Langley is a city in Island County,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, United States. It sits near the south end of

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, ...

, overlooking 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 ...

. It is the third largest incorporated area on Whidbey. The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census, while the ZCTA for Langley's post office had a population of 4,878. The geographical area of the city is only but the ZCTA covers . Langley is served by South Whidbey Fire/EMS, the Langley Police Department and South Whidbey School District #206; the school district offices are located there. The current mayor is Scott Chaplin.

History

Langley was founded in the 1890s by Jacob Anthes, and was named for J.W. Langley of Seattle. In 1902, Anthes built a logger bunkhouse that still stands in the downtown core (it functions today as the South Whidbey Historical Society Museum). Langley was officially incorporated on February 26, 1913. At some point in the late 1900s, a number of 4H

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

s escaped their enclosures at the Island County Fair and went on to thrive as a large

feral A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...

population initially residing around the county fairgrounds and later spreading throughout Langley and south Whidbey Island. In the 2010s the rabbits became a controversial issue in local politics, with citizens and groups advocating for public policy positions from removal and relocation to outright eradication. Some favored controlling the rabbit population using

raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...

s, while other voices advocated for a more lenient position of community acceptance.Rabbits raid Langley City Hall garden, but overall population appears to be on the decline
South Whidbey Record, April 4, 2017, accessed September 13, 2019.Langley's rabbit discussion returns; Port weighs options
South Whidbey Record, January 13, 2018, accessed September 13, 2019.

Government and politics

The City of Langley operates under a mayor–council form of government. The mayor and city councilmembers are elected to four-year terms. The City Council enacts ordinances and resolutions, holds public hearings, receives citizen comments, authorizes payment of City funds, approves contracts, and creates committees and boards to assist in the operation of city government. The City Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month in City Hall at 5:30pm. The Mayor presides over Council meetings and is responsible for the administration of City government. The current mayor is Scott Chaplin, elected by the City Council in 2021 to replace the former mayor, Tim Callison who resigned.

Events

Mystery Weekend is a yearly mystery game event occurring the last weekend in February. A fake newspaper story is run in the

South Whidbey Record The ''South Whidbey Record'' is a newspaper based in Langley, Washington, United States. It publishes Wednesdays and Saturdays. History The paper started as the ''Whidby Record'' and later changed its name in the 1940s to ''The Whidbey Record'' ...

or a fake newspaper can be purchased from the Visitor & Information Center, detailing the persons involved and instructing players to seek out characters played by local residents. The Welcome the Whales Festival and parade is held at the beginning of April each year. The Djangofest NW Music Festival is held in September each year. This five-day festival celebrates the gypsy jazz style of

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

, and features workshops, concerts, and impromptu jam sessions around town. The Whidbey Island Area Fair is held in July at the Island County Fairgrounds in Langley. The original Island County Fair Association was formed in 1912, predating the incorporation of Langley itself.http://fair.whidbeyislandfair.com/home/history Whidbey Island Area Fair

Geography

Langley is located at (48.036922, -122.408500). 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 city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,035 people, 555 households, and 271 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 678 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 1.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.7% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.2% of the population. There were 555 households, of which 16.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.2% were non-families. 43.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.86 and the average family size was 2.51. The median age in the city was 57 years. 14% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.4% were from 25 to 44; 39.8% were from 45 to 64; and 28.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 40.9% male and 59.1% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000

, there were 959 people, 486 households, and 268 families residing in the city. The

was 1,165.9 people per square mile (451.6/km²). There were 542 housing units at an average density of 658.9 per square mile (255.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.25%

, 0.31%

, 0.42% Native American, 0.52%

, 0.42% from

, and 2.09% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.88% of the population. There were 486 households, out of which 24.3% included children under the age of 18, 40.9% were

living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.61. Langley's population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 15.7% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,792, and the median income for a family was $51,563. Males had a median income of $41,750 versus $30,125 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 city was $24,940. About 5.2% of families and 10.6% 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 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

City of Langley

Langley, WA Events and Activities

South Whidbey Fire/EMS Station 34 – Langley
{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Island County, Washington