of the island. 2000 United States census The 2000 United States census , conducted by
639-709: Is also a series of county operated parks throughout the Island including: Earth Sanctuary is a nature reserve, sculpture garden and retreat center on Whidbey Island. The ponds and bog fen complex have been designated as a "habitat of local importance" by the Whidbey Audubon Society and Island County Critical Areas program. The Price Sculpture Forest opened in October 2020 in Coupeville. Whidbey Island hosts many festivals and celebrations throughout
710-542: Is available via State Route 20 on the Coupeville to Port Townsend ferry, and via State Route 525 on the Clinton to Mukilteo ferry service on the southern east coast. Travel on the island involves use of an extensive county road system, or city infrastructure depending on location, all of which act as feeders to the two state highways State Route 525 and State Route 20 . Whidbey Island's State Routes 525 / 20
781-439: Is found more in the northern part of Whidbey Island along with Sitka spruce and shore pine . There are three open prairie areas on Whidbey Island – Smith Prairie, Crockett Prairie and Ebey Prairie. Some patches of prickly pear cactus are found along the slopes near Partridge Point. Gray whales migrate between Whidbey and Camano Islands during March and April and can be seen from both ship and shore. Orca also make use of
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#1732801152171852-562: Is listed as a 3-A school. Coupeville School District operates in Coupeville, Washington and Greenbank, Washington . Within the district, there is one high school, one middle school, and one elementary school. Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association , Coupeville High is listed as a 1-A school. South Whidbey School District serves the southern end of the island, including Freeland , Langley , and Clinton . Within
923-517: Is located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Langley with a 2,470 feet (750 m) long runway. A.J. Eisenberg Airport is located 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Oak Harbor with a 3,265 ft (995 m) long runway. In addition, there are approximately half dozen private dirt strips on the island . Kenmore Air Express ran a scheduled airline service to Whidbey Island serving the Oak Harbor airport from 2006 to 2009. The United States Navy operates two airports on Whidbey Island. The largest
994-898: Is located near the center of Whidbey Island , which lies in Puget Sound between the mainland and the Olympic Peninsula . On the north side of downtown is Penn Cove , an inlet of the Saratoga Passage . The city is part of the Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve , which also includes Fort Ebey State Park to the west. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 1.23 square miles (3.19 km), all of it land. Coupeville experiences significantly lower rainfall than much of western Washington, due to its location within
1065-587: 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. According to
1136-567: Is the only nationally designated Scenic Byway on an island. It is appropriately named the "Whidbey Island Scenic Isle Way." It is also a part of the Cascade Loop . Public transportation is provided by Island Transit , which provides a zero-fare bus service paid for by a 6/10th of 1% sales tax within the county. There are currently 11 bus routes serving Whidbey Island. No service is available on Sundays or major holidays. Two public airports provide service to Whidbey Island. Whidbey Air Park
1207-423: The 2000 census , Whidbey Island was home to 67,000 residents with an estimated 29,000 of those living in rural locations. This increased slightly to 69,480 residents as of the 2010 census . Whidbey Island is approximately 37 miles (60 km) from north to south, and 1.5 to 10 miles (2.4 to 16.1 km) wide, with a total land area of 168.67 square miles (436.9 km ), making it the 40th largest island in
1278-654: The Boeing Everett Factory is located, and Seattle . Commuters to and from those areas use the Washington State Ferries system's run between Clinton and Mukilteo . Whidbey Island is often claimed to be the longest island in the continental United States (or another similar claim), but according to the Seattle Times it cannot be correctly considered so. The island has several bays, including on its east side Oak Harbor with
1349-535: The Census Bureau , determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 census . This was the twenty-second federal census and was at the time the largest civilly administered peacetime effort in the United States. Approximately 16 percent of households received a "long form" of
1420-655: The Town of Coupeville , the City of Langley , the Village of Freeland , the Community of Greenbank , the Village of Clinton and the Community of Bayview . Only Oak Harbor, Coupeville and Langley are incorporated, the others (with the exception of Greenbank and Bayview) are all census-designated places , and all but Bayview have their own post offices and ZIP codes. Whidbey Island is divided economically into two different regions:
1491-632: The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842, sailed the USS Vincennes into Penn Cove in 1841. By that time, the log church was already being built by the Native Americans beside a huge wooden cross (24 feet long) that they had erected. Wilkes ordered his men to use no force except in self-defense when dealing with the "savage and treacherous inhabitants". In fact, he encountered few problems with
