Gig Harbor, Washington txʷaalqəɬ | |
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| Nicknames: The Maritime City, The Harbor | |
 Location of Gig Harbor, Washington | |
| Coordinates:47°20′45″N122°36′31″W / 47.34583°N 122.60861°W /47.34583; -122.60861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Pierce |
| Government | |
| • Type | Strong Mayor |
| • Mayor | Mary Barber[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.12 sq mi (15.85 km2) |
| • Land | 5.90 sq mi (15.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.22 sq mi (0.56 km2) |
| Elevation | 108 ft (33 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 12,029 |
| • Density | 1,815.7/sq mi (701.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 98329, 98332, 98335 |
| Area code | 253 |
| FIPS code | 53-26735 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410588[3] |
| Website | cityofgigharbor.net |
Gig Harbor (Lushootseed:txʷaalqəɬ) is the name of both a bay onPuget Sound and a city on its shore inPierce County,Washington. The population was 12,029 at the2020 census.[4]
Gig Harbor bills itself as "the Maritime City" and maintains a strong connection to its maritime heritage. Due to its close access to several state and city parks, and historic waterfront that includes boutiques and fine dining, it has become a popular tourist destination. Gig Harbor is located alongState Route 16, about 6 mi (9.7 km) from its origin atInterstate 5, over theTacoma Narrows Bridge.[5]
The S'Homamish or Homamish (Lushootseed:sxʷəbabš), an ancestral band of the modern-dayPuyallup people, have inhabited Gig Harbor, known in Lushootseed astxʷaalqəɬ, meaning "place where game exists"[6] for millennia. There was a Puyallup settlement at the mouth of the harbor that included six houses, and a large longhouse. This village existed until the late 19th century, with the longhouse finally being torn down by settlers in 1915.[7][8] The band was later relocated to thePuyallup Indian Reservation.
During a heavy storm in 1840, CaptainCharles Wilkes brought thecaptain's gig (small boat) into theharbor for protection. Later, with the publication of Wilkes' 1841 map of theOregon Territory, the sheltered bay was named in English as Gig Harbor by George Sinclair for his boat.
In 1867, fisherman Samuel Jerisich came to the Gig Harbor area, along with many other immigrants from Sweden, Norway, and Croatia. The town wasplatted in 1888 by Alfred M. Burnham, the owner of a localgeneral store and native ofAlbert Lea, Minnesota, where he advertised opportunities in Gig Harbor.[7][9]
Commercial fishing, boat building, and logging dominated the economy of the Gig Harbor area, which developed two business districts in the 1920s on opposite sides of the harbor.[7] Transportation between Gig Harbor and Tacoma was primarily handled by the "Mosquito fleet", a network of mostly-passenger steamships that traversed various points on Puget Sound. Automobiles were required to drive 107 miles (172 km) through Olympia to reach Tacoma; theWashington Navigation Company later launched a Point Defiance–Gig Harbor ferry service in 1927 that could carry 80 vehicles.[8][10] Thefirst Tacoma Narrows Bridge was completed in July 1940 to replace the ferry crossing, but collapsed a few months later.[7] The ferry service was restored until the modern-daywestbound bridge was completed in 1950.[10] Athird bridge opened in 2007 to carry eastbound traffic on the expandedState Route 16 freeway.[7]
Gig Harbor was officially incorporated as a town on July 12, 1946, after a previous attempt in September 1945 was rejected by 13 votes. The town had 803 residents in 1950, but soon grew due to the ease of access afforded by the replacement bridge that turned Gig Harbor into abedroom community for Tacoma workers.[7][11] Gig Harbor was re-incorporated as a city in 1981.[7] By the 1980s and 1990s, substantial residential and retail development had pushed the city's boundaries west to State Route 16, which had been upgraded to a partial freeway. The downtown area shifted towards tourism to compensate for lost business and attract new development.[citation needed] The city's historic boat building industry declined, but its facilities remain preserved as historic landmarks.[7] A fleet of commercial fishing boats is based in Gig Harbor and make annual trips to Alaska for the summer season to harvest salmon.[12]
In 1905, the Skansie brothers were the first in the area to build a gasoline-powered fishing boat. They did so at first by refitting boats with a gasoline-powered engine. Usually the motors were quite small, between 6 and 8 horsepower; the Skansie brothers originally used a 7-horsepower engine.[13] Although these were powerboats, neither masts nor a turntable to hoist in the nets were used. This work was all done by hand. However, with the introduction of a motor, the boats were not able to go as far as Alaska. Skansie shipyards built fishing vessels from the late 1910s to the early 1950s.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.96 square miles (15.44 km2), of which 5.95 square miles (15.41 km2) are land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[14]
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Gig Harbor has amarine west coast climate: Warm and dry summers, transitional springs and autumns, and cool and wet winters, with occasional snow. The annual high and low temperatures of Gig Harbor are 59.3 and 44.8 °F (15.2 and 7.1 °C), respectively, making for an average of 52.05 °F (11.14 °C).[15]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 321 | — | |
| 1950 | 803 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,094 | 36.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,657 | 51.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,429 | 46.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,236 | 33.2% | |
| 2000 | 6,465 | 99.8% | |
| 2010 | 7,126 | 10.2% | |
| 2020 | 12,029 | 68.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16] 2020 Census[4] | |||
As of the2010 census,[17] 7,126 people, 3,291 households, and 1,937 families resided in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,197.6 inhabitants per square mile (462.4/km2). The 3,560 housing units averaged 598.3 units per square mile (231.0 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 90.2% White, 1.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.8% of the population.
Of the 3,291 households, 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were not families. About 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.69.
The median age in the city was 48.1 years; 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were 18 to 24; 21% were 25 to 44; 29% were 45 to 64; and 25% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46% male and 54% female.
As of the2000 census, 6,465 people, 2,880 households, and 1,765 families resided in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,485.2 people per square mile (573.4 people/km2). The 3,085 housing units averaged 708.7 units per square mile (273.6 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.2% White, 1.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.0% of the population.
Of the 2,880 households, 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were not families. Around 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city, the population was distributed as 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,456, and for a family was $57,587. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $28,487 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $28,318. About 3.5% of families and 5.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.8% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those ages 65 or older.
The 8.5-acre (3.4 ha) Tubby's Trail Dog Park in Gig Harbor near theTacoma Narrows Bridge was opened in October 2014. The site is named in memory of a three-legged Blackcocker spaniel who died during the bridge collapse of"Galloping Gertie" in 1940.[18]
At the state level, Gig Harbor is part of the26th legislative district, which encompasses all of peninsular Pierce County and southeastern Kitsap County, including Bremerton and Port Orchard.[19] It is represented in theWashington State Legislature by senatorDeborah Krishnadasan and representativesAdison Richards andMichelle Caldier.[20] At the federal level, Gig Harbor is part of the6th congressional district and is represented by representativeEmily Randall.[21]
ThePeninsula School District is the district covering the city of Gig Harbor and the peninsula. It has three high schools:Gig Harbor High School,Peninsula High School, andHenderson Bay Alternative High School.[22] Tacoma Community College opened a satellite campus in Gig Harbor in 1992, and operates a branch serving Washington Corrections Center for Women, also in Gig Harbor.[23][24]
ThePeninsula Gateway is a weekly newspaper published in Gig Harbor since 1917.[25] It has been owned byMcClatchy, publisher of theNews Tribune and co-owner ofThe Seattle Times, since 1995.[26]
Municipalities and communities ofPierce County, Washington,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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