Humane Society of Jefferson County (HSJCWA) was incorporated in 2008 by caring Jefferson County citizens. We are the only open admission animal shelter in Jefferson County, Washington. HSJCWA is the licensing agency for all dogs in our county.
The assessor is responsible for property assessed values used to determine property tax distribution; ownership rolls; and parcel mapping.
The Auditor is responsible for the budget, accounting, elections/voter registration, marriage licenses, passport applications, recording, vehicle/vessel licensing and disabled parking privilege applications.
Discover the work of the Board of County Commissioners and their role in leading Jefferson County.
The Central Services Department is comprised of GIS, information (computer network), and facilities.
The Clerk’s office maintains the case records of Jefferson County Superior Court, processes all copy requests and Superior Court Payments including those for Legal Financial Obligations, and provides Family Law Facilitator services to unrepresented parties in family court matters.
Find forms and planning documents from the Department of Community Development.
The Jefferson County Administrator is an appointed official who serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the County and is responsible for carrying out all decisions, directives, policies, ordinances and resolutions made by the Board of County Commissioners.
Jefferson County Washington Emergency Management works to prepare the county and it's communities for hazards and disasters that affect the Olympic Peninsula and our area.
District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction that resolves and adjudicates infractions, criminal traffic, and criminal non-traffic violations. It also processes small claims, civil actions, name changes, anti-harassment orders, and domestic violence protection orders. Jefferson County contracts with the City of Port Townsend to serve as local Municipal Court as well.
Team Jefferson initiates and facilitates collaborative projects and partnerships that create sustainable prosperity for Jefferson County.
Environmental Health is a Department of Jefferson County Public Health. We strive to protect the health of all Jefferson County residents by promoting healthy communities and their environments.
Discover the work of the Juvenile and Family Court Services and their commitment to Jefferson County.
Explore the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation website.
The statutory duties of the elected prosecutor may be summarized by stating the Prosecutor’s Office represents the State of Washington in all felony, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor prosecutions which occur outside of municipal or federal jurisdiction, juvenile offender prosecutions, provides civil legal advice to all county offices and departments, and represents the interests of the State in enforcing child support obligations.
The mission of JCPH is to protect the health of all Jefferson County residents by promoting safe, healthy communities and environments.
Our mission in Public Works is to provide products and services that enhance the quality of life in Jefferson County. Our vision is to become a model public service provider in all that we do.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with our community, is committed to preserving the peace, helping those in need and protecting the constitutional rights of all.
Discover details of garbage, recycle, hazardous waste, and more information about solid waste in Jefferson County.
The Superior Court hears and decides controversies and handles related hearings and proceedings covering both civil matters and criminal felonies.
Gain an understanding of the work of the Treasurer's Office such as Property Tax Collection, State Funds Collection and Distribution, Investments and Cash Handling, Tax District Financial Support, Property Foreclosure, and more.
Washington State University Jefferson County Extension programs connect the people and communities of Jefferson County with the knowledge base of Washington State University to promote quality of life and advance economic well-being through fostering inquiry, learning, and the application of research.
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977.[1] The county seat and only incorporated city is Port Townsend.[2] The county is named for Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson County was formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory,[4] and included the northern 4,854-square-mile (12,571.8 km2) portion of the Olympic Peninsula. On April 26, 1854, the legislature of Washington Territory created Clallam County from the northwestern 2,670-square-mile (6,915.3 km2) portion of this original area.
The Hood Canal Bridge connects Jefferson County to Kitsap County, Washington. The Coupeville-Port Townsend route of the Washington State Ferries connects the county to Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,183 square miles (5,650 km2), of which 1,804 square miles (4,670 km2) is land and 379 square miles (980 km2) (17%) is water.
The county is split in three parts by its landforms:
Because of the mountainous barrier, there is no road lying entirely within Jefferson County that connects the eastern and western parts. The most direct land route between the two ends of the county involves a drive of approximately 100 miles (160 km) along U.S. Route 101 through neighbouring Clallam County. The mountains also block the damp Chinook winds, which make the climate much wetter in the west than the so-called eastern "banana belt" in the rain shadow.
As of the 2010 census, there were 29,872 people, 14,049 households, and 8,394 families living in the county.[12] The population density was 16.6 inhabitants per square mile (6.4/km2). There were 17,767 housing units at an average density of 9.9 per square mile (3.8/km2).[13] The racial makeup of the county was 91.0% white, 2.3% American Indian, 1.6% Asian, 0.8% black or African American, 0.2% Pacific islander, 0.7% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.8% of the population.[12] In terms of ancestry, 20.8% were English, 20.3% were German, 13.9% were Irish, 8.3% were Norwegian, 5.9% were Scottish, and 4.2% were American.
Of the 14,049 households, 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.3% were non-families, and 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.57. The median age was 53.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,048 and the median income for a family was $59,964. Males had a median income of $45,616 versus $29,508 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,528. About 8.9% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Jefferson County is a dominant Democratic area, with Democrats having carried the county in every election cycle since Ronald Reagan's landslide victory in 1980. In 1984, Walter Mondale narrowly won Jefferson County over Reagan by 0.63%, and since then the county has become strongly Democratic. In 2024, Jefferson County swung even more Democratic, with Kamala Harris winning the county with 70.69% of its vote to Donald Trump's 25.61%. As of 2024 the county is located in Washington's 6th congressional district and in the 24th of Washington state legislative districts.
Because of the barrier dividing the county, the populations and economies differ between the eastern and western halves of Jefferson County. The contrasts are notable as the west portion is more dependent on logging, somewhat less prosperous, and having fewer people for roughly the same area. Areas of East Jefferson County located south of Port Townsend remain largely rural and can be divided into two parts, those communities located on the Hood Canal and those on the Admiralty Inlet. Perennial discussions and attempts to separate the west half from the east half gained little support during the twentieth century.
The county seat, Port Townsend, casts a significant number of votes and gave Obama 82% of its votes in the 2012 General Election (source: www.wa.gov). Areas outside of Port Townsend (such as Cape George) gave Obama 2-to-1 victory margins. Democrats also do well in many of the small towns of northern Jefferson County, with strong Democratic leans in Coyle, Discovery Bay, Gardiner, and Nordland, as well as in the towns just southeast of Port Townsend such as Chimacum, Irondale, Kala Point, and Port Hadlock. Democrats also perform strongly in the sparsely populated western part of the county, where much of the population is Native American.
The largest private employer in Jefferson County is the Port Townsend Paper Mill.[17] The largest employer overall (private and public) is Jefferson Healthcare, which operates Jefferson Healthcare Hospital.