Belfair, Washington
Encyclopedia
Belfair is an unincorporated community
in Mason County, Washington, United States
. Located on the Union River
, headwaters of the Hood Canal
, a branch of Puget Sound
, it serves as the commercial center of North Mason County. The population of the surrounding area swells in the summertime as tourists and nature lovers flock to the Canal and the Olympic Peninsula
. The population within the Urban Growth Area (UGA) is an estimated 700.
In the foot hills of Belfair the elevation of the area is at least over 500 feet with and has its own micro climate so it snows if it is mix rain and snowing on the foothills.
Belfair is located on an isthmus connecting the Kitsap
and Olympic Peninsula
. It receives an average rainfall of 60 inches (152.4 cm) yearly and has a growing season of 212 days.
Mason Lake
is 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of Belfair.
Belfair is the home of U.S. Representative
Norm Dicks. Belfair was also home to Noah Ashenhurst
, formerly an English teacher at North Mason High School and award-winning author of the novel Comfort Food
.
Belfair is generally considered to be the largest community in Washington to not be recognized by the US Census in any form, even under the CDP
form. It is considered a topic candidate to become a CDP for the 2010 US Census.
Belfair was originally called Clifton, as were several other towns in the state. To avoid confusion, it was renamed in 1925 by Mrs. Murray, the postmaster, who submitted the name Belfair from a book that she was then reading.
Belfair is home to "The Taste of Hood Canal", an annual event falling on the second Saturday in August. This festival features local artists, foods, a classic car show and is sponsored by the North Mason Rotary Club.
Belfair has a high school (North Mason High School), a middle school (Hawkins Middle School), and two elementary schools (Sand Hill Elementary is located on Sand Hill Road and Belfair Elementary is located across from the Mary E. Theler Community Center in town).
Belfair is the regional service hub for North Mason County. Harrison Hospital operates an urgent care facility in Belfair. Local doctors offices are in town along with other professional services. The town has local and chain restaurants along with two major grocery stores (QFC and Safeway). Local shopping includes gift stores. Timberland Regional Library has a local branch in Belfair. Several public golf courses are nearby, including McCormick Woods, Gold Mountain, Alderbrook, Trophy Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Lakeland Village. Gold Mountain is ranked on the top 100 list of public courses.
At the south end of Belfair the local community center is called the Mary E. Theler Community Center. Four separate walking trails meandering through 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) of tidal wetlands, offering boardwalks and well-groomed paths with scenic views of Hood Canal, Union River, and a tidal estuary. Birders flock to the area to view kingfishers, heron, bald eagles and other birds. The wetlands and surrounding lowland forest are also home to fox, deer, and other creatures. Local vendors, farmers and crafters can be found every Saturday at the "Belfair Farmer's Market" during the summer months in the Theler parking lot.
Washington State Route 3 is the main road leading into Belfair, from Bremerton
and Gorst
in the north, and Allyn
in the south. Washington State Route 106 also starts at the south end of Belfair, leading toward Union
the next town along the south shore of Hood Canal. Washington State Route 300
begins in Belfair and runs along the north shore of Hood Canal, providing access to Tahuya
and Dewatto Bay.
Belfair serves as a gateway town for the Hood Canal region, and is the last town with services before visitors reach Tahuya State Forest, famed for its miles of off-road vehicle and mountain biking trails.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Mason County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located on the Union River
Union River (Washington)
The Union River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates in central Kitsap Peninsula and flows south, emptying into the end of Hood Canal.-Course:...
, headwaters of the Hood Canal
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
, a branch of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, it serves as the commercial center of North Mason County. The population of the surrounding area swells in the summertime as tourists and nature lovers flock to the Canal and the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
. The population within the Urban Growth Area (UGA) is an estimated 700.
In the foot hills of Belfair the elevation of the area is at least over 500 feet with and has its own micro climate so it snows if it is mix rain and snowing on the foothills.
Belfair is located on an isthmus connecting the Kitsap
Kitsap Peninsula
The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound. Hood Canal separates Kitsap Peninsula from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula...
and Olympic Peninsula
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
. It receives an average rainfall of 60 inches (152.4 cm) yearly and has a growing season of 212 days.
Mason Lake
Mason lake
Mason Lake is a natural elongated lake south of Belfair, Washington, USA in Mason County. Named for Charles H. Mason, the first secretary of Washington Territory, the lake is on the isthmus of the Kitsap Peninsula between the Hood Canal and Pickering Passage of the Case Inlet...
is 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of Belfair.
Belfair is the home of U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Norm Dicks. Belfair was also home to Noah Ashenhurst
Noah Ashenhurst
Noah Ashenhurst is the author of the novel Comfort Food which won the 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award for Best Regional Fiction...
, formerly an English teacher at North Mason High School and award-winning author of the novel Comfort Food
Comfort Food (novel)
Comfort Food: A Novel by Noah Ashenhurst contains a cast of characters: a romantic academic, a self-assured young writer, an enigmatic musician, a slacker, a wealthy mountaineer, and a former heroin addict—characters whose lives intersect in the unique, award-winning debut novel.-Plot...
.
Belfair is generally considered to be the largest community in Washington to not be recognized by the US Census in any form, even under the CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
form. It is considered a topic candidate to become a CDP for the 2010 US Census.
Belfair was originally called Clifton, as were several other towns in the state. To avoid confusion, it was renamed in 1925 by Mrs. Murray, the postmaster, who submitted the name Belfair from a book that she was then reading.
Belfair is home to "The Taste of Hood Canal", an annual event falling on the second Saturday in August. This festival features local artists, foods, a classic car show and is sponsored by the North Mason Rotary Club.
Belfair has a high school (North Mason High School), a middle school (Hawkins Middle School), and two elementary schools (Sand Hill Elementary is located on Sand Hill Road and Belfair Elementary is located across from the Mary E. Theler Community Center in town).
Belfair is the regional service hub for North Mason County. Harrison Hospital operates an urgent care facility in Belfair. Local doctors offices are in town along with other professional services. The town has local and chain restaurants along with two major grocery stores (QFC and Safeway). Local shopping includes gift stores. Timberland Regional Library has a local branch in Belfair. Several public golf courses are nearby, including McCormick Woods, Gold Mountain, Alderbrook, Trophy Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Lakeland Village. Gold Mountain is ranked on the top 100 list of public courses.
At the south end of Belfair the local community center is called the Mary E. Theler Community Center. Four separate walking trails meandering through 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) of tidal wetlands, offering boardwalks and well-groomed paths with scenic views of Hood Canal, Union River, and a tidal estuary. Birders flock to the area to view kingfishers, heron, bald eagles and other birds. The wetlands and surrounding lowland forest are also home to fox, deer, and other creatures. Local vendors, farmers and crafters can be found every Saturday at the "Belfair Farmer's Market" during the summer months in the Theler parking lot.
Washington State Route 3 is the main road leading into Belfair, from Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
and Gorst
Gorst, Washington
Gorst is an unincorporated community at the head of Sinclair Inlet in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. Gorst, located on the shores of Puget Sound, is primarily a town consisting of stores, auto dealerships and the county's only strip club...
in the north, and Allyn
Allyn, Washington
Allyn is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is part of Allyn-Grapeview, a census-designated place that also includes the community of Grapeview. Allyn is located on the western shore of North Bay region of the Case Inlet of the Puget Sound.The area's main...
in the south. Washington State Route 106 also starts at the south end of Belfair, leading toward Union
Union, Washington
Union is a small unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. The town lies along the southern shore of Hood Canal, at an area known as "the Great Bend". There is no U.S. Census data for the location...
the next town along the south shore of Hood Canal. Washington State Route 300
Washington State Route 300
State Route 300 is a short state highway in Mason County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends from Belfair State Park to SR 3 in the community of Belfair. The route serves as a connector from Belfair State Park to Belfair and SR 3...
begins in Belfair and runs along the north shore of Hood Canal, providing access to Tahuya
Tahuya, Washington
Tahuya is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Hood Canal at the mouth of the Tahuya River...
and Dewatto Bay.
Belfair serves as a gateway town for the Hood Canal region, and is the last town with services before visitors reach Tahuya State Forest, famed for its miles of off-road vehicle and mountain biking trails.