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Coupeville
Town
Coupeville, Washington
Aerial view of Coupeville
Location of Coupeville, Washington
Coordinates: 48°13′6″N 122°41′1″W / 48.21833°N 122.68361°W / 48.21833; -122.68361
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Island
Government
• Mayor	Molly Hughes
Area
• Total	1.95 sq mi (5.04 km)
• Land	1.27 sq mi (3.29 km)
• Water	0.68 sq mi (1.75 km)
Elevation	75 ft (23 m)
Population
• Total	1,942
• Density	1,000/sq mi (390/km)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98239
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-15185
GNIS feature ID	1512119
Website	townofcoupeville.org

Coupeville is a town on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington, United States.

It is the county seat of Island County. The population was 1,942 at the 2020 census.

History

Prior to European settlement, Coupeville and the bay in which it is located, Penn Cove, was inhabited by the Lower Skagit, a Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish people. There were three villages around the bay, with the largest being at bəc̓adᶻali, meaning "snake place", the site of present day Coupeville. There was an abundance of salmon, clams, and other resources, as well as offering easy access to the water, making it an excellent village site.

When Europeans arrived to explore the Puget Sound, it was Joseph Whidbey who first visited the bay, naming it Penn Cove in honor of his good friend. Captain George Vancouver later wrote after meeting the Skagit at the village that their population had quickly fallen due to disease.

Coupeville was laid out in the 1850s by Captain Thomas Coupe, and named for him.

Coupeville was officially incorporated on April 20, 1910.

Coupeville is a historic district within the federal Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. The reserve was established by Congress in 1978 as the first and only National Historical Reserve in the nation. Its 22 square miles (57 km) also encompass farmlands, Fort Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park, shorelines and beaches, parks, trails, and 91 buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places.

For pop culture and film fans, Coupeville is a film location for the cult classic film Practical Magic. The 1990s witchy hit starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

Geography

Coupeville is located near the center of Whidbey Island, which lies in Puget Sound between the mainland and the Olympic Peninsula. On the north side of downtown is Penn Cove, an inlet of the Saratoga Passage. The city is part of the Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, which also includes Fort Ebey State Park to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.23 square miles (3.19 km), all of it land.

Climate

Coupeville experiences significantly lower rainfall than much of western Washington, due to its location within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. Due to the significant drying trend in summer, Coupeville's climate is classified as warm-summer Mediterranean, according to the Köppen climate classification system.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,831 people, 806 households, and 428 families living in the town. The population density was 1,488.6 inhabitants per square mile (574.8/km). There were 933 housing units at an average density of 758.5 per square mile (292.9/km). The racial makeup of the town was 87.2% White, 1.6% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 4.2% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.0% of the population.

There were 806 households, of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.9% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.77.

The median age in the town was 51.1 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 44.3% male and 55.7% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,723 people, 737 households, and 426 families living in the town. The population density was 1,346.7 people per square mile (519.7/km). There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile (245.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 89.8% White, 1.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or [Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population.

There were 737 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 25.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,938, and the median income for a family was $47,721. Males had a median income of $33,235 versus $27,100 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,720. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In 1987, 42 percent of the county's population were employed by the military. Major employers in Coupeville are Island County and WhidbeyHealth Medical Center.

Service and retail businesses serve the island population and visitors attracted to the town's historic waterfront district and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Retail businesses are located along North and South Main Street, Coveland, and Front Street along the waterfront. In addition to 11 restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops, stores include art galleries, gourmet food, clothing, souvenir, and home decor retailers. With few exceptions, these businesses are operated by individual local owners.

Notable people

• Guy Bond, psychologist.
• Adrienne Lyle, Olympic dressage rider.

See also

• Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve−index of topics
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Island County, Washington
• Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "Coupeville". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
4. "Census Bureau profile: Coupeville, Washington". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
5. Bates, Dawn; Hess, Thom; Hilbert, Vi (2003). Lushootseed dictionary. University of Washington Press. p. 35. ISBN 0-295-97323-4. OCLC 843308724.
6. ^ Riddle, Margaret. "Coupeville — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
7. Sheridan, Mimi (1998). How Coupeville Grew: A Short History of Town Development (PDF). p. 3.
8. Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 58.
9. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. McClary, Daryl (November 14, 2005). "Island County — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
11. Caldbick, John (September 12, 2023). "Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Whidbey Island)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
12. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
13. "COUPEVILLE 1 S, WASHINGTON (451783)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
14. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved August 31, 2014.
15. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 19, 2012.

External links

• History of Coupeville at HistoryLink
• Coupeville & Central Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce
• Coupeville Visitors' Information
• Island County Historical Museum
• Sunnyside Cemetery - Coupeville's historic pioneer cemetery
• US National Park Service: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve website
• NPS: History and culture of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and Central Whidbey Island
• Historic Admiralty Head Lighthouse
• Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival Archived June 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
• The Whidbey Examiner newspaper, based in Coupeville
• Oliver S. Van Olinda Photography Collection - Former editor of the Island County Times a Coupeville newspaper; University of Washington Library

v t e Municipalities and communities of Island County, Washington, United States
County seat: Coupeville
Cities	Langley Oak Harbor
Town	Coupeville
CDPs	Camano Clinton Freeland Whidbey Island Station
Other communities	Baby Island Heights Bayview Coveland Glendale Greenbank Keystone Mabana Maxwelton San de Fuca
Washington portal United States portal

• Coupeville, Washington
• Towns in Island County, Washington
• County seats in Washington (state)
• Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
• Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
• Populated places established in 1852
• 1852 establishments in Oregon Territory
• Towns in Washington (state)
• National Register of Historic Places in Island County, Washington