Snohomish County () is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

and Pierce counties, and the 75th-most populous in the United States. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and largest city is Everett. The county forms part of the

Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. It contains the three most populous counties in the state—King, Snohomish, and Pierce ...

, which also includes King and Pierce counties to the south. The county's western portion, facing

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected m ...

and other inland waters of the Salish Sea, is home to the majority of its population and major cities. The eastern portion is rugged and includes portions of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, with few settlements along major rivers and most of it designated as part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. Snohomish County is bound to the north by Skagit County, to the east by Chelan County, to the south by

King County King County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 2,269,675 in the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Washington, and the 13th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is Seattle, also the st ...

, and to the west by Kitsap and Island counties. Snohomish County was created out of

Island County Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 86,857. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor. The county's name reflects the fact that it is compo ...

on January 14, 1861, and is named for the indigenous Snohomish people. It includes the Tulalip Indian Reservation, which was established by the 1855 Point Elliott Treaty, which relocated several indigenous

Coast Salish The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak one of the Coa ...

groups to the reservation. The county seat was originally at the city of Snohomish until an 1897 election moved it to Everett. Since the mid-20th century, areas of Snohomish County have developed into an

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...

manufacturing center, largely due to the presence of

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and p ...

in Everett, as well as

bedroom communities A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for workers in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

. Snohomish County now has 18 incorporated cities and 2 towns with their own local governments, in addition to developed

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

s. It is connected to nearby areas by roads (including

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...

), railways, and transit systems. The county government is led by a five-member

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...

and

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

elected by voters to four-year terms.

Etymology

"Snohomish" comes from the name of the largest Native American tribe in the area when settlers arrived in the 19th century. The name is spelled as "Sdoh-doh-hohbsh" in the

Lushootseed language Lushootseed (txʷəlšucid, dxʷləšúcid), also Puget Salish, Puget Sound Salish or Skagit-Nisqually, is a language made up of a dialect continuum of several Salish tribes of modern-day Washington state. Lushootseed is one of the Coast Salis ...

and has a disputed meaning with unclear origins.

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

Dr. Charles M. Buchanan, who spent 21 years with the

Tulalip The Tulalip Tribes of Washington (, lut, dxʷlilap), formerly known as the Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, is a federally recognized tribe of Duwamish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish, and Stillaguamish people. ...

s, once said that he had "never met an Indian who could give a meaning to the word Snohomish". Chief William Shelton, the last hereditary

tribal chief A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized a ...

of the Snohomish tribe, claimed that it meant "lowland people", a name associated with the tribe's location on the waters of the

; other scholars have claimed "a style of union among them", "the braves", or "Sleeping Waters". The name is also used for the

Snohomish River The Snohomish River is a river in Snohomish County, Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. ...

, which runs through part of the county, and the City of Snohomish, the former

that was renamed after the formation of the county. The current spelling of the name was adopted by the Surveyor General of Washington Territory in 1857, with earlier documents and accounts using alternative spellings. John Work of the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

recorded the name "Sinnahmis" in 1824, while the

Wilkes Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

of 1841 used "Tuxpam" to describe the

. The same river was named "Sinahomis" by Captain

Henry Kellett Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, (2 November 1806 – 1 March 1875) was a British naval officer and explorer. Career Born at Clonacody in Tipperary County, Ireland, on 2 November 1806, Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822. He spent three yea ...

in 1847, and was accepted by the U.S. government for several years.

History

Native Americans in canoes on Mukilteo Beach, circa 1861–62

Snohomish County was originally inhabited by several

groups, predominantly settled along the western coastline and near the region's rivers. The Snohomish were the largest group and occupied an area from present-day Warm Beach to

Shoreline A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

, while Stillaguamish lived in the

Stillaguamish River The Stillaguamish River is a river in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Washington. It is mainly composed of two forks, the longer North Fork Stillaguamish () and the South Fork Stillaguamish. The two forks join near Arlington. From ...

basin. The region was first charted and named by European explorers in the late 18th century, beginning with Captain George Vancouver and his British expedition. Vancouver arrived in

and

Port Gardner Bay Port Gardner, also known as Port Gardner Bay, is an inlet of Possession Sound on which the city of Everett, Washington is located. The Snohomish River flows into the north end of the bay. It was named by George Vancouver Captain George Vancou ...

on June 4, 1792, landing near present-day Everett. The

Treaty of Point Elliott The Treaty of Point Elliott of 1855, or the Point Elliott Treaty,—also known as Treaty of Point Elliot (with one ''t'') / Point Elliott Treaty—is the lands settlement treaty between the United States government and the Native American tribes ...

