Quilcene, Washington | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: "Pearl of the Peninsula" | |
 Location of Quilcene, Washington | |
| Coordinates:47°45′35″N122°53′07″W / 47.75972°N 122.88528°W /47.75972; -122.88528[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.2 sq mi (23.8 km2) |
| • Land | 8.8 sq mi (22.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.39 sq mi (1.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 427 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 598 |
| • Density | 67.9/sq mi (26.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 98376 |
| Area code | 360 |
| FIPS code | 53-56975[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409117[1] |
Quilcene is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) inJefferson County,Washington, United States. The population was 598 at the2020 census.
The community is located on theOlympic Peninsula at the head of Quilcene Bay, an arm of the seawater-filled glacial valley ofHood Canal.[3] Each year many visitors enjoy the panoramic views ofMount Rainier,Puget Sound andSeattle from the 2,804-foot (855 m) summit of nearby Mount Walker, the only peak facing Puget Sound that has a road to its summit.[3] TheOlympic National Forest lands in Quilcene holdDouglas fir, spring-blooming Pacificrhododendrons,Oregon grape, andsalal.[4] Leland Lake is located north of Quilcene.
Quilcene oysters are named after the community.[5] Quilcene has one of the largestoyster hatcheries in the world.[citation needed]
Early inhabitants of the area were theTwana people, inhabiting the length of Hood Canal, and rarely invading other tribes.[6] The name "Quilcene" comes from theTwana word /qʷəʔlsíd/, referring to a tribal group[7] and the name of an aboriginal Twana village and community on Quilcene Bay.[8] The Quilcene ("salt-water people") were a distinct band of these people.[9]
TheWilkes Expedition charted the place as "Kwil-sid" in 1841. Hampden Cottle, a logger fromMaine, and several other families settled there in 1860 and eventually established a town.[10] The town was originally situated on the banks of theQuilcene River, before being moved to higher ground.[11] The economy in Quilcene was based primarily on farming and logging, and by 1880 the town had a population of 53.[10]
The Tubal Cain Mining Company in 1902 claimed that Quilcene would become the center for the smelting of iron, copper, gold, and manganese that was expected to be found in theOlympic Mountains; however, little ore was ever discovered.[10]
Circa 1910, Green's Shingle Mill was a large part of Quilcene's history.[12]
Quilcene is located in eastern Jefferson County at the north end of Quilcene Bay, an arm ofDabob Bay, which extends north fromHood Canal. TheBig Quilcene River forms the southern edge of the community, and theLittle Quilcene River forms the northeastern edge; both arise in theOlympic Mountains to the west and flow past the town into Quilcene Bay.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km2), of which 8.8 square miles (22.8 km2) are land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 4.25%, are water.[13]
TheOlympic National Forest is west and south of the community. The 2,804-foot (855 m) summit of Mount Walker,[14] 2 miles (3 km) southwest of the CDP, offers views of Mount Jupiter,Buckhorn Mountain,Mount Constance,Mount Baker and the town of Quilcene.[4]
At the southwest edge of the Quilcene CDP, at the union of the Big Quilcene River and Penny Creek, theQuilcene National Fish Hatchery has been operating since 1911. There, theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service raisescoho salmon for on-station release and provides coho salmon eggs and fingerlings for tribal programs.[15]
Quilcene experiences anoceanic climate (Köppen climate classificationCfb) and is almost categorised as part of theCsb climate category, receiving slightly more than 30 mm (1.2 in), the threshold forCfb inclusion.
| Climate data for Quilcene | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) | 71 (22) | 78 (26) | 84 (29) | 91 (33) | 96 (36) | 100 (38) | 98 (37) | 99 (37) | 83 (28) | 74 (23) | 65 (18) | 100 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 50 (10) | 56 (13) | 61 (16) | 67 (19) | 72 (22) | 77 (25) | 79 (26) | 73 (23) | 62 (17) | 51 (11) | 44 (7) | 61 (16) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31 (−1) | 33 (1) | 35 (2) | 38 (3) | 43 (6) | 48 (9) | 51 (11) | 50 (10) | 46 (8) | 40 (4) | 35 (2) | 31 (−1) | 40 (5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) | 5 (−15) | 12 (−11) | 27 (−3) | 27 (−3) | 34 (1) | 35 (2) | 38 (3) | 29 (−2) | 22 (−6) | 5 (−15) | 4 (−16) | 3 (−16) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 7.39 (188) | 7.38 (187) | 5.93 (151) | 3.81 (97) | 2.82 (72) | 2.13 (54) | 1.29 (33) | 1.24 (31) | 1.60 (41) | 4.13 (105) | 7.99 (203) | 8.65 (220) | 54.36 (1,382) |
| Source:[16] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 591 | — | |
| 2010 | 596 | 0.8% | |
| 2020 | 598 | 0.3% | |
| US Decennial Census 2020 Census[17] | |||
As of the 2010 census, 596 people lived in 312 households in the CDP,[18] representing a population increase of 6 and a household increase of 69 over the 2000 census). With 123 children under the age of 18, 20.6% are school age or younger.
In 2000, thepopulation density was 60.6 people per square mile (23.4/km2). There were 284 housing units at an average density of 29.1/sq mi (11.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.77%White, 1.18%African American, 3.55%Native American, 0.34%Asian, 0.17%Pacific Islander, 0.85% fromother races, and 9.14% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
In 2000, there were 243 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% weremarried couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.95.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the CDP was $40,385, and the median income for a family was $45,313. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $24,063 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $17,335. About 11.3% of families and 15.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
TheOlympic Music Festival, based in Quilcene for 32 years until 2016, is a casualclassical music event featuring world-renowned musicians that was held at a turn-of-the-century dairy farm on 55 acres (220,000 m2) of farmland. The Olympic Music Festival was voted "Best Classical Music Festival" by readers of theSeattle Weekly. The music festival was founded in 1984 byAlan Iglitzin, originally intending it to be a summer home for thePhiladelphia String Quartet.[19] The festival moved to nearbyFort Worden in 2016.
Municipalities and communities ofJefferson County, Washington,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost towns |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |