Report: Fishing communities in Puget Sound

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Anacortes

Anacortes, the gateway to the San Juan Islands, is on the northern shore of Fidalgo Island. Situated in Skagit County, the city encompasses more than 12 miles of saltwater shoreline and encompasses 10.6 square miles of land and 2.4 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 90-mile drive south, while Bellingham is a 40-mile drive northeast. Anacortes’ geographic coordinates are lat 48°30′46″N, long 122°36′41″W.

Bellingham

Bellingham is on Bellingham Bay in north Puget Sound, protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula. Situated in Whatcom County, the city encompasses 25.6 square miles of land and 6.1 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 90-mile drive south, while Vancouver, British Columbia, is a 54-mile drive north. Bellingham’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°45′01″N, long 122°28′30″W.

Blaine

Blaine is on Drayton Harbor at the northernmost edge of the Puget Sound, just south of the U.S.-Canada border. Situated in Whatcom County, the city encompasses 5.5 square miles of land and 3.0 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 111-mile drive south. Blaine’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°59′38″N, long 122°44′45″W.

Bothell

Bothell is on the Sammamish River northeast of Lake Washington in the central Puget Sound region. Situated in King and Snohomish counties, the city encompasses 12.1 square miles of land. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 20-mile drive southwest. Bothell’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°45′45″N, long 122°12′15″W.

Edmonds

Edmonds is on the east shore of north-central Puget Sound. Situated in Snohomish County, the city encompasses 8.9 square miles of land and 9.5 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 14-mile drive south. Edmonds’ geographic coordinates are lat 47°48′39″N, long 122°22′34″W.

Everett

Everett is on the eastern shore of Puget Sound. Situated in Snohomish County, the city encompasses 32.5 square miles of land and 15.2 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 29-mile drive south. Everett’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°58′45″N, long 122°13′33″W.

Ferndale

Ferndale is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountain range on the shore of northeastern Puget Sound. Situated in Whatcom County, the city encompasses 6.2 square miles of land and 0.1 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 98-mile drive south, while Vancouver, British Columbia, is a 43-mile drive north. Ferndale’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°50′48″N, long 122°35′23″W.

Fox Island

Fox Island is in the south Puget Sound region, north of McNeil Island and west of Tacoma. Situated in Pierce County, Fox Island encompasses 5.2 square miles of land and 1.2 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 50-mile drive northeast. Fox Island’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°15′06″N, long 122°37′40″W.

Friday Harbor

Friday Harbor is on the southeastern side of San Juan Island, the geographic and commercial center of a chain of 172 islands spanning the U.S.-Canada border in the northern Puget Sound. Situated in San Juan County, the community encompasses 1.4 square miles of land and 0.1 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 105-mile drive southwest but also reachable by plane or a combination of boat and land transport. Friday Harbor’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°32′04″N, long 123°00′57″W.

Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor is on the Key Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound across from Tacoma. The city encompasses 4.4 square miles of land. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 45-mile drive north. Gig Harbor’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°19′46″N, long 122°34′44″W.

La Conner

La Conner is on the southern end of the Swinomish Channel, north of Skagit Bay in the northern region of Puget Sound. Situated in Skagit County, it encompasses 0.4 square miles of land and 0.1 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 70-mile drive south. La Conner’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°24′33″N, long 122°31′52″W.

Lakewood

Lakewood is south of Tacoma on the eastern side of the central Puget Sound region. Situated in Pierce County, the city encompasses 17.1 square miles of land and 1.9 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 42-mile drive north. Lakewood’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°10′19″N, long 122°31′02″W.

Lopez Island

Lopez Island is among the San Juan Islands in the northwest corner of the state along the U.S.-Canada border. Situated in San Juan County, the island is 15 miles long and 8 miles wide. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 100-mile ferry ride and drive south, while Victoria, British Columbia, is a 52-mile ferry ride and drive northeast. Lopez Island’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°28′44″N, long 122°53′30″W.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is on the Skagit River in the northern Puget Sound region. Situated in Skagit County, the city encompasses 11.1 square miles of land and 0.3 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 60-mile drive south. Mount Vernon’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°25′17″N, long 122°21′42″W.

