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Hat Island, Washington
CDP and Island in Puget Sound
CDP and Island in Puget Sound
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Hat Island, Washington | |
| settlement_type | CDP | |
| motto | ||
| image_skyline | File:Hat Island aerial.jpg | |
| image_caption | Hat Island aerial view from the east | |
| image_seal | ||
| pushpin_map | Washington | |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of Hat Island, Washington. | |
| <!-- Location --> | subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | United States | |
| subdivision_type1 | State | |
| subdivision_name1 | Washington | |
| subdivision_type2 | County | |
| subdivision_name2 | Snohomish | |
| leader_title | ||
| established_date | ||
| area_total_sq_mi | 0.692 | |
| area_land_sq_mi | 0.688 | |
| area_water_sq_mi | 0.004 | |
| area_total_km2 | 1.79 | |
| area_land_km2 | 1.78 | |
| area_water_km2 | 0.01 | |
| <!-- Population --> | population_as_of | 2025 |
| population_total | 26 | |
| population_density_km2 | 14.6 | |
| population_density_sq_mi | 37.7 | |
| <!-- General information --> | timezone | Pacific (PST) |
| utc_offset | -8 | |
| timezone_DST | PDT | |
| utc_offset_DST | -7 | |
| elevation_ft | 207 | |
| coordinates | ||
| <!-- Area/postal codes & others --> | postal_code_type | ZIP code |
| postal_code | 98201 | |
| area_code | 360 | |
| blank_name | FIPS code | |
| blank1_name | GNIS feature ID | |
| blank1_info | 2584980 | |
| native_name | č̓əč̓əsəliʔ | |
| native_name_lang | lut |
Hat Island (), also known as Gedney Island, is a small island in Possession Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The island is covered by a census-designated place (CDP) that is part of Snohomish County. The population is 26 as of 2025. The island lies between the mainland city of Everett, Washington, and the southern part of Whidbey Island; it has a land area of 1.768 km2 (436.8 acres).
History
For thousands of years, Hat Island (known as in the Lushootseed language) was the site of a village of the Snohomish people. Their territory extended over the Snohomish River, as well as parts of Camano and Whidbey islands. The village was located on the north side of the island on a spit, near a spring. There were several longhouses.
Hat Island was first mentioned in the historical record by naturalist Archibald Menzies of the Vancouver Expedition in 1792. In the 1820s, a large landslide at Camano Head created a tidal wave which crashed into Hat Island. The wave wiped out the village, save for a few survivors. From that point on, the island was only used by the Snohomish as a temporary camping ground when clamming, never as a permanent living site. People who returned occasionally found human remains or parts of the destroyed village.
The island was named in English by Charles Wilkes in 1841; although other sources say it was for John B. Gedney or Jonathon Haight Gedney, Wilkes's memoirs say he named it for Lt Thomas R. Gedney. The name Hat is for the shape of a beach and treeless ledge, first used in 1870. Since 1980 the island would be called Gedney Island (Hat).
There is currently one walk-on ferry named the Hat Express which transports walk-on passengers to and from the island. The maximum capacity of the ferry is 88 passengers. It runs a limited schedule on Thursdays, Friday evenings, and weekends between the Everett Yacht Club on the west end of 13th Street in Everett, and the Hat Island Marina.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.692 square miles (1.79 km), of which, 0.688 square miles (1.78 km) of it is land and 0.004 square miles (0.01 km) of it (0.58%) is water.
Hat Island is also the name of an uninhabited island in Padilla Bay, Skagit County.
Parks and recreation
Hat Island has a marina with 127 slips and a golf course, both maintained by the Hat Island Community Association.
Education
The community is served by the Mukilteo School District.
References
References
- (2023). "Hat Island WA ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com.
- (2007-10-25). "US Board on Geographic Names". [[United States Geological Survey]].
- (1994). "Lushootseed Dictionary". [[University of Washington Press]].
- Tweddell, Colin E.. (August 1953). "A Historical and Ethnological Study of the Snohomish Indian People: A Report Specifically Covering Their Aboriginal and Continued Existence, and Their Effective Occupation of a Definable Territory". Garland Publishing.
- Brunjes, Robert A.. "Hat Island History".
- Majors, Harry M.. (1975). "Exploring Washington". Van Winkle Publishing Co.
- "Ferry Info". Hat Island Community Association.
- "GNIS Detail - Hat Island". USGS.
- "Hat Island Natural Resources Conservation Area". Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
- Muhlstein, Julie. (July 31, 2018). "Hat Island: The somewhat secret, other-worldy Northwest gem". The Everett Herald.
- U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. (January 14, 2021). "2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Snohomish County, WA". U.S. Census Bureau.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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