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Bainbridge Island, Washington

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Bainbridge Island, Washington
City
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKitsap
Area
 • Total65.5 sq mi (169.7 km2)
 • Land27.6 sq mi (71.5 km2)
 • Water37.9 sq mi (98.2 km2)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total20,308
 • Density735.6/sq mi (284.0/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98110
Area code206
FIPS code53-03736Template:GR

Bainbridge Island is an island in Puget Sound, and is an incorporated city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The island's population was 20,300 at the 2000 census.[1]

In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine named Bainbridge Island the second-best place to live in the United States.[2]

The local newspapers are the Bainbridge Island Review (twice-weekly) and the Kitsap Sun (a daily that also produces the weekly, Bainbridge Islander). A sample of local blogs that typically report on events and happenings on Bainbridge Island include the Bainbridge Bulletin and the Voice of Bainbridge.

The city is also known for its excellent school district, consistently rated near to, or at, the top of the state. Its crime rate is also significantly below the national average, ranking as among the lowest in the Seattle metropolitan area.[3]

History

In 1841, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes visited the island while surveying the Northwest. Lt. Wilkes named the island after Commodore William Bainbridge, commander of the frigate U.S.S. Constitution in the War of 1812. Bainbridge Island was originally a center for the logging and shipbuilding industries. The island was known for huge and accessible cedars, which were especially in demand for ships' masts. The original county seat of Kitsap County was at Port Madison on the north end of the island. During World War II,Japanese-American residents of Bainbridge Island were the first to be sent to internment camps on the island. They were held by the U.S. government through the duration of the war for fear of espionage.

The city of Bainbridge Island has occupied the entire island since February 28, 1991, when the former City of Winslow (around 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of land on Eagle Harbor, incorporated August 09, 1947) annexed the rest of the island. Since the 1960s, Bainbridge Island has become an increasingly affluent bedroom community of Seattle, a 35-minute ride away on the Washington State Ferries. The community has been especially concerned with preserving greenspace and keeping a tight control over development, both residential and commercial. The Bainbridge Island Land Trust and the City of Bainbridge Island are both instrumental in maintaining open space on the island.

In 2001, Bainbridge Island Little League were represented in South Williamsport, PA.

The sports programs are highly successful including the High School Lacrosse team, known for their numerous state titles, the most recent on May 19, 2007 over rival Mercer Island, their 11th state title.[4] The island's high school sailing team has been the reigning NWISA district double handed team racing champions for the past five seasons, and is currently ranked 12th in the nation.[5]

Geography

Bainbridge Island is located at 47°39′19″N 122°32′06″W / 47.65528°N 122.53500°W / 47.65528; -122.53500 (47.655260, -122.535083).Template:GR

Bainbridge Island was formed during the last ice age — 13,000 to 15,000 years ago — when the 3000-foot thick Vashon Glacier scraped out the Puget Sound and Hood Canal basins.

Bainbridge Island is located within the Central Puget Sound Basin, east of the Kitsap Peninsula and west of the City of Seattle. The Island is approximately five miles (8 km) wide and ten miles (16 km) long, encompassing nearly 17,778 acres, or 28 square miles (73 km²), and is one of the larger islands in Puget Sound.

Bainbridge Island shorelines border the main body of Puget Sound, a large protected embayment, Port Orchard Bay, and two high-current tidal passages, Rich Passage and Agate Pass. The island is characterized by an irregular coastline of approximately 53 miles (85 km), with numerous bays and inlets and a significant diversity of other coastal land forms, including spits, bluffs, dunes, lagoons, cuspate forelands, tombolos, tide flats, streams and tidal deltas, islands, and rocky outcrops.

Prominent land and coastal features include:

  • Agate Point
  • Arrow Point
  • Bainbridge Reef
  • Battle Point
  • Beans Point
  • Bill Point
  • Blakely Harbor
  • Blakely Rock, 47°35′41″N 122°28′50″W / 47.59472°N 122.48056°W / 47.59472; -122.48056
  • Creosote, a low flat on the south side to the entrance of Eagle Harbor, extending 350 yards inland, then rising abruptly to over 200 feet
  • Decatur Reef
  • Eagle Harbor, the main port of Bainbridge
  • Fletcher Bay
  • Gazzam Lake
  • Hidden Cove, mostly populated by the upper class of Bainbridge
  • Little Boston, a small area on southern BI near Old Mill and Port Blakely
  • Manzanita Bay
  • Murden Cove, an open bight on the eastern side of Bainbridge Island
  • Pleasant Beach
  • Point Monroe
  • Point White
  • Port Madison
  • Restoration Point
  • Rockaway Beach
  • Rolling Bay
  • Skiff Point
  • South Beach
  • South Point
  • Treasure Island
  • Tyee Shoal
  • Wing Point
  • Yeomalt Point

On the Kitsap Peninsula, Bremerton and Poulsbo lie across the Port Orchard channel to the west, and the city of Port Orchard lies across Rich Passage to the south.

The island is quite hilly and is known for its popular 'Chilly Hilly' bicycle ride held every year in February. This ride has been the unofficial start to the bicycling season in the Pacific Northwest since 1992.

Bainbridge Island is connected to the Kitsap Peninsula by a bridge carrying WA-305 over Agate Passage. The only other public way off the island is by Washington State Ferries service from Winslow in Eagle Harbor to Coleman Dock in Seattle. The boat, as it is commonly known as, takes about 35 minutes to cross Puget Sound.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Bainbridge Island has a total area of 169.7 km² (65.5 mi²). 71.5 km² (27.6 mi²) of it is land and 98.2 km² (37.9 mi²) of it (57.87%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 20,308 people, 7,979 households, and 5,784 families residing in the city. The population density was 284.0/km² (735.6/mi²). There were 8,517 housing units at an average density of 119.1/km² (308.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.88% White, 0.28% African American, 0.62% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.17% of the population.

There were 7,979 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 33.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $70,110, and the median income for a family was $83,415. Males had a median income of $65,853 versus $42,051 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,482. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.


Famous residents

Sister cities

Bainbridge has the following sister cities:

See also

Points of interest


References

  1. ^ "Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  2. ^ "Money Best Places to Live 2005". CNN/Money.com. July 2005. Retrieved 2005-07-18.
  3. ^ http://bainbridgeisland.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm
  4. ^ "D1 final: Bainbridge Island Wins The Islands Battle". Walax.com March-19. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  5. ^ "?".
  6. ^ "Research Day: Urban Legend Purge". Defective Yeti. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  7. ^ "The Professor's Place". Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  8. ^ "Jack Olsen, Crime Writer". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. July 19, 2002. Retrieved 2007-1-1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ "Biography of David Guterson". GradeSaver. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  10. ^ "David Guterson". Meet the Writers. Barnes & Noble.com. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  11. ^ Sarah Tuff. "I'm a Runner: Ed Viesturs". Runner's World. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  12. ^ "ESC". GradeSaver. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
  13. ^ "The Real Thing". SPIN. July 1996. Retrieved 2006-12-19.

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