• City of Port Orchard website

State Route 16 (SR-16) is the main highway to Port Orchard.

• From Tacoma and Interstate 5, take SR-16 north across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, then take one of the several exits marked for Port Orchard.

State Route 3 (SR-3) joins SR-16 near Gorst, just west of the city.

• From Shelton, take SR-3 north through the county.
• From the Olympic Peninsula, cross the Hood Canal Bridge near the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, then take SR-3 south.

Arriving by water, you'll find a large, destination public marina at the center of town. There is a 500 ft (150 m) buffer zone around US Navy vessels and facilities to the north.

• 47.54308-122.638111 Port Orchard Marina, 707 Sidney Pkwy, ☏ +1 360-876-5535. This is the main guest moorage dock in the area and the guest dock is 3000 feet in length. There are 44 guest moorage slips available. The total estimated guest boat capacity is 180. Electrical hook up is available for a fee. Electrical power is available in 30 and 50 amps. It has been reported the minimum depth at mean low tide is 30. Fuel and pump out available. 

• 47.53952-122.643092 Port Orchard Railway Marina, 405 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-876-2522. All vessels staying at the guest moorage area overnight will be required to register at the marina office. 
• 47.540278-122.6469443 Port Orchard Yacht Club, 201 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-876-9010. Full facilities but reciprocal moorage only. 
• 47.54128-122.640394 Port Orchard Boat Launch, 535 Bay St (across from City Hall). The boat ramp facility can be used in most tidal conditions. Large parking lot designed for boats and trailers. Facilities: floating concrete dock, concrete ramp, and restrooms. 

• Washington State Ferries, ☏ +1 206-464-6400. Connects West Seattle to Southworth near Port Orchard. All ferries are for both vehicles and passengers except the ferry between downtown Seattle and Vashon Island and connections to buses can be made at all ferry terminals for walk-on passengers. The Southworth terminal provides the best access to Port Orchard however be warned that lines can get long during the summers and holidays. Try to avoid peak times such as commuting peak hours heading towards Seattle in the mornings and leaving Seattle in the late afternoons. Friday late afternoon and Sunday late afternoon should also be avoided if possible or at least plan on arriving early to avoid congestion. prices change depending on season, number of passengers, and destination, check website for latest pricing, regional ORCA cards do not work for drive-on passengers. 

• 47.5428-122.635815 Kitsap Transit Foot Ferry, ☏ +1 360-373-2877. It shuttles passengers between Port Orchard, Bremerton, and Annapolis ferry terminals using two passenger-only ferries, 'Admiral Jack' and the 'Carlisle II' a historic Mosquito Fleet era boat that is nearly 100 years old. Foot ferry service is a great way to tour a historic boat and get an up close and personal view of the marinas and the harbor. $2. 

• Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter, ☏ +1 360-876-1737. It provides scheduled ground transportation to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to various locations on the Kitsap Peninsula. 

• Kitsap Transit, ☏ +1 360-479-6962, toll-free: +1-800-501-7433, [email protected]. Kitsap Transit offers transit services throughout the area including pickup from all ferry terminals and connects with Mason Transit (Mason County), Pierce Transit (Pierce County), and Jefferson Transit (Jefferson County) offering connections outside of the area. full fare $2 and is part of the regional ORCA network system. 

Port Orchard has several small museums all within walking distance from downtown and the marinas. This is a great way to explore some local art or learn more about Port Orchard's maritime history.

• 47.53926-122.63641 Log Cabin Museum, 416 Sidney Ave, ☏ +1 360-876-3693. Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM, May to September. Open seasonally and selectively, this quaint museum located in a historic log cabin features changing exhibits of home life in South Kitsap during the past 100 years as well as items typically used and tells the ongoing story of the Orchards. Worth watching for seasonal happenings like Santa visiting at Christmas. Free. (updated Jul 2019)
• 47.54103-122.636442 Sidney Art Museum, 202 Sidney Ave (just up the hill from the marina), ☏ +1 360-876-3693. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM. It is in one of Port Orchard's historic buildings. The gallery features a monthly exhibition of works of Northwest artists. free. (updated Jul 2019)
• 47.54158-122.635433 Veterans Living History Museum, 825 Bay St. This tiny museum along main street is a labor of love by its curator who has collected and displays an amazing array of military memorabilia he has collected or has been donated to him over the years. Not much space is available to navigate this tiny museum but its worth a stop on your way exploring downtown. 

