Camano Island is a large
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in
Possession Sound
Possession Sound is part of Puget Sound, located in the U.S. state of Washington between Whidbey Island and the shoreline of Snohomish County approximately between the cities of Everett and Mukilteo. Possession Sound connects the main Puget Sou ...
, a section of
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
. It is part of
Island County, Washington
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 compose ...
, and is located between
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...
and the mainland (
Snohomish County
Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 75th-most populous ...
) by the
Saratoga Passage
Saratoga Passage lies in Puget Sound between Whidbey Island and Camano Island.
Saratoga Passage extends about 18 miles in a northwesterly direction from its entrance between Sandy Point, Camano Island, Washington, Sandy Point on the Whidbey Isla ...
to the west and
Port Susan
Port Susan is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. Part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound, Port Susan is bounded by Camano Island to the west and the mainland to the east. The Stillaguamish River empties into the nort ...
and
Davis Slough
Davis Slough is a waterway on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington. The slough runs between Camano and Leque islands, connecting Skagit Bay in the north to Port Susan in the south.
The border between Island County and Snohomish County is ...
to the east. The island has one road connection to the mainland, via
State Route 532 over the
Camano Gateway Bridge
The Mark Clark Bridge was a girder bridge that carried a State Route 532 across the Stillaguamish River between Stanwood, Washington, and Camano Island. It was the only form of road access to Camano Island from 1950 until 2010, when it was demoli ...
at the northeast end of the island, connecting to the city of
Stanwood.
The island has a total area of , making it one of the largest in the state of Washington. It has a year-round population of 15,661 as of the
2010 census. The population peaks at over 17,000 during the summer months due to part-time residents with vacation homes on the island. It is an
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
with several small communities and shares civic facilities with nearby Stanwood, including its
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
, and
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
.
Camano Island is home to two state parks,
Cama Beach and
Camano Island State Park
Camano Island State Park is publicly owned recreation area on Camano Island in Puget Sound located southwest of Stanwood in Island County, Washington, United States. The park occupies and has of shoreline. It is managed by the Washington Sta ...
, and several county and local parks.
History
Etymology
Camano Island is named for 18th century
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
explorer
Jacinto Caamaño
Jacinto Caamaño Moraleja (1759–September 8, 1829 Guayaquil) was the leader of the last great Spanish exploration of Alaska (then Russian America) and the Coast of British Columbia. He was a Knight of the Military Order of Calatrava.
Early life ...
.
The original name of the island was ''Kal-lut-chin'' which in the language of the indigenous
Snohomish tribe means "land jutting into a bay". American explorer
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842).
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...
, during the
Wilkes Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
of 1838–1842, named it ''MacDonough Island'' in honor of
Thomas MacDonough
Thomas Macdonough, Jr. (December 31, 1783 – November 10, 1825) was an early-19th-century Irish-American naval officer noted for his roles in the first Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Macdonou ...
for his victory of the
Battle of Lake Champlain
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. An army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadro ...
during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
. Following this theme, Wilkes named the body of water between Camano and Whidbey Island after MacDonough's flagship the ''
Saratoga''. When
Henry Kellett
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, (2 November 1806 – 1 March 1875) was a British naval officer and explorer.
Career
Born at Clonacody in Tipperary County, Ireland, on 2 November 1806, Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822. He spent three yea ...
reorganized the official British Admiralty charts in 1847, he removed Wilkes' name ''MacDonough'' and bestowed the name ''Camano'', which the Spanish explorer
Francisco de Eliza
Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 – February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest. He was the commandant of the Spanish post in Nootka Sound on Vancouve ...
had originally given to
Admiralty Inlet
Admiralty Inlet is a strait in the U.S. state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound. It lies between Whidbey Island and the northeastern part of the Olympic Peninsula.
Boundaries
It is generally c ...
in 1790. Wilkes' name ''Saratoga Passage'' was retained.
Jacinto Caamaño explored much of the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
going as far north as what is now
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
for the Spanish. He began his expedition far to the south in
San Blas,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
In addition to its Snohomish name the island has also been known as ''Macdonough Island'' named for
Thomas Macdonough
Thomas Macdonough, Jr. (December 31, 1783 – November 10, 1825) was an early-19th-century Irish-American naval officer noted for his roles in the first Barbary War and the War of 1812. He was the son of a revolutionary officer, Thomas Macdonou ...
a
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
officer during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
and as Perry Island after an 1855 treaty between local Native Americans and
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
governor
Isaac Stevens
Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 – September 1, 1862) was an American military officer and politician who served as governor of the Territory of Washington from 1853 to 1857, and later as its delegate to the United States House of Represen ...
.
The first Euro-American settlers on the island arrived at the time of the signing of the treaty.