was signed at present-day

Mukilteo Mukilteo ( ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Puget Sound between Edmonds, Washington, Edmonds and Everett, Washington, Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 ...

on January 22, 1855, marking the cession of Coast Salish territories in the Puget Sound lowlands. The Tulalip Indian Reservation was established to house the remaining tribes, including the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish. Snohomish County was created out of

on January 14, 1861. The territorial legislature designated

, the area's largest settlement, as the temporary

in January 1861. The county government was permanently moved to Cadyville, later Snohomish, in July of that year. After the incorporation of the city of Everett in 1893, the city's leaders attempted to move the county seat from Snohomish. A countywide general election on November 6, 1894, chose to relocate the county seat to Everett, amid controversy and allegations of illegal votes. After two years of litigation between the cities of Snohomish and Everett, the county seat was officially relocated to Everett in December 1896. One of the first county censuses was taken in 1862 by Sheriff Salem A. Woods. Early important pioneers in the Snohomish County region included

E. F. Cady Edson T. Cady, along with Emory C. Ferguson, co-founded Cadyville in 1860 to take advantage of a military road Congress planned that never materialized. Cadyville later became known as Snohomish, Washington. E.T. Cady sailed from New York on the ...

of Snohomish, E. C. Ferguson of Snohomish and Isaac Cathcart.

Geography

Snohomish County is part of the

Puget Sound region The Puget Sound region is a coastal area of the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. state of Washington, including Puget Sound, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of the Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains. ...

Western Washington Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as the area of Washington state west of the Cascade Mountains. This region is home to the state's largest city, Seattle, the state capital, Olympia, and most of the state's residents. T ...

, bordered to the south by

, to the west by

and other inland waters, to the north by Skagit County, and to the east by the Chelan County at the crest of the

. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total square area of approximately , of which is land and , or 5.0%, is water. It is the 13th largest county in Washington by land area and is larger than the states of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

. The county's surface is covered by plains and rolling hills in the west, where the majority of settlements are, and mountainous terrain in the east. The Cascade Range passes through the eastern part of the county and is largely protected from development as part of the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. The mountain range includes the highest point in Snohomish County:

Glacier Peak Glacier Peak or Dakobed (known in the Sauk-Suiattle dialect of the Lushootseed language as "Tda-ko-buh-ba" or "Takobia") is the most isolated of the five major stratovolcanoes (composite volcanoes) of the Cascade Volcanic Arc in the U.S state ...

, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. Several major rivers originate in the Cascades and flow west towards Puget Sound and other parts of the Salish Sea, including the Stillaguamish and Snohomish (fed by the

Skykomish Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 198 as of the 2010 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s. Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...

and Snoqualmie rivers). These rivers form several

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

s used for agriculture that occasionally flood during major weather events, such as

atmospheric river An atmospheric river (AR) is a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere. Other names for this phenomenon are tropical plume, tropical connection, moisture plume, water vapor surge, and cloud band. Atmospheric rivers ...

Climate

The lowland areas of western Snohomish County generally has a temperate

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

similar to the rest of the central Puget Sound region with dry summers and wet winters. The county's weather is heavily influenced by maritime systems, pushed by prevailing westerly winds but dampened by the

Olympic Mountains The Olympic Mountains are a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high – Mount Olympus is the highest at ; however, the easte ...

. The mean monthly temperatures for the county range from during the winter and in the summer. The record highest temperatures were set during a June 2021 heat wave, with highs of up to recorded in several areas. Annual precipitation ranges from in the west to in the upper elevations of the Cascades; the majority of the region's precipitation falls between October and March. The county's lowlands also has an average annual snowfall ranging from . The Puget Sound Convergence Zone, a known meteorological phenomenon, runs through southwestern Snohomish County and causes narrow bands of precipitation.

Flora and fauna

Approximately 68 percent of land in Snohomish County is classified as forestland, which is predominantly located in the eastern portions. These forests are dominated by conifer species such as Douglas firs, hemlocks, and

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

s, with pockets of deciduous species in logged areas.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 827,957 people families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 321,523 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 66.1% white, 12.3% Asian, 3.54% black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 5.4% other races, and 10.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.6% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 713,335 people, 268,325 households, and 182,282 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 286,659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 78.4% white, 8.9% Asian, 2.5% black or African American, 1.4% Indigenous, 0.4% Pacific islander, 3.8% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 12.6% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 12.2% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, 8.2% were

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, and 3.6% were American. Of the 268,325 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.1% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 37.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $66,300 and the median income for a family was $77,479. Males had a median income of $56,152 versus $41,621 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,635. About 5.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 606,024 people, 224,852 households, and 157,846 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 290 people per square mile (112/km²). There were 236,205 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile (44/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 85.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.7%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.4% Native American, 5.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.3%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.4% from two or more races. 4.7% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 16.2% were of

, 10.0%

, 8.8%

, 8.4%

and 6.6% United States or American ancestry. There were 224,852 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. The median income for a household in the county was $53,060, and the median income for a family was $60,726. Males had a median income of $43,293 versus $31,386 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $23,417. About 4.9% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the

, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

County Executive

The

county executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...

