Artondale - Gig Harbor Area
Six distinct communities. Carr Inlet and Hale Passage at the edges. More variety than the address suggests.
Artondale is one of the largest and most geographically diverse areas in the greater Gig Harbor market, nearly 14 square miles of wooded residential land, waterfront shoreline, rural valleys, and private island communities spread across the western and central Peninsula. The Artondale designation on the NWMLS encompasses not just the core residential area south of Wollochet Bay, but a collection of six distinct sub-communities that share the same general address yet feel very different from one another on the ground.
From the historic fishing cabins and equestrian estates of Arletta and Horsehead Bay, to the protected shores of Kopachuck, the private island of Raft Island, the pastoral Ray Nash Valley, the Warren Drive waterfront along Hale Passage, and the established residential neighborhoods of Whitley Hills. This is the part of the Peninsula where serious buyers who know exactly what they are looking for consistently find it. Stacia Whatley has been working in these communities for 17 years.
What the Neighborhood Looks Like
The Communities
Arletta
Arletta is one of Gig Harbor's oldest communities, situated north of Hale Passage directly east of Horsehead Bay. It has a distinctly historic and rural character: large lots, pastureland, forestland, and shoreline properties along Horsehead Bay and Hale Passage that were originally developed as fishing cabins, many of which have since been converted or rebuilt into permanent year-round residences. The Arletta Store, founded in 1903, remains a community landmark at the intersection of 36th Street and Ray Nash Drive, a genuine neighborhood market that has served the area for over 120 years. A new gated luxury development, Horsehead Landing, has brought limited new construction to the area in a private 8-home enclave near the bay.
Historic fishing cabin-era properties converted to year-round residences along Horsehead Bay and Hale Passage
Large lots with pastureland and forestland throughout, low residential density
The Arletta Store: a community landmark since 1903 at 36th Street and Ray Nash Drive
Horsehead Landing: a new gated 8-home luxury enclave near Horsehead Bay with build-ready lots
Public boat launch at Horsehead Bay nearby
Kopachuck State Park accessible within a short drive
Peninsula School District serves this area
Ray Nash Valley and Sylvia Lake
Ray Nash Valley is a small rural valley situated south of Rosedale between the Artondale area and Henderson Bay. It is characterized by small farms, pastureland, and single-family homes on lots typically ranging from five to ten acres, some of the largest residential parcels available anywhere in the greater Gig Harbor area. Kopachuck State Park lies directly to the west of the valley, extending to the shoreline of Henderson Bay. This is genuinely agricultural Peninsula land with a character unlike any other community in the Gig Harbor market.
Sylvia Lake sits within the broader Artondale/Ray Nash Valley area, with a number of lakefront properties along its shores, originally developed as summer cabins, many of which have been converted to year-round residences. The lake community offers freshwater frontage at more accessible price points than the saltwater shorelines of the Peninsula.
Rural valley with farms, pastureland, and large residential parcels, typically 5 to 10 acres
Among the largest available residential lots in the greater Gig Harbor area
Kopachuck State Park on the western boundary, direct connection to Henderson Bay shoreline
Agricultural land uses throughout, small farms and pasturelands alongside residential properties
Sylvia Lake: freshwater lakefront properties, many converted from original summer cabin use
Very low residential density, genuine rural Peninsula character
Peninsula School District serves this area
Warren
Warren is a waterfront community adjacent to Cromwell, extending along Hale Passage from Wollochet Bay to Shaw Cove. While the Cromwell shoreline is characterized by steep marine bluffs, the Warren area transitions to low-to-medium bank waterfront, a meaningful distinction for buyers seeking beach access and property that can be developed closer to the water. Warren Drive is one of the most sought-after waterfront addresses in all of Gig Harbor. Properties here offer 180-degree views spanning Mount Rainier to the east and sunsets to the west, with Hale Passage, Fox Island, and the Fox Island Bridge as the primary view elements. The waterfront here is genuinely rare, legacy properties on Warren Drive have held within the same ownership for decades, and when they reach the market, they are purchased quickly by buyers who have been specifically watching for them.
Low-to-medium bank waterfront along Hale Passage from Wollochet Bay to Shaw Cove
Warren Drive: one of the most sought-after waterfront addresses in Gig Harbor
180-degree views: Mount Rainier to the east, sunsets to the west, Hale Passage and Fox Island
No-bank and low-bank properties offer beach access and easier shoreline connection than bluff-top positions
Wildlife: orca sightings, bald eagles, harbor seals, and seasonal boating traffic through the passage
Legacy properties, many held within the same ownership for decades; limited market availability
Adjacent to Cromwell: the broader area is approximately 6 miles south of Gig Harbor
Peninsula School District serves this area
Artondale, Horsehead Bay, and Kopachuck
The core Artondale area covers nearly 14 square miles west of Highway 16, stretching from south of Rosedale to north of Cromwell and Fox Island, extending all the way to Kopachuck State Park and Carr Inlet. This is the largest residential district in Gig Harbor and one of the most varied, mixing 1970s-era classic neighborhoods, newer custom builds on larger lots, and wooded rural parcels with occasional undeveloped acreage of 20 to 100 acres. The Artondale Wollochet Bay waterfront sits along the eastern edge, while the western reach extends to Horsehead Bay and the shores of Carr Inlet at Kopachuck.