The island was also called ''Crow Island'' during the early 20th century.
The Tulalip Tribe has compiled many geographic place names for the Salish Sea, including Camano Island.
19th century
The island was shared between several local Coast Salish groups, who settled along beaches and gathered
shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
, hunted game, and cultivated berries. Among the groups were the
Kikiallus,
Lower Skagit
The Lower Skagit (sometimes called Whidbey Island Skagits) are a tribe of the Lushootseed Native American people living in the U.S. state of Washington. Today they are enrolled in the federally recognized tribe
This is a list of federally rec ...
,
Sauk-Suiattle
Sauk-Suiattle ( lut, saʔqʷəbixʷ-suyaƛ̕ʔbixʷ), or ''Sah-Ku-Me-Hu,'' is a federally recognized Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe historically lived along the banks of the Sauk, Suiattle, Cas ...
,
Snohomish, and
Stillaguamish. In 2005, archaeologists at
Cama Beach on the southwest coast of the island uncovered Salish artifacts and human remains that were dated to 1,600 years
before present
Before Present (BP) years, or "years before present", is a time scale used mainly in archaeology, geology and other scientific disciplines to specify when events occurred relative to the origin of practical radiocarbon dating in the 1950s. Becaus ...
; the site is believed to have been a seasonal or permanent village and burial ground. A major landslide on the south side of Camano Island in the 1820s reduced the size of the island and caused a
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
on Saratoga Passage.
By the early 19th century, during the beginning of relations between Coast Salish tribes and white explorers, the island was divided between the Kikiallus in the north, with six permanent villages, and seasonal villages for the Snohomish in the south. White settlement on the island began in the 1850s and it was included in the newly-established
Island County in 1853. The first major settlement on the island was at Utsalady (originally spelled Utsaladdy), which would be home to several sawmills.
The first sawmill on the island was constructed by Thomas Cranney in 1858 and a
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
was organized in 1862 to serve 17 students in a one-room
schoolhouse.
Cranney's sawmill at Utsalady was seized by the federal government in 1876 due to his bankruptcy and sold the following year to the
Puget Mill Company Puget may refer to:
*Puget (surname)
*Puget, Vaucluse, a commune in France
*Puget, Washington, a community in the United States
See also
*Puget Creek
*Puget Island
*Puget Sound
*Puget-Ville
Puget-Ville (; oc, Puget Vila) is a commune in the Va ...
, which enlarged it to handle 75,000
board feet
The board foot or board-foot is a unit of measurement for the volume of lumber in the United States and Canada. It equals the volume of a length of a board, one foot wide and thick.
Board foot can be abbreviated as FBM (for "foot, board measure" ...
per day.
A
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
for Utsalady was filed in 1891, with the town boasting three stores, two hotels, a
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
line, and daily
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
service to
Coupeville.
The area had a large population of
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
immigrants who worked at the mill until the former were expelled by
anti-Chinese riots in the 1880s. By the
1880 census, there were 112 residents in Utsalady and 74 Coast Salish peoples in other settlements on Camano Islande. Following the
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...
, the Utsalady sawmill was closed and left 125 residents unemployed,
but five
shingle mills were later opened to capitalize on the island's timber.
20th century
Camano Island was identified as an ideal location for farming and
vacation home
A holiday cottage, holiday home, vacation home, or vacation property is accommodation used for holiday vacations, corporate travel, and temporary housing often for less than 30 days. Such properties are typically small homes, such as cottag ...
s during the early 20th century, as logging had cleared the island's old-growth forests. A
cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
connecting the island's north end to
Stanwood was replaced by a bridge in 1909. The first
resort settlements on Camano Island at Utsalady, Juniper Beach, and Madrona beach were established in the 1920s, but were later dwarfed by larger resorts like Cama Beach (opened in 1936). During the
Prohibition era
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...
, Camano Island was used as a major transiting point for
rumrunner
Rum-running or bootlegging is the illegal business of smuggling alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. Smuggling usually takes place to circumvent taxation or prohibition laws within a particular jurisdiction. The ...
s due to its remoteness and proximity to Canadian waters. The Juniper Beach area was also home to a new
oyster farm that was established in 1930 and helped sustain the island during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
In 1943, the Puget Mill Company began developing its plots into residential subdivisions, ushering in the arrival of permanent summer homes on the island.
The Stillaguamish River bridge to Stanwood was replaced in July 1950 by the
Mark Clark Bridge and the island's roads were also improved by the state government.
A
new state park was established in 1948 and opened the following year after a day-long event in which 800 residents cleared the land to prepare for park development.