Dave Somers David J. Somers (born 1953) is an American politician and fisheries biologist serving as the Snohomish County Executive, an office he has held since 2016. Somers previously served on the Snohomish County Council, representing the 5th district in ...

, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Somers is a former

Snohomish County Council The Snohomish County Council is the legislative body of Snohomish County, Washington. The county council was created in 1979 and consists of five members serving four-year terms. Members ;Notes History The county council was created on No ...

member and took office as county executive on January 4, 2016, having won the seat from incumbent and fellow Democrat John Lovick. The county executive seat was chartered in the 1979. The first county executive was conservative Democrat Willis Tucker of Snohomish from 1980 to 1992. Following Tucker, the next county executive was Democrat Bob Drewel from 1992 to 2004, followed by Democrat Aaron Reardon from 2004 to 2013. Reardon resigned on May 31, 2013, amid a series of

political scandal In politics, a political scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Politicians, government officials, party officials and lobbyists can be accused of various illegal, corrupt, uneth ...

s, and was replaced by former Snohomish County Sheriff and state legislator

John Lovick John Lovick is an American magician, writer, and director. Since the 1990s he has performed as a magician throughout the United States and Canada, as well as England, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. His performing alter ego, Handsome ...

for the remainder of his term.

County Council

The county council is made up of: * Nate Nehring (R) – district 1 * Megan Dunn (D) – district 2 * Stephanie Wright (D) – district 3 * Jared Mead (D) – district 4 * Sam Low (R) – district 5

Politics

Snohomish County has been a reliably Democratic county in recent presidential elections (albeit to a lesser degree than neighboring King County and

). It has voted Democratic all but four times since 1932, with those four occasions being national Republican landslides in which the GOP candidate won over 400 electoral votes. It has not voted for a Republican since George H. W. Bush in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

Education

Snohomish County is one of the most-populous counties in the United States without a four-year,

baccalaureate degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

-granting institution. Columbia College offers AA all the way up to a Master's in Business along with other Associate and bachelor's degrees.

Everett Community College Everett Community College (EvCC) is a public community college in Everett, Washington. EvCC educates more than 19,000 students every year at locations throughout Snohomish County, Washington, with most students and faculty at the main campus in E ...

and

Edmonds College Edmonds College, formerly Edmonds Community College, is a public community college in Lynnwood, Washington. More than 17,000 students annually take courses for credit toward a certificate or degree at the college. The college employs more than 1 ...

provide academic transfer degrees, career training and basic education in Snohomish County. Together, the two serve more than 40,000 people annually. About 40 percent of all high school graduates in Snohomish County begin their college education at Edmonds or Everett

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

. Everett Community College is the legislatively appointed leader of the

University Center of North Puget Sound ThUniversity Center of North Puget Soundis a "center of universities" located in Gray Wolf Hall on Everett Community College's main campus in Everett, WA. The University Center supports over 25 bachelor's and master's degrees from public and priva ...

, which offers 25 bachelor's and master's degrees through Western Washington University, Washington State University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College, Hope International University, and the University of Washington Bothell. Edmonds College and

Central Washington University Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Lif ...

have worked together since 1975 to provide higher education in Snohomish County. After earning a two-year degree online or on campus from Edmonds College, students can continue their studies for a bachelor's degree from Central Washington University-Lynnwood in Snoqualmie Hall, a shared building on the Edmonds CC campus.

Media

Residents receive much of their information from Seattle-based media, the most prominent of which include ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...

'' and regional TV news stations. '' The Herald'' in Everett is the county's most popular daily newspaper, while weekly newspapers such as the ''

Snohomish County Tribune The Pacific Publishing Company Publication Division produces print and digital editions serving the numerous neighborhood communities throughout Seattle. Its print editions include ''The Queen Anne'' and ''Magnolia News'', ''Madison Park Times'' ...

'', '' Everett Tribune'', '' Marysville Globe'', and ''

The Monroe Monitor The ''Monroe Monitor and Valley News'' was a weekly newspaper published in Monroe, Washington, United States. It had an estimated circulation of 4,000 in 2013. It was also one of the first within the state. History When B. F. Smyth founded the ...

