kids encyclopedia robot

San Juan County, Washington facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
San Juan County
U.S. county
San Juan County Courthouse
San Juan County Courthouse
Flag of San Juan County
Flag
Motto(s): 
A World Away
Map of Washington highlighting San Juan County
Location within the U.S. state of Washington
Map of the United States highlighting Washington
Washington's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Washington
Founded October 31, 1873
Named for San Juan Islands
Seat Friday Harbor
Largest town Friday Harbor
Area
 • Total 621 sq mi (1,610 km2)
 • Land 174 sq mi (450 km2)
 • Water 447 sq mi (1,160 km2)  72%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 17,788
 • Estimate 
()
 18,566 Increase
 • Density 96/sq mi (37/km2)
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district 2nd

San Juan County is a special area in the far northwestern part of Washington. It is located in the Salish Sea, which is a large body of water. In 2020, about 17,788 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Friday Harbor. It is found on San Juan Island.

San Juan County was created on October 31, 1873. It was formed from Whatcom County. The county is named after the San Juan Islands. These islands were named for Juan Vicente de Güemes, who was a leader in New Spain. Even though the islands do not have state highways, the ferry routes that connect them are part of Washington's state highway system.

A Look at San Juan County's Past

Straits Steamship Company house flag
House flag of the Straits Steamship Company, a shipping company that used steamships in the area.

The San Juan Islands were once part of a disagreement. From 1846 to 1872, Great Britain and the United States both wanted control of them. This led to a conflict in 1859 called the Pig War. No one was hurt in this "bloodless" war. The dispute was settled by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. He decided that the islands should belong to the United States.

San Juan County was home to Henry Cayou. He was one of the first elected officials in Washington who was of Native American background. In more recent history, a plane flown by former astronaut William Anders crashed in the San Juan Islands on June 7, 2024.

Exploring San Juan County's Geography

San Juan County covers a total area of 621 square miles. Only 174 square miles of this is land. The other 447 square miles (72%) is water. This makes it the smallest county in Washington by land area. It is also the fourth smallest by total area.

San Juan County is made up of over 400 islands and rocks. These are all above the high tide line. About 134 of these islands and rocks have names. The county has a rugged coastline with many rocks. It also has several mountains. The highest point is Mount Constitution. It is on Orcas Island and stands 2,407 feet above sea level.

Important Waterways and Features

Major Islands of San Juan County

There are about 743 islands and rocks in the San Juan Island chain. Most of the people in the county live on the four largest islands. These are the only islands served by the Washington State Ferries. The four largest islands are:

Other islands include:

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

Who Lives in San Juan County?

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 554 —
1880 948 71.1%
1890 2,072 118.6%
1900 2,928 41.3%
1910 3,603 23.1%
1920 3,605 0.1%
1930 3,097 −14.1%
1940 3,157 1.9%
1950 3,245 2.8%
1960 2,872 −11.5%
1970 3,856 34.3%
1980 7,838 103.3%
1990 10,035 28.0%
2000 14,077 40.3%
2010 15,769 12.0%
2020 17,788 12.8%
2023 (est.) 18,566 17.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

The number of people living in San Juan County has grown a lot. In 1970, there were about 4,000 residents. By 2022, this number was almost 19,000. Many people who work from home have moved here. Because housing can be expensive, San Juan County has a high rate of income inequality in Washington.

Population Details from 2020

In 2020, there were 17,788 people and 8,378 households. The population density was about 102 people per square mile. Most people (93.5%) were White. Other groups included African American (0.9%), Native American (1.1%), and Asian (1.7%). About 2.6% of people were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 6.8% of the population.

About 12.5% of the people were under 18 years old. Only 2.8% were under 5 years old. A larger group, 35.1%, were over 65 years old. The county had slightly more females (50.9%) than males (49.1%).

The average household income was $68,577. The income per person was $52,881. About 10.8% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Population Details from 2010

In 2010, there were 15,769 people living in the county. There were 7,613 households and 4,438 families. The population density was about 91 people per square mile. The county had 13,313 housing units. The average density was 77 units per square mile.

Most people (92.6%) were white. Other groups included Asian (1.1%), American Indian (0.7%), and African American (0.3%). About 2.6% were from other races. About 2.5% were from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population.

The largest ancestry groups included:

  • 19.6% German
  • 19.3% English
  • 14.1% Irish
  • 5.6% Norwegian
  • 5.6% Scottish
  • 5.0% French
  • 4.4% Swedish
  • 4.2% Mexican
  • 3.6% Italian
  • 3.1% Scotch-Irish
  • 2.9% Dutch
  • 2.8% American
  • 2.1% Welsh
  • 1.8% Polish
  • 1.7% Russian
  • 1.6% Danish
  • 1.4% British
  • 1.1% Swiss
  • 1.0% Canadian

Of the households, 19.3% had children under 18. About 48.3% were married couples. The average household size was 2.05 people. The average family size was 2.56 people. The average age in the county was 52.7 years.

The average income for a household was $50,726. For a family, it was $61,096. The income per person was $35,487. About 7.6% of families and 10.1% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 13.3% of those under 18. It also included 5.2% of those 65 or older.

Religious Beliefs in San Juan County

A survey in 2020 found that San Juan County has many people who do not identify with a religion. About 49% of the population said they were not religious. This is the highest percentage in any county in the United States.

Keeping the Peace: Law Enforcement

The San Juan County Sheriff's Office helps keep the county safe. They manage the county jail. They also provide security at the San Juan County Superior Court. The sheriff's office helps with emergency management. They work with other emergency services in the county. They also make sure laws are followed. There are no city police departments in San Juan County.

Because the county is made of islands, the sheriff also has a special marine unit. This unit has four small patrol boats. These boats are used for search and rescue missions. They also transport deputies and people who have been arrested to and from remote islands. The sheriff can also ask for help from the National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers. These rangers work at the San Juan Island National Historical Park. They can also get help from the Washington State Patrol if needed.

The first sheriff of the county was Stephen Boyce. Local Native Americans called him Hyas Tyee. This means "great and powerful man" in the Coast Salish language.

Getting Around San Juan County

San Juan County is connected to the rest of Washington by the state ferry system. The ferries operate the Anacortes–San Juan Islands ferry route. This ferry service includes trips between islands. It also has direct trips to Friday Harbor and Anacortes. Before 2020, there was also service to Sidney, British Columbia. During the summer, it is a good idea to reserve a spot for your car on the ferry. This is because many people want to use the ferry.

A public transportation system called San Juan Transit started in 1993. It mainly uses buses on San Juan Island. These buses help both residents and visitors get around.

Towns and Communities

Main Town

  • Friday Harbor (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)

Smaller Communities (Unincorporated)

These are smaller places that are not officially towns or cities.

Images for kids

  • Stephen Boyce

    Stephen Boyce, San Juan County's first sheriff.

  • San Juan Co Sheriff Patrol Boat

    A San Juan County sheriff's office patrol boat photographed in 2009.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de San Juan (Washington) para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
San Juan County, Washington Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.