The earliest inhabitants of Camano Island were the Kikiallus Indians. They named the island “Kal-lut-chin” which means “land jutting into a bay” Camano Island is part of the native land of many tribes, including the Kikiallus, Tulalip, Coast Salish, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Swinomish and Skagit. The Island was later renamed Camano after an early Spanish explorer. In the 1700s Europeans mapped and named many places in the area. The Douglas firs became very desirable for shipbuilding, and by the 1800’s Camano Island was a bustling community with mills, homes, and schools, and with tall ships taking cargo from the deep waters at the north end of the island.
Camano Island is a large island in Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The island is separated from Whidbey Island by the body of water called Saratoga Passage. The population was 17,350 in the 2020 census but can grow by a few thousand in the summer months due to the many snow birds who come home to roost.
