Anacortes, Washington
City of Anacortes | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Skagit |
Government | |
• Mayor | Dean Maxwell |
Area | |
• Total | 14.2 sq mi (36.7 km2) |
• Land | 11.8 sq mi (30.5 km2) |
• Water | 2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2) |
Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 15,778 |
• Density | 1,236/sq mi (477.1/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
ZIP code | 98221 |
Area code | 360 |
FIPS code | 53-01990Template:GR |
GNIS feature ID | 1511964Template:GR |
Website | http://www.cityofanacortes.org/ |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/AnacortesWashingtonCapSante.jpg/220px-AnacortesWashingtonCapSante.jpg)
Anacortes (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˌænəˈkɔːrtəs/) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.[1] Anacortes' population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Anacortes is known for the Washington State Ferries dock and terminal serving Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Orcas Island, and San Juan Island, as well as Victoria, British Columbia (via Sidney, British Columbia) on Vancouver Island. There is also a Skagit County-operated ferry that serves Guemes Island, a residential island located across a strait north of Anacortes.
History
Anacortes was officially incorporated on 19 May 1891.
Geography
Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.7 km2), of which, 11.8 square miles (30.5 km2) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) of it (16.93%) is water.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1890 | 1,131 | — | |
1900 | 1,476 | 30.5% | |
1910 | 4,168 | 182.4% | |
1920 | 5,284 | 26.8% | |
1930 | 6,564 | 24.2% | |
1940 | 5,875 | −10.5% | |
1950 | 6,919 | 17.8% | |
1960 | 8,414 | 21.6% | |
1970 | 7,701 | −8.5% | |
1980 | 9,013 | 17.0% | |
1990 | 11,451 | 27.0% | |
2000 | 14,557 | 27.1% | |
2010 | 15,778 | 8.4% |
In a recent estimate, there are about 16,300 people as of 2007, 6,086 households, and 4,162 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,236.0 people per square mile (477.1/km2). There were 6,551 housing units at an average density of 556.2 per square mile (214.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.66% White, 0.32% African American, 1.14% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 2.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.15% of the population.
There were 6,086 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 23.4% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,930, and the median income for a family was $49,531. Males had a median income of $38,080 versus $27,080 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,297. About 6.0% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Description
Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island. It is surrounded by the north Puget Sound and San Juan Islands on three sides, and by the Swinomish Channel and the flats of Skagit Valley to the east. The weather is milder than other areas of the Pacific Northwest, because it lies within the Olympic Mountain rain shadow. Fidalgo Island gets 21 inches of rain per year, only half as much as Seattle.
First known as Ship Harbor, Anacortes was established with a name and a post office in 1879 in the vain hope that it would be selected as the western terminus of the transcontinental railroad. The town was officially incorporated in 1891 shortly after the railroad bust, and became a lumber and fishing center. In the 1950s oil companies built big refineries near town. Two of the five refineries in Washington are located near the town. One is owned and operated by Tesoro (originally built and owned by Shell Oil), the other is owned and operated by Shell Puget Sound Refinery Company (originally built and owned by Texaco). Refining remains the area's largest industry, but the economic base now includes yacht construction/shipbuilding, tourism, and residential services for the nearby Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.
Government
Anacortes is governed via the mayor-council system. The mayor is elected directly. The city council consists of seven members, of whom three are elected from single member wards. The remaining four are elected at-large.
Recreation and tourism
Anacortes is a popular destination for boaters and those traveling on to the San Juan Islands. The city maintains a 220-acre (0.89 km2) city park on the northwestern end of Fidalgo Island named "Washington Park". This park features camping, boat launching, and majestic views of the San Juan Islands. The most prominent view is of Cypress Island. As a result of Anacortes' proximity to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the area provides opportunities for whale-watching. The waters off of Anacortes and Fidalgo Island offer numerous varieties of marine-life, including three resident Orca pods.
Anacortes Community Forest Lands, 2,800 acres (11 km2) with 50 miles (80 km) of mountain biking and hiking trails, are a rare amenity in a city the size of Anacortes. In adjacent Mount Erie Park, a number of rock climbing routes are popular on the cliffs of the south and west faces of Mount Erie. Mount Erie offers scenic vistas from its 1273 foot peak.[2]
Anacortes hosts many long-distance cyclists, as it is the western terminus of the Adventure Cycling Association's Northern Tier cross-country bicycle route, which ends in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Festivals and celebrations
- "Shipwreck Day" is a popular single-day, flea market/town garage sale event held annually on the 3rd Saturday in July. City management accommodates the occasion by blocking off several downtown streets.[3]
- What the Heck Fest is an annual festival coinciding with "Shipwreck Day." The festival takes place at various locations all over town during one week in mid-July. Performers present music, movies, literature, and art. The thematic center of the festival is the dinner show that includes a full meal along with the concert, an actual community event.
- The first weekend of August hosts the Anacortes Arts Festival. Started in 1962 as the result of the efforts of a group of dedicated community arts patrons, the festival is held in the midst of blocked-off downtown main street areas. Vendors, merchants, and artisans present their wares in covered booths while jazz and blues musicians are showcased on four different stages.
- The Oyster Run is an annual one day biker-friendly motorcycle rally held on the fourth Sunday of September. Beginning in 1981, the event has grown into the largest rally in the Pacific Northwest, with an estimated motorcycle count of 15000 bikes, and growing in numbers each year.[4]
Notable residents and natives
- Craig Bartlett – animator, creator of syndicated cartoons Hey Arnold! and Dinosaur Train.
- Karl Blau – indie rock and folk musician.
- Bobo – Western Lowland Gorilla brought to Anacortes in 1952 by Bill Lowman. Featured in Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.
- Phil Elverum- Independent musician.
- Donald Hume – Olympic rower, gold medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
- Burl Ives – folk singer, author, and actor, perhaps best known for his role in the stop motion movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special).
- Rien Long – former NFL defensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans, 2002 Outland Trophy winner
- William Cameron McCool – (September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the Space Shuttle pilot of Columbia mission STS-107. He was killed when the craft disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.[5]
- Charley Schanz – former Major League Baseball pitcher
Sister cities
Anacortes has four sister cities:[6]
Kisakata, Akita, Japan
Lomonosov, Russia
Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
Vela Luka, Croatia
See also
References
- ^ "Historical Timeline." Anacortes History Museum. July 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
- ^ "Climbing Area: Mount Erie". Climbing Area Information. Washington Climbers Coalition. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ http://www.skagittourism.com/event_show.cfm?id=17
- ^ http://oysterrun.org/goskagit.com.pdf
- ^ McCool's 'excitement was infectious' / Anacortes mourns shocking loss of generous, inspiring neighbor, Seattle P-I, February 3, 2003, retrieved 2011-02-19
- ^ "Online Directory: Washington, USA". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
External links
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