About San Juan Island
San Juan Island is part of the San Juan Islands, an archipelago of about 172 named islands at low tide. Surrounded by Seattle, Vancouver B.C. and Victoria in the Salish Sea, the islands offer a diversity of authentic experiences that parallel its natural wonder. The islands are part of the United States, according to an 1872 decision, and lie in San Juan County of the State of Washington, not Puerto Rico or Washington D.C.; please note we are in the Pacific Northwest (upper left hand corner) of the United States.
San Juan Island is reached by air or by boat – there are no bridges from the mainland. The views from either ferry or passenger plane will be spectacular no matter when you visit and will assist you in phasing into “Island Time.”
The Washington State Department of Transportation offers regularly scheduled ferries that can accommodate foot traffic as well as vehicles to four of the islands: San Juan Island (where Friday Harbor is located), Orcas Island, Lopez Island, and Shaw Island. There are two small airports on the island: one at Friday Harbor and one at Roche Harbor. There are two float plane terminals – Friday Harbor Marina and Roche Harbor Marina.
Once a small community of farmers, fishermen, loggers, and lime kiln miners, the San Juan Islands have been recognized in the past few years as a world class destination for whale watching, hiking, scuba diving, fishing, kayaking, and birding. Make the Tucker House Inn & Harrison House Suites your home base while you explore this unique destination!
There are many reasons to visit San Juan Island -natural beauty, recreation, history, and culinary exploration.
San Juan Islands in the News
Each year, the San Juan Islands garner an impressive amount of media attention from top travel publications. Check out some of the more recent articles and videos and discover what makes the San Juan Islands one of the best places to visit in the country!
- 2019 Orcas Island #33 on The New York Times’ list 52 Places to Go in 2019
- 2018 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards: #5 “Best Islands Continental U.S…”
- 2018 Expedia Viewfinder: #2 Most Scenic West Coast Destination
- 2018 Conde Nast Traveler The Most Beautiful Towns in America
- 2017 USA TODAY 10 Best Reader’s Choice: #1 “Best Washington Attraction”
- 2016 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards: #2 of World’s Friendliest Islands
- 2016 Edible Seattle Of Land and Sea – For Jones Family Farms on Lopez Island, diversity is the key to a healthy food business
- 2015 Conde Nast Traveler Best U.S… Islands for Family Vacations: Readers’ Choice Awards
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