Orcas Island is the largest of the San Juan Islands, an archipelago in the Salish Sea between mainland Washington and Vancouver Island. The island covers about 57 square miles in San Juan County and is home to roughly 4,900 year-round residents, a figure that rises considerably with summer visitors. Its landscape is defined by forested hills, sheltered bays, and the deep, glacially carved inlet of East Sound, which gives the island its distinctive horseshoe shape. Access comes primarily by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes, with inter-island connections to Lopez, Shaw, and San Juan islands. Eastsound, on the island's eastern shore, is the main population center and the second-largest community in San Juan County, serving as the island's commercial and cultural hub. Smaller hamlets around the island include Orcas Landing, where the ferry terminal sits on the southern shore; West Sound and Deer Harbor on the western side; and the rural communities of Rosario, Olga, and Doe Bay. Rosario is known for the historic Rosario Resort and its Moran Mansion, a legacy of the island's long resort and maritime heritage. Orcas Island's economy and identity revolve around tourism, the arts, and a working rural landscape of farms, orchards, and small independent businesses. The island is known for its galleries, performing arts venues, and a slower, community-oriented pace of life, with Eastsound offering a walkable village core of cafes, shops, and services. Moran State Park anchors outdoor recreation in the northeast, drawing hikers, campers, and sightseers to Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan Islands. Orcas appeals to people seeking island living, to artists and craftspeople, and to those drawn to the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest coast, with a resident community that values self-reliance and close ties.