Formed December 22, 1852 (6th county)
Jefferson County (32,975), Port Townsend (10,151)
The outstanding Romanesque courthouse was erected in 1891. It is located on F Street between Cherry and Beech streets. Washington State Highway 20 is 14 blocks to the southwest of the courthouse. The dark red brick building architect is W. A. Ritchie. Jefferson County was created on December 22, 1852 from Thurston County as the 6th county with Port Townsend as the only county seat. The county is named for United States President Thomas Jefferson. The county seat was named for the Marquis of Townshend.
Jefferson County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a clerk, a treasurer, an auditor, and an assessor (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) One Superior Court Judge and One District Court Judge serve Jefferson County (judicial.) Jefferson County is in the northwest part of Washington on Pacific Ocean. Seattle, Washington is east and Vancouver, Canada is northeast of the county. The county center is 58.3 miles Southwest of Port Townsend nearer Leland. The county is surrounded clockwise by Clallam, San Juan, Island, Kitsap, Mason, and Grays Harbor counties and the Pacific Ocean.
The area of the county is 1804 square miles. It is 18 out of 39 in the state. It ranks 27 out of 39 in population in the state. It has a density of 18.3 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 39 in the state. Jefferson County has 30.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 101 enters the county from the southeast, Mason County, exits to the northwest, Clallam County, reenters in the far northwest and exits to the southwest, Grays Harbor County. The county looks like an oil tanker ship sailing west. Port Townsend is on the northeast border of the county. Port Townsend is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 30.8% of the county population.
Port Townsend
