Port Townsend is a city on the

Quimper Peninsula The Quimper Peninsula is a narrow peninsula forming the most northeastern extent of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the northwestern United States of America. The peninsula is named after the Peruvian-born Spanish explorer Manuel ...

in Jefferson County,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large peninsula in Western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...

, the city is known for the many

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

buildings remaining from its late 19th-century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts. The

Port Townsend Historic District The Port Townsend Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District encompassing a significant portion of the waterfront and downtown area of Port Townsend, Washington. This area has many well-preserved late 19th-century buildings, o ...

is a U.S.

National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...

. It is also significantly drier than the surrounding region due to being in the

rainshadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from bodies of water (such as oceans and large lakes) is car ...

of the

Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus (Washington), Mount Olympus is the high ...

, receiving only of rain per year.

History

The bay was originally named "Port Townshend" by Captain

George Vancouver Captain (Royal Navy), Captain George Vancouver (; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern West Coast of the Uni ...

in 1792, for his friend the Marquis of Townshend. It was immediately recognized as a good safe harbor, although strong south winds and poor holding ground often make small-craft anchorage problematic off the town's waterfront. The official founding of the American city of the same name took place on April 24, 1851. Indian tribes located in what is now Jefferson County in the mid-19th century included the

Chimakum The Chemakum, also spelled Chimakum and Chimacum, Native American people (known to themselves as Aqokúlo and sometimes called the Port Townsend Indians), were a group of Native Americans who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peni ...

(or Chemakum),

Hoh Water () is a polar inorganic compound that is at room temperature a tasteless and odorless liquid, which is nearly colorless apart from an inherent hint of blue. It is by far the most studied chemical compound and is described as the "univer ...

(a group of the

Quileute The Quileute () are a Native American people in western Washington state in the United States, with 808 enrolled citizens in 2018. They are a federally recognized tribe: the ''Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation''. The Quileute people ...

Klallam The Klallam (; also known as the S'Klallam or Clallam) are a Coast Salish people Indigenous to the northern Olympic Peninsula. The language of the Klallam is the Klallam language (), a language closely related to the North Straits Salish lang ...

(or Clallam),

Quinault Quinault may refer to: * Quinault people, an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast **Quinault Indian Nation, a federally recognized tribe ** Quinault language, their language People * Quinault family of actors, including: * Jean-Bapt ...

, and

Twana Twana ( Twana: ) is the collective name for a group of nine Coast Salish peoples in the western Puget Sound region along much of Hood Canal. The Skokomish are the main surviving group and self-identify as the Twana today. The spoken language, ...

(the Kilcid band — Anglicized as "Quilcene"). Port Townsend is called the "City of Dreams" because of the early speculation that the city would be the largest harbor on the west coast of the United States. Guarding the gate of

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...

, it would become known by its other nickname, the "Key City," a title that remains to this day. By the late 19th century, Port Townsend was a well-known seaport, very active and banking on the future. Many homes and buildings were built during that time, with most of the architecture ornate Victorian. During this period, in 1888, the Port Townsend Police Department was established. Railroads were built to reach more areas in the 1870s–1890s, and Port Townsend was to be the northwest extension of the rail lines. Its port was large and frequented by overseas vessels, so shipping of goods and timber from the area was a major part of the economy. Many of the buildings were built on the speculation that Port Townsend would become a booming shipping port and major city. When the depression hit, those plans lost the capital to continue and rail lines ended on the east side of Puget Sound, mainly in

Tumwater Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. The city is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the sta ...

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

, and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. With the other Puget Sound ports growing in size, Port Townsend saw a rapid decline in population when the

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

failed to connect the city to the eastern Puget Sound city of Tacoma. By the late 1890s, the boom was over. Without the railroad to spur economic growth, the town shrank and investors looked elsewhere to make a good return. (The

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

built a short spur to the pulpmill and barged cars over from

Anacortes Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.artillery fortifications at

Fort Worden Fort Worden Historical State Park is located in Port Townsend, Washington, on originally known as Fort Worden, a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps base constructed to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. Fort Worden was named afte ...

. Many people left the area, and many buildings were abandoned. Port Townsend's economy was very weak until the 1920s, when a

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

was built on the edge of the town. The bay is now home to Naval Magazine Indian Island, the US Navy's primary munitions-handling dock on the Pacific coast. Since the 1970s new residents, including many retirees, have moved to town. The waterfront retail district has restaurants, services, and tourist destinations. Since 1999, the city has had an annual international film festival in September. Other cultural programming, some at Fort Worden, now a state park, includes a Wooden Boat Festival, writers' conference, playwrighting festival, and blues and jazz festivals, in addition to music, dance, and live theater performances. The town has two independent movie theaters, both upgraded by 2014 to handle digital film.