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#17328011521711562-459: The mean center of U.S. population moved to Phelps County, Missouri . The Northeastern United States grew by 2,785,149; the Midwest by 4,724,144. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] (maps not to scale) [REDACTED] The results of the census are used to determine how many congressional districts each state is apportioned . Congress defines the formula, in accordance with Title 2 of
1633-713: The 2000 census is freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series . Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System . Personally identifiable information will be available in 2072. The U.S. resident population includes the total number of people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia . The Bureau also enumerated
1704-433: The 2000 census, which contained over 100 questions. Full documentation on the 2000 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series . This was the first census in which a state— California —recorded a population of over 30 million, as well as the first in which two states—California and Texas —recorded populations of more than 20 million. Microdata from
1775-523: The Colonel, was established in 1942 on the west side of the central part of the island, just northwest of Coupeville . Admiralty Head Lighthouse is located in this area, on the grounds of Fort Casey State Park . The area around Coupeville is the federally protected Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve , named in honor of Isaac Ebey. On September 25, 1959, a U.S. Navy P5M antisubmarine aircraft with an unarmed (it carried no nuclear material at
1846-550: The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population because they do not have voting seats in the U. S. House of Representatives. Since the first census in 1790 , the decennial count has been the basis for the United States representative form of government. Article I, Section II specifies that "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative." In 1790, each member of
1917-532: The House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House more than quadrupled in size, and in 1911 the number of representatives was fixed at 435. Today, each member represents about 20 times as many constituents. In the years leading up to the 2000 census, there was substantial controversy over whether the Bureau should adjust census figures based on a follow-up survey, called the post-enumeration survey, of
1988-557: The Kitsap Peninsula, Hale Passage and Dana Passage. Thomas W. Glasgow filed the first land claim on Whidbey Island in 1848, attempting to become the first settler. He built a small cabin near Penn Cove, planted some crops and married a local lady, Julia Pat-Ke-Nim. Glasgow left in August of that year however, having been forced out by the local inhabitants. Colonel Isaac N. Ebey arrived from Columbus, Ohio, in 1850 and became
2059-544: The Skagit at the village that their population had quickly fallen due to disease. Coupeville was laid out in the 1850s by Captain Thomas Coupe , and named for him. Coupeville was officially incorporated on April 20, 1910. Coupeville is a historic district within the federal Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve . The reserve was established by Congress in 1978 as the first and only National Historical Reserve in
2130-509: The Strait of Juan de Fuca, including Puget Sound, under the name of New Georgia. The first known overnight stay by a non-Native American was made on May 26, 1840, by a Catholic missionary, Father François Norbert Blanchet , during travel across Puget Sound. He had been invited by Chief Tslalakum. Blanchet remained on the island for nearly a year and guided the inhabitants in building a new log church. Lieutenant Charles Wilkes , commander of
2201-444: The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court ruling that rejected Utah's efforts to have Mormon missionaries counted. The state of Utah then filed another lawsuit alleging that the statistical methods used in computing the state populations were improper and cost Utah the seat. The Bureau uses a method called imputation to assign a number of residents to addresses where residents cannot be reached after multiple efforts. While nationwide
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2272-482: The U.S. Code, to reapportion among the states the 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives . The apportionment population consists of the resident population of the fifty states, plus the overseas military and federal civilian employees and their dependents living with them who could be allocated to a state. Each member of the House represents a population of about 647,000. The populations of
2343-485: The United States . It is ranked as the fourth longest and fourth largest island in the contiguous United States, behind Long Island , New York ; Padre Island , Texas (the world's longest barrier island); and Isle Royale , Michigan . In the state of Washington, it is the largest island, followed by Orcas Island . Whidbey Island was inhabited by members of the Lower Skagit , Swinomish , Suquamish , Snohomish and other Native American tribes. The Salishan name for
2414-517: The Whidbey Audubon Society, Approximately 230 bird species are reported to take advantage of the diverse habitats on the island. Whidbey Island is served by three public school districts . Oak Harbor School District operates in Oak Harbor . Within the district, there is one high school , one alternative high school, two middle schools, and five elementary schools. Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association , Oak Harbor High
2485-403: The average family size was 2.81. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household in the town
