Overview
Camano Island (pron.: /kəˈmeɪnoʊ/) is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, in Washington state, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage.
1 sights · 6 things to do · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Camano Island
Camano Island State Park
Forested trails, rocky shoreline and sweeping views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier.
Stanwood Camano Snow Goose & Birding Festival
Camano Island Mother's Day Art Studio Tour
Art by the Bay, The Stanwood-Camano Festival of Art and Music
Stanwood-Camano Community Fair
Harvest Festival
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 37°F. Wettest: Nov and Jan. (climate data from nearby Seattle)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PAE Seattle Paine Field International Airport, Everett — 22 mi away. Directions
- FRD Friday Harbor Airport, Friday Harbor — 34 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 52 mi away (major hub). Directions
The island is reached via State Route 532 (SR-532) over the Camano Gateway Bridge in the northeast of the island, near the city of Stanwood.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Camano Island State Park, Camano Island Mother's Day Art Studio Tour
- Afternoon Stanwood-Camano Community Fair, Stanwood-Camano Chili & Chowder Cookoff
Day 2
- Morning Stanwood Camano Snow Goose & Birding Festival, Art by the Bay, The Stanwood-Camano Festival of Art and Music
- Afternoon Harvest Festival
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Camano Island is named for the Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamaño. Charles Wilkes, during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838-1842, named it MacDonough Island in honor of Thomas MacDonough for his victory of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. Following this theme, Wilkes named the body of water between Camano and Whidbey Island after MacDonough's flagship the Saratoga. When Henry Kellett reorganized the official British Admiralty charts in 1847, he removed Wilkes' name MacDonough and bestowed the name Camano, which the Spanish had originally given to Admiralty Inlet in 1790. Wilkes' name Saratoga Passage was retained.
Get in
By car
The island is reached via State Route 532 (SR-532) over the Camano Gateway Bridge in the northeast of the island, near the city of Stanwood.
- From Interstate 5 (I-5): Take SR-532 from I-5 at exit 212, north of Arlington and south of Mount Vernon.
By bus
Go Community Transit
Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Snohomish County, except only local routes in Everett. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Snohomish, and Stanwood.
* Route 240 Stanwood to/from Smokey Point Transit Center north of Marysville. Transfer to routes 201 or 202 in Smokey to continue towards Lynnwood via Everett and Silver Firs/Ash Way P&R. * Route 905 Stanwood to Lynnwood via SR-532 and I-5. Transfer to Sound Transit's Link Light Rail 1 Line train to get into Seattle from Lynnwood. * Island Transit Route 412 provides a direct route to Everett Station while Route 411C goes up to Mount Vernon from Terry's Corner on Camano Island. * Transfer to Island Transit routes 3, 411C or 412 to get into Camano Island by bus (to Terry's Corner) from Stanwood. See 'Get around' in the below.
Go BellAir Airporter
Goes up to Marysville, Stanwood, Burlington/Mt Vernon, Bellingham & Blaine from Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on one route and west from Burlington to La Conner & the San Juan Ferry Terminal on another. The Stanwood Chevron station is not a regular stop. Therefore, advanced reservations are required for pick-up.
Get around
Go Island Transit
Scheduled bus services on Whidbey Island and Camano Island. Service on Whidbey Island includes to Clinton, Coupeville, Freeland, Greenbank, Langley, Oak Harbor with off island connections to Anacortes. Service on Camano Island includes off island connections to Everett (412), Stanwood (3, 411C, 412); and Mount Vernon (411C) from Terry's Corner Park & Ride (location of marker). The following serve as local routes within Camano Island:
* Route 1 West Camano Island. Fixed route service along North Camano Dr, Mountain View Rd and West Camano Dr along the western shore. * Route 2 East Camano Island. Fixed route service along North Camano Dr to Shuksan. On demand service south of Shuksan Dr in the South Loop, southern tip of Camano Island. * Route 3 More frequent local route between Terry's Corner and Stanwood along State Route (SR) 532.
See
Do
Events
Sleep
Nearby
Greenbank
City / town · 7 listings · 7 mi away
Coupeville
City / town · 17 listings · 9 mi away
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Park · 20 listings · 9 mi away
Oak Harbor
City / town · 9 listings · 11 mi away
Langley
City / town · 10 listings · 11 mi away
Freeland
City / town · 4 listings · 12 mi away
Port Townsend
City / town · 43 listings · 13 mi away
La Conner
City / town · 13 listings · 14 mi away
My experience
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