Olympia

Olympia is along the southernmost tip of Puget Sound. Situated in Thurston County, the city covers 16.7 square miles of land and 1.8 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 60-mile drive north. Olympia’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°02′17″N, long 122°53′58″W.

Port Angeles

Port Angeles, the largest city on the north Olympic Peninsula, is on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles has a moderate climate with approximately 25 inches of rainfall yearly. Ediz Hook, a 2.5-mile-long sand spit that curves eastward around Port Angeles, creates one of the deepest harbors on the West Coast. Located in Clallam County, the city encompasses about 10 square miles of land and 53 square miles of surface water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, an 81-mile ferry ride and drive southwest. Port Angeles’ geographic coordinates are lat 48°07′06″N, long 123°25′46″W.

Port Townsend

Port Townsend is on the Olympic Peninsula and marks the passage between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. Situated in Jefferson County, the city encompasses 7 square miles of land and 2.5 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 60- mile ferry ride and drive southeast. Port Townsend’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°07′46″N, long 122°45′43″W.

Seattle

Seattle is on the east side of the Puget Sound between Elliot Bay and Lake Washington. Situated in King County, the city encompasses approximately 84 square miles of land and 59 square miles of water. Seattle is a 113-mile drive south of the U.S.-Canada border. Seattle’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°36′23″N, long 122°19′51″W.

Sedro-Woolley

Sedro-Woolley is in northwest Washington on the east side of the Puget Sound. Situated in Skagit County, the city encompasses 3.4 square miles of land and 0.01 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 74-mile drive south. Sedro-Woolley’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°30′14″N, long 122°14′10″W.

Sequim

Sequim is in the Dungeness River Valley about 3 miles inland from Sequim Bay, a 4-mile long stretch of protected water on the north shore of the Olympic Peninsula. Situated in Clallam County, the community encompasses 5.3 square miles of land. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 70-mile ferry ride and drive southeast. Sequim’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°04′47″N, long 123°06′02″W.

Shelton

Shelton is on Oakland Bay, an inlet on the southwest side of Puget Sound. In Mason County, the city encompasses 5.6 square miles of land and 0.3 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, an 82-mile drive northeast. Shelton’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°12′55″N, long 123°05′58″W.

Silvana

Silvana is near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River in the northern Puget Sound region. Situated in Snohomish County, the area encompasses 1.5 square miles of land. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 45-mile drive south. Silvana’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°12′09″N, long 122°15′09″W.

Stanwood

Stanwood is in north-central Washington, along the Stillaguamish River. Situated in Snohomish County, the city encompasses approximately 2 square miles of land. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 50-mile drive south. Stanwood’s geographic coordinates are lat 48°14′29″N, long 122°22′10″W.

Tacoma

Tacoma is on Commencement Bay along the eastern shore of south Puget Sound. Situated in Pierce County, the city encompasses 50.8 square miles of land and 12.5 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 29-mile drive north. Tacoma’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°14′09″N, long 122°26′21″W.

Woodinville

Woodinville is on the north end of the Sammamish River Valley. Situated in King County, the city encompasses 5.6 square miles of land and 0.02 square miles of water. The nearest major U.S. city is Seattle, a 20-mile drive southwest. Woodinville’s geographic coordinates are lat 47°45′18″N, long 122°09′03″W.

About NOAA Technical Memorandum: Community Profiles for West Coast and North Pacific Fisheries: 

This document profiles 125 communities significantly involved in commercial fisheries in the marine environments of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California, including state and federally managed waters along their coastlines. For the purposes of this project, these latter areas are collectively referred to as the West Coast, indicative of the Pacific coastlines of Washington, Oregon, and California. The North Pacific refers to the marine environs surrounding Alaska. In terms of fisheries management, the West Coast fisheries areas herein referred are under the authority of the U.S. Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). The U.S. North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) manages North Pacific areas.

To distinguish marine fishing areas of the West Coast from terrestrial coastal and inland areas of the communities, inland areas are referred to as the Western States. Many residents of Western State communities profiled participate in fisheries of the West Coast and the North Pacific, namely, the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands, and the Gulf of Alaska. The community profiles contained within this document reflect this reality. This volume is preceded by a document that profiles Alaska communities involved in North Pacific fisheries.

Download the full report: Community Profiles for West Coast and North Pacific Fisheries.