Coupeville, Washington Explained

Coupeville
Official Name:Coupeville, Washington
Settlement Type:Town
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Washington
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Island
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Molly Hughes
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:5.04
Area Land Km2:3.29
Area Water Km2:1.75
Area Total Sq Mi:1.95
Area Land Sq Mi:1.27
Area Water Sq Mi:0.68
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1942
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Sq Mi:auto
Timezone:Pacific (PST)
Utc Offset:-8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:-7
Elevation M:23
Elevation Ft:75
Coordinates:48.2183°N -122.6836°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:98239
Area Code:360
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:53-15185[2]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1512119[3]
Website:Town of Coupeville

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9] Its 22sqmi 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.[10] The city is part of the Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, which also includes Fort Ebey State Park to the west.[11]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.23sqmi, all of it land.[12]

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,[13] there were 1,831 people, 806 households, and 428 families living in the town. The population density was 1488.6PD/sqmi. There were 933 housing units at an average density of 758.5/sqmi. 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/km2). There were 814 housing units at an average density of 636.2 per square mile (245.5/km2). 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 [[Marriage|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

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. August 7, 2020.
  2. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .
  3. 1512119. Coupeville.
  4. Web site: May 2023 . Census Bureau profile: Coupeville, Washington . May 10, 2024 . United States Census Bureau.
  5. Book: Bates, Dawn . Lushootseed dictionary . Hess . Thom . Hilbert . Vi . 2003 . University of Washington Press . 0-295-97323-4 . 35 . 843308724.
  6. Web site: Riddle . Margaret . Coupeville — Thumbnail History . . November 22, 2022.
  7. Book: Sheridan, Mimi . How Coupeville Grew: A Short History of Town Development . 1998 . 3.
  8. Book: Meany, Edmond S.. Origin of Washington geographic names. 1923. University of Washington Press. Seattle. 58.
  9. Web site: Archived copy . April 13, 2014 . April 13, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140413143041/http://www.nps.gov/mawa/upload/Public-Law-95-625.pdf . dead .
  10. Web site: McClary . Daryl . November 14, 2005 . Island County — Thumbnail History . HistoryLink . November 1, 2023.
  11. Web site: Caldbick . John . September 12, 2023 . Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Whidbey Island) . HistoryLink . November 1, 2023.
  12. Web site: US Gazetteer files 2010 . . December 19, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt . July 2, 2012 .
  13. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. December 19, 2012.