Fidalgo Island

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Fidalgo Island is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about 90 minutes north of Seattle by automobile. To the east, it is separated from the mainland by the Swinomish Channel, and from Whidbey Island to the south by Deception Pass. Its largest city is Anacortes with a population of 14,557 according to the 2000 Census. The total population of the island was 20,700 and it has a land area of 106.684 km² (41.19 sq mi). There are ferries to Victoria, British Columbia and several cities in the San Juan Islands.

Fidalgo Island was originally inhabited by the Samish and Swinomish peoples. It is named for Spanish explorer and cartographer Salvador Fidalgo who explored the area in the 1790s. Settlement peaked in 1850s due to the Fraser River Gold Rush and in 1890 due to speculation that the area would become a terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Later the island became an important fishing and lumber center.