2556-542: The census did not count them specifically. Bisexual and transgender populations were not counted, either, because there were no questions regarding this information. Also unavailable is the number of additional same-sex couples living under the same roof as the first, though this applies to additional heterosexual couples as well. The lack of accurate numbers makes it difficult for lawmakers who are considering legislation on hate crimes or social services for gay families with children. It also makes for less accuracy when predicting
2627-414: The census was tabulated, Utah challenged the results in two different ways. Utah was extremely close to gaining a fourth congressional seat, falling 857 people short, which in turn was allocated to North Carolina . The margin was later shortened to 80 people, after the federal government discovered that it overcounted the population of North Carolina by 2,673 residents. The Census Bureau counted members of
2698-483: The census, discrepancies between the adjusted census figures and demographic estimates of population change could not be resolved in time to meet legal deadlines for the provision of redistricting data, and the Census Bureau therefore recommended that the unadjusted results be used for this purpose. This recommendation was followed by the Secretary of Commerce (the official in charge of making the determination). After
2769-434: The census, there could be three to six more homosexual un-partnered individuals who would not be counted as gay. The census reported that same-sex male couples numbered 336,001 and female same-sex couples numbered 329,522. Extrapolating from those figures and the surveyed partnering habits of homosexuals, as many as 4.3 million homosexual adults could have been living in the U.S. in 2000. The exact number cannot be known because
2840-519: The district, there is one high school (grades 9–12), one alternative school (grades K–12), one middle school (grades 5–8) split between 2 campuses, and one elementary school (grades K–4). Within the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, South Whidbey High is listed as a 1-A school. Skagit Valley College has one campus located in Oak Harbor. Seattle Pacific University owns Camp Casey,
2911-417: The farmers. Whidbey is home to numerous working artists, writers, and performers. These include many well-known painters, sculptors, glass artists, wood workers, metal workers, mixed media artists, photographers, authors, poets, actors, and musicians. In addition to being a haven for artists, the southern end of Whidbey Island also serves as a minor bedroom community for the nearby cities of Everett , where
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2982-421: The fertility of a population. Another issue that concerned gay rights advocates involved the automatic changing of data during the tabulation process. This automatic software data compiling method, called allocation , was designed to counteract mistakes and discrepancies in returned questionnaires. Forms that were filled out by two same-sex persons who checked the "Husband/wife" relationship box were treated as
3053-652: The first national historic reserve in the US created by the National Park Service to preserve the rural history and culture of the island and to protect the area's rare and sensitive plants. Washington State Parks located on the island include Deception Pass State Park (the most visited state park in Washington), Joseph Whidbey State Park , Fort Ebey State Park , Fort Casey State Park , Possession Point State Park , and South Whidbey State Park . There
3124-540: The first permanent white settler, claiming a square mile (2.6 km ) of prairie with a southern shoreline on Admiralty Inlet . He took advantage of the 640 acres offered free of charge to each married couple, the first to do so, on October 15, 1850. In the fall of 1851, his children, his wife, three of her brothers and the Samuel Crockett family arrived to join Ebey. In addition to farming potatoes and wheat, Ebey
3195-440: The group The Order . A large shootout occurred between Mathews and FBI agents in which Mathews was killed during a house fire. Mathews' followers have since gathered on the island at the location where he was killed by FBI agents on the anniversary of his death to commemorate it. On June 10, 2022, the island dedicated one of its trash cans to late night talk show host Conan O'Brien in an elaborate ceremony in which O'Brien signed
3266-892: The imputation method added 0.4% to the population, the rate in Utah was 0.2%. The state challenged that the use of imputation violates the Census Act of 1957 and that it also fails the Constitution's requirement in Article I, Section 2 that an "actual enumeration" be used for apportionment. This case, Utah v. Evans , made it to the Supreme Court , but Utah was again defeated. The census forms did not include any questions regarding sexual orientation , making it impossible to compile data comparing heterosexual and homosexual populations. However, two questions were asked that allowed same-sex partnerships to be counted. The questionnaires asked
3337-400: The indigenous people who had already been poorly treated by visitors and suffered from diseases they had introduced. Wilkes named the lower cove Holmes Harbor, after his assistant surgeon, Silas Holmes. During this time he charted Puget Sound. Other sites in the area that were given names by Wilkes included Maury Island (Vashon), Hammersley Inlet, Totten and Budd Inlets, Agate Passage between
