102-653: Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington , United States. It is located in Puget Sound . The population was 24,825 at the 2020 census , making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. The island is separated from the Kitsap Peninsula by Port Orchard , with Bremerton lying to the southwest. Bainbridge Island is a suburb of Seattle, connected via
204-524: A 16-foot male white shark that was featured in an episode of the 2012 season of Shark Week called "Great White Highway," is believed to be the oldest living white shark so far documented returning to the Farallones, estimated at 25–30 years old. Some individual sharks have been tagged and found to roam the Pacific as far as Hawaii and Guadalupe Island off Baja California , returning regularly to
306-492: A 35-minute ride away on the Washington State Ferries . The city has occupied the entire space of Bainbridge Island since February 28, 1991, when the 1.5-square-mile (3.9 km) city of Winslow (incorporated on August 9, 1947), annexed the rest of the island after a narrowly passed November 1990 referendum. It officially remained the city of Winslow for several months, until November 7, 1991, at which time
408-404: A family was $ 71,065. Males had a median income of $ 52,282 versus $ 38,499 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 29,755. About 6.1% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. Kitsap County is generally considered to be a relatively Democratic area, owing to progressivism stemmed from
510-592: A group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones , off the coast of San Francisco , California , United States. The islands are also sometimes referred to by mariners as the Devil's Teeth Islands , in reference to the many treacherous underwater shoals in their vicinity. The islands lie 30 miles (48 km) outside the Golden Gate and 20 miles (32 km) south of Point Reyes , and are visible from
612-569: A record of the islands that has survived was the English privateer and explorer Sir Francis Drake , on July 24, 1579. On that day, Drake landed on the islands to collect seal meat and bird eggs for his ship. He named them the Islands of Saint James because the day after his arrival was the feast day of St James the Great . The name of St James is now applied to only one of the rocky islets of
714-427: A rich pelagic food web. Orca whales are also found around the islands. Gray whales are reliably found near the Farallones during their spring migration north and the fall and winter migration south. Some gray whales may also be found during the summer, when a few whales skip the trip north to Alaska and spend the summer months off the coast of Canada and the continental United States. In December 2005, one humpback
816-549: A significant diversity of other coastal land forms, including spits , bluffs , dunes , lagoons , cuspate forelands , tombolos , tide flats , streams and tidal deltas, islands, and rocky outcrops. The high point is 425-foot (130 m) Toe Jam Hill . On the Kitsap Peninsula, Bremerton and Poulsbo lie across the Port Orchard channel to the west, and the city of Port Orchard lies across Rich Passage to
918-472: A solo sailing trip from San Francisco to the Farallones on January 28, 2007. Despite an unusually thorough search, neither his body nor his boat was ever found. On April 14, 2012, the sailing yacht Low Speed Chase capsized during a race at Maintop Island, killing 5 of the 8 crew aboard. Three people have successfully swum from the Farallones to the Golden Gate, with two more swimming to points north of
1020-514: Is Rittenburg Bank, with depths of less than 260' (80 meters) ( 37°53′N 123°18′W / 37.883°N 123.300°W / 37.883; -123.300 ). Although the Farallon Islands do not have an official weather station, satellite measurements indicate a very mild mediterranean climate due to its offshore position in the midst of the very cold California Current . The cold waters also make it rather chilly during most of
1122-609: Is a county in the U.S. state of Washington . As of the 2020 census , its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard ; its largest city is Bremerton . The county, formed out of King County and Jefferson County on January 16, 1857, is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish Tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed. Kitsap County comprises the Bremerton– Silverdale – Port Orchard , WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which
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#17327942586161224-584: Is a mix of battleground areas. Non-Bremerton parts of incorporated mainland Kitsap County vary, with Silverdale having become a Republican stronghold, Poulsbo marginally Democratic, and Port Orchard consistently electing Republican candidates. Democrats typically carry the Indian reservations of the area by wide margins; the area around Little Boston (part of the S'Klallam Indian Reservation ) regularly votes for Democratic candidates. The Kitsap County Auditor Website has detailed election results from 1998 to
1326-495: Is about 5 miles (8 km) wide and 10 miles (16 km) long, encompassing nearly 17,778 acres (27.778 sq mi; 71.95 km), and is one of Puget Sound's larger islands. Bainbridge Island shorelines border the main body of Puget Sound, as well as Port Orchard Bay, a large protected embayment , and two high-current tidal passages, Rich Passage and Agate Pass . The island has an irregular coastline of approximately 53 miles (85 km), with numerous bays and inlets and
