Oak Harbor, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 19,795 at the 2000 census.
Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.
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[edit] History
Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city. Named for the Garry Oak trees which grace its skyline, the city's growth can be attributed[citation needed] to two major events: the building of Deception Pass Bridge on July 31,1935, and the completion of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on September 21,1942.
Oak Harbor's history goes back to the early 1850s, when three settlers staked claims where the city now stands — Martin Tafton, a shoemaker from Norway; C.W. Sumner from New England, and Ulrich Freund, a Swiss Army officer. Freund retained part of his claim, which today is home to his descendants.
Houses and businesses sprouted up along the shores of Oak Harbor as the pioneers relied entirely on water transportation until the 1900s. For the next thirty years, steamers and freighters carried passengers and freight from the Island to the mainland and back.
The Irish came in the late 1850s, making Oak Harbor grow and prosper as they fished and farmed the area. The city's Dutch heritage arrived in the 1890s when Hollanders were disillusioned with the northern Midwest U.S. and came to Whidbey Island.
Churches, schools, and more businesses followed the arrival of the Hollanders. Oak Harbor flourished as a small country town until Deception Pass Bridge and the U.S. Navy Base connected the city to the rest of the world.
Deception Pass Bridge, a National Historic Monument since 1982, is actually two spans that link Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island over Canoe Pass and Deception Pass. The bridge, one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest, was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Deception Pass State Park, Washington's most popular state park[citation needed], has over 4,100 acres of forest, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas of the San Juan Islands, Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), Mount Baker, and Fidalgo Island.
[edit] Geography
Oak Harbor is located at (48.295136, -122.658553)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.7 km² (9.1 mi²). 23.6 km² (9.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.44%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 19,795 people, 7,333 households, and 5,265 families residing in the city. The population density was 839.9/km² (2,175.0/mi²). There were 7,772 housing units at an average density of 329.8/km² (854.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.93% White, 5.45% African American, 9.62% Asian, 1.22% Native American, 0.77% Pacific Islander, 2.42% from other races, and 5.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.61% of the population.
There were 7,333 households out of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 13.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,641, and the median income for a family was $41,579. Males had a median income of $29,498 versus $21,633 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,830. About 8.1% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Politics
Oak Harbor is the nearest city to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Its influence on the area has established Oak Harbor as a stronghold for American conservatism and the Republican Party[1].
[edit] External links
- City of Oak Harbor official website
- Deception Pass Park Foundation
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- About Oak Harbor from the city's chamber of commerce
