Mill Creek is a city in
Snohomish County
Snohomish County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. With a population of 827,957 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous county in Washington, after nearby King and Pierce counties, and the 72nd-most popul ...
, Washington, United States. It is located between the cities of
Everett and
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 ...
, approximately northeast of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. The city has a population of 20,926 as of the
2020 census. The city lies along
State Route 527 and
North Creek, a tributary of the
Sammamish River
The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough) flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington. Along its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and ...
, on the east side of
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 thro ...
.
The city is one of the wealthiest suburbs in the
Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding Satellite city, satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–T ...
and was originally a
planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
conceived in the 1970s. The planned development was centered around a
country club
A country club is a privately-owned Club (organization), club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Ty ...
and
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
, with other development occurring nearby in later phases. It was incorporated as a city in 1983, shortly after the completion of the first phase of development, and underwent major population growth due to continued suburban development and
annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
of nearby areas. The city's downtown area is centered around the
Mill Creek Town Center, a
mixed-use
Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...
lifestyle center
A lifestyle center (American English), or lifestyle centre (Commonwealth English), is an open-air shopping center which aims to create a "pedestrian-friendly, town-like atmosphere with sidewalks, landscaping, ambient lighting, and park benches. ...
and retail complex that opened in 2004.
History
Development
The Mill Creek area was originally settled in the early 20th century by various farming families, from whom several local placenames are now derived. After the construction of the
Bothell–Everett Highway in 1913 as part of the
Pacific Highway, two junctions at Murphy's Corner and Wintermute's Corner gained small stores and
filling station
A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel.
Fuel dispensers are used to ...
s to serve visitors.
In 1931, Doctor Manch N. Garhart acquired in the area and used it to grow
Gravenstein apples and
Bartlett pears while also raising cattle.
The Garhart property, named Lake Dell Farm for a small
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
built by local families, was later sold in 1967 to
real estate developer
Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to other ...
s after the market for local lumber and fruits had declined.
The Garhart property, along with several neighboring farms, were optioned by various real estate developers in the 1960s and 1970s as a potential
master planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
due to its proximity to the recently completed
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 thro ...
. It would be the first modern planned city in Washington state, following in the footsteps of earlier planned cities like
Longview, built in 1918. The community, named "Olympus", was planned to include in its first phase with for homes, an industrial park, a shopping center, and a
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
. After a local recession in the early 1970s, the development project was sold in 1973 to
Tokyu Land Development and designed by a subsidiary of the
Obayashi Corporation
is one of five major Japanese construction companies along with Shimizu Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, Kajima Corporation, and Taisei Corporation. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is one of the Nikkei 225 corporations. Its h ...
named United Development. The development was renamed "Mill Creek", beating out the
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon (' or ', also known simply as ''Chinook'' or ''Jargon'') is a language originating as a pidgin language, pidgin trade language in the Pacific Northwest. It spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to othe ...
word "
Klahanie", although there had never been a mill in the vicinity
and a waterway of that name was not present in the area until the 2000 renaming of Smokehouse Creek.
Mill Creek's master plan was submitted to the county council in January 1974. A
homeowners association
A homeowner association (or homeowners' association ''HOA sometimes referred to as a property owners' association ''POA common interest development ''CID or homeowner community) is a private, legally-incorporated organization that governs a h ...
was established in December 1974 with funding from United Development to manage the area's security patrol, street maintenance, and other tasks.
The initial plan included consist of 4,600 homes, with eventual plans to house 12,000 people, a park, and an 18-hole golf course. Construction began in early 1975 on the golf course and adjoining
country club
A country club is a privately-owned Club (organization), club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Ty ...
, while the first homes were under construction by the following year. The first set of homes were designed to resemble country residences, with large floorplans and prominent use of wood furnishings, and sold for an average of $65,000 (equivalent to $ in dollars). Tokyu Land Development later re-used these home designs for the domestic market in Japan, where they were sold under the "Mill Creek" brand in the 1990s. The final phase of the original Mill Creek development, consisting of 33 condominiums, was completed in late 2003.
Incorporation and annexations
A majority of the first phase's 1,767 homes and
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
s were completed by early 1983, when an
incorporation petition was submitted by residents after reaching the population threshold of 3,000 needed for cityhood.
At the time, the homeowners association and county government had already provided much of the area's infrastructure and maintenance requirements, but local residents resisted attempts to raise property tax assessments.
Mill Creek was officially incorporated as a city on September 30, 1983, ten days after a vote of residents passed, and encompassed . Mill Creek was the first new city to be incorporated in Snohomish County since
Brier in 1965 and the newest in the state since
Ocean Shores in 1970.