1428-483: Is also included in the Seattle – Tacoma , WA Combined Statistical Area . The United States Navy is the largest employer in the county, with installations at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport , and Naval Base Kitsap (which comprises former NSB Bangor and NS Bremerton). Kitsap County is connected to the eastern shore of Puget Sound by Washington State Ferries routes, including
1530-602: Is based on Bainbridge Island. The novel's author, David Guterson , lives on the island and worked for ten years as a teacher at Bainbridge High School . Bainbridge Island is the main setting of the 2021 novel You Love Me , the third installment in the You series by novelist Caroline Kepnes . Kepnes visited Bainbridge while writing the story and used the names of several local businesses. In Michael Crichton 's 1994 novel Disclosure , protagonist Tom Sanders lives with his wife and two children on Bainbridge Island. Some scenes from
1632-468: Is believed that probably for the next two centuries after Drake first recorded their existence, their rather ominous appearance, lying just off the entrance to San Francisco Bay , most likely caused the earlier mariners to prefer to skirt far to the west and offshore from the entrance to the bay, thus leading to the much later discovery of the San Francisco Bay by land over two centuries after
1734-699: Is connected to the Kitsap Peninsula by the Agate Pass Bridge , carrying SR 305 over Agate Passage at the island's northwest corner. The only other way off the island is by the Seattle–Bainbridge Island ferry , the Washington State Ferries service from the dock at Winslow in Eagle Harbor to Colman Dock (Pier 52) in Seattle. Numerous public right of way access points to water around the island also exist, officially called Road Ends. When
1836-640: Is featured in the first episode of the fifteenth season of the HGTV reality television series Island Life . A local restaurant, the Big Star Diner (now known as the Madison Diner ), is featured in the tenth episode of the first season of the Food Network series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives . Bainbridge has the following sister cities : Kitsap County, Washington Kitsap County
1938-501: Is home to several major United States Navy facilities, collectively named Naval Base Kitsap , and grew in response to wars and conflicts in the 20th century. Bremerton, the site of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , peaked at 80,000 residents during World War II . Naval Submarine Base Bangor was developed in the 1980s to store nuclear weapons for submarines and contributed to the county's population growth during
2040-414: Is informally known as "the pimple." North Farallon Islands, about 5 miles (7 km) further northwest, consist of two clusters of bare precipitous islets and rocks 100' to 280' (31 to 85 meters) high, with an aggregate area of 7 acres (28,270 m ) Some of those unnamed rocks, however, have Spanish names, such as Piedra Guadalupe , Peñasco Quebrado and Farallón Vizcaíno . 3 miles (5 km) WNW of
2142-517: Is named after the islands. The islands string northwestward from Southeast Farallon Island for 5 miles (8.0 km). Their total land area is 0.16 square miles (0.41 km ). The islands were initially exploited for bird eggs and fur seal skins, then used as a lighthouse station and a radio station. They have been protected in the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, first established in 1909 with
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#17327942586162244-615: Is represented by Democrat Derek Kilmer . In the 2008 Democratic primary (which in Washington state was not used for delegate appointment), Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton by a margin of 67.8% to 29.7%. This was Obama's second-best performance in an incorporated municipality in the state, behind Yarrow Point . In the earlier caucus , Obama received 79.3% of delegates, Clinton received 19.8%, and 0.1% were uncommitted. The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art opened in June 2013 near
2346-800: Is served by the Bainbridge Island School District , which houses the following public schools: BISD also offers home-based and student-directed educational programming under the umbrella of the Commodore Options School: The Puget Sound Naval Academy , formerly the Moran School, operated on the island from 1914 to 1933, and then again from 1937 to 1951. In 2001, Bainbridge Island Little League were represented in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania at
2448-504: Is the downtown core and has most of the shopping and dining. Lynwood Center on the south end of the island has several restaurants and a small hotel. Fletcher Bay (also referred to as Island Center) has a small grocery store and one restaurant. Rolling Bay is located on the east side of the island. The local newspapers are the weekly Bainbridge Island Review , Kitsap Sun , and the Bainbridge Islander . Bainbridge Island
2550-616: The Issei , came in 1883. During World War II, Japanese-American residents of Bainbridge Island were the first to be sent to internment camps , an event commemorated by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial , which opened in 2011. They were held by the US government through the duration of the war for fear of espionage . A High-frequency direction finding (HFDF) station
2652-667: The Little League World Series . The island's high school lacrosse team has won state titles, the most recent coming on May 19, 2007. In 2009, the Bainbridge High School Fastpitch team won the Washington 3A State Title. The team also played in the championship game in 2010. In 2011, 2012 and 2018, the Bainbridge High School Girls Lacrosse team won the state championship. Pickleball was invented by
