Kitsap County
County
Kitsap County Courthouse
Kitsap County Courthouse
Map of Washington highlighting Kitsap County
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Map of the United States highlighting Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°38′N 122°39′W / 47.64°N 122.65°W / 47.64; -122.65
Country United States
State Washington
FoundedJanuary 16, 1857
Named forChief Kitsap
SeatPort Orchard
Largest cityBremerton
Area
 • Total566 sq mi (1,470 km2)
 • Land395 sq mi (1,020 km2)
 • Water171 sq mi (440 km2)  30%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total275,611
 • Estimate 
(2022)
277,673 Increase
 • Density644/sq mi (249/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district6th
Websitewww.kitsap.gov

Kitsap County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611.[1] Its county seat is Port Orchard;[2] 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.[3]

Kitsap County comprises the Bremerton-Silverdale, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which 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 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.

History

The Kitsap Peninsula was originally acquired by the U.S. Government in three pieces by three treaties negotiated with 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 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 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.[5]

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.[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 566 square miles (1,470 km2), of which 395 square miles (1,020 km2) is land and 171 square miles (440 km2) (30%) is water.[7] 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 the county north of Silverdale is often referred to as North Kitsap, and the portion south of Bremerton as South Kitsap.

Geographic features

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860544—
187086659.2%
18801,738100.7%
18904,624166.1%
19006,76746.3%
191017,647160.8%
192033,16287.9%
193030,776−7.2%
194044,38744.2%
195075,72470.6%
196084,17611.2%
1970101,73220.9%
1980147,15244.6%
1990189,73128.9%
2000231,96922.3%
2010251,1338.3%
2020275,6119.7%
2022 (est.)277,673[8]0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790–1960[10] 1900–1990[11]
1990–2000[12] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 275,611 people living in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 251,133 people, 97,220 households, and 65,820 families residing in the county.[13] The population density was 635.9 inhabitants per square mile (245.5/km2). There were 107,367 housing units at an average density of 271.9 per square mile (105.0/km2).[14] The racial makeup of 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.[13] 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.[15]

Of the 97,220 households, 31.7% had children under 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.[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $59,549 and the median income for 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.[16]

Communities

map of Kitsap County and surrounding area

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Beach cottages in Fragaria along Colvos Passage in Kitsap County

Politics

Kitsap County is generally considered to be a relatively Democratic area. In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 49.05% of the vote to Republican Donald Trump's 38.07%.[17] This Democratic margin widened in 2020, with candidate Joe Biden receiving 56.90% of the vote versus incumbent Trump receiving 38.80%.[18]

On mainland Kitsap County, politics are strongly influenced by working-class Bremerton, which casts moderate margins for Democratic candidates. Unincorporated Kitsap County 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 the present. County area political trends can be tracked by analyzing the election precinct data.[19]

United States presidential election results for Kitsap County, Washington[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 61,563 38.80% 90,277 56.90% 6,832 4.31%
2016 49,018 38.07% 63,156 49.05% 16,596 12.89%
2012 52,846 42.58% 67,277 54.21% 3,978 3.21%
2008 53,297 42.63% 68,624 54.89% 3,090 2.47%
2004 55,608 46.86% 60,796 51.23% 2,266 1.91%
2000 46,427 45.13% 50,302 48.90% 6,138 5.97%
1996 35,304 38.59% 44,167 48.28% 12,016 13.13%
1992 29,340 33.13% 34,442 38.89% 24,786 27.99%
1988 34,743 49.88% 33,748 48.45% 1,158 1.66%
1984 36,101 54.11% 29,681 44.49% 931 1.40%
1980 29,420 48.79% 20,893 34.65% 9,983 16.56%
1976 23,124 45.56% 25,701 50.64% 1,925 3.79%
1972 25,831 56.84% 17,011 37.43% 2,604 5.73%
1968 14,520 36.47% 22,273 55.94% 3,022 7.59%
1964 10,702 28.38% 26,904 71.34% 108 0.29%
1960 17,459 46.80% 19,662 52.71% 181 0.49%
1956 17,986 47.73% 19,641 52.12% 58 0.15%
1952 16,876 44.89% 20,531 54.61% 189 0.50%
1948 9,869 32.17% 19,538 63.69% 1,271 4.14%
1944 11,224 31.62% 24,016 67.67% 251 0.71%
1940 5,525 28.19% 13,861 70.73% 210 1.07%
1936 3,440 21.04% 12,414 75.94% 493 3.02%
1932 3,465 24.45% 10,002 70.57% 706 4.98%
1928 6,544 62.97% 3,668 35.30% 180 1.73%
1924 3,954 45.19% 490 5.60% 4,306 49.21%
1920 4,989 49.41% 1,350 13.37% 3,759 37.23%
1916 2,638 37.83% 3,479 49.89% 857 12.29%
1912 1,224 20.12% 969 15.93% 3,889 63.94%
1908 1,819 56.12% 850 26.23% 572 17.65%
1904 1,736 69.19% 320 12.75% 453 18.06%
1900 880 58.43% 489 32.47% 137 9.10%
1896 728 48.89% 728 48.89% 33 2.22%
1892 438 34.60% 370 29.23% 458 36.18%