In the years following incorporation, Mill Creek reduced its property tax rates and formed its own
police department
The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citize ...
,
library
A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
, postal address, and land-use board. The city's
telephone
A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...
system was split between three
long-distance calling
In telecommunications, a long-distance call (U.S.) or trunk call (also known as a toll call in the UK ) is a telephone call made to a location outside a defined local calling area. Long-distance calls are typically charged a higher billing rate t ...
areas by
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. The company operated from 1926, with roots tracing furth ...
until the
state utilities and transportation commission approved a consolidated calling area for toll-free service. Sid Hanson, the chairman of the incorporation committee, was elected as the city's first mayor and served a single term until declining to run for re-election in 1987.
The city government's offices moved four times by the end of the decade, between various leased buildings that all served as temporary
city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
s. A separate
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
serving the city was promised at the time of incorporation, but was not opened until 1994.
The city attempted its first
annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
s in 1986, but an
advisory vote of existing residents rejected one proposal and the city council deferred action on another. Mill Creek approved its first annexation, an parcel southeast of the main development, in July 1987, while the nearby city of
Everett began its own annexations of areas to the north of Mill Creek. In 1989, the city proposed a major annexation of , a 25 percent increase in size, to add undeveloped commercial parcels on the west side of the Bothell–Everett Highway. The western annexation was initially opposed by the county government, but was approved alongside four other annexations after Mill Creek agreed to share costs for road improvements to handle additional traffic demand.
Everett attempted to annex the entire Murphy's Corner area in the late 1980s, but was forced to split the neighborhood at 132nd Street with Mill Creek after a decision by the state court of appeals and additional arbitration by boundary review boards. The
Henry M. Jackson High School was opened in 1994 and is located on the Mill Creek side of Murphy's Corner, which was annexed the following year. A private high school,
Archbishop Murphy High School, was opened in 1999 on a campus in northeastern Mill Creek. The Thomas Lake area in the northeastern corner of the city,
bordered to the north by 132nd Street and east by Seattle Hill Road, was annexed in 2005 and added 2,200 residents to the city's population. The annexations of other developed
subdivision
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rush ...
s, lacking the original development's upscale image, created a divide between residents on the issue of further growth. Residents in several potential annexation targets preferred to be left alone by Mill Creek, due to its "snobbish" reputation, which faded as new neighborhoods were absorbed into the city.
21st century
In the late 1980s, Mill Creek drafted a
comprehensive plan
Comprehensive planning is an ordered process that determines community goals and aspirations in terms of community development. The end product is called a comprehensive plan, also known as a general plan, or master plan. This resulting document ...
that would transform its newly-annexed commercial area into a
mixed-use
Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...
downtown area to support the growing city. The downtown development would include a large public
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
, shopping areas, recreational facilities,
multi-use trail
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is "designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists". Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
s, and office buildings.
After difficulty in finding a suitable developer, the
Mill Creek Town Center began construction in 2001 and the first phase opened three years later.
The second phase was completed in 2007, with 26 retail buildings, a medical
clinic
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
, condominiums, and a downtown plaza.
The Bothell–Everett Highway (now State Route 527) remained a two-lane rural highway through Mill Creek until the start of an expansion and improvement program in the 1990s. It was widened to four lanes with a
center turn lane, and also gained
bicycle lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...
s, sidewalks, and new landscaping features. The section through Mill Creek, from 164th Street to 132nd Street, was completed in 2006 and required the construction of
retaining wall
Retaining walls are relatively rigid walls used for supporting soil laterally so that it can be retained at different levels on the two sides. Retaining walls are structures designed to restrain soil to a slope that it would not naturally keep to ...
s and
detention pond
Detention may refer to:
Types of detention
* Detention (confinement), the restriction of liberty of someone suspected or accused of a crime
* Detention basin, an artificial flow control structure that is used to contain flood water for a limite ...
s due to the limited space for the road. The project also included new
bus stop
A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...
s that were later upgraded with the opening of the
Swift Green Line bus rapid transit system in March 2019.
The city government began planning for a second
urban village
In urban planning and urban design, design, an urban village is an urban development typically characterized by medium-density housing, mixed use zoning, good public transit and an emphasis on pedestrianization and public space. Contemporary urb ...