2754-580: The Mercury and the Isabella , and at least 30,000 seal skins were taken. By 1818, the seals diminished rapidly until only about 500 could be taken annually and within the next few years, the fur seal was extirpated from the islands. Whether the northern fur seal or the Guadalupe fur seal were the islands' native fur seal is unknown, although the northern fur seal is the species that began to recolonize
2856-525: The National Weather Service provided some weather observations from the lighthouse on its local radio station. The islands have also been mentioned in connection with the schooner Malahat as one possible site for Rum Row during Prohibition . A high-frequency direction finding (HFDF) station was established here by the Navy during World War II . These radio intercept sites along
2958-503: The Seattle-Bremerton Ferry , Southworth to West Seattle via Vashon Island , Bainbridge Island to Downtown Seattle , and from Kingston to Edmonds, Washington . Kitsap Transit provides passenger-only fast ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle, Kingston and Seattle, and Southworth and Seattle. The Kitsap Peninsula was originally acquired by the U.S. Government in three pieces by three treaties negotiated with
3060-866: The Washington State Ferries system and to Poulsbo and the Suquamish Indian Reservation by State Route 305 , which uses the Agate Pass Bridge . For thousands of years, members of the Suquamish people and their ancestors lived on the land now called Bainbridge Island. There were nine villages on the island; these included winter villages at Port Madison , Battle Point , Point White, Lynwood Center, Port Blakely , and Eagle Harbor, as well as summer villages at Manzanita, Fletcher Bay, and Rolling Bay . In 1792, English explorer Captain George Vancouver spent several days with his ship HMS Discovery anchored off Restoration Point at
3162-546: The Yakima War . The bill passed as amended. It was signed by Governor Isaac Stevens on January 16, 1857. The county seat would be located in Meigs's mill town at Port Madison. In Slaughter County's first election on July 13, 1857, voters were given the opportunity to rename the county. The options were "Mill", "Madison" or "Kitsap". Slaughter was not one of the options. Kitsap won by an overwhelming majority. Kitsap County
Bainbridge Island, Washington - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-488: The clipper ship that struck it on January 1, 1863, and sank within one hour. The banks northwest of Fanny Shoal are not considered part of the Farallon Islands anymore, and they are outside of U.S. territorial waters . About 15 miles (25 km) northwest of Fanny Shoal is Cordell Bank , a significant marine habitat ( 38°01′N 123°25′W / 38.017°N 123.417°W / 38.017; -123.417 ). About halfway between Fanny Shoal and Cordell Bank
3366-403: The film adaptation later that year were filmed on the island, including at Bainbridge Ferry Terminal and Capt. Johnston Blakely Elementary School. The epilogue of the 1996 film That Thing You Do! reveals that main characters Guy Patterson and Faye Dolan moved with their four children to Bainbridge Island, where they founded the fictional Puget Sound Conservatory of Music. Bainbridge Island
3468-456: The 1542 discovery of the islands. In 1769, the bay inlet was finally discovered soon after an overland sighting of the bay was made from what is now the Pacifica area. In the years following the discovery of the islands, during the maritime fur trade era, the islands were exploited by seal hunters, first from New England and later from Russia . The Russians maintained a sealing station in
3570-534: The 23rd governor of Washington , is a local resident, and represented it in Congress from 1999 to 2012. Bainbridge Island is in Washington State's 23rd District and as of September 2023 is represented by Democratic state senator Drew Hansen and Democratic state representatives Tarra Simmons and Greg Nance . In the U.S. Congress Bainbridge is part of Washington's 6th congressional district and
3672-820: The Bangor-Shelton-Bremerton Navy Railroad, runs through the county. It is a branch off the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad , with its junction at Shelton. At the Bremerton Junction near Gorst a spur follows Highway 3 along the shore of the Sinclair Inlet terminating at the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard, the other follows Highway 3 along the western shore of Dyes Inlet, servicing Bangor Naval Submarine Base. The Navy had originally intended to use armored trains to transport nuclear missiles to Bangor for
3774-776: The Farallon Wilderness was established ( Public Law 93-550) and includes all islands except the Southeast Island for a total of 141 acres (57 ha). Additionally, waters surrounding the islands are protected as part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary . The peaks of the Farallon Islands are visible from coastal areas of San Francisco and Marin County, so the Native Americans who lived in
3876-502: The Farallones every year in the autumn. Satellite tracking has revealed the majority of great white sharks from the Farallones (and from other parts of California, Hawaii and the west coast of Mexico) migrate to an area of ocean dubbed the White Shark Café , 1,500 miles (2,400 km) west of Ensenada, Baja California . The peak of activity at this location is from mid-April to Mid-July, but some sharks spend up to eight months of
