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Friday Harbor, Washington
—  Town  —
Friday Harbor, Washington
Location of Friday Harbor, Washington
Coordinates: 48°32′7″N 123°1′52″W / 48.53528°N 123.03111°W / 48.53528; -123.03111Coordinates: 48°32′7″N 123°1′52″W / 48.53528°N 123.03111°W / 48.53528; -123.03111
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	San Juan
Incorporation	February 10, 1909
Area
- Total	1.4 sq mi (3.7 km2)
- Land	1.4 sq mi (3.5 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	59 ft (18 m)
Population (2008)
- Total	2,130
- Density	1,467.7/sq mi (566.7/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC−8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC−7)
ZIP code	98250
Area code(s)	360
FIPS code	53-25615[1]
GNIS feature ID	1505051[2]
Website	http://www.fridayharbor.org

Friday Harbor is a town in San Juan County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,130 at the 2008 Census Bureau estimate.^[3] Located on San Juan Island, it is the major commercial center of the San Juan Islands archipelago. It is the county seat of San Juan County.^[4]

History

San Juan County District Courthouse

In 1845 the Hudson's Bay Company laid claim to San Juan Island. In 1850 they built a salmon curing station. A few years later they started a sheep farm.^[5]

The harbor got its name from Joseph Poalie (Poalima?) Friday, a Kanaka - a native Hawaiian man who worked at the Hudson's Bay Company's Cowlitz farm from 1841 to 1859-60. He moved north to San Juan Island and raised sheep around the harbor.^[6]

After the peaceful settlement of the Pig War, the islands became a separate county in 1873. Friday Harbor was named the county seat of San Juan County.^[7]

Friday Harbor was officially incorporated on February 10, 1909. It is the only incorporated town in the San Juan Islands.^[8]

Sailing ships and, later, the steamships of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet visited the harbor on a regular basis, hauling passengers, mail and freight. They took the island's bounty: apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, peas, cream, eggs, chickens, grain, salmon, and lime.

The Great Depression, World War II, the pea weevil, and competition from Eastern Washington growers brought about the decline of traditional island industries. Friday Harbor's fortunes declined with them.

The 1960s brought new industries - tourism, retirement, real estate, construction - began to take hold. Today, Friday Harbor is again busy and prosperous.

Osamu Shimomura harvested jellyfish from the docks of the harbor. Eventually he purified the proteins that allow the jellyfish to fluoresce green when exposed to blue light. One of them, Green fluorescent protein is now widely used as a marker of molecular activity.^[9]

Geography

Friday Harbor is located at 48°32′07″N 123°01′52″W / 48.535260°N 123.031055°W / 48.535260; -123.031055 (48.535260, -123.031055).^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.7 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (4.93%) is water.

Transportation

A passenger ferry at Friday Harbor's dock.

Seaplane at Friday Harbor on arrival from Seattle Lake Union

Friday Harbor's primary connection to the mainland is via Washington State Ferries, which sail between the town and Anacortes, Washington several times per day. Friday Harbor can also be reached via ferry from Sidney, British Columbia, on Washington State Ferries' only international route. This service is available seasonally, only (i.e., May to October). The Friday Harbor Airport, has a limited airline service.

Friday Harbor is also served by regular daily float plane scheduled services from the down town pier to Seattle's Lake Union seaplane base.^[11]

On the island, there are taxis, shuttles, bicycles and mopeds for rent.

Education

Kids playing on Spring Street

The town of Friday Harbor houses the world famous marine biology facility, Friday Harbor Laboratories, a field station of the University of Washington. The town has several schools, including the public Friday Harbor High School, Friday Harbor Middle School, and Friday Harbor Elementary School that are part of the San Juan Island School District; and the private Stillpoint School, Paideia School, and Spring Street School. Also on the island is a branch of Skagit Valley College. The school district also includes the small Stuart Island Elementary School that was established in 1897 and is one of Washington's "remote and necessary" schools.

Demographics

Friday Harbor has a diverse population - both young and old

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,989 people, 896 households, and 468 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,467.7 people per square mile (564.7/km²). There were 1,053 housing units at an average density of 777.0/sq mi (298.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.01% White, 0.65% African American, 1.31% Native American, 1.41% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.

There were 896 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.6% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.7% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,139, and the median income for a family was $45,208. Males had a median income of $35,625 versus $24,741 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,792. About 7.7% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sister City

Friday Harbor has the following sister city: ^[12]

• Terschelling, Netherlands

Popular culture

Friday Harbor is featured as the default starting point in the computer game, Microsoft Flight Simulator X.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Friday Harbor also became a home permanent base for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Before they moved in different offices and they decided to go for Friday Harbor. President and founder Paul Watson happens to live in Friday Harbor, he happens to have his kind of office in Sea Shepherd Base which is a meditate chamber like office.

Gallery

Friday Harbor		A Smerinthus cerisyi moth found in Friday Harbor	Spring Street and harbor
		Friday Harbor's landscaping is rich with Lavender and California Poppies	Cars at the entrance to the ferry terminal
Downtown

References

External links

• Friday Harbor and San Juan Island Web Directory / Information
• Friday Harbor and San Juan Islands Web Directory
• Friday Harbor and San Juan Islands online news
• Island Guardian -online news
• Friday Harbor Bed and Breakfast Lodging and Travel Resources
• Friday Harbor Lodging, Travel and Information
• Live images of Friday Harbor
• Washington State Ferries Anacortes / San Juan Schedule

Municipalities and communities of San Juan County, Washington County seat: Friday Harbor Town Friday Harbor Communities Deer Harbor | Eastsound | Olga | Orcas Village | Roche Harbor | Waldron

The Mosquito Fleet of Puget Sound Sidewheelers Alaskan  • Beaver  • Eliza Anderson  • George E. Starr  • Idaho  • North Pacific  • Olympian  • T.J. Potter  • Wilson G. Hunt  • Yosemite ”They managed to keep their particular sort of jaunty, wind-swept beauty until the end.” – Newell, Gordon R., Ships of the Inland Sea Sternwheelers Bailey Gatzert  • City of Shelton  • Greyhound  • Hassalo (1880)  • Multnomah  • S.G. Simpson  • WT Preston Propellers Athlon  • Clallam  • M/V Coho  • Crystal  • Cy Peck  • Daily  • Daring  • Dart  • Dauntless  • Defiance  • Dix  • Dove  • Fleetwood  • Kingston  • Flyer (1891) • Hattie Hansen  • Island Princess  • Islander (1) • Mary D. Hume  • Mizpah  • Monticello (2) • Rosalie • Tacoma • Virginia V Steamboat lines Black Ball Line • Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. • Oregon Steam Navigation Co. • Puget Sound Navigation Co. • Hunt Bros. • McDowell Transportation Co. Steamboat captains William Ballard • Matthew McDowell Builders and shipyards John J. Holland • Robert Moran • King & Winge Steamboats in other areas of the Pacific Northwest Lake Washington • Columbia River • Oregon Coast • Willamette River • Yaquina Bay and river • Coquille River • Cowlitz River • Grays Harbor • Chehalis River • Hoquiam River • Willapa Bay • Columbia River (Wenatchee Reach) • Lake Crescent • Arrow Lakes • Upper Fraser River • Skeena River • Lake Okanagan • Thompson=Shuswap • Slocan Lake • Kootenay Lake and the lower Kootenai River • Columbia Lake and upper Kootenai River • Peace & Finaly Rivers • Stikine River