What Counts as Puget Sound?
If you’ve ever wondered “Is this part of Puget Sound?” — you’re not alone. The term “Puget Sound” shows up everywhere: in real estate listings, weather forecasts, ferry schedules, and regional news. But what actually counts as Puget Sound? Is it just the water? The cities along its shores? The surrounding counties?
Let’s break it down — from the water itself to the broader region locals and geographers refer to when they say "Puget Sound," "the Puget Sound area" or just "the Sound." (Just don't call it "the Puget Sound").
This section gets a little technical, but perhaps the easiest way to remember the boundaries of Puget Sound is that it's the waters east of Whidbey Island and south of Port Townsend.
The northern boundaries: Looking at the map at right, if you go east through Deception Pass, all the water southward is part of Puget Sound. In the lower left section, everything southward from Admiralty Inlet between Point Wilson (Port Townsend) and Point Partridge (Whidbey) is also Puget Sound. In addition to Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, one other waterway leads into Puget Sound: the Swinomish Channel in the upper right portion of the map which leads in from Padilla Bay.
The southern boundaries: Wherever the saltwater stops is a southern boundary of Puget Sound. Looking at the map below, you can see the southernmost boundary of Puget Sound, which is West Bay. West Bay and East Bay lead directly to Budd Inlet just to the north of the map edge, which is considered the southern boundary of Puget Sound.
Of note: the Fifth Avenue Dam, which separates West Bay from Capitol Lake will soon be removed to restore the traditional estuary.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's definition: NOAA describes Puget Sound in terms of "basins" or regions (numbers corresponding to the map at right):
Locals often use “Puget Sound” more loosely — to refer to a broad geographic region that includes cities, suburbs, islands, and rural areas surrounding the water. This “Puget Sound region” is home to over four million people and typically includes parts of these counties:
On the east from north to south:
San Juan County and Whatcom County (Bellingham and Blaine) may also be included, but they are north of the Swinomish Channel.
Many of the islands within and around the Sound are part of both the water body and the region. Key islands include:
Camano, Whidbey and Bainbridge Islands are all connected to the mainland by bridge. The Maury-Vashon tombolo connection was built more than a century ago. Of these, only Camano does not have ferry service, but all of these islands are popular residential areas offering quiet lifestyles with city access.
The San Juan Islands, Fidalgo Island, Guemes Island and other northern islands are part of the Salish Sea and not generally considered to be part of Puget Sound.
Yes — Olympia sits at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound, where Budd Inlet forms the city's working waterfront. While it's less talked about than Seattle or Tacoma, it is fully within both the hydrological and regional definition of Puget Sound. And, of course, it's the capital of Washington and has the Legislative Building, a beautiful example of Neoclassical architecture with a dome and classical columns.
There’s no official list, but commonly recognized Puget Sound cities include:
Even many inland suburbs (like Kirkland, Lynnwood and Redmond) are considered part of the greater Puget Sound metro area.
The Salish Sea is the larger body of water that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia (up into British Columbia). Puget Sound is just the southern portion of this greater inland sea system.
So: All of Puget Sound is part of the Salish Sea, but not all of the Salish Sea is Puget Sound.
If you're relocating or just want to understand the communities around the Sound, check out our Puget Sound Neighborhoods guide. It includes breakdowns of city neighborhoods, islands, ferry access points, and local housing markets — all in one place.
So what counts as Puget Sound? It depends on who you ask — a scientist, a local, or a real estate agent might all give you slightly different answers. But if you're talking about the heart of western Washington, the natural beauty, and the communities that hug the coast, you're probably talking about Puget Sound.
Whether you're new to the area or a lifelong resident, there's always more to discover in this incredibly diverse region.
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