3978-481: The Farallones from 1812 to 1840, taking 1,200 to 1,500 fur seals annually, though American ships had already exploited the islands. The Albatross , captained by Nathan Winship, and the O'Cain , captained by his brother Jonathan Winship, were the first American ships sent from Boston in 1809 to establish a settlement on the Columbia River. In 1810, they met with two other American ships at the Farallon Islands,
4080-471: The Farallones have been nicknamed, often based on their scars and appearances, such as Gouge, The Hunchback, The Jester, and Stumpy. Stumpy, an 18-foot female great white, in particular was well known for her appearance in the BBC documentary "Great White Shark" narrated by David Attenborough and stock footage of her attacks on decoys is often utilized in more recent documentaries, and another example, Tom Johnson,
4182-432: The Farallones is unclear, with estimates from thirty to one hundred. The Farallones are unique in the size of the great whites that are attracted. The average length of a full-grown great white shark is 4 to 4.8 metres (13 to 16 ft), with a weight of 680 to 1,100 kg (1,500 to 2,430 lb), females generally being larger than males. Farallon great whites range between the "smaller" males at 13 ft (4.0 m) to
Bainbridge Island, Washington - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-549: The Farallons and extirpated the pinnipeds from the islands. In 1996 West End Island became the fourth American northern fur seal rookery when a pup was born. The recolonizers bore tags from San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands , which had been itself recolonized in 1968. By 2006, nearly 100 pups were born. The fur seals are aggressive and have displaced larger sea lions from their territory. The high count for 2011
4386-509: The Golden Gate to SE Farralone, in just over 17 hours. The collecting of eggs, along with the threat of oil spills from San Francisco's shipping lanes, prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to sign Executive Order No. 1043 in 1909, creating the Farallon Reservation to protect the chain's northern islands. This was expanded to the other islands in 1969 when it became a national wildlife refuge . In 1981, Congress designated
4488-713: The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, which spanned 1,279 square miles (3,313 square kilometers; 966 square nautical miles) of water surrounding the islands. This sanctuary protected open ocean, nearshore tidal flats, rocky intertidal areas, estuarine wetlands, subtidal reefs, and coastal beaches within its boundaries. In 2015, the sanctuary was enlarged north and west of the original boundary, partially surrounding Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary , to encompass 3,295 square miles (8,534 square kilometers; 2,488 square nautical miles), and
4590-659: The Native American tribes: Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens represented the United States in all three negotiations. When the Washington Territory was organized in 1853, the Kitsap Peninsula was divided between King County to the east and Jefferson County to the west. Official public papers were required to be filed at the county seat, which meant Peninsula business people had to travel to either Seattle or Port Townsend to transact business. On
4692-603: The North Farallones is Fanny Shoal, a bank 2 miles (3 km) in extent, with depth less than 180' (55 meters), marking the northernmost and westernmost feature of the group, albeit entirely submerged. Noonday Rock , which rises abruptly from a depth of 120' (37 meters), with a least depth of 4 meters (13 feet) over it at low tide, is the shallowest point of Fanny Shoal. There is a lighted bell buoy about 1000 yards (1 km) west of Noonday Rock. Noonday Rock, formerly known as Fanny Rock , derives its name from that of
4794-560: The North Farallons. The islands were apparently first given their names "Farallones" (literally, "cliffs") by Friar Antonio de la Ascencion, aboard the Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno's 1603 expedition. De la Ascension wrote in his diary, "Six leagues before reaching Punta de los Reyes ( Point Reyes ) is a large island, two leagues from land and three leagues northwest of this are . . . seven farallones close together." It
4896-667: The Olympic Peninsula. The agency launched its fast ferry services to Seattle in July 2017, beginning initially with a Bremerton route and later expanding to Kingston in 2018. Fast ferry service to Southworth is expected to begin in 2020. The county is connected to Jefferson County and the Olympic Peninsula to the west by the Hood Canal Bridge . A 48-mile-long (77 km) government-owned rail line,
4998-630: The San Francisco area were aware of them, and believed them to be an abode of the spirits of the dead. They are not believed to have traveled to the islands. The first Europeans to see these islands were most probably the members of the Juan Cabrillo expedition of 1542, which sailed as far north as Point Reyes , but no source record of the Cabrillo expedition's actual sighting of these islands has survived. The first European to create
5100-792: The Southeast Farallons added in 1969, and contain the largest seabird colony in the U.S. outside of Alaska and Hawaii . The islands are part of the City and County of San Francisco, in Supervisorial District 4, mainly covering the Sunset District . They were formerly part of District 1 ( The Richmond District ). Middle Farallon Island, 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of SEFI, is a 20-foot (6.1 m) high guano -covered black rock about 210' (65 meters) in diameter, with an area of ¾ acre (3,362 m ). This island
