Island County (pop. 78,506), southeast of San Juan County, is made up entirely of islands. It is Washington’s second-smallest county in land area, and the only Island County in the U.S.
Whidbey Island, 55 miles long and 1-12 miles wide, is Washington’s largest island and the fourth-largest island in the lower 48 states.
At the northern end of Puget Sound
Whidbey Island is accessible by ferry (from Port Townsend and Mukilteo) and via the Deception Pass Bridge, at the north end of the island.
Deception Pass Bridge (1935)
Deception Pass State Park is the most-visited state park in Washington.
The county seat of Island County is the town of Coupeville (pop. 1,831), the second-oldest town in Washington – founded in 1852 by Captain Thomas Coupe.
Downtown Coupeville
The largest city in Island County is Oak Harbor (pop. 22,075).
Windmill in Windjammer Park, Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor has one of Washington’s five remaining drive-in movie theaters.
Blue Fox Drive-In, open all year
Flintstone Park in Oak Harbor has a replica of Fred Flintstone’s rock car.
Ideal for photos
In the southern part of Whidbey Island, the city of Langley is the home of the Clyde Theatre, built in 1937 by Norman and Hazel Clyde and still operated by the same family.
Still showing movies
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is in the northern part of the island. It opened in 1942.
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