The Olympic Mountains not only offer breathtaking beauty, but also influence our moderate temperatures. Described as the "rain shadow," Port Townsend experiences on average no more than 18" of rain per year. The Olympics shelter us from the Pacific Ocean, but seem to dump the majority of the rainfall onto Seattle. Click here for Rain Shadow Map.

At first glance Port Townsend appears to be a "destination" place. We have festivals of every size and interest happening throughout the year. In summertime "Fiddletunes" opens the string of music festivals beginning with Bluegrass, followed by the Jazz and Blues Festivals. It is not uncommon to find "musicians of note" featured or just "jamming" at one of our downtown night clubs throughout the year. The end of the season marks our largest, the Wooden Boat Festival, drawing sailors and boat enthusiasts from all over the world to gather, teach, tour, sail and motor the waters of Puget Sound. As the locals "take back the town," a less official event in October is our zany Kinetic Sculptor Race. Participants are challenged to ride their engineered contraptions through the streets, muddy bog, and then to test their seafaring capabilities in Port Townsend Bay. Let it be known that our "Rose Hips Queen" and race contestants are selected by a strict code....that of "mediocrity". Click here for Calendar of Events.

Tourism ranks high in our economy with Historic Downtown and its boutique shops, galleries, and fine restaurants, receiving travellers by car and ferry. Our Bed & Breakfast lodging, small hotels, and Inns are filled to capacity especially during festivals. Visitors also come to hike and bike the many trails, rent kayaks, launch their sailboats, or go camping, fishing or whale watching. Another draw to the town is the historic district, rich with Victorian homes in the Uptown and old buildings in the Downtown waterfront, creating a delight to the eye and magical presence of days gone by.

As in any town, however, Port Townsend has its everyday life, filled with hard working folks, providing the typical services, including city and county government functions. As a native Californian my trip to our DMV was novel experience. I was the ONLY customer in our small-town office, and the one clerk issued my license and also registered me to vote! Trades people in the home building, boat building, and fishing industries are kept very busy. Port Townsend is also ideal for home businesses, telecommuters, and second-home owners.

Ours is a community of strong opinions and neighborhood potlucks. Freeway traffic does not dominate our day. The shop owner you see during the day might be the saxophonist in the quartet you hear that evening, or be a volunteer for one of the many non-profit organizations in town. There is much to do and no matter if you are retired or working, there seems not to be enough time in the day!