5202-608: The Trident submarines but protesters and a series of court decisions derailed the plan. Today the railroad is primarily used to transport scrap from PSNS. Walking Tall with The Rock and Johnny Knoxville was based in Kitsap County, and the City of Port Orchard is the basis for the fictional community of Cedar Cove in the books by Debbie Macomber . Farallon Islands The Farallon Islands / f æ r ə l ɔː n / FA -ra-lon , or Farallones (from Spanish farallón 'pillar, sea cliff'), are
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#17327942586165304-486: The Winslow ferry terminal. It was developed by Cynthia Sears, who began collecting works of art made by island residents in 1989. The museum cost $ 15.6 million to construct and includes a 99-seat auditorium, a classroom, and other spaces. The building has 20,000 square feet (1,900 m) of space and was designed to resemble the bow of a ship. The fictional San Piedro Island in the 1994 novel Snow Falling on Cedars
5406-407: The age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families, and 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 59,549 and the median income for
5508-448: The area. Summer highs seldom rise far above 60 °F (16 °C). The Farallon Islands are an important reserve protecting a huge seabird colony . The islands' position in the highly productive California Current and eastern Pacific upwelling region, as well as the absence of other large islands that would provide suitable nesting grounds, result in a seabird population of over 250,000. Twelve species of seabird and shorebird nest on
5610-513: The average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 33.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. Bainbridge Island has four centers of commerce: Winslow , Lynwood Center , Fletcher Bay (also referred to as Island Center), and Rolling Bay . Winslow
5712-441: The barrels would likely produce greater risk than leaving them undisturbed. The islands are the site of many shipwrecks . The liberty ship SS Henry Bergh , a converted troop carrier, hit West End in 1944 (all hands were saved). The USS Conestoga , a US Navy tugboat that disappeared with its 56 crew members in 1921, was found in 2009 and positively identified in 2016. (The Conestoga had sailed from nearby San Francisco, but
5814-483: The census block group in which Winslow is located had a median household income of $ 42,000, less than half of the island's median household income and one-third of several of the island's wealthiest block groups, and also $ 10,000 less than national and statewide averages. More than half of Winslow households live in rental units, compared to 20% of households across the island. As of the 2010 census , there were 23,025 people, 9,470 households, and 6,611 families residing in
5916-405: The city of Winslow annexed the entirety of Bainbridge Island in 1991, it absorbed numerous named unincorporated communities . Most of these are still referred to by name. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $ 88,243, and the median income for a family was $ 108,605. Males had a median income of $ 65,853 versus $ 42,051 for females. The per capita income for
6018-602: The city of Winslow was renamed the city of Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island was formed during the last ice age—13,000 to 15,000 years ago—when the 3,000-foot-thick (910 m) Vashon Glacier scraped out the Puget Sound and Hood Canal basins. Bainbridge Island is in the Puget Sound Basin, east of the Kitsap Peninsula , directly east of the Manette Peninsula and west of Seattle . The island
6120-405: The city was $ 37,482. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over. The socioeconomic profile varies significantly between the rural parts of the island and Winslow, its urban center. In contrast to Bainbridge Island as a whole, Winslow is home to households with a wide range of incomes. In 2010,
6222-413: The city. The population density was 735.6 inhabitants per square mile (284.0/km). There were 8,517 housing units at an average density of 308.5 per square mile (119.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 92.88% White, 0.28% African American, 0.62% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos, of any race, were 2.17% of
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#17327942586166324-404: The city. The population density was 833.9 inhabitants per square mile (322.0/km). There were 10,584 housing units at an average density of 383.3 per square mile (148.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of
6426-531: The coast could track Japanese warships and merchant marine vessels as far away as the Western Pacific. The other stations in California were at Point Arguello , Point Saint George, and San Diego. Bainbridge Island, Washington also hosted a station. The United States Coast Guard maintained a staffed lighthouse until 1972, when it was automated. From 1946 to 1970, the sea around the Farallones
6528-432: The core of the Sierra Nevada . The block was rifted off far to the south of its present position and moved north with the Pacific Plate on which the islands rest. Other nearby examples of the Salinian Block include the Point Reyes Peninsula and Bodega Head . The San Andreas Fault , marking a boundary zone between the Pacific and North American Plates, passes a few miles east of the islands. The ancient Farallon Plate
