Hat Island, Washington č̓əč̓əsəliʔ | |
|---|---|
 Hat Island aerial view from the east | |
  Hat Island, Washington Location of Hat Island, Washington. | |
| Coordinates:48°0′48″N122°19′14″W / 48.01333°N 122.32056°W /48.01333; -122.32056 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Snohomish |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2) |
| • Land | 0.69 sq mi (1.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 207 ft (63 m) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total | 26 |
| • Density | 38/sq mi (14.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98201[1] |
| Area code | 360 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2584980[2] |
Hat Island (Lushootseed:č̓əč̓əsəliʔ), also known asGedney Island, is a small island inPossession Sound in the U.S. state ofWashington. The island is covered by acensus-designated place (CDP) that is part ofSnohomish County. The population is 26 as of 2025. The island lies between the mainland city ofEverett, Washington, and the southern part ofWhidbey Island; it has a land area of 1.768 km2 (436.8 acres).
For thousands of years, Hat Island (known asč̓əč̓əsəliʔ in the Lushootseed language)[3] was the site of a village of theSnohomish people. Their territory extended over theSnohomish River, as well as parts ofCamano and Whidbey islands. The village was located on the north side of the island on a spit, near a spring. There were several longhouses.[4]
Hat Island was first mentioned in the historical record by naturalistArchibald Menzies of theVancouver Expedition in 1792.[5][self-published source] In the 1820s, a large landslide at Camano Head created a tidal wave which crashed into Hat Island. The wave wiped out the village, save for a few survivors. From that point on, the island was only used by the Snohomish as a temporary camping ground when clamming, never as a permanent living site. People who returned occasionally found human remains or parts of the destroyed village.[6]
The island was named in English byCharles Wilkes in 1841; although other sources say it was forJohn B. Gedney[7] or Jonathon Haight Gedney, Wilkes's memoirs say he named it for Lt Thomas R. Gedney. The name Hat is for the shape of a beach and treeless ledge, first used in 1870. Since 1980 the island would be called Gedney Island (Hat).[5][self-published source]
There is currently one walk-on ferry named the Hat Express which transports walk-on passengers to and from the island. The maximum capacity of the ferry is 88 passengers. It runs a limited schedule on Thursdays, Friday evenings, and weekends between the Everett Yacht Club on the west end of 13th Street in Everett, and the Hat Island Marina.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.692 square miles (1.79 km2), of which, 0.688 square miles (1.78 km2) of it is land and 0.004 square miles (0.01 km2) of it (0.58%) is water.
Hat Island is also the name of an uninhabited island inPadilla Bay,Skagit County.[9][10]
Hat Island has amarina with 127 slips and agolf course, both maintained by the Hat Island Community Association.[11]
The community is served by theMukilteo School District.[12]
Municipalities and communities ofSnohomish County, Washington,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| CDPs |
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| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Military bases | ||
| Ghost town |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |