45 mile circumference – makes Whidbey Island the longest island in the contiguous United States.
The Rock – Whidbey Island is often called “The Rock” because if was formed out of glacial rock.
The Rain Shadow – is created by the Olympic Mountains that absorbs and diverts precipitation that would otherwise fall on North Whidbey. The annual aver of rainfall at Oak Harbor is about 19 inches a year compared with 30 inches on South Whidbey and 38 inches in Seattle.
Scenic Byway – Whidbey Island’s Route 525/20 is the only nationally designated scenic byway on an island. The Byway is called the “Whidbey Island Scenic Isle Way.”
National Historic Land Reserve – Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve is the first within the National Park System. The reserve permits practical rural land use while preserving and protecting the historic character of the land.
Deception Pass Bridge – was built as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1930. The bridge is the most photographed bridge in the state and is a National Historic Monument.
Earthquakes – occur on an occasional basis on Whidbey Island. Two earthquake faults runt through the island, one across the north, and the other across the south.
Wooly Mammoth fossils – have been found on Whidbey Island. The Island County Museum in Coupeville celebrates Mammoth Day and has the largest collection of mammoth artifacts in the Pacific Northwest. The Wooly Mammoth is the Washington State Fossil.
The global position – of Whidbey Island is approximately 48 North Latitude by 122 West Longitude. The island is surrounded by saltwater. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is to the west and connects to the Pacific Ocean. Saratoga Passes is to the east, Deception Pass to the north, and Puget Sound to the south. Goose Rock is the highest point on the island, sea level is the lowest. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using a global positioning system, and geocaches are located throughout the island.
The first Navy PBY Catalina plane – that flew in to land at the NAS Whidbey Seaplane Base in 1942 after the base was commissioned was forced to land about 5 miles out, however, until the logs were cleared from the harbor.