Vashon

History

Vashon Island sits in the midpoint of southern Puget Sound, between Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In the nearby Pacific Ocean, roughly west of Vashon Island, lies the tectonic boundary known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and as such, Vashon Island is one of many areas at risk for earthquakes or related natural disasters. The Cascadia Subduction Zone last saw a major rupture in 1700, but the potential of the zone could cause one of the worst natural disasters in the history of North America. Up until the late 18th century, Vashon and Maury Islands were inhabited solely by indigenous natives, and there is evidence of human activity on Vashon Island dating back 10,000 to 12,000 years. Historical data from the era when the first people settled Vashon–Maury Island is limited. Some of the Native peoples known to have lived on Vashon Island were the Marpole culture from about 7,000 years ago, Coast Salish peoples about 1,000 years ago, and the Sqababsh (known in Chinook Wawa as the S'Homamish) starting about 500 years ago, the latter of which established 5 known major village sites. The Tulalip Tribe established villages along the shores of both islands. Fishing was abundant in the cold saltwater of the central Puget Sound basin, helping Native American tribes to thrive. Moreover, the many waterways and inlets provided easy travel by way of canoe. The first non–Native American to explore and the first to chart this island was Captain George Vancouver, during his surveys of the Puget Sound area with the British Royal Navy. The island was named on May 28, 1792, by Vancouver after his friend James Vashon of the Royal Navy. Starting in 1824, different explorer and settler groups stayed on Vashon Island. Maury Island, immediately to the southeast of Vashon, was named in…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Vashon CDP has a total area of , of which comprise the island and are the waters of Puget Sound surrounding the island. This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Vashon has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Mount Rainier High School
  High · Des Moines · 1,873 students · 24.3:1 ratio
• Thomas Jefferson High School
  High · AUBURN · 1,797 students · 23.6:1 ratio
• Federal Way High School
  High · FEDERAL WAY · 1,640 students · 21:1 ratio
• Decatur High School
  High · FEDERAL WAY · 1,327 students · 22.9:1 ratio
• Highline High School
  High · Burien · 1,326 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Chief Sealth International High School
  High · SEATTLE · 1,289 students · 19.5:1 ratio
• Evergreen High School
  High · Seattle · 1,036 students · 18.8:1 ratio
• Foster Senior High School
  High · Tukwila · 864 students · 20.6:1 ratio