The Victorian seaport community of Coupeville, one of the oldest towns in Washington State, is on Whidbey Island. It is part of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve which encompasses a mixture of federal, state, county and private property, all managed in a way that preserves its historic essence.
Understand
[edit]
Coupeville is on Penn Cove, an inlet of the Saratoga Passage, near the center of Whidbey Island.
History
[edit]Prior to European settlement, Penn Cove was inhabited by the Lower Skagit, a Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish people. There was an abundance of salmon, clams, and other resources, as well as easy access to the water, making it an excellent village site. Joseph Whidbey, the first European to visit the bay as part of George Vancouver's 1792 Expedition, named it Penn Cove in honor of a friend.
In the 1850s, Captain Thomas Coupe laid out the town, one of the first in what became Washington State. Coupeville became the county seat in 1881, and began to prosper as a center of commerce, a shipbuilding hub and a busy ferry and shipping harbor. The activation of nearby Fort Casey in 1901 spurred further services and infrastructure improvements. Structures from these eras survived into the 1970s, when a new wave of building started to reshape the island. In 1972, area residents created the Central Whidbey Island Historic District to preserve the town and surrounding countryside from development. This protected area became the core of what is now the Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve.
Visitor information
[edit]- 1 Coupeville Visitor's Center (Coupeville Chamber of Commerce), 905 NW Alexander St, ☏ +1 360-678-5434, [email protected]. Daily 11AM-3PM. A small help desk that's well-stocked with brochures and information on the National Historical Reserve and other attractions across the island.
Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]
State Route 20 (WA-20) approaches from the north, through Oak Harbor, across the Deception Pass Bridge to Anacortes and Burlington on the mainland.
State Route 525 (WA-525) approaches from the greater Seattle area to the south, via the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry. It joins WA-20 about 6 mi (9.7 km) south of town. The drive from Clinton ferry terminal takes about 40 minutes.
By ferry
[edit]Washington State Ferries (WSF) operates the Port Townsend / Coupeville route, connecting Whidbey Island to the Olympic Peninsula.
- 1 Coupeville Terminal (formerly Keystone Terminal), 1400 S State Route 20 (at Fort Casey, 4 mi (6.4 km) south of Coupeville), ☏ +1 206-464-6400, toll-free: +1-800-843-3779. Ferries from Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. 35 minutes one way; departures every 1½ hours.
Reservations are recommended for vehicles. The small ferries required for the narrow Keystone Harbor mean that vehicle space is often limited, and drive-up motorists may have to wait several sailings for a space. Advance reservations are all but essential on Friday afternoons, weekends and holidays. There's always room for pedestrians and bicyclists.
By boat
[edit]- 2 Coupeville Wharf and boating facility, 24 Front St NW, ☏ +1 360-678-6379. 12 or more boats can be moored to floats attached to the wharf on a first come first served basis. There are also four buoys near the wharf. Unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel can be purchased at the fuel dock which is attached to the north side of the wharf. This is the only public moorage in Penn Cove. Showers and a coffee shop with basic boating supplies are available. Mooring floats overnight (after 6PM) fees: winter (October 1 - April 30) $0.50 per foot, summer (May 1 - September 30) $1.00 per foot. Mooring buoys overnight (after 6PM) $10 for maximum length of 32 feet. Courtesy moorage: 3 hour maximum after 6PM with approval of Harbor Master $5.00 regardless of length.
By public transit
[edit]- Island Transit, ☏ +1 360-678-7771. Scheduled bus services on Whidbey Island and Camano Island. Service on Whidbey Island includes to Clinton, Coupeville, Freeland, Greenbank, Langley, Oak Harbor with off island connections to Anacortes. Service on Camano Island includes off island connections to Everett and Mount Vernon. Free.
The main bus stops in Coupeville are:
- 3 Coupeville Park & Ride on S Main St & SR-20. Served by Island Transit #1 & 6 bus going north into town. Southbound 1 & 6 buses stop in front of Coupeville Elementary School across the street from the Park & Ride.
- 4 Coupeville Ferry Dock Bus Stop Island Transit #6 bus goes up to Oak Harbor via Coupeville. Transfer to route 1S in front of Coupeville Elementary School on S Main to go towards the Clinton Ferry Terminal.
