Deer Harbor, Washington
Unincorporated community in San Juan County, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deer Harbor is an unincorporated community on Orcas Island in San Juan County, Washington, United States.
Deer Harbor | |
|---|---|
Deer Harbor, Washington | |
  Deer Harbor Location within the state of Washington | |
| Coordinates: 48°37′24″N 123°00′30″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | San Juan |
| First settled | 1852 |
| Population (2023) | |
• Total | 340 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes | 98243 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1504414[1] |
| Website | Deer Harbor Marina |
The population of the community was 340, according to a census that took place in 2023.[2]
History
The very first expeditions of the San Juan Islands took place in 1792, directed by the Spanish Empire, during one of the Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest. When the first Europeans arrived on Orcas Island, in Deer Harbor they found a peaceful Lummi people encampment. It would take another 50 years before in the 1840s both the United States and the British Empire explored the area.[3]
The very first permanent European settlers would however only arrive in the current spot of Deer Harbor in 1852.[3] One year later, the very first post office was established on January 14th.[4] In 1858 the name Deer Harbor first officially appeared on British Admiralty charts of the San Juan Islands, signaling an official recognition by the British authorities of the settlements in the area.[3][4]
A coastal defense observation post was built behind a local Inn in 1941 in order to help with the war effort during the Second World War.[3]
Culture
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As with most San Juan Islands communities, Deer Harbor is known for its recreation and tourism, including kayaking, whale watching, and fishing. Many people fish for Dungeness crab, rock crab, and shrimp there.
Doe Bay is a community on the opposite side of the island from Deer Harbor. Deer Harbor is assigned the ZIP code 98243.