In the 1950s, the island received its own
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
, having previously been part of the Stanwood post office's delivery area, an organized
fire department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
, and
telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
service. Major population growth in the 1960s and early 1970s caused strain on the island's infrastructure, requiring the creation of a new
planning office and a satellite
county courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
.
Geography
Camano Island is located within the
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...
, separated from the mainland of
Snohomish County
Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 75th-most populous ...
by
Port Susan
Port Susan is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. Part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound, Port Susan is bounded by Camano Island to the west and the mainland to the east. The Stillaguamish River empties into the nort ...
and
Davis Slough
Davis Slough is a waterway on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington. The slough runs between Camano and Leque islands, connecting Skagit Bay in the north to Port Susan in the south.
The border between Island County and Snohomish County is ...
. It lies east of the
Saratoga Passage
Saratoga Passage lies in Puget Sound between Whidbey Island and Camano Island.
Saratoga Passage extends about 18 miles in a northwesterly direction from its entrance between Sandy Point, Camano Island, Washington, Sandy Point on the Whidbey Isla ...
, which separates it from the larger
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...
, and is south of
Skagit Bay
Skagit Bay is a bay and strait located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Whidbey Island Basin of Puget Sound. The Skagit River empties into Skagit Bay. To the south, Skagit Bay connects with the rest of Puget Sound via Saratoga ...
. The northern entrance to Camano Island is located north of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. The island itself is long and has a width of , with of shoreline.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the Camano CDP has a total area of 94.9 square miles (245.9 km
2), of which, 39.8 square miles (103.0 km
2) of it is land and 55.2 square miles (142.9 km
2) of it (58.11%) is water. Approximately 83 percent of the shoreline around the island is privately owned.
The island has a wide array of native and migratory birds, including
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
s and
heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...
s.
Migrating
gray whales travel annually through the Saratoga Passage in March and April, making them visible from Camano Island.
During the
Last Ice Age the island, sound and land surrounding the sound was covered by a mile thick sheet of ice. As temperatures rose the glacier receded, carving the island and leaving behind deposits of
glacial till
image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
.
Communities
*
Utsalady
*Terry's Corner (including new town center)
*Buena Vista
*Madrona Beach
*Sunset Beach
*Juniper Beach
*Lona Beach
*Rockaway Beach
*Maple Grove Beach
*Livingston Bay
*Iverson Beach
*Tillicum Beach
*Tyee Beach
*Camaloch
Parks and recreation
The
state parks system has two properties on Camano Island:
Camano Island State Park
Camano Island State Park is publicly owned recreation area on Camano Island in Puget Sound located southwest of Stanwood in Island County, Washington, United States. The park occupies and has of shoreline. It is managed by the Washington Sta ...
and
Cama Beach State Park
Cama Beach State Park is a public recreation area facing Saratoga Passage on the southwest shore of Camano Island in Island County, Washington. The state park preserves the site of a renovated, modernized 1930s-era auto court and fishing resort ...
, both located on the west side of the island. Camano Island State Park, near Elger Bay, was opened in 1949 after a one-day volunteer effort with 500 local residents to prepare the property. It has of shoreline, camping areas, and hiking trails on of land. Cama Beach State Park opened in 2008 at the site of a former beach resort, which was restored with beachside cabins and hiking trails.
Camano Island also has 13 local parks maintained by the Island County government. The largest park, Camano Ridge, includes of inland protected forestland and hiking trails that were transferred from the
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over of forest, range, agricultural, and commercial lands in the U.S. state of Washington. The DNR also manages of aquatic areas which include shorelines, tidelands, lands un ...
in 2003. At the north end of the island is Iverson Preserve, a beach and
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
with fishing and boat access. Barnum Point County Park on Port Susan was opened in August 2019 with of waterfront space, acquired with $750,000 in private donations through a local
land trust
Land trusts are nonprofit organizations which own and manage land, and sometimes waters. There are three common types of land trust, distinguished from one another by the ways in which they are legally structured and by the purposes for which th ...
.
Demographics
Camano Island has a large seasonal population of
snowbirds
The Snowbirds, officially known as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (french: 431e Escadron de démonstration aérienne, links=no), are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The team is based at 15 Wing ...
and other part-time residents, which brings the summer population of the island to an estimated 17,000. The retiree population on the island began arriving in the mid-20th century, including residents from outside of Washington state. Based on
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Camano ranks 99th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 13,347 people, 5,357 households, and 4,028 families residing in the Camano Island CDP. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 335.6 people per square mile (129.6/km
2). There were 6,709 housing units at an average density of 168.7/sq mi (65.1/km
2). The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the CDP was 95.6% White, 0.3% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.
There were 5,357 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,262, and the median income for a family was $60,013. Males had a median income of $47,309 versus $31,250 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $24,362. About 4.4% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Camano Island is part of
Island County, despite its only road connection leading to
Snohomish County
Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 75th-most populous ...