'' serve their respective communities. The county is part of the Seattle broadcast television market and is served by several regional

television news News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or telev ...

stations, including KOMO,

KING King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

KIRO Kiro was a colonial post in what is now the Central Equatoria province of South Sudan on the west side of the Bahr al Jebel or White Nile river. It was in part of the Lado enclave. In 1900 there were said to be 1,500 troops from the Congo Free ...

KCTS KCTS-TV (channel 9) is a PBS member television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, owned by Cascade Public Media. Its studios are located at the northeast corner of Seattle Center adjacent to the Space Needle, and its transmitter is ...

, and

KCPQ KCPQ (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, broadcasting the Fox network to the Seattle area. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV outlet ...

. Local radio stations based in the county include

KKXA KKXA (1520 kHz "Classic Country KXA") is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Snohomish, Washington and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. The station's broadcast license is held by CAAM Partnership, LLC., an entity controlled by the Sko ...

KRKO KRKO (1380 kHz, "Everett Radio") is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Everett, Washington. The station broadcasts an oldies-classic hits-sports radio format to the Seattle metropolitan area. The station was established in 1922, and is c ...

KSER KSER (90.7 FM) is a non-commercial radio station and airs a mix of music and news/public affairs. The station, which is owned and operated by the non-profit KSER Foundation, broadcasts at 90.7 MHz with an ERP of 5.8 kW and is licensed ...

, and

KWYZ KWYZ (1230 AM) is a U.S. radio station licensed to serve Everett, Washington. The station, which began broadcasting in 1957, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean J. Suh, the owner of Radio Hankook, is a pioneer in Korean-language radi ...

. There are also smaller local publications, with significant online presences: ''The Monroe Monitor'', ''My Edmonds News'', ''Edmonds Beacon'', ''My Everett News'', ''The Mountlake Terrace News'', '' News of Mill Creek'', ''The Mukilteo Beacon'', ''The Snohomish County Reporter'', and ''The Snohomish Times''.

Transportation

Roads

Snohomish County has five major routes that connect the county to the other counties and other areas. There are three major north–south routes:

, State Route 9, and State Route 99. The only complete east–west route is

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern ...

. *

* Interstate 405 *

* State Route 9 * State Route 92 * State Route 96 * State Route 99 * State Route 104 * State Route 203 * State Route 204 * State Route 522 * State Route 524 * State Route 525 * State Route 526 * State Route 527 * State Route 528 * State Route 529 * State Route 530 * State Route 531 * State Route 532

Public transportation

Snohomish County is served by three

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...

systems:

Community Transit Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, excluding the city of Everett, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish C ...

, which provides local service within the county (apart from the city of Everett) and commuter service to the

Boeing Everett Factory The Boeing Everett Factory is an airplane assembly facility built by Boeing in Everett, Washington, United States. It sits at the northeast corner of Paine Field and includes the largest building in the world by volume at 13,385,378 m3 (472,37 ...

, Downtown Seattle and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

campus; Everett Transit, a municipal system serving the city of Everett; and

Sound Transit Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It operates the Link light rail system in Seattle and Tacoma, ...

, which provides

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

service and

express bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

connecting to regional destinations in Seattle and

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

. Sound Transit runs four daily Sounder commuter trains at peak hours between

Everett Station Everett Station is an Amtrak train station serving the city of Everett, Washington. The station has provided service to the '' Cascades'' and ''Empire Builder'' routes since its opening in 2002, replacing an earlier station near the Port of E ...

and Seattle, stopping at

and

Edmonds Edmonds may refer to: * Edmonds (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the surname) * Edmonds, Washington, a city in Washington, US ** Edmonds station (Washington), a passenger train station in Washington, US * Edmonds station (SkyTr ...

. Intercity rail service is provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

, which has two lines operating within Snohomish County: ''

Amtrak Cascades The Amtrak ''Cascades'' is a passenger train corridor in the Pacific Northwest, operated by Amtrak in partnership with the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. It is named after the Cascade mountain range that the route parallels. The corr ...

'' between Seattle and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, stopping in Edmonds, Everett, and

Stanwood station Stanwood is an Amtrak train station in the city of Stanwood, Washington, United States. It is served by intercity Amtrak ''Cascades'' trains and consists of a single platform and an adjacent parking lot. The station is in downtown Stanwood, nea ...

