Clinton, Washington

Clinton, Washington
CDP
Location of Clinton, Washington
Coordinates: 47°58′34″N 122°21′22″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Island
Area
• Total	3.7 sq mi (9.5 km2)
• Land	1.0 sq mi (2.5 km2)
• Water	2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2)
Elevation	128 ft (39 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	956
• Density	260/sq mi (100/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98236
Area code	360
Telephone exchanges	341, 579
FIPS code	53-13155
GNIS feature ID	1512098

Sunset from a Clinton beach

Ferry at Clinton

Gulls at Cultus Bay

Clinton is a community and census-designated place (CDP) located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The town was named after Clinton, Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 956. The local post office, however, serves approximately 2,500 people in surrounding areas.

Clinton is the western terminus of the Mukilteo-Clinton Washington State Ferries route, an essential connection to the mainland that enhances the town's accessibility. Served by State Route 525 and major county roads, Clinton is a hub for locals and visitors traveling to and from Whidbey Island.

Even though the village area of Clinton is small, people as far as 7 miles (11.5 km) away consider Clinton to be their home. Much of the village is situated on a high bluff overlooking Saratoga Passage on Puget Sound. The community of Columbia Beach, however, rests at sea level. To the north of the ferry dock is old Clinton, where the community started.

The Sno-Isle Regional Library System has a library in Clinton, supported by the "Friends of the Clinton Library". There are two grocery stores in Clinton, one in the downtown area and another a few miles west.

Based on per capita income, Clinton ranks 79th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked. It is also the highest rank achieved in Island County.

Geography

Clinton is located at 47°58′34″N 122°21′22″W (47.976194, -122.356245).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), of which, 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²) of it is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) of it (73.84%) is water. The community’s scenic coastline and bluff terrain offer panoramic views and a sense of seclusion, while the ferry provides easy access to Mukilteo and the greater Seattle area.

History

Whidbey Island was originally inhabited by Coast Salish tribes, including the Suquamish, Swinomish, Lower Skagit, and Snohomish. Clinton, was primarily inhabited by the Snohomish tribe. There were three main Snohomish villages in southern Whidbey: D’GWAD’wk (Digwadsh), TSEHT-skluhks, and SHET’LH-shet-lhuts. The Digwadsh, meaning "in the basket," was the largest of these villages. It had about seven longhouses and frequently welcomed visits from neighboring tribes like the Duwamish and Suquamish. Today, many descendants of the Digwadsh live on the Tulalip Native American Reservation.

The local tribes built cedar-plank longhouses and lived off the island’s natural resources, including berries, fish, and other local bounty. European contact began in the late 18th century with the arrival of explorer George Vancouver. By the late 1800s, more settlers began to move to Whidbey Island, bringing diseases that tragically decimated many Native populations. In northern Whidbey, Colonel Isaac N. Ebey became the island's first permanent white resident.

Clinton was initially known as Brighton Beach but was later renamed Clinton, possibly after the Clinton family, some of the area's earliest settlers. By the late 1800s, Clinton developed a reputation for its milling and logging industries. The early town centers included the old Clinton Union Store, the Post Office, and the Salisbury Shingle Mill.

The well-known Mukilteo-Clinton ferry service began in 1911 as a passenger ferry and transitioned to a car ferry by 1919, significantly improving access to South Whidbey Island. Before that, traveling to Whidbey Island by road, via the Deception Pass Bridge, could take over an hour. Boats were also essential for delivering mail and supplies to the island. The ferry service initially operated under the Black Ball Line of the Puget Sound Navigation Company and was later acquired by the Washington State Department of Transportation, creating Washington State Ferries (WSF), now the largest ferry system in the U.S.

Demographics

In 2022, Clinton, Washington, had a population of 956, marking a 12.8% increase from the previous year. The median age in Clinton was 49.5, showing a slight 1.59% decrease over one year. The median household income stood at $69,570, which represented a 5.87% increase from the previous year. Clinton's poverty rate rose by 38.9% to 13% in 2022.

The racial composition of Clinton, WA, in 2022 was predominantly White (Non-Hispanic), comprising 86.9% of the population. The second-largest racial groups were individuals of two or more races (Non-Hispanic) at 7.21%, and Asian (Non-Hispanic) at 5.67%. Only 0.172% of the population identified as Hispanic, representing just two residents in Clinton.

Approximately 5.84% of Clinton's residents were foreign-born in 2022, an increase from 4.65% the previous year. The majority of households reported English as the primary language spoken, with no households indicating a different primary language. The community's U.S. citizenship rate was high at 97.5%, higher than the national average of 93.5%.

In terms of housing, the median property value in Clinton was $609,100 in 2022, a 6.82% increase from the prior year. Homeownership in the area was also high, with 82.2% of residents owning their homes. Clinton residents largely commuted by car, with an average commute time of 37.1 minutes. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/clinton-wa

References