Kitsap County Washington - Overview

[Claudia Sanchez]

Kitsap County is located in the state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, its population was 251,133.[1] Its county seat is Port Orchard,[2] and its largest city is Bremerton.
Kitsap County was formed out of King County, Washington, and Jefferson County, Washington on January 16, 1857 and is named for Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. Originally named Slaughter County, it was soon renamed.[3]

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 County is included in the Seattle metropolitan area.

History

Kitsap County was organized in 1857.[4]

Demographics

Geography

According to the U.S. 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) (30.2%) is water.[5] It is the third-smallest county in Washington 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 highest point in Kitsap County and on the Kitsap Peninsula is Gold Mountain with a peak elevation of 1,761 ft (537 m). The portion of the county north of Silverdale is often referred to as North Kitsap, and the portion south of Bremerton as South Kitsap.

Adjacent counties

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• Island County, Washington - northeast
• Snohomish County, Washington - east
• King County, Washington - east/southeast
• Pierce County, Washington - south/southeast
• Mason County, Washington - southwest
• Jefferson County, Washington - northwest

 

 

Notable people

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• Tarn Adams, programmer and game designer, creator of Dwarf Fortress and other games
• Nathan Adrian, Swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist
• James Kelsey, sculptor
• Debbie Macomber, best-selling romance novelist
• Gregg Olsen, best-selling mystery/crime novelist
• Delilah Rene, American radio personality, author and songwriter
• Bree Schaaf, Bobsledder and 2010 Winter Olympics competitor
• Marvin Williams, NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks

References

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1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
3. ^ "Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.
4. ^ Columbia-Lippincott Gazeteer, p. 957
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
10. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
11. ^ "General Election Official Final". Kitsap County Auditor
12. ^ http://www.kitsapgov.com/boc/bauer/bauer.htm
13. ^http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/dec/31/kitsaps-145new-electeds-sworn-in-amid-familiar/
14. ^ "IncorporatedPlaces and Minor Civil Divisions: Washington". Population Census. United States Census Bureau. 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2013-09-25.