Recognition of historic status

Because of the speed at which the economy declined in the 1890s and the lack of any industry to replace it, very few of the Victorian buildings were torn down or built over in the intervening period. They were essentially preserved for nearly 100 years, when the value of protecting them was appreciated and fostered. Unlike most cities in the Pacific Northwest that were ravaged by natural and man-made disasters such as fire and earthquakes, prominent examples of public, private, and business buildings from nearly every period of Port Townsend's history have survived to the present day. The Port Townsend Historic District, an area including many Victorian-era buildings, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1976. It was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1977.

Geography

Port Townsend is located on the

which extends out of the extreme northeastern end of the

, on the north end of a large, semi-protected bay. Port Townsend is adjacent to the

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 generall ...

and a trio of state parks built on retired artillery installations (

Fort Casey Fort Casey was a 19th-century defensive fortification built on Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington, to deter invasion from the sea. It is preserved as Fort Casey Historical State Park, a Washington state park and historic district with ...

, and

Fort Flagler Fort Flagler Historical State Park is a public recreation area that occupies the site of Fort Flagler, a former United States Army fort at the northern end of Marrowstone Island in Washington. The state park occupies south of the entrance to ...

). The city and its surroundings are well-treed, with large

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...

dominant over many other tree species in the remaining wooded areas. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 26.22%, are water.

Environment and ecology

A non-binding resolution was passed by the city council in 2022 declaring that a local sub-group of

killer whales The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopolita ...

, known as the

Southern resident orcas The southern resident orcas, also known as the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), are the smallest of four communities of the exclusively fish-eating ecotype of orca in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The southern resident orcas form a closed s ...

, have

rights of nature Rights of nature or Earth rights is a legal and jurisprudential theory that describes inherent rights as associated with ecosystems and species, similar to the concept of fundamental human rights. The rights of nature concept challenges twentie ...

and should be protected due to the orca's significant "cultural, spiritual, and economic" value to the state and its citizens. The U.S. government has exclusive jurisdiction more than three miles offshore.

Climate

Port Townsend has a moderate

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

with damp, chilly (though not severe) winters and warm, dry summers. It lies in the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

and receives an average of only annual precipitation. However, the environment is not as dry as the mean yearly total would suggest; cool breezes and fog from the Juan de Fuca Strait provide a comfortable level of humidity.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, there were 10,148 people in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was 1,461.8 people per square mile (460.3/km²). There were 5,371 housing units at an average density of 607.8 per square mile (234.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.9%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, and 4.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 3.5% of the population. 1.6% of the population is under the age of 5 years, 11.1% of the population is under the age of 18 years and 40.5% of the population are 65 years of age or older. 54.6% of the population are female. 4.8% of the population are foreign born and 9.7% of the population have been identified as Armed Service Veterans. The median household income was $59,193, and 14.0% 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 ...

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 9,113 people, 4,544 households, and 2,322 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 5,193 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.4%

, 0.5%

, 1.1% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3%

, 0.8% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 3.3% of the population. There were 4,544 households, of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.9% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.60. The median age in the city was 53 years. 16.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.4% were from 25 to 44; 36.7% were from 45 to 64; and 24.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.

Economy

The largest private employer is the Port Townsend Paper Mill. The largest employer overall (private and public) is

Jefferson Healthcare Jefferson Healthcare is a health system consisting of Jefferson Healthcare Hospital and a number of community clinics in Port Townsend, Washington, USA. With over 850 employees, Jefferson Healthcare is the largest employer in Jefferson County. T ...

, which operates Jefferson Healthcare Hospital. Major industries include maritime trades, manufacturing, tourism, and timber.

Arts and culture

The sign entering town names Port Townsend a "Victorian Seaport and Arts Community".

Art and music

Reflecting the numerous artists in the area, downtown has many galleries and two artists' collectives. The nonprofit Northwind Art is located in the 1885 Waterman & Katz Building downtown. There is a monthly Art Walk, and a plethora of classes, workshops, and training are available locally. Fort Worden State Park is home to a number of cultural organizations and venues. Centrum is a culture and arts organization that hosts a multitude of concerts, festivals, and workshops. These include "Fiddle Tunes", blues, jazz, voice, chamber music, and more.

Copper Canyon Press Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 by Sam Hamill, Tree Swenson, Bill O'Daly, and Jim Gautney, specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington. Copper C ...

, the poetry press, is located there, as are facilities for

Goddard College Goddard College was a Private college, private college with three locations in the United States: Plainfield, Vermont; Port Townsend, Washington; and Seattle. The college offered undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With predecessor ins ...

