Port Orchard, Washington | |
|---|---|
 Corner of Bay St. and Sidney Ave. | |
 Location of Port Orchard in Kitsap County | |
| Coordinates:47°31′54″N122°38′18″W / 47.53167°N 122.63833°W /47.53167; -122.63833 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Kitsap |
| Incorporated | September 15, 1890 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Robert Putaansuu[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.21 sq mi (29.03 km2) |
| • Land | 9.64 sq mi (24.98 km2) |
| • Water | 1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 430 ft (130 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 15,587 |
• Estimate (2022)[5] | 17,089 |
| • Density | 1,772/sq mi (684.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC–8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 98366–98367 |
| Area codes | 360,564 |
| FIPS code | 53-55785 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411466[3] |
| Website | portorchardwa.gov |
Port Orchard is a city in and thecounty seat ofKitsap County,Washington, United States.[6] It is located 13 miles (21 km) due west ofWest Seattle and is connected toSeattle andVashon Island via theWashington State Ferries run toSouthworth. It is named afterPort Orchard, the strait that separatesBainbridge Island from theKitsap Peninsula.
The population was 15,587 in the2020 census,[4] and estimated to be 17,089 in 2022.[5] Together with its two major suburbs,East Port Orchard andParkwood, the population is over 28,000.
The first European-Americans to settle in what is now Port Orchard were William Renton and Daniel Howard, who set up a sawmill there in 1854.[7] The town that was to become Port Orchard was originally platted in 1886 by Frederick Stevens, who named the new location after his father, Sidney. The town of Sidney was incorporated September 15, 1890, and was the first in Kitsap County to be both platted and incorporated. Shortly thereafter, theU.S. Navy sought a suitable location for another installation on theWest Coast, and found it with the assistance of Sidney's residents in Orchard Bay (this installation would later become thePuget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton).
The county seat was originally inPort Madison, but moved to Sidney after a popular vote in 1892. In December of that same year, the residents of Sidney petitioned both the state legislature and thePost Office Department to rename the city "Port Orchard". The legislature refused, as Charleston (now WestBremerton) had also requested that name. The Post Office Department, however, went through with the name change, and as a result the Port Orchard post office ended up in Sidney, and the Charleston post office ended up in Port Orchard. It wasn't until 1903 that local politician Will Thompson convinced the state legislature to correct this confusing situation, and relocated the Charleston post office to Charleston, at the same time renaming Sidney "Port Orchard", as it is known today.
A new city hall was opened in May 1999, replacing a seismically vulnerable building constructed in 1947. It was to be a catalyst for new development in the city's downtown.[8]
On December 18, 2018, a cul-de-sac in Port Orchard was struck by anEF2 tornado with winds between 120 and 130 miles per hour (190 and 210 km/h), the strongest tornado in Washington since 1986. The tornado uprooted trees and damaged up to 450 homes and businesses, some of which sustained total roof loss. Some neighborhoods were evacuated due to reported gas leaks.[9]
Port Orchard is located in south-central Kitsap County on the south side ofSinclair Inlet, an arm of thePort Orchard strait connecting toPuget Sound. The city is bordered to the north across Sinclair Inlet by the city ofBremerton.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.21 square miles (29.03 km2), of which 9.64 square miles (24.97 km2) are land and 1.57 square miles (4.07 km2), or 15.65%, are water.[2]
The city is home toSouth Kitsap Regional Park, a 209-acre (85 ha) public park with multiple sports fields, hiking trails, a playground, a skate park, and batting cages.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 226 | — | |
| 1900 | 254 | 12.4% | |
| 1910 | 682 | 168.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,393 | 104.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,145 | −17.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,566 | 36.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,320 | 48.1% | |
| 1960 | 2,778 | 19.7% | |
| 1970 | 3,904 | 40.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,787 | 22.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,984 | 4.1% | |
| 2000 | 7,693 | 54.4% | |
| 2010 | 11,144 | 44.9% | |
| 2020 | 15,587 | 39.9% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 17,089 | [5] | 9.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 2020 Census[4] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 15,587 people, 5,840 households, and 3,894 families residing in the city.[12]
As of the2010 census, there were 11,144 people, 4,278 households, and 2,726 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,539.2 inhabitants per square mile (594.3/km2). There were 4,630 housing units at an average density of 639.5 per square mile (246.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 80.8%White, 3.4%African American, 1.3%Native American, 5.8%Asian, 1.4%Pacific Islander, 1.0% fromother races, and 6.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.6% of the population.
There were 4,278 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% weremarried couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $34,020, and the median income for a family was $41,946. Males had a median income of $33,610 versus $25,739 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,382. About 10.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
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The city is in theSouth Kitsap School District.[13]
Port Orchard Airport, located 7 miles (11 km) south of the city, is a private airport with anindustrial park.[14]
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Municipalities and communities ofKitsap County, Washington,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
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