Horsehead Bay and the Kopachuck corridor represent the premium waterfront position within the broader Artondale area. The median sale price in Kopachuck Ridge/Horsehead Bay has reached $1,250,000, with some custom estates and equestrian properties commanding significantly more. Properties here are sought specifically for their combination of waterfront access, lot size, and the level of privacy that is increasingly rare on the Peninsula.
Median sale price in Kopachuck Ridge/Horsehead Bay approximately $1,250,000
Waterfront and water-view properties on Horsehead Bay, Carr Inlet, and Wollochet Bay
Equestrian estates available: five-acre properties with horse facilities in the area
Kopachuck State Park on the western edge: beach access, shellfish-rich tidelands, and Cutts Island exploration
The Gig Harbor Golf Club: a 9-hole course with Mount Rainier views in the Artondale core
Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery and Sylvia Lake within the broader Artondale area
Ranch, split-level, and Northwest contemporary homes on lots ranging from quarter-acre subdivisions to multi-acre parcels
Most properties on septic; natural gas available in select pockets
Peninsula School District serves this area, Voyager and Artondale elementaries, Kopachuck Middle, Gig Harbor High
10 to 20 minutes to downtown Gig Harbor depending on starting point within the district
Madrona and Raft Island
Raft Island is a private drive-on island in Henderson Bay, connected to the Rosedale/Artondale area by bridge and situated approximately five miles from downtown Gig Harbor. Originally named Allshouse Island after a member of the 1841 U.S. Exploring Expedition, the island covers 160 acres with approximately 200 homes, managed by the Raft Island Improvement Association. The association maintains private beaches, including South Beach with community BBQs, picnic tables, boat storage, and a boat launch, as well as North Beach, a pickleball and basketball court, and year-round community events for residents. Only members and their guests may access the island's common amenities. Homes range from original mid-century beach cottages to more substantial custom builds, with waterfront properties offering direct Sound access.
The Madrona area sits in proximity to Raft Island, offering access to the same general character, wooded Peninsula residential setting with Madrona Links Golf Course nearby and strong access to Kopachuck State Park.
Approximately 200 homes on 160 private acres accessed by bridge
Raft Island Improvement Association maintains private beaches, boat launch, pickleball, basketball, and parks
South Beach: community BBQs, boat storage, dock, and launch; North Beach: Olympic Mountain views and sunsets
Median household income on Raft Island approximately $173,750; 88% homeownership rate
Range from original mid-century beach cottages to larger custom waterfront homes
Kopachuck State Park five minutes away by car
Five miles from downtown Gig Harbor; Highway 16 accessible via Ray Nash Drive
Peninsula School District serves this area; Voyager Elementary nearby
Whitley Hills
Whitley Hills is an established residential neighborhood within the broader Artondale area, offering a range of property types from well-maintained single-family homes to larger wooded lots with acreage. The neighborhood is positioned within close reach of Artondale Elementary and the Uptown and downtown Gig Harbor amenity base, making it one of the more accessible residential options within the Artondale district. Properties here include established homes from the 1970s through the 2000s as well as newer custom builds, with lot sizes ranging from standard residential to larger wooded parcels.
Established residential neighborhood within the Artondale district
Range of property types: standard residential lots to larger wooded acreage parcels
Artondale Elementary nearby; Kopachuck Middle and Gig Harbor High within the district
Access to Uptown and downtown Gig Harbor within 10 to 15 minutes
Artondale Creek accessible in the surrounding area, wooded natural setting throughout
Peninsula School District serves this area
The Market
The Artondale area encompasses the widest range of property types and price points of any geographic cluster on the Peninsula, from modest established homes in Whitley Hills to multi-million-dollar waterfront estates on Warren Drive and Horsehead Bay, from small residential lots in the Artondale core to 10-acre rural parcels in Ray Nash Valley, from modest lakefront cabins at Sylvia Lake to the private island community of Raft Island.
What connects all of these communities is their western Peninsula character: more land, more privacy, more direct connection to the natural setting of Carr Inlet, Hale Passage, and Henderson Bay than you find in the eastern and northern parts of Gig Harbor. What distinguishes them from one another is everything else, the shoreline orientation, the bank height, the lot size, the level of development, and the distance from the city's amenity core.
For sellers in this area, the range is so broad that property-specific positioning is essential. A legacy waterfront property on Warren Drive requires a fundamentally different marketing approach than a wooded residential lot in Whitley Hills and treating them the same way leaves money on the table for sellers and misses the mark for buyers. For buyers, working with a broker who knows the micro-market differences across these six communities is a meaningful advantage.
Stacia Whatley has been working in the Artondale area and its surrounding communities for 17 years. Whether you are thinking about your next move or working to understand what your current property is worth in today's market, the conversation starts here.
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