, Madrona Mindbody Institute,

Peninsula College Peninsula College is a public community college in Port Angeles, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. It is part of the Washington Community and Technical Colleges system and offers Bachelor of Applied Science in Management and Behavioral Heal ...

, and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. In late October and November 1981, Fort Worden was the central filming location for the 1982 movie ''

An Officer And A Gentleman ''An Officer and a Gentleman'' is a 1982 American romantic drama film directed by Taylor Hackford from a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, and starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr. It tells the story of Zack Mayo (Gere ...

'' starring

Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...

. Port Townsend has two dance schools for children and adults. The city is also home to Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra.

Festivals and events

Port Townsend is host to several annual events such as the Port Townsend Wooden Boat festival, Kinetic Skulpture Race (since 1983), the Rhododendron Festival,

Port Townsend Film Festival The Port Townsend Film Festival a nonprofit organization which presents films and film festivals, supports and nurtures filmmakers, and hosts educational and artistic programming through and about the medium of film. PTFF is a multi-faceted Festi ...

, and the annual blues and jazz festival. Boating and maritime life are central elements in this port town, with regattas, weekly races, and a multitude of recreational opportunities, including annual boating events such as the Race to Alaska and Seventy48. The marine trades industry is an anchor economic driver for the community, with highly skilled, world-renowned tradespeople. The port is home to many classic wooden boats, and gets visits from owners of others seeking repairs. Since 1999, Port Townsend has held its annual international film festival in September. The Rose Theatre downtown shows contemporary American and foreign films. The Uptown Theater shows family-oriented films, and a nearby drive-in theater is open during the summer. Key City Public Theatre is the local playhouse presenting many award-winning productions and Shakespeare in the Park in the summer. Starting in August 2019, Fort Worden began hosting a music festival called "THING", created by Adam Zacks, the founder of the

Sasquatch! Music Festival Sasquatch! Music Festival was an annual music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, United States. It took place on Memorial Day weekend, running for three to four days. In 2018, it was announced that the festival was c ...

. In 2023,

Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes are an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band currently consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backin ...

, an indie-folk group from Seattle, led by Port Townsend's notable musician Robin Pecknold, was the listed headliner. Due to difficult accessibility to the event because of Port Townsend's location, coupled with limited lodging options and low revenue, the THING festival would not return to the city in 2024.

Historical buildings and sites

Port Townsend is noted for its Victorian houses and significant historical buildings. The city has more than a dozen large, well-preserved buildings, including the Port Townsend Public Library (a 1913 Carnegie Library), the Federal Building (now commonly known as the city's post office), the Rose Theatre, and the

Elks The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS), formerly known as Linux-8086, is a Linux-like operating system kernel. It is a subset of the Linux kernel, intended for 16-bit computers with limited processor and memory resources such as machines pow ...

Lodge, which now houses Silverwater Cafe.

, now a state park, has retained some of its pre-

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

architecture built when it was a military facility. Buildings have been adapted for other uses, including the publicly available Olympic Youth Hostel, which closed in 2011. The Jefferson County Courthouse is in a Romanesque architectural style, as popularized by

Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...

, with a 125-foot bell tower. In 1976, the Downtown waterfront and parts of Uptown were designated a Registered Historic District. Later,

(now part of

Fort Worden State Park Fort Worden Historical State Park is located in Port Townsend, Washington, on originally known as Fort Worden, a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps base constructed to protect Puget Sound from invasion by sea. Fort Worden was named after ...

) and the City of Port Townsend were designated

s. The Bell Tower on the bluff above downtown is one of two known towers of this type in the United States. It was used from 1890 to the 1940s to call volunteer firefighters. It was restored in 2003 by the Jefferson County Historical Society. The second bell tower is located in

Helena, Montana Helena (; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat, seat of Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold ...

, and was also used for fire alarms during the late 19th century.

Tourism

A history museum is located downtown and the

Port Townsend Aero Museum Port Townsend Aero Museum is an aviation museum located at Jefferson County International Airport in Port Townsend, Washington. History The museum was founded in 2001 by Jerry and Peggy Thoutte with six flyable aircraft. The museum was initial ...

is located at the local airport. The Northwest Maritime Center is located on the waterfront, and features a wooden boat shop. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center has facilities at Fort Worden State Park.

Education

The city is served by the Port Townsend School District, which manages public

K–12 education K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

for pupils in Port Townsend, the Quimper Peninsula, and the area around Discovery Bay. The school district had an enrollment of 1,173 students in the 2022–23 school year and approximately 153 staff members. It has a single high school, Port Townsend High School, one middle school, and one elementary school. The elementary school, named Salish Coast, opened in 2018 to replace the demolished Grant Street Elementary School. The Port Townsend School District is a participant in the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production ...

