Anacortes, Washington

Anacortes, Washington
City

Seal
Coordinates: 48°30′7″N 122°37′25″W / 48.50194°N 122.62361°W / 48.50194; -122.62361Coordinates: 48°30′7″N 122°37′25″W / 48.50194°N 122.62361°W / 48.50194; -122.62361
Country United States
State Washington
County Skagit
Government
 • Mayor Laurie Gere
Area[1]
 • Total 15.53 sq mi (40.22 km2)
 • Land 11.75 sq mi (30.43 km2)
 • Water 3.78 sq mi (9.79 km2)
Elevation 23 ft (7 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 15,778
 • Estimate (2014)[3] 16,232
 • Density 1,342.8/sq mi (518.5/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 98221
Area code 360
FIPS code 53-01990
GNIS feature ID 1511964[4]
Website City of Anacortes

Anacortes /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.[5] 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 Guemes Channel, north of Anacortes.

History

Anacortes was officially incorporated on May 19, 1891.

In 1877, railroad surveyor and town founder Amos Bowman moved his family to the northern tip of Fidalgo Island. Bowman began promoting the area as an obvious terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad as it was built through the north Cascades to the Pacific. Bowman established the town's first newspaper, The Northwest Enterprise, to promote his vision of the New York of the West.[6]

Seattle and Northern Company began building a rail line from the town in 1888. Real estate and development boomed from 1888 to 1890 as a result of the railroad rumors, and the Oregon Improvement Company posted $15 million in bonds to develop the town.[7]

In 1891, the real estate bubble burst. Speculators lost money and the Oregon Improvement Company could no longer afford to complete tracks over the Cascades. The town failed to become the railroad terminus Bowman had envisioned.[8]

After the bust, the town became prominent for its fishing tradition, thriving canning industry, and timber mills.[8]

Geography

Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.53 square miles (40.22 km2), of which, 11.75 square miles (30.43 km2) is land and 3.78 square miles (9.79 km2) is water.[1]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Anacortes has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb).

Climate data for Anacortes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)		 69
(21)		 79
(26)		 83
(28)		 90
(32)		 95
(35)		 101
(38)		 95
(35)		 88
(31)		 82
(28)		 69
(21)		 74
(23)		 101
(38)
Average high °F (°C) 45.1
(7.3)		 48.6
(9.2)		 52.4
(11.3)		 57.8
(14.3)		 63.6
(17.6)		 68.2
(20.1)		 72.2
(22.3)		 72.2
(22.3)		 67.5
(19.7)		 59.2
(15.1)		 51
(11)		 46.3
(7.9)		 58.7
(14.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.8
(4.3)		 42.3
(5.7)		 45.3
(7.4)		 49.7
(9.8)		 54.7
(12.6)		 58.9
(14.9)		 62
(17)		 62
(17)		 58.5
(14.7)		 51.9
(11.1)		 45.2
(7.3)		 41.2
(5.1)		 51
(11)
Average low °F (°C) 34.5
(1.4)		 35.9
(2.2)		 38.1
(3.4)		 41.6
(5.3)		 45.7
(7.6)		 49.6
(9.8)		 51.7
(10.9)		 51.8
(11)		 49.4
(9.7)		 44.6
(7)		 39.4
(4.1)		 36
(2)		 43.2
(6.2)
Record low °F (°C) 6
(−14)		 9
(−13)		 18
(−8)		 27
(−3)		 31
(−1)		 33
(1)		 35
(2)		 33
(1)		 19
(−7)		 23
(−5)		 10
(−12)		 4
(−16)		 4
(−16)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.56
(90.4)		 2.48
(63)		 2.31
(58.7)		 1.83
(46.5)		 1.57
(39.9)		 1.37
(34.8)		 0.8
(20)		 1
(30)		 1.53
(38.9)		 2.64
(67.1)		 3.84
(97.5)		 3.79
(96.3)		 26.73
(678.9)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.1
(5.3)		 1.1
(2.8)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.4
(1)		 1
(3)		 5.1
(13)
Average precipitation days 17 13 14 12 9 8 4 5 8 12 17 17 136
Source: [9]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18901,131—
19001,47630.5%
19104,168182.4%
19205,28426.8%
19306,56424.2%
19405,875−10.5%
19506,91917.8%
19608,41421.6%
19707,701−8.5%
19809,01317.0%
199011,45127.0%
200014,55727.1%
201015,7788.4%
Est. 201416,232[10]2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
2014 Estimate[3]

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 15,778 people, 6,980 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,342.8 inhabitants per square mile (518.5/km2). There were 7,680 housing units at an average density of 653.6 per square mile (252.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 0.7% African American, 1.0% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population.

There were 6,980 households of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.75.

The median age in the city was 47.2 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Description

The Majestic Inn, Anacortes, Washington

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

The 619 Commercial Avenue building
View of the downtown and marina of Anacortes, from the east

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.[12]

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

Notable people

Sister cities

Anacortes has four sister cities:[19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  2. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  3. 1 2 "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ "Historical Timeline." Anacortes History Museum. July 10, 2006. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
  6. ↑ Southeast Seiners (2011-04-22), Anacortes - The Perfect Port, retrieved 2016-02-03
  7. ↑ "HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  8. 1 2 "Anacortes History Introduction". www.cityofanacortes.org. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  9. ↑ "ANACORTES, WASHINGTON (450176)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Climbing Area: Mount Erie". Climbing Area Information. Washington Climbers Coalition. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  13. ↑ "skagittourism.com". skagittourism.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  14. ↑ http://oysterrun.org/goskagit.com.pdf
  15. ↑ Michael Arrington mike. "Michael Arrington - Anacortes, WA - about.me". about.me. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Tess". Uncrunched. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  17. ↑ McCool's 'excitement was infectious' / Anacortes mourns shocking loss of generous, inspiring neighbor, Seattle P-I, February 3, 2003, retrieved 2011-02-19
  18. ↑ "Lowell A. Wakefield.". Freelibrary. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Online Directory: Washington, USA". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  20. ↑ "US-Japan Sister Cities by State". Asia Matters for America. Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Retrieved 20 November 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anacortes, Washington.
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