County Government

Kitsap County occupies the northern end of Kitsap Peninsula between Hood Canal and Admiralty Straight. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the County has a total area of 566 square miles - 396 square miles of land and 170 square miles (30.40%) of water.

Kitsap County was named after a military leader of the Suquamish Tribe. Loggers cleared the dense forests and fed sprawling mills and thriving company towns. Even before the mills went out of business, the U.S. Navy founded the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, which became the centerpiece of the county's economy and the largest single employer. Water transportation has dominated the county's culture and economy since before settlement. The Washington State Ferry System carries more than half its 25 million passengers back and forth from the east side of Puget Sound to Kitsap County. In 2005, an estimated 240,000 people live in our County.

Click here to read the entire article about the history of Kitsap County.

Photo courtesy of kitsapgov.com

Kitsap County Government
619 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
(360) 337-7053

Bainbridge Island is part of Kitsap County and its government offices. Many refer to our location as North Kitsap County as opposed to Central or South Kitsap County. However, the government for the entire County is located in Port Orchard. If you do any building or major remodeling, the Community Development Department will become very familiar. Here is where you get Building Site Applications and Health Department inspections approved. The Kitsap County Government Website is thorough, easy to navigate and provides lots of information that a newcomer or visitor may want.