Lopez Island, Washington
Population: 2,176
Located in San Juan County
Lopez Island, WashingtonLopez Island is the third largest of the U.S. San Juan Islands, and the first stop of four on the Washington State Ferries' San Juan Islands run. A normal sailing takes 45 minutes from Anacortes to Lopez. There is a small airstrip on the island with daily commercial flights, and charter floatplanes sometimes land in Fisherman Bay. Lopez Island is 29.5 square miles (76 km²). In 2002 the permanent population was 2,176 people. Iceberg Point at the southern tip of Lopez Island overlooking the Strait of Juan de FucaThe island is longest in the north-south direction, with the ferry landing at the extreme north end. Near the ferry is Odlin Park, and Spencer Spit State Park is also on the north end. Near the center of the island, south down the coast from Lopez Village, is Shark Reef, another park. On the south-east corner of the island is the large Sperry Peninsula, a former summer camp which was purchased in the late 1990s by Paul Allen (a founder of Microsoft) for a private retreat. Like most of the San Juan Islands, Lopez has had rapid growth in population in the last twenty years, driving up the price of real estate to a level where many traditional residents (mainly fishermen and farmers) find it hard to pay property taxes and their children struggle to buy a piece of land. The early homesteading families are either passing on or moving off. The late 1970s saw a gradual influx of idealists, many of whom still live on the island, often working in the arts. Self-employment is very high; the local school district is the biggest employer on the island. Lopez is much flatter than most of the other major San Juan Islands, which makes it a popular destination for bicycle tourists. However, many roads are narrow, leading to occasional congestion and conflicts between car drivers and cyclists. The Lopez Island Historical Museum collects and preserve regional history of Lopez and the San Juan Islands. The Museum features artifacts reflecting Lopez's contributions to maritime, fishing and farming. The museum has an extensive archive of documents of local historic, and artifacts depicting late 1800's and early 1900s Lopez life.
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