Oak Harbor

History

The Lower Skagit people have inhabited Oak Harbor () and the nearby Crescent Harbor () There were several villages in the vicinity, and the modern settlement of Oak Harbor was built over one such village. Irish and Dutch immigrants also arrived and settled in the area. Oak Harbor was named for the area's Garry Oak trees and was incorporated in 1915 with a population of 401. Houses and businesses sprouted up along the shores of Oak Harbor as the pioneers relied entirely on water transportation until the 1900s. For the next 30 years, steamers and freighters carried passengers and freight from the Island to the mainland and back as well as Fidalgo Island to the north. The city grew following the completion of Deception Pass Bridge on July 31, 1935, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on September 21, 1942. The bridge, which linked Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island and the mainland, was a Public Works Administration project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. A nearby state park with of forest, campsites, and trails was also developed.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Access to the island by land is only available by driving through Deception Pass. Other ways to travel to Whidbey Island include flying or utilizing a ferry service. The Mukilteo–Clinton ferry provides service connecting the southern end of Whidbey Island to the area immediately north of Seattle, while the Coupeville-Port Townsend ferry connects to the Olympic peninsula. Surveys of shorelines throughout the Puget Sound region have indicated that 58% are "unstable". Average retreat rates range from one to eight centimeters per year and shores in the Puget Sound area, composed of unconsolidated sediment, erode 10 to 100 times faster than rocky shoreline. Oak Harbor has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, though not severe, damp winters. Due to the Olympic rain shadow, the region is much drier than most of the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  20,509
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  18,313
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  17,810
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  16,537
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,353
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  12,749
• Spotted Towhee

  Pipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827 · Aves
  11,820
• Glaucous-winged Gull

  Larus glaucescens J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  11,469

Largest nearby schools

• Oak Harbor High School
  High · Oak Harbor · 1,566 students · 18:1 ratio
• Oak Harbor Intermediate School
  Middle · Oak Harbor · 768 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• North Whidbey Middle School
  Middle · Oak Harbor · 721 students · 16:1 ratio
• Hillcrest Elementary
  Elementary · Oak Harbor · 502 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Coupeville Elementary School
  Elementary · Coupeville · 491 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Crescent Harbor Elem
  Elementary · Oak Harbor · 481 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Olympic View Elem
  Elementary · Oak Harbor · 443 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Broad View Elementary
  Elementary · Oak Harbor · 380 students · 14.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-06-26
  11 km E of Carnation, Washington
• M 2.86 — 2026-06-08
  2 km ESE of Oak Harbor, Washington
• M 2.56 — 2026-05-29
  7 km ENE of Ferndale, Washington
• M 2.54 — 2026-05-07
  4 km WSW of Concrete, Washington
• M 2.7 — 2026-04-27
  5 km N of Anacortes, Washington
• M 2.5 — 2026-04-12
  3 km WSW of Concrete, Washington