• 47.52185-122.61331 South Kitsap Regional Park, Jackson Ave SE & SE Lund Ave (various locations along Jackson and Lund). With a large area and many utilities including batting cages, a scale outdoor railroad, hiking trails, a 6-bench picnic shelter, 3 ballfields (baseball, softball, and multi-use), and more, the park frequently hosts local sports events and is a popular spot for social gatherings and celebrations. 
• 47.53927-122.633792 Clayton Park (Central Park), 915 Dwight St. Basketball court, large field for informal games, playground, picnic areas, restrooms, this is a popular sunny park for kids and their families. 
• The Commons (end of Sidney Ave, next to Public Library and accessible by public transit). A small grassy area with benches and a view of Port Orchard Marina and the ongoing ship traffic, this popular downtown park is the hub of many activities downtown. 
• Marina Park, 901 Bay St (the park runs along the Bay Street waterfront). This popular waterfront park has a boardwalk, covered gazebo and beach access. This area is central stage for many events in Port Orchard including the summer outdoor Farmer's Market. 

• 47.53163-122.580443 Howe Farm County Park, Long Lake Rd SE (take Hwy 16 to Sedgwick; travel east on Sedgwick about three miles to Long Lake Road; the park is on Long Lake Road between Mile High Drive and Sedgwick). when Fido needs to stretch his legs and play with other dogs, this is the park to be in. Lots of room to run and meet other dogs. 
• 47.4805-122.68444 Square Lake Park (from Hwy 16: take the Sedgewick exit, head west on Sedgewick; at the stoplight go straight onto Glennwood. Follow Glennwood for 2½ miles to fork; go straight onto Lake Flora Rd; follow Lake Flora Rd. for 1 mile, take a right onto Square Lake Rd. Park is at end of road). Summer: 8AM to dusk, winter: closed from mid-September to the end of April. Don't let the Manchester address fool you, this 7.9-acre park is southwest of Port Orchard along Lake Flora Rd. Popular with sport fishermen with limited parking and access, a small pit toilet is available. Best suited for hand-launched boats. 

• 47.54138-122.635495 Polaris Theater, 822 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-519-4333. A selection of indie, foreign, classics, and new movies with strong stories, this cinema in downtown Port Orchard only shows films on the weekends and offers a VIP option. Rumor has it that this vintage theater is haunted. 
• Kitsap Live Steamers, 3100 SE Marbeth LN (South Kitsap Regional Park), [email protected]. second and fourth Saturdays of each month, April through October, weather permitting. Train operations are from 10AM to 4PM. Scale outdoor railroad enthusiasts operating a non-profit 7 1/2-inch gauge railroad take visitors on a tour of the park. donations suggested. 

• Mosquito Fleet Fest (Port Orchard Waterfront). May. To celebrate the historic Mosquito Fleet, Port Orchart has built a festival around rides of the remaining vessels. Includes the Seagull Calling Contest. (updated May 2025)
• Concerts on the Bay (Port Orchard Waterfront). Thursday evenings, May-Sep. (updated May 2025)
• Fathoms O’ Fun Summer Festival (Downtown). June/July. 
• Cruz Car Show (Port Orchard Waterfront). August. (updated May 2025)
• Holiday on the Bay (formerly Festival of Chimes and Lights). December. Enjoy pictures with Santa, pet parade, holiday markets, family fun, musical performances, Christmas lights in the marina, and treats, then close out the night's festivities with the Christmas tree lighting. (updated May 2025)

The Kitsap Audubon Society has been meeting since 1972 and has a broad coalition of birders tracking and sharing sightings since then. They maintain an active website with updates of the latest sightings, suggestions on areas for birders and even a regular newsletter. They also developed a checklist of birds likely to be seen birds in the area.

The state Audubon Society developed The Great Audubon Birding Trail which includes key migration flyways. Flyways are major north-south routes of travel for migratory birds and likely areas to see birds along the route extending from Alaska to Patagonia. The Sinclair Inlet is one of only a handful of locations in the area along the trail and an excellent area for birdwatching.

Port Orchard is blessed with several of the top golf courses in the state some, of which offer shuttle service from the marina.

