Poulsbo, Washington

Poulsbo, Washington
č̓uʔč̓uɬac
Front Street Northeast
Front Street Northeast
Nickname(s): 
Viking City, Little Norway
Location of Poulsbo, Washington
Location of Poulsbo, Washington
Coordinates: 47°44′21″N 122°38′21″W / 47.73917°N 122.63917°W / 47.73917; -122.63917
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKitsap
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorBecky Erickson
Area
 • Total5.37 sq mi (13.91 km2)
 • Land4.74 sq mi (12.27 km2)
 • Water0.63 sq mi (1.64 km2)
Elevation
30 ft (9 m)
Population
 • Total11,275
 • Estimate 
(2022)[3]
11,891
 • Density2,528/sq mi (910.20/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98370
Area code360
FIPS code53-55995
GNIS feature ID1507605[4]
Websitecityofpoulsbo.com

Poulsbo (/ˈpɔːlzb/ PAWLZ-boh) is a city on Liberty Bay in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is the smallest of the four cities in Kitsap County. The population was 11,970 at the 2020 census[5] and an estimated 10,927 in 2018.[6]

The Suquamish people have inhabited the surrounding area, called č̓uʔč̓uɬac in Lushootseed, for millennia.[citation needed] After the signing of the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855, many were moved to the Port Madison Indian Reservation. Poulsbo was then founded in the 1880s by Norwegian immigrant Jørgen Eliason, who was joined by other Scandinavians who relocated from the Midwestern states. They were drawn here by the availability of land, by the area's rich resources, and by a landscape similar to their native home. The settlement was connected by boats to other areas of the region, including the Puget Sound mosquito fleet, which was eventually usurped by highways built in the early 20th century.

Modern-day downtown Poulsbo maintains a Scandinavian theme to honor its early immigrant history and is a popular regional tourist destination. One of its local products, Poulsbo Bread, is made locally at Sluys Bakery and used to be sold internationally. Many visitors arrive by boat; there are three marinas near the town, and the town's harbor is an excellent anchorage.

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference wwwcensusgov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". United States Census Bureau. May 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Poulsbo". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  5. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Poulsbo city, Washington". www.census.gov. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2018 (PEPANNRES): Washington Incorporated Places". Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2019.