Indian Island, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Indian Island, Washington
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 Indian Island, Washington
Location in Washington (state)
Indian Island, Washington
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Jefferson |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code(s) | 360 |
Indian Island is a small piece of land in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. It is an "unincorporated community," which means it's a place where people live that isn't officially part of a city or town. The entire island is actually part of a larger area called Marrowstone.
This island is located between Port Townsend Bay and Kilisut Harbor. Parts of Indian Island also touch Oak Bay and Scow Bay. For a long time, Indian Island was connected to the mainland by a wide, flat sandy area and a marshy backshore. This changed when the Port Townsend Ship Canal was built.
Today, Indian Island is home to the Indian Island Naval Reserve. This important U.S. Navy base covers the whole island. Because it's a military base, no regular citizens are allowed to live on Indian Island. The island is connected to Marrowstone Island and is often thought of as part of it. The mail for Indian Island goes through the Nordland ZIP code. The island has a total land area of about 11.28 square kilometers (4.3553 square miles). In the year 2000, 44 people lived there.
Indian Island is a very important place for the United States Navy. It is a major facility where the Navy handles and stores munitions. Munitions are things like ammunition, bombs, and missiles.
Navy combat ships and special supply ships called Military Sealift Command vessels often visit Indian Island's dock. They come here to pick up or drop off munitions. These supplies are used to support U.S. military operations all around the world.
The Navy also services certain types of submarines at Indian Island. These are refitted Ohio-class missile submarines, which used to carry ballistic missiles but now carry other types of missiles.
Over the years, some environmental groups and peace activists have asked questions about the Navy's activities at Indian Island. They want to make sure that the operations are safe for the environment and for the people nearby.