6630-550: The county north of Silverdale is often referred to as North Kitsap , and the portion south of Bremerton as South Kitsap . As of the 2020 census , there were 275,611 people, 105,803 households, and 71,548 families living in the county. As of the 2010 census , there were 251,133 people, 97,220 households, and 65,820 families residing in the county. The population density was 635.9 inhabitants per square mile (245.5/km ). There were 107,367 housing units at an average density of 271.9 per square mile (105.0/km ). The racial makeup of
6732-428: The county was 82.6% white, 4.9% Asian, 2.6% black or African American, 1.6% American Indian, 0.9% Pacific islander, 1.6% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.3% were German , 14.4% were Irish , 13.8% were English , 7.1% were Norwegian , and 4.2% were American . Of the 97,220 households, 31.7% had children under
6834-491: The county's Scandinavian settlers. In the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Democrat Hillary Clinton received 49.05% of the vote to Republican Donald Trump 's 38.07%. This Democratic margin widened in 2020, with candidate Joe Biden receiving 56.90% of the vote versus incumbent Trump receiving 38.80%. On mainland Kitsap County, politics are strongly influenced by working-class Bremerton , which casts moderate margins for Democratic candidates. Unincorporated Kitsap County
6936-603: The decade from 147,000 to 190,000. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 566 square miles (1,470 km ), of which 395 square miles (1,020 km ) is land and 171 square miles (440 km ) (30%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Washington by land area and third-smallest by total area. In addition to occupying most of the Kitsap Peninsula , Kitsap County includes both Bainbridge Island and Blake Island . According to Puget Sound Partnership, Kitsap county has over 250 miles (400 km) of saltwater shoreline. The portion of
7038-401: The family of congressman Joel Pritchard at their summer home on Bainbridge Island in 1965. It is similar to badminton and tennis, but played with paddles and a lightweight plastic ball. Bainbridge Island has a seven-member city council. The members are elected to staggered four-year terms and appoint a city manager. Bainbridge Island is a stronghold of the Democratic Party . Jay Inslee ,
7140-430: The females, which generally range between 17 and 19 ft (5.2 and 5.8 m). (For comparison, the largest accurately measured great white shark was a female caught in August 1988 at Prince Edward Island off the North Atlantic coast and measured 20.3 ft (6.2 m).) A killer whale was recorded killing a great white near the Farallones in 1997. Over the decades of study, many of the individual white sharks visiting
7242-413: The gate. The first, Ted Erikson, made the swim in September 1967, with the second, Joseph Locke, swimming to the Golden Gate on July 12, 2014, in 14 hours. The third person, and the first woman to complete the distance, Kimberley Chambers , made it in just over 17 hours on August 7, 2015. On May 11, 2024, Amy Appelhans Gubser became the first and only person to have swum in the outbound direction, from
7344-521: The highly radioactive hull of USS Independence , which was used in Operation Crossroads nuclear weapons testing and then loaded with barrels of radioactive waste, was scuttled in the area. Its wreck was rediscovered in 2015. The exact current location of the containers and the potential hazard the containers pose to the environment are unknown. According to the EPA, attempts to remove
7446-478: The inner islands, from where they catch the sea otter without hindrance." After Alta California was ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , the islands' environment became linked to the growth of the city of San Francisco. Beginning in 1853, a lighthouse was constructed on SEFI. As the city grew, the seabird colonies came under severe threat as eggs were collected in
7548-618: The island while surveying the Pacific Northwest . Lt. Wilkes named the island after Commodore William Bainbridge , commander of the frigate USS Constitution in the War of 1812 . Settlers originally used Bainbridge Island as a center for the logging and shipbuilding industries with the island being clearcut at least two times in its history. The island was known for huge and accessible cedars, which were especially in demand for ships' masts. The original county seat of Kitsap County
7650-480: The island). Five species of pinniped come to shore on the islands, and in some cases breed. These are the northern elephant seal , harbor seal , Steller's sea lion , California sea lion , and the northern fur seal (the last of which, like the rhinoceros auklet, began to return to the island again after protection). Sealers took 150,000 northern fur seals ( Callorhinus ursinus ) from the Farallons between 1810 and 1813, followed by Russian fur hunters who lived on
7752-612: The islands in 1996. On July 17, 1827, French sea captain Auguste Duhaut-Cilly sailed by the southernmost Farallon Island and counted the "crude dwellings of about a hundred Kodiaks stationed there by the Russians of Bodega ...the Kodiaks, in their light boats, slip into San Francisco Bay by night, moving along the coast opposite the fort, and once inside this great basin, they station themselves temporarily on some of
