Our Community
Whidbey Presbyterian Church (WPC) is
located in Oak Harbor (population 19,800) on Whidbey Island (population 65,000)
which is in Puget Sound about 100 miles north of Seattle, Washington.
Island County (Whidbey and Camano Islands) is one of the fastest growing
counties in Washington State. Whidbey island is approximately 50 miles long and varies in width
from under one mile to about 10 miles.
Opportunities for recreation and
relaxation abound on Whidbey Island, the surrounding waters of the Puget Sound,
and in the adjacent Cascade and Olympic mountains. People who enjoy the
out-of-doors never lack for things to do and places to go. There are youth
and adult leagues in several sports with opportunities to participate as
players, coaches and officials. There are gyms 
and fitness centers for all
ages. Those who enjoy less strenuous forms of recreation will also find
their needs met. Some of the community events during the course of the
year include:
Holland Happening (a celebration of Oak Harbor's Dutch heritage),
community concerts, Whidbey Naval Air Station air show, arts and crafts
festivals,
Old
Fashioned Fourth of July, race week (sailing), art shows, an excellent local playhouse, and
harvest fairs.
Whidbey Island is accessed by two state ferries (from the
south and the west) and one bridge at beautiful Deception Pass in the
north. It is also served by a regional airline with flights daily to and
from Seattle, as well as connecting flights to the San Juan Islands and the
northern Olympic Peninsula.
Oak Harbor is located on the northern end of
Whidbey Island along with Whidbey
Naval Air Station (NAS). NAS has just
under 10,000 military personnel and 2,500 civilian support people. NAS
Whidbey is adapting to the new streamlined fleet and will remain an active
military installation well into the twenty-first century. The NAS greatly
affects our community, economics and schools. Military families are
constantly moving in and out from all parts of the world, bringing a wide
variety of experience and customs.
Our community is considered to be very
traditional. We have a high number of two-parent households. While
many people find this a very desirable retirement location, the largest age
group in the area is comprised of people between 15 and 34 years. Many
different ethnic groups are present in the island population. While 85%
are Caucasian, there are 4.8% Asians, 4.5% Hispanic/Latino, 3.6% African
American, and 1.4% other.
Educational opportunities at the North Whidbey
branch of Skagit Valley College have been broadened by expanded and improved
facilities and courses offered. Western Washington University offers two
new bachelor degree programs in Teaching and Social Services through its
extension offices in Oak Harbor. Several other collegiate expansion
programs are offered at the Naval Air Station that are open to both military
personnel and civilians.
Whidbey General Hospital is located in Coupeville,
10 miles south of Oak Harbor. It is an excellent community hospital and
has recently expanded its facility and enlarged its
staff. Every major
medical and surgical specialty and many sub-specialties are represented among
the staff physicians who practice at Whidbey General. It has an excellent
emergency service and trauma center for initial care prior to transport to major
medical centers in the Seattle area. Life Flight Northwest provides
emergency transport between the island and area major hospitals. A very
good primary care hospital at NAS Whidbey serves the military portion of our
community.
We welcome your interest in making this area your
home!