, and has no incorporated communities. The island's residents have previously proposed
incorporating as a city or joining Snohomish County to increase access to services, but to no result. Island County maintains a small
government campus on Camano Island that opened in the 1970s to house the county sheriff and other offices. The original campus was replaced by the Island County Administration Building, which opened in late 2020.
The island shares several of its services with neighboring Stanwood, including the
Stanwood-Camano School District
Stanwood-Camano School District No. 401 is a public school district in the U.S. state of Washington, serving Stanwood and Camano Island. , the school district enrolls 4,554 students and employs 225 teachers.
Schools High schools
* Lincoln Hill H ...
. The school district has two
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
s on Camano Island, opened in the 2000s, while older students attend classes at Stanwood's schools.
Sno-Isle Libraries
Sno-Isle Libraries is a public library system serving Island and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The system is among the largest in Washington state and has an annual circulation of 11 million materials. The library's 23 bra ...
, which serves Island and Snohomish counties, opened a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
inside a temporary space on Camano Island as part of a pilot program that began in 2007. A permanent library at Terry's Corner opened in August 2015 after voters on the island approved a $2.3 million bond measure to remodel a former restaurant.
Culture
Events
* The Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival (February)
* The Camano Island Mother's Day Art Studio Tour (May)
* The Spring Art Show (June)
* Art by the Bay, The Stanwood–Camano Festival of Art and Music (July)
* The Stanwood Camano Community Fair (August)
* The Harvest Jubilee (September)
Notable people
*
Mark W. Clark
Mark Wayne Clark (May 1, 1896 – April 17, 1984) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the youngest four-star general in the US Army during World War II.
During World War I ...
, U.S. Army general
*
William Corson
William Corson (December 23, 1909 – January 28, 1981) was an American film actor.
Partial filmography
*'' Sea Devils'' (1937) - Coast Guard Seaman (uncredited)
*'' China Passage'' (1937) - Ship's Officer (uncredited)
*'' The Woman I L ...
, actor
*
Colton Harris-Moore
Colton Harris Moore (born March 22, 1991) is an American former fugitive. He was charged with the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in property, including several small aircraft, boats, and multiple cars, all committed while still a teen ...
, former fugitive known as the "Barefoot Bandit"
*
Mary Margaret Haugen, state senator
*
Dave Hayes, state legislator
*
Caitlin Kinnunen
Caitlin Kinnunen (born November 8, 1991) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Emma Nolan in the musical '' The Prom'', for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2019.
Earl ...
, actress
*
Thomas T. Minor, former mayor of Seattle and Port Townsend
*
Robert Neale, ace pilot
*
Pearl Anderson Wanamaker
Pearl Anderson Wanamaker (January 18, 1899 – December 4, 1984) was an American educator and politician. She served in the Washington State Legislature from 1928 to 1940. She was also Washington's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1941 ...
, state legislator and state superintendent of schools
*
Laurie Z, musician
*
Alfred Zeisler
Alfred Zeisler (September 26, 1892 – March 1, 1985) was an American-born German film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He produced 29 films between 1927 and 1936. He also directed 16 films between 1924 and 1949.
Selected filmogr ...
, film producer, director, actor and screenwriter
Transportation
Camano Island is connected to mainland Washington by
State Route 532, which travels from the north end of the island to
Stanwood via two bridges over the Davis Slough and
Stillaguamish River
The Stillaguamish River is a river in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Washington. It is mainly composed of two forks, the longer North Fork Stillaguamish () and the South Fork Stillaguamish. The two forks join near Arlington. From ...
. The island has several connecting roads that travel along the west and east edges to various neighborhoods and the two state parks.
Island Transit operates free bus services connecting Camano Island to Stanwood, with onward connections to
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
,
Amtrak ''Cascades'', and Everett.
Ferry connections to
Coupeville and
Everett existed historically, but the routes are no longer active. Local residents rejected a car ferry in 1999. A passenger-only
Camano–Whidbey ferry
The Camano–Whidbey ferry is a historic and proposed ferry route across Saratoga Passage on Puget Sound linking Camano Island and Whidbey Island, the titular islands of Island County, Washington.
Various historic ferries operated on these waters ...
has been proposed and studied by Island County.
See also
*
List of islands of Washington (state)
This is a list of selected islands that are part of Washington state.
See also
* '
* '
References
{{Authority control
*
Washington State by Population and Area
Islands of Washington State by population and area
Washington State
...
* ''
''
* ''
''
References
External links
Camano Island Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Island County, Washington
Census-designated places in Washington (state)
Landforms of Island County, Washington
Islands of Washington (state)
Islands of Puget Sound