The waterfront town of Oak Harbor is Whidbey’s largest community and home to over 20,000. Ideally situated within the Olympic Rain Shadow, allows winter skies to carry less rain than the south end.

This once quiet farming community was settled in the 1850s and is symbolically named for the Garry Oaks tree, a rare native tree that still graces our older neighborhoods.

Change arrived in 1935 when the Deception Pass Bridge linked Whidbey to the rest of the world. The bridge and 4,100 acres State Park are celebrated as one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest.

Ten years later, the U.S. Navy established an air-base nearby and became forever linked to the economic health of the region and evolution of the town. Oak Harbor today is a blend of turn-of-the-century charm and the energized bustle of the Island’s commercial heart … with a burgeoning arts community, a world-class yachting regatta, breathtaking sunsets, and snow-capped mountains. Scroll down to learn about the neighborhoods within Oak Harbor.