Raft Island is a

private island A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, private islands remain under the jurisdiction of national and some ...

and CDP located near the Pierce County community of

Rosedale, Washington Rosedale is a census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each d ...

, United States.

Gig Harbor, Washington Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington,. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census. Gig Harbor is one of several cities and towns that claim to be "the gateway to the Olympic ...

is the nearest incorporated town, although unincorporated Artondale is much closer. The island features approximately 200 homes on 160 acres. All of these homes are served through the Gig Harbor

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 ...

. Raft Island contains parks, roads, several private beaches, a private tennis court, private boat launch, and a church camp. Because of its picturesque setting, Raft Island has been the subject of many artistic pursuits. The island is connected to the mainland by a -long bridge. Raft Island is located at . The size varies between 160 and 201 acres (813,910 m²) in area depending on high or low tide, and is oval in shape. It is located in Henderson Bay within

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 ...

. According to

Edmond S. Meany Edmond Stephen Meany (December 28, 1862 – April 22, 1935) was a professor of botany and history at the University of Washington (UW). He was an alumnus of the university, having graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1885 when it was th ...

, Raft Island was probably named from its appearance. In 1841

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 ...

of the

United States Exploring 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 ...

gave it the name "Allshouse Island", probably for Joseph Allshouse, a member of his crew.

References

External links

Raft Island WebsiteRaft Island: Blocks 1013 thru 1020, Census Tract 724.05, Pierce County, Washington
United States Census Bureau
General population and housing data for Raft Island from the 2010 census.
Islands of Washington (state) Islands of Pierce County, Washington Islands of Puget Sound Census-designated places in Pierce County, Washington Census-designated places in Washington (state) Private islands of Washington (state) {{PierceCountyWA-geo-stub