- Jefferson Transit, ☏ +1 360-385-4777, toll-free: +1-800-371-0497. Bus stops are in front Port Townsend Plaza which is next door to the Port Townsend Ferry Terminal.
By shuttle
[edit]- Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, ☏ +1 360-679-4003. Provides transportation service between communities on Whidbey and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Get around
[edit]
Parking is limited along Front St and surrounding blocks. Ample overflow parking is available at the Coupeville Library, two blocks uphill.
By taxi
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Coupeville Museum (Island County Historical Society), 908 NW Alexander St, ☏ +1 360-678-3310. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 11AM-4PM. by donation.
- 2 Coupeville Wharf (Old Grain Wharf), 26 Front St NW. In 1905, this 500 ft (150 m) wharf was built to accommodate the development spurred by the construction of Fort Casey. Today, the wharf boasts a cafe, gift shop, boat rentals and small marina, as well as an exhibit on Penn Cove sea life.
- 3 Price Sculpture Forest, 678 Parker Rd (about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) east of town). Daily 8AM-7PM or sunset. An outdoor collection of sculptures along two interconnected 0.25 mi (0.40 km) trails through a century-old forest. Many sculptures take inspiration from the surrounding nature, some are whimsical and playful. There are about 30 sculptures in the park, many are on loan, and some are for sale. Free.
Some popular nearby attractions are covered in-depth by the article for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve:
.jpg)
- 4 Fort Casey Historical State Park, 1280 Engle Rd, ☏ +1 360-678-4519. This coastal artillery post, part of a trio of forts built in the 1890s to protect Puget Sound, features two 10-inch and two 3-inch historic guns on display. Also on the grounds is the Admiralty Head Lighthouse, restored to its brick-and-stucco glory.
- 5 Fort Ebey State Park, 400 Hill Valley Dr, ☏ +1 360-678-4636. A small 1942 coastal fort, amidst miles of hiking and biking trails.
Do
[edit]
- Self-Guided Walking Tour, start at the wharf. A walk through Coupeville with a brief history of nearly every building from the late 1800s/early 1900s. The full route is 2 mi (3.2 km), but most of the listings are along three blocks of Front St and four blocks of Main St.
Buy
[edit]Eat and drink
[edit]Front St and Main St are lined with restaurants, snack shops, and cafes.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Compass Rose Inn, 501 S Main St (SE of Main & Terry, south of town), ☏ +1 360 578-5318. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Built in 1890.
- The Blue Goose Inn. This old inn has two houses to stay: The James and Keturah Coupe Gillespie House (1891) and the John and Jane Kineth House (1887). Both are beautiful.
Camping
[edit]Camping on Whidbey Island is limited. Sites are most readily available in the spring and fall.
There are three campgrounds within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, at Fort Casey State Park, Fort Ebey State Park and Rhododendron County Park.
Connect
[edit]- 2 Coupeville Library (Sno-Isle Libraries), 788 NW Alexander (NW Alexander & 8th), ☏ +1 360 678-4911, fax: +1 360 678-5261. M-Sa 9AM-6PM; Su 1PM-5PM. The restrooms across the parking lot are in the Holbrook Barn, constructed ca. 1895 to serve as a boat building workshop behind Horace Holbrook's house on Grace St. The building was donated and moved here in 2012.
By mail
[edit]- 3 Coupeville Post Office (USPS), 201 NW Coveland St, ☏ +1 360. M-F 9AM-4:30PM; Sa 11AM-1PM.
Go next
[edit]- Deception Pass State Park at the fast-flowing waterway between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, with over 4,100 acres (1,700 hectares) of forest, beaches, campsites, trails, and scenic vistas.
- Langley is another cute seaside town on Whidbey Island.
- Port Townsend is a popular tourist Victorian-themed town, easily accessible by ferry.
| Routes through Coupeville |
| Port Townsend ← Car ferry ← | SW  NE
|
→ Oak Harbor → Burlington |
| ENDS at ←
|
NW  SE
|
→ Greenbank → Lynnwood |