Port Orchard, Washington

Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States.[6] It is located 13 miles (21 km) due west of West Seattle and is connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth. It is named after Port Orchard, the strait that separates Bainbridge Island from the Kitsap Peninsula.

For the strait in the Puget Sound, see Port Orchard.

Port Orchard, Washington
City
Corner of Bay St. and Sidney Ave.
Corner of Bay St. and Sidney Ave.
Location of Port Orchard, Washington
Location of Port Orchard, Washington
Coordinates: 47°31′54″N 122°38′18″W
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKitsap
Government
 • TypeMayor–council[1]
 • MayorRobert Pataansuu
Area
[2]
 • Total11.21 sq mi (29.03 km2)
 • Land9.64 sq mi (24.98 km2)
 • Water1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)
Elevation
72 ft (22 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total16,400
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
14,597
 • Density1,513.58/sq mi (584.40/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
98366-98367
Area code360
FIPS code53-55785
GNIS feature ID1512580[5]
Websitewww.cityofportorchard.us
The Olympic Mountains, visible while looking west from Port Orchard
West-looking afternoon aerial view of Sinclair Inlet, with Bremerton on the north (right) side, Port Orchard on the south (left) side; Hood Canal in the background

As of the 2010 census the population was 11,144,[7] and in 2019 the population was an estimated 14,597.[8]

History

The first European-Americans to settle in what is now Port Orchard were William Renton and Daniel Howard, who set up a sawmill there in 1854.[9] The town that was to become Port Orchard was originally platted in 1886 by Frederick Stevens, who named the new location after his father, Sidney. The town of Sidney was incorporated September 15, 1890, and was the first in Kitsap County to be both platted and incorporated. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy sought a suitable location for another installation on the West Coast, and found it with the assistance of Sidney's residents in Orchard Bay (this installation would later become the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton).

The county seat was originally in Port Madison, but moved to Sidney after a popular vote in 1892. In December of that same year, the residents of Sidney petitioned both the state legislature and the Post Office Department to rename the city "Port Orchard". The legislature refused, as Charleston (now West Bremerton) had also requested that name. The Post Office Department, however, went through with the name change, and as a result the Port Orchard post office ended up in Sidney, and the Charleston post office ended up in Port Orchard. It wasn't until 1903 that local politician Will Thompson convinced the state legislature to correct this confusing situation, and relocated the Charleston post office to Charleston, at the same time renaming Sidney "Port Orchard", as it is known today.

A new city hall was opened in May 1999, replacing a seismically vulnerable building constructed in 1947. It was to be a catalyst for new development in the city's downtown.[10]

Damage from the 2018 tornado

On December 18, 2018, a cul-de-sac in Port Orchard was struck by an EF2 tornado with winds between 120 and 130 miles per hour (190 and 210 km/h), the strongest tornado in Washington since 1986. The tornado uprooted trees and damaged up to 450 homes and businesses, some of which sustained total roof loss. Some neighborhoods were evacuated due to reported gas leaks.[11]

Geography

Port Orchard is located in south-central Kitsap County at 47°31′54″N 122°38′18″W (47.531563, -122.638405),[12] on the south side of Sinclair Inlet, an arm of the Port Orchard strait connecting to Puget Sound. The city is bordered to the north across Sinclair Inlet by the city of Bremerton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Port Orchard has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.1 km2), of which 7.3 square miles (18.8 km2) are land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2), or 14.98%, are water.[7]

The city is home to South Kitsap Regional Park, a 209-acre public park with multiple fields and installations such as hiking trails, a playground, a skate park, and batting cages.[13]

Port Orchard Airport, located 7 miles (11 km) south of the city, is a private airport with an industrial park.[14]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890226—
190025412.4%
1910682168.5%
19201,393104.3%
19301,145−17.8%
19401,56636.8%
19502,32048.1%
19602,77819.7%
19703,90440.5%
19804,78722.6%
19904,9844.1%
20007,69354.4%
201011,14444.9%
2019 (est.)14,597[4]31.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
2018 Estimate[16]

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $34,020, and the median income for a family was $41,946. Males had a median income of $33,610 versus $25,739 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,382. About 10.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 11,144 people, 4,278 households, and 2,726 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,539.2 inhabitants per square mile (594.3/km2). There were 4,630 housing units at an average density of 639.5 per square mile (246.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.8% White, 3.4% African American, 1.3% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 1.4% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.

There were 4,278 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

Education

It is in the South Kitsap School District.[17]

Notable people

References
  1. "Mayor". City of Port Orchard. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  4. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". United States Census Bureau. May 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "Port Orchard". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Port Orchard city, Washington". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  8. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". United States Census Bureau. May 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  9. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.
  10. Vogel, Ann (May 20, 1999). "New city hall: Suddenly, a skyline". The Sun. p. A1. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  11. Sistek, Scott. "Port Orchard tornado confirmed an EF-2, strongest tornado in state since 1986". KOMO. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  13. "South Kitsap Regional Park". kitsapgov.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  14. Baker, Travis (December 17, 2000). "Key to industrial park is location". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  15. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  16. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  17. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kitsap County, WA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  18. "Yes, That Delilah Lives in South Kitsap". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  19. "Jason Ellison". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
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