Silverdale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in central Kitsap County, Washington, on the Kitsap Peninsula directly west of Seattle across Puget Sound. It sits along the shore of Dyes Inlet, a protected arm of the sound, and has grown from a rural crossroads into the commercial and employment heart of the peninsula's central area. Its population is about 20,700. Despite repeated attempts at incorporation over the years, Silverdale remains unincorporated, governed by Kitsap County rather than its own city government. That status has not slowed its development: the community's waterfront, retail corridors, and suburban neighborhoods now form the largest commercial center in Kitsap County outside the cities of Bremerton and Port Orchard. Naval Base Kitsap is the dominant employment anchor. The base, which includes the Bangor submarine base and other facilities, supports thousands of military and civilian workers, and Silverdale has grown up as a primary residential and service community for that workforce. Kitsap Mall, the peninsula's largest shopping center, anchors the retail district, and Silverdale Way and the surrounding commercial corridors hold a full range of stores, restaurants, and services. Silverdale also has a strong recreational and natural identity. The Clear Creek Trail, a roughly seven-mile urban greenway, winds through wetlands and neighborhoods to the Silverdale Waterfront Park on Dyes Inlet, and the community's location on the water gives it a distinctly Puget Sound feel. Central Kitsap School District serves local students. For residents, the appeal is a convenient, family-oriented community with genuine waterfront access and close ties to the Navy, set within reach of Seattle and Tacoma by ferry and highway.