3408-630: The island population and visitors attracted to the town's historic waterfront district and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve . Retail businesses are located along North and South Main Street, Coveland, and Front Street along the waterfront. In addition to 11 restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops, stores include art galleries, gourmet food, clothing, souvenir, and home decor retailers. With few exceptions, these businesses are operated by individual local owners. Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby , Whitbey , or Whitby )
3479-605: The island to the other. Vegetation in the south is more similar to that of mainland Washington. The principal trees are Douglas fir , red alder , bigleaf maple , western red cedar , western hemlock , and Pacific madrone . Compared to the rest of western Washington state, vine maple is notably absent, except where they have been planted. Other under-story plants include the evergreen huckleberry , lower longleaf Oregon grape , elderberry , salal , oceanspray , and varieties of nettle . Non-native introduced plants such as foxglove , ivy and holly are also evident. Farther up
3550-700: The island was Tscha-kole-chy. These were peaceful groups who lived off the sea and land, with fishing, harvesting nuts, berries and roots, which they preserved over the winter. The first known European sighting of Whidbey Island was during the 1790 Spanish expedition of Manuel Quimper and Gonzalo López de Haro on the Princesa Real . Captain George Vancouver fully explored the island in 1792. In May of that year, Royal Navy officers and members of Vancouver's expedition, Joseph Whidbey (master of HMS Discovery ) and Peter Puget (a lieutenant on
3621-404: The island, however, the shorter Oregon-Grape and the blue Evergreen Huckleberry is seen less, while tall Oregon-grape and Red Huckleberry predominate. The native Pacific rhododendron is much more visible. Amongst the deciduous varieties, Garry oak (from which Oak Harbor takes its name) are seen more frequently in the northern portion of the island. In the conifer classification, grand fir
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#17328011521713692-569: The largest being at bəc̓adᶻali , meaning "snake place", the site of present day Coupeville. There was an abundance of salmon, clams, and other resources, as well as offering easy access to the water, making it an excellent village site. When Europeans arrived to explore the Puget Sound, it was Joseph Whidbey who first visited the bay, naming it Penn Cove in honor of his good friend. Captain George Vancouver later wrote after meeting
3763-583: The military and other federal civilian employees serving abroad as residents of their home state but did not count other people living outside the United States. Utah claimed that people traveling abroad as religious missionaries should be counted as residents and that the failure to do so imposed a burden on Mormon religious practice. Almost half of all Mormon missionaries, more than 11,000 people, were from Utah; only 102 came from North Carolina. If this policy were changed, then Utah would have received an additional seat instead of North Carolina. On November 26, 2002,
3834-495: The nation. Its 22 square miles (57 km) also encompass farmlands, Fort Ebey State Park , Fort Casey State Park , shorelines and beaches, parks, trails, and 91 buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places . For pop culture and film fans, Coupeville is a film location for the cult classic film Practical Magic . The 1990s witchy hit starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman . Coupeville
3905-411: The northern end of the island (encompassing Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island Naval Air Station ), and the remainder of the island (encompassing Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley, Clinton and the smaller communities in-between). The economy of the northern end of Whidbey Island is strongly influenced by the presence of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station near Oak Harbor (N.A.S. Whidbey). N.A.S. Whidbey
3976-406: The population. There were 737 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and
4047-625: The rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains . Due to the significant drying trend in summer, Coupeville's climate is classified as warm-summer Mediterranean , according to the Köppen climate classification system. As of the 2010 census , there were 1,831 people, 806 households, and 428 families living in the town. The population density was 1,488.6 inhabitants per square mile (574.8/km). There were 933 housing units at an average density of 758.5 per square mile (292.9/km). The racial makeup of
4118-511: The residents of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico ; its population was 3,808,610, an 8.1% increase over the number from a decade earlier. In an introduction to a more detailed population profile (see references below ), the Census Bureau highlighted the following facts about U.S. population dynamics: Regionally, the South and West experienced the bulk of the nation's population increase: 14,790,890 and 10,411,850, respectively. This meant that
4189-554: The sex of each person in a household and they asked what the relationship was between each of the members of the household. Respondents could check "Husband/wife" or "unmarried partner" or a number of other relationships. Responses were tabulated and the Census Bureau reported that there were more than 658,000 same-sex couples heading households in the United States. However, only about 25% of gay men and 40% of lesbians are in shared-household partnerships at any one time, according to non-census surveys. For every same-sex couple tallied in
