Gig Harbor calls itself The Maritime City for good reason. Its history, views, and image are linked to its idyllic location on Puget Sound, complete with a lighthouse marking the harbor entrance and the bonus of Mount Rainier in the distance. The city was named long before gigabytes and gig economies became a thing. Gig Harbor was named by surveyors from the Wilkes Expedition who, in 1841, entered the harbor in a survey “gig,” or longboat. They noted the narrow mouth of the harbor and labeled it “Gig Harbor” on chart No. 155, published as a result of the expedition, according to the Harbor History Museum.

Photo by George Cole via Adobe Stock

City Snapshot 

Incorporated: 1946

(City of Gig Harbor) 

Land area 5.9 square miles

(City of Gig Harbor) 

Population: 12,900 (city limits) 66,500 (Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula)

(Gig Harbor Visitor & Relocation Guide)

Median sales price of a home: $762,000

(Zillow, Dec. 31, 2025) 

Median household income: $118,395

(2024 Dollars, U.S. Census Bureau)

Courtesy of Alisha via Adobe Stock

Famous for:

Travel bloggers consistently describe Gig Harbor as one of the most picturesque locations where one can slow down and catch one’s breath. It has small-town charm with big-town amenities. Local treasures include Harbor History Museum and Harbor WildWatch 

Sampling of events:

・The harbor will host a USA SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) competition, which will attract competitors and visitors Sept. 18-20.

・The Maritime Gig Festival, June 6-7, voted Gig Harbor’s finest festival in 2025, kicks off the community’s summer. It includes a family friendly parade, vendors, food trucks, children’s activities, and entertainment on Saturday. On Sunday, food vendors stay, and other vendors are replaced with a car show. At noon, the priest from St. Nicholas Catholic Parish proceeds down the street with the Knights of Columbus for the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony in the park before boarding a boat to bless the fishing fleet anchored in the harbor.

・In July and August, music is the highlight of Summer Sounds at Skansie Brothers Park downtown on Tuesday evenings. Wednesdays, PenMet Parks hosts concerts in its parks. Thursdays, bands play at the pavilion in Gig Harbor Uptown.

・Gig Harbor Walking Tours are also popular throughout the year. 

(Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce) 

Harbor History Museum. Courtesy of JayRay.

Economy & Business Environment

Major industries:

・ Government: 7,082

・ Health care and social assistance: 3,501

・ Professional, scientific and technical services: 2,411

・ Accommodation and food services: 2,385

・ Retail trade: 2,294

・ Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services: 2,255

・ Construction: 1,925

・ Other services (except public administration): 1,867

・ Wholesale trade: 937

・ Manufacturing: 894

(Ranked by Gig Harbor Jobs in 2024, Lightcast, Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce)

Largest employers:

・ Peninsula School District

・ St. Anthony Hospital

・ Washington Corrections Center for Women

・ MultiCare Imaging & Medical Park

・ City of Gig Harbor

・ Safeway

・ Fred Meyer

・ Metagenics

・ Taylor Shellfish

・ Sound Brokerage International

(Based on number employed in Gig Harbor area, from Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce) 

The two new artificial turf areas comprising Gig Harbor Sports Fields were expected to open in March, contingent on completing the parking lot, upper right. Photo courtesy of Gig Harbor Peninsula Youth Sports Coalition, www.ghpyouthsports.com, Facebook: ghyouthsportscoalition, Instagram: ghpyouthsports

Some community projects of note:

・Two large artificial turf fields, known as Gig Harbor Sports Fields, were estimated to open in March near the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties’ Tom Taylor Family YMCA. Opening the fields was contingent on completing a neighboring 100-space parking lot. The YMCA paid for the majority of the fields and will manage them.

The fields, with lighting for evening play, will support youth sports in football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, modified rugby, and more. The fields are part of the city’s larger Gig Harbor Sports Complex, where two more phases of fields are eventually planned: redevelopment of Peninsula Light Fields with artificial turf for year-round use, and development of artificial turf sports fields on an undeveloped lot immediately south of the existing YMCA facility.

Gig Harbor already holds a large soccer tournament every August that will now have additional fields. In the future, it will be able to host lacrosse, baseball, and pickleball tournaments at the complex, which opened six outdoor pickleball courts last year in the complex’s Doris Heritage Park, plus bocce courts, a performance stage, and more.

・Gig Harbor also is home to the PenMet Parks Recreation Center, which hosts myriad sports and other activities.

・Ivar’s Seafood Bar was scheduled to open in March at 4901 Point Fosdick Drive; Couple of Scoops ice cream/ candy shop is planned to open in May, 5500 Olympic Drive NW, and will employ individuals with special needs; the former Heritage Distilling location, at 3118 Harborview Drive downtown, will become The Midway, which will include a bakery, coffee shop, and sundries for boaters, envisioned to open early summer. Also downtown, gather Gig Harbor, at 3126 Harborview Drive, is planned to be a neighborhood market built around specialty foods, shared moments, and genuine community, according to its Facebook page. Additionally, Stowaway Labs has opened coworking and event space in a former boat-building location with harbor views, 8809 N. Harborview Drive.

・Housing is a topic the City Council has been addressing in its comprehensive plan to follow state-mandated language for affordable housing. Several developers are examining how to create workforce housing responsive to community needs. Most projects are proposed in the Gig Harbor North area, where transit lines are within walking distance.

(Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, South Sound Business research)