In 1847, Henry Kellett assigned the name to Orcas Island during his reorganization of the British Admiralty charts.

Wilkes's names follow a pattern: Hull was the commander of "Old Ironsides" (the USS Constitution) and won fame after capturing the British warship HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812.

[2] The islands were first claimed by Spain, then by Britain, who agreed that everything below the 49th parallel was part of the US, in the treaty signed after the War of 1812.

It is shaped like a pair of saddlebags, separated by fjord-like Eastsound, and two prominent bays, Westsound and Deer Harbor, on the southwest side.

During the summer season, there is an island shuttle van that runs from the ferry landing to Eastsound and other points.

Constructed in an Arts & Crafts style, the 5-story resort was named after the Rosario Strait and contains a two-story German-style organ, operational since 1913, consisting of over 1,900 pipes.

[6] Also known as the Rosario Resort and Spa, it opened as such in 1960[7] and the hotel was also designed with a nautical style, containing stained glass windows, a Tiffany chandelier, and two libraries.

The Orcas Island Public Library is located in Eastsound and serves a population of approximately 6,000 card holders.

[12] In 2018 Orcas Island Voters approved the creation of San Juan County Public Hospital District #3 (OIHCD) and later elected five Commissioners to the board.

Mount Constitution (elevation 2,409 feet (734 meters) is the highest point in the San Juan islands.

In The Terminal List, Secretary of State Lorraine Hartley's palatial family estate is located on Orcas Island.