About Port Ludlow

Port Ludlow was founded by Pope & Talbot, Inc. in the 1870’s as one of the first logging and sawmill communities on the Puget Sound. The town and mill were maintained by Pope & Talbot until the mid 1900’s when the old sawmill was dismantled and most of the homes were loaded onto barges and transported across the Hood Canal to historic Port Gamble.

Plans for today’s Port Ludlow were formalized in the 1960’s, again by Pope & Talbot, for what has become a vital, diverse and prosperous residential community of homes and a variety of condominiums, plus a championship 27 hole golf course and a 300 slip full service marina. A pioneer in its own right, Port Ludlow has been a model for other communities in the northwest, often copied but never surpassed.

A Climate That’s Easy To Live With. In a part of the world that’s noted for its rainfall, Port Ludlow enjoys more sunshine than is typical to the Pacific Northwest, averaging only 27 inches annually. This is due, in part, to Port Ludlow’s location relative to the Olympic Mountains, which form a "rain shadow"; a natural obstacle to storms flowing inland from the Pacific Ocean. Air temperature is influenced by surrounding water temperatures that remain fairly constant year round, creating a gentle cooling during the summer days and a warming effect in the winter months.

The moderate climate, plus the wide range of social and recreational activities all contribute to make Port Ludlow a great choice for visiting and vacationing. There are tennis courts, golf courses, marina activities, acres of green belts for hiking and mountain biking. For those who like their peace and quite an in-room massage might be more your style. Apart from the many on-site activities, cultural events in Seattle, Port Townsend and surrounding communities offer an exciting opportunity to keep abreast of and in touch with the fine arts. Grocery shopping, and major shopping malls are all located conveniently near Port Ludlow.

Port Ludlow residents say they wouldn’t trade it for anywhere in the world--and a good many have lived throughout the world. Vacationers return year after year.

A Family Community. For families with children, Port Ludlow has many attractions. There is a park and playground for younger children as well as adults. There’s swimming, tennis, golf, sailing and power boating, hiking, cross country skiing in the Olympics, fishing, crabbing, clam digging, oyster picking, hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, plus many other opportunities for active families.

Port Ludlow is ideally located to give you the best of all worlds--cultural sophistication associated with urban life and a full spectrum, of outdoor recreational opportunities found in country living. At its front door is Puget Sound, sailing and yachting gateway to the U.S. and Canadian San Juan Islands and the world beyond. At its back door is the magnificent Olympic National Forest. Just 18 water miles to the east is Seattle (90 minutes by car and a spectacular 30 minute ferry ride). Bremerton and Silverdale (with its million square foot shipping mall) are a short 30 minute drive across the Hood Canal Bridge and Port Townsend is just minutes to the north. The international city of Victoria, British Columbia is less than 2 hours north including a beautiful ferry ride across the Straights of Juan de Fuca.

Jefferson County Airport, just minutes away, provides access through charter services directly to and from Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport. Or you can charter a seaplane from Seattle’s Lake Union or Lake Washington that will land on Ludlow Bay and taxi you right to the marina.

Port Ludlow Recreation ideas

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