's Farm to School program and maintains a farm plot that is used to provide produce for school cafeteria meals. Port Townsend is also home to the Swan School, a private school for pupils up to 6th grade. Another private school, the non-profit Jefferson Community School, was founded in 2005 to provide "experiential education" for students. It later transitioned into an

online school An online school (virtual school, e-school, or cyber-school) teaches students entirely or primarily online or through the Internet. Online education exists all around the world and is used for all levels of education (K-12 High school/secondar ...

with international students until it closed in 2020.

, a

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

based in Port Angeles, opened its first Port Townsend campus in 2004. It moved to Fort Worden in September 2016 following $6million in renovations to an existing building. Fort Worden was also home to a branch of

, a private online college that established its Port Townsend campus in 2005. The college closed all of its campuses in 2024. Other adult educational organizations in the city include Centrum, Northwind Art, and the Port Townsend School of Woodworking.

Media

The city is home to the '' Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader'', a weekly newspaper that has been published in Port Townsend since 1889. It was preceded by other newspapers, including the ''Port Townsend Register'' in 1859. The ''

Peninsula Daily News The ''Peninsula Daily News'' is a daily newspaper printed Sundays through Fridays (for publication days of Monday through Saturday), covering the northern Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington, United States. The paper's main offices a ...

'', a daily newspaper based in

Port Angeles Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 19,960 at the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in the county, as well as the most populous city on the Olympic Peninsula. T ...

, also covers the area. The libertarian magazine ''

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

'' was founded in Port Townsend. Port Townsend is within the broadcast range of radio stations in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

, and has its own local stations. KPTZ was founded in 2011 as a nonprofit community station and is based in the city. A second local station,

KROH Kroh or Keruh (; ), now known as Pengkalan Hulu, is a town in Hulu Perak District, Perak, Malaysia bordering Thailand and also the state of Kedah. The nearest town on the Thailand side is Betong in Yala province. History Kroh began as the ...

, was founded the same year to broadcast Christian programming. The city has been used as a location for several film and television productions. ''

An Officer and a Gentleman ''An Officer and a Gentleman'' is a 1982 American romantic drama film directed by Taylor Hackford from a screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, and starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger, and Louis Gossett Jr. It tells the story of Zack Mayo (Gere ...

'', released in 1982, was partially shot at Fort Worden and other locations around the city. It was followed by ''

Snow Falling on Cedars ''Snow Falling on Cedars'' is a 1994 novel by David Guterson. Guterson, a teacher, wrote the book in the early morning hours over ten years, until eventually quitting his job to write full-time, following its success. Plot Set on the fictional ...

'' (1999), ''

Enough Enough may refer to: Film and television * ''Enough'' (film), a 2002 film starring Jennifer Lopez * "Enough" (''CSI: NY''), an episode of the TV series * "Enough" (''Not Going Out''), a 2017 TV episode *"Enough", an episode of ''Tru Calling'' ...

'' (2002), and ''

The Ring The Ring may refer to: Arts and entertainment *The Ring (franchise), ''The Ring'' (franchise), a Japanese horror media franchise Literature * ''The Ring'', a 1967 novel by Richard Chopping * ''The Ring'', a 1988 book by Daniel Keys Moran * ''The R ...

'' (2002).

Infrastructure

Transportation

Port Townsend lies along State Route 20, a major highway that connects the Olympic Peninsula to the northern regions of the state. The highway terminates at to the southwest at a junction with

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...

(US101) in

Discovery Bay Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island. The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...

. US101 continues west towards

and south to Olympia. From the city, State Route 20 crosses the Admiralty Inlet to

Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, Island County, Washington (state), Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington stat ...

via the

Port Townsend–Coupeville ferry A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manches ...

, part of the

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...

system. The ferry carries walk-on passengers and vehicular traffic, the latter of which requires an advance reservation for most of its capacity. The route is also prone to cancellations during stormy weather and high winds. The city is also served by Jefferson Transit, a local public transit system that operates buses within Port Townsend and to adjacent areas. Its routes include service to

Sequim Sequim ( ) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula between the Dungeness River and Sequim Bay. The city is south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and north of the Olympic Mo ...

, Brinnon,

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

, and

Poulsbo Poulsbo ( ) is a city on Liberty Bay in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is the smallest of the four cities in Kitsap County. The population was 11,970 at the 2020 census and an estimated 10,927 in 2018. The Suquamish people hav ...

with onward connections to other transit systems. Jefferson Transit was established by a voter-approved ballot measure in 1980 and is funded by a

sales tax A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...

within the county. It replaced an earlier private bus system in Port Townsend that traced its origin to early jitney services in the 1910s. Jefferson Transit became fare-free in 2020.