7854-439: The islands, although the lighthouse keepers continued egging. . From 1902 to 1913, the former U.S. Weather Bureau maintained a weather station on the southeast island, which was connected with the mainland by cable. The results of the meteorological study were later published in a book on California's climate. Temperatures during those years never exceeded 90 °F (32 °C) or dropped to 32 °F (0 °C). Years later,
7956-460: The islands. In 1970, Farallon biologists witnessed their first shark attack, on a Steller's sea lion. During the next fifteen years, more than one hundred attacks on seals and sea lions were observed at close range. By the year 2000, biologists were logging almost eighty attacks in a single season. While the males return annually, the females return only every other year, often with fresh, deep bites around their heads. The seasonal shark population at
8058-549: The islands; western gull , Brandt's cormorant , pelagic cormorant , double-crested cormorant , pigeon guillemot , common murre , Cassin's auklet , tufted puffin , black oystercatcher , rhinoceros auklet , ashy storm-petrel , and Leach's storm-petrel . Since the islands were protected, common murres, which once numbered nearly 500,000 pairs but suffered from the egg collecting, oil spills and other disturbances that had greatly reduced their numbers, recovered and climbed from 6,000 birds to 160,000. Additionally, since protection,
8160-418: The locally extinct rhinoceros auklet has begun to breed on the islands again. The island has the world's largest colonies of western gulls and ashy storm petrels , the latter species being considered endangered and a conservation priority. The island also is the wintering ground of several species of migrants , and regularly attracts vagrant birds (about 430 species of bird have been recorded on or around
8262-541: The location of the schooner Ghost . Mr Johnson gives this position of the ship to Humphrey Van Weyden. Abby Geni's 2016 novel The Lightkeepers is set on the Farallon Islands. The Farallon Islands and their role in the Egg War of the Gold Rush era are documented in the 2017 The Kitchen Sisters Present podcast episode "Egg Wars", in the 2019 episode "The Egg Wars" on the comedy podcast The Dollop , and in
8364-527: The mainland on clear days. The islands are part of the City and County of San Francisco . The only inhabited portion of the islands is on Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI), where researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stay. The islands are closed to the public. The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is one of 63 national wildlife refuges that have congressionally designated wilderness status . In 1974,
8466-401: The millions for San Francisco markets. The trade, which in its heyday could yield 500,000 eggs a month, was the source of conflict between the egg-collecting companies and the lighthouse keepers. This conflict turned violent in a confrontation between rival companies in 1863. The clash between two rival companies, known as the Egg War , left two men dead and marked the end of private companies on
8568-607: The name was changed to Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary . The sanctuary is contiguous with both the Cordell Bank sanctuary and another sanctuary to the south, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary . The islands are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service , in conjunction with the Marin -based Point Blue Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory). The islands are currently
8670-405: The population. There were 7,979 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and
8772-441: The population. There were 9,470 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.2% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
8874-676: The present. County area political trends can be tracked by analyzing the election precinct data. Bainbridge Island , East Bremerton , Poulsbo and Silverdale Bremerton , Gig Harbor and Port Orchard Bremerton , Shelton and Mason County Kitsap County is connected to the eastern shore of Puget Sound by several Washington State Ferries routes, including the Seattle-Bremerton Ferry , Southworth to West Seattle via Vashon Island , Bainbridge Island to Downtown Seattle , and from Kingston to Edmonds, Washington . Kitsap Transit provides local transit service within Kitsap County and connects to other transit systems that continue onto
8976-551: The radiation had decayed. Waste containers were shipped to Hunters Point Shipyard , then loaded onto barges for transportation to the Farallones. Containers were weighted with concrete. Those that floated were sometimes shot with rifles to sink them. Forty-four thousand containers were dumped at 37°37′N 123°17′W / 37.617°N 123.283°W / 37.617; -123.283 , and another 3,500 at 37°38′N 123°08′W / 37.633°N 123.133°W / 37.633; -123.133 . In January 1951,
9078-409: The refuge in 1959 with a confirmed pup in 1972. The elephant seal rookery on Southeast Farallon has probably reached carrying capacity. Several species of cetaceans are found near the Farallon Islands, most frequently gray whales , blue whales , and humpback whales . Blue whales and humpback whales are most frequently found near the islands in the summer and fall, when strong upwelling may support
9180-579: The south. Despite the short distance over water and significant commuting population between Bremerton and Bainbridge Island, proposals to construct a bridge have been resisted on the Bainbridge side for various reasons. The island is quite hilly and hosts the Chilly Hilly bicycle ride every February. Bainbridge Island can be accessed by motor vehicle, bicycle, or foot through two access points, both on Washington State Route 305 . Bainbridge Island
