Shaw Island Washington Map

About Shaw Island, Washington

Shaw Island is a locality in San Juan County, Washington, United States. It is a small community with a population of 230. The population density is 15.0 people per km². Shaw Island is located at 48.5843°N, 122.9291°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP code: 98286.

Shaw Island exhales a quiet, verdant breath, a place where the emerald embrace of Douglas fir and cedar spills down to meet the restless, grey-green waters of the Salish Sea. It lies 23.5 miles west-south-west of Bellingham, WA (from Bellingham, WA: bearing 239°T), and is situated 7.2 miles east-north-east of San Juan. The terrain here is a gentle, rolling affair, softened by centuries of rain and wind, its contours hinting at ancient glacial sculpting rather than dramatic upheaval. Fields, often fenced with weathered cedar rails, lie fallow or are given over to grazing sheep, their woolly forms like scattered clouds against the deep green meadows. The air itself carries a constant, subtle scent of salt and damp earth, a fragrance that deepens with the gathering dusk, painting the western sky in bruised purples and soft, fading golds. Along the shorelines, driftwood gathers in gnarled heaps, bleached pale by sun and tide, a silent testament to the constant, patient work of the sea. The history of Shaw Island is etched not in grand monuments, but in the enduring spirit of its inhabitants and the quiet persistence of its agricultural roots. For generations, it has been a place where self-sufficiency and a deep connection to the land have held sway, its economy largely sustained by farming and fishing, a tradition that continues to shape its character. The island’s isolation, once a challenge, is now a defining feature, fostering a distinct cultural identity characterized by a deliberate, unhurried pace of life. One can still find traces of its maritime past in the weathered pilings of old docks and the occasional glimpse of a lone crab boat heading out at dawn, its engine a low thrum against the waking silence. Shaw Island remains a sanctuary, a place where the rhythm of the tides and the changing seasons dictate the days.

About This Shaw Island Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Shaw Island, Washington — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 48.584268, -122.92907. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Shaw Island and San Juan County.

Detailed location data for Shaw Island includes the ZIP code (98286), telephone area code (206, 253), county seat of San Juan County (Friday Harbor), and school district assignment. These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Shaw Island is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.