Notable people

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...

, baseball player * Wayne Bastrup, actor and musician * William A. Bugge, civil engineer and highway commissioner *

Daniel James Brown Daniel James Brown (born 1951) is an American author of narrative nonfiction books. Biography Brown was born in Berkeley, California. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He attended Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and ...

, author *

Luke Burbank Luke Burbank (born May 8, 1976) is an American radio host and podcaster who hosts the Portland, Oregon-based syndicated variety show ''Live Wire Radio'' and the Seattle-based former radio program and current podcast ''Too Beautiful to Live''. He ...

, radio host *

John Edward Douglas John Edward Douglas (born June 18, 1945): "...my parents almost chose that as my middle name instead of the more prosaic Edward." is an American retired special agent and unit chief in the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He ...

, author *

Nick Harper Nick Harper (born 22 June 1965) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper. Early life Harper was born in London, England, to the folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Nick tells of how he ...

, politician and state representative *

John Louis Hayden John Louis Hayden (November 2, 1866 – February 22, 1936) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Biography Hayden was born in Chicago in 1866. His fathe ...

, U.S. Army officer *

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science-fiction author, best known for his 1965 novel Dune (novel), ''Dune'' and its five sequels. He also wrote short stories and worked as a newspaper journalist, ...

, author of ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

'' * Anne Hirondelle, ceramic artist *

Alan James Alan James (March 23, 1890 – December 30, 1952) was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1916 and 1943. He also wrote for more than 60 films between 1916 and 1951. He was born in Port Townsend ...

, film director and screenwriter *

Parker Lundgren Parker Lundgren (born December 28, 1986) is an American guitarist, best known for being in the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, which he joined in 2008 until 2021. Career Lundgren was born in a musical family to Julie Clouse and Scott Lun ...

, guitarist * Howard S. McGee, U.S. Army general *

Art McLarney Arthur James McLarney (December 20, 1908 – December 20, 1984) was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned three seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Giants (1932). Over his major ...

, baseball player * Thomas T. Minor, politician and railroad builder * Sue Morgan, rower and Olympian * Jack Nagel, alpine ski racer and Olympian *

Robin Pecknold Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct baritenor ...

, musician *

Francis Pettygrove Francis William Pettygrove ( – October 5, 1887) was an American pioneer and merchant who was one of the founders of the cities of Portland, Oregon, and Port Townsend, Washington. Born in Maine, he re-located to the Oregon Country in 1843 to est ...

, pioneer and merchant *

Annie Proulx Edna Ann Proulx ( ; born August 22, 1935) is an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. She has written most frequently as Annie Proulx but has also used the names E. Annie Proulx and E.A. Proulx. She won the PEN/Faulkner Award f ...

, writer * Marvin Glenn Shields, U.S. Navy seaman and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * Thaddeus S. Smith, U.S. Army soldier and

recipient *

Artis the Spoonman Artis, known professionally as Artis the Spoonman (born October 3, 1948), is an American street performer and musician from Seattle, Washington, who uses spoons as a musical instrument. He frequents the Pike Place Market accompanying singer/so ...

, street performer * John Stroeder, basketball player * John Weir Troy, politician *

Jim Whittaker James W. Whittaker (born February 10, 1929), also known as Jim Whittaker, is an American climber and mountain guide. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington. On May 1, 1963, he became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest as ...

, mountaineer and first American to summit Mount Everest *

Kimba Wood Kimba Maureen Wood (born January 21, 1944) is an American judge who is a senior district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Wood received her undergraduate education at Connecticut College before ...

, U.S. federal judge

Sister cities

Port Townsend is twinned with

Ichikawa, Hyōgo is a town located in Kanzaki District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 11,275 in 4917 households and a population density of 53 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Ichikawa is located ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. A group of local students participate in an exchange with this city during the summer. According to the Washington State Lieutenant Governor's website, Port Townsend also has a sister city relationship with

Jalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In 2020 census the city reported a population of 443,063 and the municipality of which it ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, though the city's website does not reflect this.

References

External links

*
City of Port Townsend official website

{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) County seats in Washington (state) Populated places on Puget Sound Cities in Jefferson County, Washington

History

Recognition of historic status

Geography

Environment and ecology

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

Economy

Arts and culture

Art and music

Festivals and events

Historical buildings and sites

Tourism

Education

Media

Infrastructure

Transportation

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

References

Further reading

External links