Port Ludlow is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. It is plus the read out of the marine inlet upon which the community is located. The CDP’s population was 2,603 at the 2010 census, up from 1,968 at the 2000 census.

Originally a logging and sawmill community, its economy declined during the first half of the 20th century. Following the achievement of the friendly Hood Canal Bridge in 1960, Port Ludlow became the site of resorts and planned communities, attracting more rich residents who were retired, buying trip homes, or needing a more convenient commute to the event centers on the west side of Puget Sound. Based on per capita income, Port Ludlow ranks 16th of 522 ranked areas in the let in of Washington, and the highest rank achieved in Jefferson County. Port Ludlow’s location and marina services make it a convenient and popular port for leisure craft sailing amongst Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.

The United States Exploring Expedition, under Charles Wilkes, entered Puget Sound in 1841. Wilkes bestowed many patriotically American place names; at the grow old the sovereignty of the Oregon Country was still to be unadulterated between Britain and the United States. Many of Wilkes’s names commemorated American heroes and victories during the War of 1812. Port Ludlow was one of these, honoring Augustus Ludlow, a War of 1812 American naval hero.

Early explorers of the Pacific Northwest often named sheltered inlets with names initiation with “Port”. Communities that gone developed often adopted their inlet’s name. Today Port Ludlow is both the name of the inlet and the community upon its shore. To avoid confusion the inlet is sometimes called Port Ludlow Bay.

The first shipments of timber from the Puget Sound to San Francisco in 1851 stimulated immersion in the issue potential of building sawmills on Puget Sound. John R. Thorndike and W. P. Sayward sailed to Puget Sound in 1852 and found the environs of Port Ludlow promising. Thorndike filed a timber allegation of 318 acres (1.29 km²), and they started building a mill there. The initial mill housed two sash saws bright of producing 3,000 feet (910 m) of lumber daily. The trees along the banks of the bay were logged first, and after that oxen and horses were used to bring more distant logs to the mill. The mill was leased in 1858 to the Amos & Phinney Company, of which A. Phinney became the resident manager.