Hansville

Hansville

So, you say, where the heck is Hansville, Washington? Well, here's the answer!

Hansville is a small community - it's not a city or town, or even a village - at the north end of Kitsap County, on the west side of Puget Sound. Many of the residents are retirees. While you can drive around to get here, most people arrive via the ferry at Kingston. Only 23 air miles from our farm in Snohomish, it's about a 2-3 hour journey, which helps make it a different world!

As you can see, it's on a peninsula, and surrounded by salt water. To the north is Whidbey Island, about 3.5 miles at its closest. To the west, around the point of land known as Foulweather Bluff, is the entrance to the Hood Canal - not a canal at all, but the biggest and longest fjord in the continental U.S. The body of water immediately to the north is called Admiralty Inlet - it connects the central and southern Puget Sound with the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and thence the Pacific Ocean. About 25 miles to the southeast and across the Sound is the city of Seattle.

There are 4 tides each day - 2 high and 2 low - unlike, say, places on the east coast with only one high and one low tide. The average tide change at Hansville is 11.44 feet, with 12 to 16 foot changes between high and low tides common. Strong currents and tidal rips often are present. The water is quite deep - running from about 400 feet at a mile or two off the beach to about 1000 feet deep towards the east.

Hansville is hidden from the motorist until he crests a hill just south of town, and drops onto the main street (not Main St.)

Hansville consists of a garage, community church, post office and, ..........
our only retail establishment - the Hansville Grocery

where one can buy the world's true essentials: "Beer -- Wine -- Bait" An Espresso stand that spent a year or two in front is now thankfully gone, along with its out-of-place Seattle "ambiance."

The Grocery sits adjacent to a miniscule protrusion known as Norwegian Point. Hansville was settled by Norwegians, who had no connecting road until relatively recent times. It was a place 'vhere' people spoke 'Norvegian', and not English. Later, they could go to Poulsbo for a night at the Sons of Norway Hall, and a big plate of Lutefisk.

A long beach stretches east and west from the Grocery, allowing many miles of hiking and beach-combing (better watch those tides!), or summertime swimming and winter fishing.

To the West is Foulweather Bluff To the East is Point No Point

Yes! You CAN go swimming in Puget Sound!.....with Mt. Baker as a backdrop

And in the winter, the surf can come up....haven't seen any surfers yet

Point No Point, until just a few years ago, was a world reknowned fishing mecca, with a flotilla of boats chasing the big salmon. Alas, most of the fish and their fishermen, have disappeared, although lots of people still wet their lines and pull in the occasional big one.

At the Point is the - duh - Pt. No Point Lighthouse

A great place to watch those big ships slide by.

The Pt. No Point Lighthouse was built in 1879 and is still a major navigational aid.

Pt. No Point is also the place where the "Treaty" transferring Indian lands to the Washington Territory of the U.S.A. was signed in January 1855.

And so, now you know where Hansville is.....a place of great charm and beauty, an agreeable climate, stunning views, and........... a somewhat slower pace of life! Just remember what's important in life: Beer -- Wine -- Bait.

Revised 14 Jun 2006
Revised 11 Mar 2013
Revised 3 Mar 2017