Welcome to San Juan Island
San Juan Island is the second-largest island in San Juan County. It is about 20 miles long and 7 miles
wide, covering about 55 square miles. When arriving on San Juan Island, the Washington State Ferry docks
in the town of Friday Harbor, making it convenient for visitors to board the ferry and disembark to
enjoy all the shops, museums, galleries and restaurants, all within walking distance.
If walking on the ferry, there are taxis and car rentals year-round. San Juan Transit and the Friday
Harbor Jolly Trolley operate May to October and are additional fun ways to get around the island via the
Scenic Byways.
Friday Harbor is the only incorporated town in the San Juan Islands and holds the county seat. It is a
U.S. Customs port of entry, along with Roche Harbor Resort, which is about 10 miles from Friday Harbor
on the northwest corner of the island. Roche Harbor is a regionally famous resort known for its superb
deep-water marina and historic buildings, including the Hotel DeHaro. Roche Harbor also boasts
restaurants, shopping, local artist’s booths, kayaking, whale watching and other attractions.
Visitors to the island are captivated by its natural beauty. The topography of the island is expansive
farms and elds, forest, hills and rocky shorelines. It is a delightfully diverse island with something
to please almost any traveler.
The western shore of the island is blessed for many days with orca whales swimming nearby, eagles
soaring through the sky and inspiring sunsets over Vancouver Island. Lime Kiln Point State Park is the
only whale-watching park in the nation where whales are often seen from the shore.
Two historic and especially scenic areas – English Camp on the west side of the island and
American Camp on the southeast end of the island – lie within San Juan Island National Historical
Park. These two camps housed American and British troops during a 12-year joint U.S./British occupation
of the island in the late 1800s.
The list of things to do on San Juan Island is endless: recreational activities, art galleries,
theaters, museums, shopping, spirit tasting, agriculture and aquaculture and restaurants – from
boutiques to world-class art galleries, to restaurants to excite your culinary delight – all
within walking distance from the ferries.
Plan a minimum of two to three days to ensure you won’t miss any of the highlights and a day or
two more if you want to island hop and visit one of the neighboring islands. Hiking is among one of the
San Juan Island highlights and can be truly fabulous. Exploring the islands with good walking shoes is a
great way to see them up close and have your own island adventure.
https://www.sjitrails.org/
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population
San Juan County 17,788 **
San Juan Island 6,822 *
Friday Harbor 2,613 *
*2010 census
**2020 census
