Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 86,857. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor.
The county's name reflects the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. It contains two large islands, Whidbey and Camano, and seven smaller islands (Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith, and Strawberry). Island County was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, and is the eighth-oldest county in Washington. It originally encompassed what are now Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan Counties.
Island County comprises the Oak Harbor, Washington Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Seattle–Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (60%) is water. It is the second smallest county in Washington by land area after San Juan, and second smallest by total area after Wahkiakum.
Geographic features
- Puget Sound
- Strait of Juan de Fuca
- Whidbey Island
- Camano Island
- Saratoga Passage
National protected areas
- Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
- Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve