Coupeville, Washington

thumb|Coupeville Waterfront in 2024

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.

History

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 the largest being at , 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 the Skagit at the village that their population had quickly fallen due to disease.

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 the nation. Its 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.

Coupeville was a film location for the 1998 movie Practical Magic.

Geography

Coupeville 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 , all of it land.

Climate

Coupeville experiences significantly lower rainfall than much of western Washington, due to its location within 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.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Coupeville had a population of 1,942. The median age was 55.9 years. 14.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 35.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 77.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 76.0 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 914 households in Coupeville, of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.3% were married-couple households, 13.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 1,831 people, 806 households, and 428 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 933 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of 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 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 the town was 44.3% male and 55.7% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,

Notable people

Guy Bond, psychologist.
Adrienne Lyle, Olympic dressage rider.

References

External links

History of Coupeville at HistoryLink
Coupeville & Central Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce
Coupeville Visitors' Information
Island County Historical Museum
Sunnyside Cemetery - Coupeville's historic pioneer cemetery
US National Park Service: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve website
NPS: History and culture of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and Central Whidbey Island
Historic Admiralty Head Lighthouse
Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival
The Whidbey Examiner newspaper, based in Coupeville
Oliver S. Van Olinda Photography Collection - Former editor of the Island County Times a Coupeville newspaper; University of Washington Library