; and the ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

'' between Seattle and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, stopping in Edmonds and Everett. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines and Northwestern Trailways from Everett Station. Community Transit also operates a bus rapid transit service called

Swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, ...

from Everett Station to the Aurora Village in

along the State Route 99 corridor, which opened in 2009; the service is anticipated to be expanded in 2018, with a new line serving the Airport Road and State Route 527 corridors, from the Boeing Everett Factory to

Bothell Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48,161 resident ...

via Mill Creek. Sound Transit is also planning to extend

Link light rail Link light rail is a light rail rapid transit system serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit providers, and consists of two non-connected lines: ...

service from Northgate to

Lynnwood Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located north of Seattle and south of Everett, near the junction of Interstate 5 and Interstate 405. It is the four ...

in 2024, having won voter approval for the project in 2008. An additional extension to Everett, not yet approved by voters, has been proposed as part of a regional transit package. Island Transit also operates bus links through Snohomish County from Everett and Skagit County's Mount Vernon to Camano Island because the island does not have direct road access to its county-seat island, Whidbey Island.

Airports

Snohomish County has one major airport:

Paine Field Paine Field , also known as Snohomish County Airport, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in unincorporated Snohomish County, Washington, between the ...

, otherwise known as Snohomish County Airport, which has had passenger service since March 2019. There are three smaller public airports that are open to

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

: Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Darrington Municipal Airport in Darrington, and Harvey Field in Snohomish. The county also has several private airports, including the

Frontier Airpark Frontier Airpark is a private airport and suburban housing development located east of Marysville, Washington. The airpark was established in 1985 and features a single runway that is connected to homes by a series of taxiway A taxiway is a p ...

and Green Valley Airfield in Granite Falls. The Martha Lake Airport in Martha Lake was a former private airport that was closed in 2000 and was converted into a county park that opened in 2010.

Ferries

Snohomish County is also connected to adjacent counties by two ferry routes operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

. The

Edmonds–Kingston ferry The Edmonds–Kingston ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Edmonds and Kingston, Washington. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system, currently the largest ferry system i ...

carries SR 104 between

and Kingston in

Kitsap County Kitsap County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton. The county was formed out of King County and Jefferson County on ...

. The Mukilteo–Clinton ferry carries SR 525 from Mukilteo to Clinton on

Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...

Communities

Cities

* Arlington *

(partly in

) * Brier *

* Everett (county seat) *

Gold Bar A gold bar, also called gold bullion or gold ingot, is a quantity of refined metallic gold of any shape that is made by a bar producer meeting standard conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record keeping. Larger gold bars that are produced ...

* Granite Falls *

Lake Stevens Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, that is named for the lake it surrounds. It is located east of Everett and borders the cities of Marysville to the northwest and Snohomish to the south. The city's popula ...

* Marysville * Mill Creek * Monroe *

Mountlake Terrace Mountlake Terrace is a suburban city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It lies on the southern border of the county, adjacent to Shoreline and Lynnwood, and is north of Seattle. The city had a population of 19,909 people counted ...

* Snohomish * Stanwood * Sultan * Woodway

Towns

* Darrington * Index

Census-designated places

* Alderwood Manor * Arlington Heights * Bothell East * Bothell West * Bryant * Bunk Foss * Canyon Creek *

Cathcart Cathcart ( sco, Kithcart, gd, Coille Chart)
is an are ...

* Cavalero * Chain Lake * Clearview * Eastmont * Esperance * Fobes Hill * Hat Island * High Bridge * Kayak Point * Lake Bosworth * Lake Cassidy * Lake Goodwin * Lake Ketchum * Lake Roesiger * Lake Stickney * Larch Way * Lochsloy * Machias * Maltby * Martha Lake * May Creek *

Meadowdale Meadowdale may refer to: *Meadowdale High School (Washington), Lynnwood, Washington *Meadowdale High School (Ohio), Dayton, Ohio *Meadowdale International Raceway *Carpentersville, Illinois Carpentersville is a village in Kane County, Illinois ...

* Mill Creek East * Monroe North * North Lynnwood * North Marysville * North Sultan * Northwest Stanwood * Oso * Perrinville * Picnic Point * Silvana * Silver Firs * Sisco Heights * Startup * Sunday Lake * Swede Heaven * Three Lakes *

Verlot Verlot is a census-designated place (CDP) in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census. Geography Verlot is located at (48.085938, -121.762863). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP ...

* Warm Beach * Woods Creek

Unincorporated communities

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

* Fortson * Galena * Getchell * Hazel *

Reiter ''Reiter'' or ''Schwarze Reiter'' ("black riders", anglicized ''swart reiters'') were a type of cavalry in 16th to 17th century Central Europe including Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Tsardom of Russia, and others. ...

Robe A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...

* Silverton * Sisco * Smokey Point * Trafton * Tulalip Indian Reservation

References

External links

Official Snohomish County websiteSnohomish County Tourism Bureau