9282-518: The southern end of Bainbridge Island while boat parties surveyed other parts of Puget Sound. Vancouver spent a day exploring Rich Passage , Port Orchard , and Sinclair Inlet . He failed to find Agate Passage , and so his maps show Bainbridge Island as a peninsula. Vancouver named Restoration Point on May 29, the anniversary of the English Restoration , in honor of King Charles II . In 1841, US Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes visited
9384-514: The subject of long term ecological research. The Farallones are closed to the public, although birders and wildlife enthusiasts can approach them on whale watching boats, shark and marine policy education with the non profit Shark Stewards and the sail-training vessel Seaward out of Sausalito. The Farallon Islands are outcroppings of the Salinian Block , a vast geologic province of granitic continental crust sharing its origins with
9486-694: The understanding that they would "bring home a new county," area mill operators George Meigs and William Renton supported the candidacies to the Territorial Legislature of two employees from their respective mills: Timothy Duane Hinckley from Meigs' and S.B. Wilson from Renton's. Upon arrival in Olympia, the two men introduced bills to create a new county, to be named "Madison". Representative Abernathy from Wahkiakum County proposed an amendment to name it "Slaughter", in recognition of Lt. William Alloway Slaughter, who had been killed in 1855 in
9588-482: The waters of the Farallones were never searched because the vessel was assumed to have traveled far out into the Pacific.) On the morning of August 5, 1941, a United States Coast Guard Douglas Dolphin , V-126, likely struck a rock pinnacle on the southeast Farallon island, causing the aircraft to burst into flames. All 3 crewmen aboard were killed. Computer scientist Jim Gray was lost at sea after setting out on
9690-540: The year for a piece of land on the 37°N latitude. During San Francisco's and Oakland's above 100 °F (38 °C) record heat wave of 1 September 2017, the aggregate weather around the Farallon Islands remained below 68 °F (20 °C). The islands are also subject to occasional, heavy, offshore winds in winter. Due to the absence of a warming nearby landmass and the cold water, winters remain mild but often cooler than San Francisco also during that time of year. Winter lows below 50 °F (10 °C) are very rare in
9792-485: The year there. This island has many migratory sharks return to its waters every year. The islands have tens of thousands of invasive house mice that are wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem. An average of 500 Eurasian house mice occupy each of its 120 acres (49 ha), with an approximate total population of 60,000. The Farallones are briefly mentioned in Chapter 2 of Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf as
9894-434: Was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 47.7 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.5% were from 25 to 44; 38% were from 45 to 64; and 16.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 20,308 people, 7,979 households, and 5,784 families residing in
9996-555: Was 476 individuals, a 69 percent increase from the year before. By 2016, the pup count alone was 1,126, reflecting a 21% average (but highly variable) annual increase in new pups over the 21 years since recolonization. If the South Farallon Islands population reaches its estimated historical size of 100,000 individuals, it could account for approximately one-fifth of the world's northern fur seal population. Northern elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris ) recolonized
10098-532: Was at Port Madison on the island's north end. In 1855, the Suquamish tribe relinquished their claim to Bainbridge Island by signing the Point Elliott Treaty . The Suquamish agreed to cede all of their territory (which included Bainbridge Island) to the United States in exchange for a reservation at Port Madison and fishing rights to Puget Sound . The first generation of Japanese immigrants,
10200-489: Was established here by the Navy during the war. These radio intercept sites along the West Coast were used to track Japanese warships and merchant marine vessels as far away as the Western Pacific. The other West Coast stations were in California at Point Arguello , Point Saint George, Farallon Islands and San Diego. Since the 1960s, Bainbridge Island has become an increasingly affluent bedroom community of Seattle ,
10302-406: Was rescued from netting entanglement east of the Farallones by staff of The Marine Mammal Center . The last sighting of another humpback, Humphrey , was near the Farallones in 1991. The islands are in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary , which protects the feeding grounds of the wildlife of the refuge. The elephant seal population attracts a population of great white sharks to
10404-727: Was used as a dump site for radioactive waste under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commission at a site known as the Farallon Island Nuclear Waste Dump. Most of the dumping took place before 1960, and all dumping of radioactive wastes by the United States was terminated in 1970. By then, 47,500 containers (55-gallon steel drums) had been dumped in the vicinity, with a total estimated radioactive activity of 14,500 Ci (540 TBq ). The materials dumped were mostly laboratory materials containing traces of contamination. By 1980, most of
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