Gig Harbor, The Maritime City

Discovered in 1840 and incorporated in 1946, the city of Gig Harbor in Pierce County, Washington, is known appropriately as “Washington’s Maritime Village.” It is located on the Gig Harbor Peninsula, in southern Puget Sound, the western-most of several sub peninsulas that extend southward from the dominant Kitsap Peninsula. The area basks in a moderate climate with sunny summers and moderately rainy winters. The Narrows, known for its  strong currents, extends southward between the Gig Harbor Peninsula and the city of Tacoma. Two 1-mile suspension toll bridges connect the peninsula to Tacoma.

The picturesque harbor for which the city is named has a 750-foot sand spit that extends across the entrance, leaving a passage  less than 200 feet wide. The inner harbor is almost a mile long reaching a depth of about six fathoms. Gently sloping hillsides rise from the  harbor in a natural bowl made up of historic neighborhoods, commercial  districts, recreational marinas, and commercial fishing facilities.

For more information about the town's history go to Historic Gig Harbor. For additional statistics and demographic information visit the Gig Harbor Wikipedia page.