4260-524: The ship), began to map and explore the areas of what would later be named Puget Sound . After Whidbey circumnavigated the island in June 1792, Vancouver named the island in his honor. By that time, Vancouver had claimed the area for Britain. On 4 June 1792, the King's Birthday, near Possession Point at the southern end of Whidbey Island, Vancouver took formal possession of all the coast and hinterland contiguous to
4331-537: The time) nuclear depth charge on board crash-landed into Puget Sound near Whidbey Island. The Mark 90 nuclear bomb casing was never recovered. On August 8, 1970, the infamous Penn Cove capture of several orcas along with the deaths of several orcas occurred in Penn Cove off the island's east coast. In December 1984, the island was the site of a violent encounter between law enforcement and white nationalist and organized crime leader Robert Jay Mathews of
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#17328011521714402-424: The top of the trash can with a black marker. O'Brien was visiting the island to attend the premiere of a play written by Liza O'Brien (his wife). Whidbey Island, along with Camano Island , Ben Ure Island and six uninhabited islands, comprises Island County, Washington . The county seat is located in the town of Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Population centers of Whidbey Island include the City of Oak Harbor ,
4473-411: The town of Oak Harbor at its base, and Penn Cove with the towns of Coupeville and San de Fuca on its south and north shores respectively. Whidbey Island has four lakes that are part of its interior hydrology: Cranberry Lake (inside Deception Pass State Park), Deer Lake, Goss Lake and Lone Lake (both near the town of Langley). Whidbey Island contains Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve ,
4544-511: The town was 44.3% male and 55.7% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families living in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile (519.7/km). There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile (245.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 89.8% White, 1.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 2.8% from other races , and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or [Latino of any race were 5.3% of
4615-442: The town was 87.2% White , 1.6% African American , 0.6% Native American , 1.9% Asian , 0.3% Pacific Islander , 4.2% from other races , and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.0% of the population. There were 806 households, of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had
4686-452: The towns of Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland and Langley. Coupeville's Penn Cove Mussel Farm exports large quantities of its highly renowned Penn Cove Mussels . This aquaculture facility, along with a number of small farms, reflects the rural agricultural nature of most of central Whidbey Island. Many of these small farms host farm stands onsite, where customers may buy produce, flowers, meat, eggs and other locally raised products directly from
4757-655: The waters surrounding Whidbey Island, including the southern residents . Penn Cove was used as an orca-hunting area in the 1960s and 1970s by aquarium owner Ted Griffin , who captured several young southern resident orcas for sale to marine parks and killed others in the process. The southern residents did not return to Penn Cove until a sighting in 2024. Clams and oysters are abundant locally and may be harvested from some public beaches. The Washington State Department of Health provides an online guide to assist in identifying shellfish varieties as well as providing guidance about where to find specific varieties. According to
4828-666: The year. Whidbey Island lies partially in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountain Range to the west, and has a variety of climate zones. This can be observed by rainfall amounts – wettest in the south with average rainfall of 36 inches (910 mm), driest in the central district of Coupeville with average rainfall of 20 to 22 inches (510 to 560 mm), and turning moister again farther north with average rainfall of 32 inches (810 mm). Microclimates abound, determined by proximity to water, elevation and prevailing winds. Vegetation varies greatly from one end of
4899-530: Was $ 33,938, and the median income for a family was $ 47,721. Males had a median income of $ 33,235 versus $ 27,100 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 18,720. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over. In 1987, 42 percent of the county's population were employed by the military. Major employers in Coupeville are Island County and WhidbeyHealth Medical Center. Service and retail businesses serve
4970-619: Was also the postmaster for Port Townsend, Washington and rowed a boat daily across the inlet in order to work at the post office there. Colonel Ebey also served as a representative in the Oregon Territory Legislative Assembly, as Island County's first Justice of the Peace, as a probate judge and as Collector of Customs for the Puget Sound District. On August 11, 1857, at age 39, Colonel Ebey
5041-421: Was murdered and beheaded by Native Americans, said to be Haida who had traveled to this area from Haida Gwaii . Some sources however, refer to his killers as "Russian Indians called Kakes or Kikans, [from] Kufrinoff Island, near the head of Prince Frederick's Sound." Ebey was slain in proxy-retaliation for the killing of a Haida chief or Tyee and 27 other indigenous people at Port Gamble . Fort Ebey , named for
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