In the nearby Pacific Ocean, roughly 170 miles (270 km) west of Vashon Island, lies the 700-mile (1,130 km) tectonic boundary known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and as such, Vashon Island is one of many areas at risk for earthquakes or related natural disasters.

[7] Fishing was abundant in the cold saltwater of the central Puget Sound basin, helping Native American tribes to thrive.

The first non–Native American to explore and the first to chart this island was Captain George Vancouver, during his surveys of the Puget Sound area with the British Royal Navy.

[8] Maury was naturally separated from Vashon by a narrow passage, until local landowners decided to build an earth bridge, or isthmus, linking them together in 1916, thus creating the hamlet of Portage.

Denichiro Mukai came to the island in 1910 and became renowned for barreling fresh strawberries using a special method that concentrated flavor and moisture in the fruit and permitted long-distance shipping.

In time, Mukai designed and built his own home and elaborate garden and then constructed a sturdy timber framed barreling plant.

During the peak years, ice cream, jam and preserve makers across the West were customers of Mukai, relishing the oak barrels for their lingering flavor and mythologizing about the island of strawberry fields.

This became an important part of the island economy during the next 50 years, until the Japanese American population was forcibly relocated into internment camps as a response to Japanese/American tension caused by WWII.

In 2013, it collapsed due to a requirement that it comply with the state's public records act and threats of lawsuits undermined the function of the organization.

[19] The new group was formed as a non-profit to help island residents address important issues facing their community.

The department is primarily funded by a property tax levy which last had a voter approved lid lift in 2017.

However, many small farms operate on the island, providing locals with fresh organic produce, milk, and eggs.

In certain areas like Dockton, a significant amount of private property was occupied and subsequently seized from Japanese-American citizens who farmed strawberries on that land until World War II, when they were moved to internment camps away from the island.

[26] Local orchards and wineries are established on the island, with some focusing on developing perry, an alcoholic beverage derived from pear juice instead of grapes.

[28] Vashon has lost two of its major industrial employers: K2 Sports moved its manufacturing to China, and the Seattle's Best Coffee roastery operation was closed shortly after SBC was bought by Starbucks.

Currently, the largest manufacturer on Vashon is Pacific Research Laboratories, locally referred to as "The Bone Factory".

[29] In 2014 it was reported that the company Edipure was to purchase the old K2 ski plant to manufacture more than 60 marijuana-based snacks including crackers, candy and gummy bears.

[31] A second bridge proposal from the Washington State Transportation Commission was withdrawn in 1992 after objections from island residents.

[35] As of July 1, 2024, the King County Water Taxi increased their service to the island from downtown Seattle.

The Black Ball Line planned to restart service on May 15, 1948, but were blocked by a mob of Vashon Island residents who rushed the MV Illahee when it attempted to dock.

Another provider, the non-profit NeighborCare Health, pledged to open a new clinic later in the year, alleviating the issue of transporting patients to hospitals off the island via the ferry, which can take upwards of three hours.

[41] It was reported in 2015 that 23.1% of kindergartners in the Vashon Island School District legally opted out of vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella, and hepatitis B.

[53] The Vashon Center for the Arts along with cafés are also open during the First Friday gallery walk which have shown the work of local artists including Ann Leda Shapiro.

[54] In 2014, a small media outlet, the Voice of Vashon, acquired a low-power FM radio broadcast license from the FCC.

[57] The Voice of Vashon records and broadcasts community arts events with support from King County 4Culture grants.

[58] Each of these outlets serves Vashon and Maury Islands year round, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, with island-generated or specific information, entertainment and emergency alerts.

These stations have located their transmitters on Vashon and Maury Islands because local soil conductivity, important for signal propagation in the megawatt broadcast frequency range, is greater than elsewhere in the Puget Sound area.

[60] The Vashon Sheepdog Classic occurs each year at the Misty Isle Farms, with local food and merchandise vendors, with all profits going to area nonprofits.

[61] The trials are completed by a team composed of a dog and its handler who are released into a shedding ring and work to herd the sheep into specific areas.

Vashon Island has a number of buildings and sites that are listed on the King County Historic Register: