Overview
Kingston, the "Little City by the Sea", is the northern gateway to the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. A rip-roaring lumber town 100 years ago, it's quieter now as the constant whine of the sawmill has given way to the occasional blast of a horn for the 30-minute ferry ride from Edmonds across the Puget Sound. For those coming from the Seattle area, the ferry ride is a highlight of the drive to Olympic National Park.
4 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Kingston
Firehouse Theater
A theater in a former North Kitsap Fire and Rescue building.
Arness Roadside Park
One acre - Saltwater beach access, picnic areas and viewpoint.
A Quiet Place Park
9.3 acres - Walking trails, viewpoints.
Carpenter Lake Natural Reserve
67 acres - Walking trails, education center and view point
The Point Casino
This casino also has restaurant and bars.
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 — 13 mi away. Directions
- BFI King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle — 21 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 26 mi away (major hub). Directions
to From Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula: Drive east on U.S. 101 to State Route (SR) 104, crossing the Hood Canal Floating Bridge. Continue east on SR 104 for 8 more miles (through Port Gamble) to the Kingston Ferry Terminal.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Firehouse Theater, A Quiet Place Park, Arness Roadside Park
- Lunch The Grub Hut
- Afternoon Carpenter Lake Natural Reserve, The Point Casino
- Dinner J'aime Les Crêpes
- Evening Hood Canal Brewery
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
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
An early settler named Michael King came to the area in 1878. He moved in along with 10 oxen and 10 men. They slowly logged the hills around Appletree Cove. Mr. King built many small buildings and shacks along the shore for his men and animals. In 1882, the trees were gone and King moved on. The shacks and bunkhouses were left behind and lived in by drifters, squatters and old loggers. People living in the area often referred to this as King's Town, probably as a joke. The name slowly evolved in to Kingston and stuck.
The Kingston townsite was platted on April 24, 1890 by C.C. Calkins and Samuel B. Brierly. Calkins dreamed of Kingston as a resort town for vacationers from Seattle. Calkins called it The Monterey of Washington. Calkins had drawings and designs for a giant hotel on the waterfront, with a boat launch, a church on the hill, along with a college. After Calkins and Brierly platted the town, a lower than expected number of people showed up to settle there. Calkins then gave up and left. The town slowly grew, but not at the pace that Calkins had dreamed and it eventually became the quaint harbor town we know today.
Visitor information
Get in
By car
to From Port Angeles and the Olympic Peninsula: Drive east on U.S. 101 to State Route (SR) 104, crossing the Hood Canal Floating Bridge. Continue east on SR 104 for 8 more miles (through Port Gamble) to the Kingston Ferry Terminal.
to From Bremerton or Poulsbo: drive north on State Route (SR) 3 and take SR 307 for 6 mi to the junction with SR 104. Continue east on SR 104 for 3 miles
By ferry
Washington State Ferries (WSF) operates the Edmonds / Kingston route, greatly shortening the distance needed to drive to the Kitsap Peninsula (and the Olympic Peninsula) from the Seattle metro area.
Fares are one-way for vehicles, and round-trip for passengers. Fares are calculated based on sailing time and season, type and length of vehicle and the amount and ages of passengers. For example, fares during a summer weekend in 2026 are:
- $27.00 for a standard 14-22 ft car and its driver
- $11.35 for additional adult passengers and walk-ons from Edmonds (free from Kingston)
- $1.00 for each ride-on bicycle from Edmonds, in addition to the passenger fare (free from Kingston)
Ferry lines for vehicles can get long on summer weekends, so arrive early or prepare to wait a few hours.
If you do not need to bring a car, the Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry operates passenger-only catamaran ferries directly to Pier 50 in Downtown Seattle from Kingston. There are easy transfers to King County Metro buses, Sound Transit buses, trains and light rail in downtown Seattle.
By boat
Place Port of Kingston Marina
offers 49 guest slips ranging from 24 feet to 50 feet. They can accommodate larger vessels up to 80 feet. All 40 foot and 50 foot slips as well as fifteen 30 foot slips are reservable with 24 hours advance notice. They have four 20 foot slips and ten 30 foot slips that are first come first serve basis. Marina provides restrooms with free hot showers, laundry facilities, covered picnic shelters, WIFI, use of our small electric car, and 30 or 50 amp power service
By bus
Place Travel Washington Dungeness Line (Operated by Greyhound Connect)
Connects Seattle and SeaTac Airport to Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles. The bus goes across the Puget Sound on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. They also pick-up and drop off at the major Seattle hospitals, west of downtown, with an advance 24 hour reservation (Arnold Medical Pavilion, Harborview, Poly-Clinic Madison, VA, Swedish First Hill and Virginia Mason Buck Pavillion).
- Jefferson Transit #14 goes up towards Haines P&R in Port Townsend from the Kingston Ferry Terminal via Gateway Visitors Center and 4 Corners P&R. Alternatively one can also take Kitsap Transit #307 from Kingston to Poulsbo North Viking P&R and transfer to Jefferson Transit #7 to Port Townsend as the #14 operates less frequently than the #7 bus.
Place Kitsap Transit
offers public transit services to Suquamish and Indianola (302); and to North Viking Transit Center in Poulsbo (307) from the Kingston Ferry Terminal. Passengers transfer from the 307 bus to other buses in the Poulsbo N Viking P&R to continue towards Bremerton (301); Silverdale (301, 332); Bainbridge Island (390); Port Angeles (123); Port Townsend (7), etc.
Get around
By bus
Place Kitsap Transit
Kingston Ride serves as a local shuttle between Downtown Kingston, George's Corner / Kountry Korners, Gamblewood, Jefferson Point, Little Boston, and a direct shuttle to The Point Casino & Hotel from the ferry terminal.
By taxi
- Bumblebee Taxi, +1 360 782-1966
See
Parks
Do
Birdwatching
The Kitsap Audubon Society has been meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders tracking and sharing sightings since then. They maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen birds in the area.
The state Audubon society developed The Great Audubon Birding Trail which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Point No Point County Park near Hansville at Kitsap County's northern tip is particularly important for birds migrating the Pacific Flyway. The Audubon Society designated it an Important Bird Area (IBA), and it is considered one of the most important migratory areas in the state.
Buy
Eat
Eat J'aime Les Crêpes
Coffee and tea, ice cream & frozen yogurt, crepes.
Eat The Grub Hut
Serious hamburgers. It’s also really busy during peak times, so expect to wait for food for up to 30 minutes.
Drink
Drink Hood Canal Brewery
Try Dosewallips Special Ale, Bywater Bay ESB, Dabob Bay IPA, Agate Pass Amber, Big Beef Oatmeal Stout and Breidablik Barley Wine.
Go next
- Edmonds, north of Seattle, is a 30-minute ferry ride to the east.
- The historic town of Port Gamble is worth a stop to see their historic buildings. It is on your way to the Olympic Peninsula via the Hood Canal Bridge.
- Hansville, with its wild natural beaches and historic lighthouse, is often overlooked and a side trip worth taking.
- If you are following the Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails, Kingston is on the southern end of the run up to Foulweather Bluff near Hansville.
Nearby
Indianola
City / town · 4 listings · 4 mi away
Port Gamble
City / town · 10 listings · 5 mi away
Suquamish
City / town · 12 listings · 6 mi away
Edmonds
City / town · 26 listings · 6 mi away
Poulsbo
City / town · 36 listings · 8 mi away
Shoreline
City / town · 9 listings · 8 mi away
Hansville
City / town · 18 listings · 9 mi away
Keyport
City / town · 3 listings · 9 mi away
My experience
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