• McCormick Woods, 5155 McCormick Woods SW, ☏ +1 360-895-0130. The course is known for being equally beautiful and challenging. 
• Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, 3900 SW Lake Flora Rd, ☏ +1 360-874-8337. Expensive and very well-maintained golf course and fishing lodge-style clubhouse. 
• Village Greens Golf Course, 2298 Fircrest Dr SE, ☏ +1 360-871-1222. Daily 8AM - 4:30PM. Affordable 19-hole golf course that is well designed, Caddy shack has hotdogs, soda and coffee. There is also a small driving range. 

Sea kayaking can be a rewarding way to explore the Kitsap Peninsula's nearly 400 miles of coastline. Port Orchard is a popular place to launch with its convenient downtown boat launch giving paddlers a closeup look of the harbor and the nearby naval shipyard. There is a 500 ft (150 m) buffer around military vessels and ferry traffic is common, but shipping lanes are easily avoidable by boating close to shore.

Organized trails offer overnight camping options and maps of appropriate lengths and scenic travel destinations.

• Kitsap Peninsula Water Trails. Port Orchard is centrally located on this trail and gives many options for exploring the local waterways, PDF copies of the water trails map are available 

Scuba diving the cold waters of Puget Sound takes a bit more gear and training than most warm water locations, but the rewards are incredible.

Watermans Wall is a well-known advanced dive accessible by boat near Port Orchard. When rounding Point Glover, you will see a very prominent navigational marker on a large concrete foundation on the shore to your left (mistaken for a lighthouse by some). Find the wall with a depth sounder on a straight line between this navigational marker and a little red house on the far shore that sits all by itself. This puts you just south of the marker, with the wall starting in about 75 yards offshore. Anchor in about 40 feet of water on the shelf above the wall, about 10 yards from the wall. The wall starts in about 50 feet of water.

The wall has some shear faces, lengthy ledges, boulders, rock piles, and some large crevices. Here you can find most of the famous marine creatures that make Puget Sound the marine-life Mecca that it is. Lots of little Pink Scallops and some big Rock Scallops, Giant Barnacles, a wide assortment of sea stars including Sunflower Stars. Brown Rockfish and Quillback Rockfish, Lingcod, Buffalo Sculpins and Orange, purple, and yellow sponges are in abundance, as are yellow Sea Lemons nudibranchs. Wolf Eels and Giant Pacific Octopus can be seen here also. However, the steep terrain and currents make this an advanced dive.

Orchard Rocks Conservation Area, northeast of Manchester State Park in neighboring Manchester, is well-known to regional scuba divers. The natural bedrock and boulders provide habitats for rock-associated fish and invertebrate species.

Like the rest of Puget Sound, Port Orchard takes its coffee pretty seriously. Chain shops like Starbucks are prevalent but try these coffee shops for some local flavor.

• Chug-A-Tug Espresso, 110 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-874-2273. A boat-themed drive-through coffee stand. On Tuesdays, you can get 50 cents off your beverage for correctly answering their trivia question. 
• Lighthouse Espresso, 6300 SE Mile Hill Dr, ☏ +1 360-871-5700. M-F 5AM - 6PM, Sa 6AM - 6PM, Su 7AM - 4PM. A bit off the beaten path for most tourists, this drive-up lighthouse-themed espresso stand is on the route to the Southworth ferry. 
• Whiskey Gulch Coffee Company, 2065 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-871-1985. Whiskey Gulch was the name given to the area that once was home to an illegal moonshine operation that flourished based on its proximity to Puget Sound shipping routes. Now they serve coffee, soup, and sandwiches, and an occasional band might play there as well. 

Bars are scattered across the area. There are enough of them downtown to perform a mini bar crawl.

• Bethel Tavern, 3840 Bethel Rd SE, ☏ +1 360-876-6621. Probably a bit off the beaten track for most tourists, but if you're looking for the classic dive bar full of colorful locals complete with peanut shells on the floor, this is your place. Older than anyone can remember they also have music on the weekends. 

• Comfort Inn, 1121 Bay St, ☏ +1 360-895-2666. On the waterfront and close to downtown, this hotel is a popular option. 
• Red Lion Inn & Suites Port Orchard, 220 Bravo Terrace, ☏ +1 360-895-7818. Far from downtown, this hotel is close to a freeway exit. 

• Nearby Manchester State Park offers 35 tent spaces, 15 utility spaces, and two restrooms/showers. Several campsites are reserved for non-motorized campers such as kayakers or bicyclists.