Government

Board of County Commissioners

  • Ed Wolfe (R) - District #3, Central Kitsap.

Wolfe became the first elected Republican county commissioner since Jan Angel was elected South Kitsap Commissioner in 2004. Wolfe replaced Linda Streissguth (D), who had been appointed in January 2014 to replace Josh Brown (D).[21] Prior to his election, he was a local attorney specializing in litigation and business law. Commissioner Wolfe served with the U.S. State Department during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Fisheries Affairs with the rank of ambassador.

  • Charlotte Garrido (D) - District #2, South Kitsap.

Garrido was re-elected in Nov. 2012, when she defeated Linda Simpson. Commissioner Garrido previously served on the county commission from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2009 to 2012.[22]

  • Robert Gelder (D) District #1, North Kitsap.

Gelder was appointed to replace Steve Bauer, who resigned in March 2011.

State legislators

23rd Legislative District

Bainbridge Island, East Bremerton, Poulsbo and Silverdale

  • Sen. Christine Rolfes (D) - Elected November 2012.
  • Rep. Tarra Simmons (D) - First elected November 2020.
  • Rep. Drew Hansen (D) - Appointed September 2011 to replace Christine Rolfes who had been appointed to the Senate. First elected in November 2012.

26th Legislative District

Bremerton, Gig Harbor and Port Orchard

35th Legislative District

Bremerton, Shelton and Mason County

Education

Post-secondary education

Public schools

Transportation

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 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.[23][24] 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, 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 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.[25]

Notable people

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.

See also

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
    2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    3. ↑ Clark, William G. (Summer 1985). "Fishing in a Sea of Court Orders: Puget Sound Salmon Management 10 Years After the Boldt Decision" (PDF). North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 5 (3B): 417–434. doi:10.1577/1548-8659(1985)5<417:FIASOC>2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
    4. ↑ Bowen et al. (1981), p. 11.
    5. ↑ Bowen et al. (1981), p. 12.
    6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
    7. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
    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. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
    13. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
    14. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
    15. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
    16. ↑ "General Election Official Final". Kitsap County Auditor. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
    17. ↑ "Kitsap County November 3, 2020 General Election".
    18. ↑ "Kitsap County Home". Archived from the original on March 18, 2006.
    19. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
    20. ↑ Streissguth picked for vacant Kitsap County commissioner post - Story
    21. ↑ Kitsap's 'New' Electeds Sworn In Amid Familiar Surroundings - Story Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
    22. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (July 10, 2017). "First fast ferry sailed at sunrise". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    23. ↑ Gutman, David (November 3, 2018). "Kitsap Transit launching Kingston-to-Seattle fast ferry service after Thanksgiving". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
    24. ↑ Friedrich, Ed (September 24, 2012). "Much Has Changed Since Bangor's Ammo Depot Days". Kitsap Sun. Bremerton, Wash.
    25. ↑ "Nathan Adrian - Bio". SwimSwam. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

    Bibliography

    • Bowen, Evelyn T.; Kvelstad, Rangvald; Parfitt, Elnora; Perry, Fredi; Stott, Virginia (1977). Kitsap County: A History: A Story of Kitsap County and its Pioneers (Second Edition, 1981 ed.). Seattle: Dinner & Klein.
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