Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, situated on Sinclair Inlet across from Bremerton and about 13 miles west of West Seattle. Its population was 15,587 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from Port Orchard, the strait that separates Bainbridge Island from the Kitsap Peninsula. The community's civic history is rooted in its role as county seat. Voters moved the seat to the town of Sidney in 1892, and residents soon petitioned to rename the community Port Orchard. As an early port of call for the Puget Sound 'Mosquito Fleet,' the town helped anchor the development of Kitsap County, and its historic downtown still reflects that waterfront heritage. Port Orchard's working waterfront and ferry connections define its character. Passenger-only foot ferries shuttle riders between Port Orchard and Bremerton, where the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is a major regional employer, and the Bremerton-Seattle fast ferry extends the commute across Puget Sound. Washington State Ferries also serve the area from nearby Southworth. The city's neighborhoods include established areas such as Fernwood and Sherman Heights and newer communities like The Ridge at McCormick Woods, a golf-course development. Public schools fall under the South Kitsap School District, and Olympic College provides higher education in Kitsap County. Recreation centers on the Sinclair Inlet waterfront, Manchester State Park's saltwater shoreline, and the peninsula's parks and trails. For residents, Port Orchard offers a practical, water-oriented Kitsap lifestyle with ferry access to Bremerton and Seattle. Its blend of county-seat history, waterfront character, and ferry connectivity makes it a distinctive South Kitsap home base.