The City of Oak Harbor is a growing waterfront community located on beautiful Whidbey Island between Seattle and the San Juan Islands. Oak Harbor is the largest city and the economic center of Whidbey Island with a population of over 20,000. It is also the closest city to the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, located about 3 miles north of the city.

Whidbey Island has one road access point located at the island's north end. The Deception Pass Bridge connects Whidbey Island to Skagit County and the mainland near Anacortes via State Route 20. Oak Harbor is a 40 minute drive from I-5, Western Washington's main Interstate. Two ferries provide service to Whidbey Island; the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry connects the south end of the island to the greater Seattle area and the Keystone Ferry

provides service from the central portion to the Oympic Peninsula. For those arriving by boat, the Oak Harbor Marina is located an easy walk away from shops and restaurants in Oak Harbor's historical downtown district.

Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is the single largest employer on the island with over 10,000 military and civilian employees. Other major employers in the area are the Oak Harbor School District and the Whidbey General Hospital. Businesses involved in retail sales, construction and tourism all prosper in the growing community of Oak Harbor.

Oak Harbor offers magnificent scenery around every turn with beautiful views of the Puget Sound, the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains. Oak Harbor has several parks and trails for residents to enjoy the beautiful outdoors including the new Freund Marsh Trail that connects Windjammer Park to Scenic Heights. In addition, several state parks are located within 10 miles of Oak Harbor and they all have developed trails for walking, jogging, hiking and biking. Deception Pass State Park, Fort Ebey State Park, Joseph Whidbey State Park and Fort Nugent Park are all an easy drive away and are great places to get out and spend the day with the family.

Other popular outdoor activities on Whidbey Island include golfing, fishing and boating. Golfers enjoy Oak Harbor's two 18-hole courses, the public Gallery Golf Course and the private Whidbey Golf and Country Club. For a shorter game, Lamm's Links offers a 9-hole par 3 course. Anglers have many stocked, freshwater lakes on Whidbey Island to try their luck in addition to saltwater fishing during the annual salmon runs. Boating is a favorite activity for many people in the Puget Sound and Whidbey Island residents are no exception. Whidbey Island has two marinas and there are numerous places to launch from around the island. The San Juan Islands tend to have calmer seas most of the year which is great for boating enthusiasts. In addition, since Whidbey Island is located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Peninsula, the average rainfall is about half that of Seattle and most of Western Washington.