Kitsap

Formed January 16, 1857 (17^th county)

Kitsap County (275,605), Port Orchard (15,580), Bremerton (43,497)                

The Modern dark red brick and stone facility was erected in 1949.  The facility is at the intersection of Division Street and Austin Avenue.  The courthouse is three blocks south of Washington State Highway 160.  B. H. Branch is the architect.  Port Madison had an 1869 facility and Port Orchard had 1893 and 1932 facilities.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1948, 1971, 1974, and 1978.  An Administration Building was added in 2007.  The county was established on January 16, 1857 from parts of King and Jefferson counties as the 17^th county.  The county is named for a Native American chief.  Port Orchard was named for Orchard Bay. 

Kitsap County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Eight Superior Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Kitsap County.  The county is in the western part of Washington.  Seattle, Washington is east and Vancouver, Canada is north of the county.  The county center is 7.5 miles North of Port Orchard nearer Meadowdale.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Island, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson counties. 

The area of the county is 395 square miles.  It is 36 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 7 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 697.7 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 39 in the state.  Kitsap County has 34.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county shaped could be viewed as a parrot facing east.  Port Orchard is located is the southern quarter of the county.  Bremerton is directly north of Port Orchard.  Port Orchard is the county seat and Bremerton is the largest city.  Port Orchard is 5.7% of the county population while Bremerton is 15.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KIT-SAP.  This county is in the Bremerton-Silverdale Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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