, to be located in newly-annexed areas at the northeast edge of the city, in 2007. The retail and residential development, named the East Gateway, would have been located on along 132nd Street, and was originally slated to be anchored by a
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
until the company scrapped plans after protests from local residents. The eastern half of the development began construction in 2012 and will encompass 210 apartments, 104
townhouse
A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of Terraced house, terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type o ...
s, office space, and retail. Development of the remaining western half was approved in 2019 and branded as "The Farm at Mill Creek", consisting of 354 apartments, retail space,
workforce housing units, and office space. It will be anchored by the first suburban
Amazon Go in the state, and a hotel.
Geography
The city of Mill Creek has a total area of according to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
.
The
city limit
City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate li ...
s of Mill Creek are generally defined to the west by
North Creek, to the north by 132nd Street Southeast (part of
State Route 96) and
Everett, to the east by Seattle Hill Road and 35th Avenue Southeast, and to the south by 163rd Street Southeast and
North Creek County Park. The city is surrounded by a larger
urban growth area that encompasses unincorporated land, including the communities of
Martha Lake and
Silver Firs, with a population of 68,746 people in 2020. The urban growth area extends west to
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 thro ...
, including an overlapping claim with
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 ...
and south to 196th Street Southeast at the north end of the
Bothell claim.
Several creeks flow through the city, including North Creek (a tributary of the
Sammamish River
The Sammamish River (also known as Sammamish Slough) flows through north King County, Washington for about , draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington. Along its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and ...
), Penny Creek, and Nickel Creek.
A minor stream known as Smokehouse Creek was renamed to Mill Creek in 2001, retroactively giving the city a geographic namesake.
The center of Mill Creek lies along
State Route 527, between two protected
wetland
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
s along North Creek and Penny Creek. The original plat of Mill Creek, located east of State Route 527, consists of 21 neighborhood subdivisions that are named for various types of trees.
Economy
, Mill Creek has an estimated
workforce
In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed):
\text = \text + \text
Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
population of 10,227 people and an
unemployment rate
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...
of 2.2 percent.
The largest industry of employment for Mill Creek residents is in educational services and health care, at over 21 percent, followed by manufacturing (16%), professional services (15%), and retail trade (12%).
Approximately 3 percent of the city's workers have jobs located within city limits, with the majority commuting to employers in other cities, with an average commute time of 31 minutes.
Over 21 percent of workers commute to Seattle, the largest destination, followed by Everett (16%),
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French.
Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Canada
* Bellevue, Alberta
* Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...
(8%), and
Bothell (5%).
The
Puget Sound Regional Council
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is a metropolitan planning organization that develops policies and makes decisions about transportation planning, economic development, and growth management throughout the four-county Seattle metropolitan ...
estimated that the city had a total of 6,262 jobs , with the largest sectors being professional services and construction. Mill Creek's largest employers include
Albertsons
Albertsons Companies, Inc. is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
With 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-large ...
,
Central Market,
The Everett Clinic,
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. ( ) is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States. As of October 28, 2022, Lowe's and i ...
,
Safeway
Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...
, and the Mill Creek County Club.
The city was formerly the headquarters of video games developer
Handheld Games and food manufacturer
Dream Dinners.
Demographics
Mill Creek is the eighth largest city in Snohomish County, with an estimated population of 20,902 in 2021.
It is one of the most affluent suburbs of Seattle and has a median household income of $86,965 and a
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
of $42,858,
ranking 22nd of 281 areas within the state, just behind nearby
Mukilteo
Mukilteo ( ; ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...
.
Approximately 4.1 percent of families and 6.4 percent of the overall 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 ...
, including 14.9 percent of those under the age of 18 and 2.5 percent aged 65 or older.
Mill Creek was ranked 36th on a 2013
''Money'' magazine list of best places to live, based on its
quality of life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
, housing affordability, and school system.
The city's population has steadily grown from 3,549 at the time of its incorporation in 1983 to over 19,000 in 2016, due to several annexations. From 1983 to 1990, it increased by 298 percent to 7,172 residents.
2010 census
As of the
2010 census, there were 18,244 people, 7,551 households, and 4,921 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 7,923 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 74.2% White, 2.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 16.7% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population.
There were 7,551 households, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. Of all Mill Creek households, 27.4% were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 38.9 years, with 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 11,525 people, 4,631 households, and 3,250 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,231.3 people per square mile (1,246.5/km
2). There were 4,769 housing units at an average density of 1,337.1 per square mile (515.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.5% White, 1.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 12.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 4,631 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. Of all Mill Creek households, 24.0% were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $69,702, and the median income for a family was $87,263. Males had a median income of $59,070 versus $39,138 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $36,234. About 3.0% of families and 3.5% 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 ...
, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics

Mill Creek is a non-charter
code city with a
council–manager government
The council–manager government is a form of local government commonly used for municipalities and counties in the United States and Ireland, in New Zealand regional councils, and in Canadian municipalities. In the council-manager government, ...
. The city council is composed of seven members elected in
non-partisan
Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias.
While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...
,
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
elections to four-year terms. The councilmembers elect a ceremonial
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and
mayor pro tem
''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...
from its members and appoint a
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
to execute its legislative policies. Councilmember Brian Holtzclaw has been the city's mayor since 2020. The city manager is Martin Yamamoto, who was appointed in 2022.
The city government has approximately 65 employees and a biennial appropriations budget of $59 million.
Mill Creek provides civil services through its departments, including emergency services, parks and recreation,
city planning
Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...
, and
public works
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and procured by a government body for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, ...
. Several services are also contracted out to regional agencies and private companies, including
water distribution, electricity, and
fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially Conflagration, destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, Compartmentalization (fire protection), compartmentalisation, suppression and inve ...
. The
city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
is located at the Huntron Building, which was acquired by the city government in 2008 and is located adjacent to the former city office building.
At the federal level, Mill Creek is part of the
1st congressional district, represented by Democrat
Suzan DelBene since 2012. The district encompasses parts of Snohomish and King counties between Arlington and
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French.
Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Canada
* Bellevue, Alberta
* Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...
that generally lie east of Interstate 5. At the state level, the city is part of the
44th legislative district alongside
Snohomish. Mill Creek is also part of the
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 ...
's 4th district, which includes northern
Bothell,
Brier, and
Mountlake Terrace.
Culture
Events
Mill Creek hosts a twice-annual community
garage sale
A garage sale (also known as a yard sale, tag sale, moving sale and by many other namesSome rarely used names include "attic sale", "basement sale", "rummage sale", "thrift sale", "patio sale", "lawn sale", and "jumble sale".) is an informal ...
in May and October that was permitted by the
covenants of the original development.
The event, one of the largest of its kind in the county, brings an influx of outside traffic and is also coordinated with charity donations.
The city's
chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
has an annual festival in July, while the town center has weekly concerts during the summertime. The city also hosts annual parades on
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
It i ...
and
Veterans Day
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...
. Mill Creek's
farmers market
A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
runs from June to August and is located in the city hall parking lot.
Parks and recreation
Mill Creek has ten parks and two other recreational facilities maintained by the city government and located within city limits, comprising a total of . The city's ten neighborhood parks include
playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...
s, sports facilities, and
picnic
A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...
tables; they range in size from the Library Park to the Nickel Creek Park. The Mill Creek Sports Park is a park with a
multi-purpose field for baseball, softball, and youth soccer, along with stands and a
skate park
A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, quarter pipe ...
.
The county government has several parks and recreational facilities near Mill Creek, including
McCollum Park on State Route 96,
Martha Lake Park to the west of the city, and
North Creek Park at the south end of the city. McCollum Park and North Creek Park are connected to Mill Creek by a north–south
multi-use pathway, the
North Creek Trail, which continues south to Bothell. Mill Creek and the county also share joint ownership of Tambark Creek Park, located southeast of the city.
The
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
at the center of the original Mill Creek subdivision is owned by the members of the private
country club
A country club is a privately-owned Club (organization), club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Ty ...
, who purchased the facility for $5.2 million in 2007. The golf course is short of the required length to host a professional men's tournament. Mill Creek also has a private indoor sports
arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
that opened in 2017, encompassing with three soccer fields, a
bowling alley
A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...
, and a
laser tag
Laser tag is a recreational shooting sport where participants use infrared-emitting light guns to tag designated targets. Infrared-sensitive signaling devices are commonly worn by each player to register hits and are sometimes integrated wit ...
arena.
Media
Mill Creek is served by several community publications, including the twice-monthly ''Mill Creek Beacon'', the weekly ''News of Mill Creek'', and the quarterly ''Mill Creek Living'' magazine. The ''Beacon'' was founded in 2014 and is owned by
Beacon Publishing, which also operates weekly newspapers in
Edmonds and
Mukilteo
Mukilteo ( ; ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...
. The ''Mill Creek View'' is a biweekly newspaper founded by Fred Fillbrook that has served the area since January 1991. A regional weekly newspaper, ''
The Enterprise'', formerly published a Mill Creek edition until a consolidation in 2009.
The city's
public library
A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...
was constructed in 1987 and expanded several times by
Sno-Isle Libraries
Sno-Isle Libraries is a public library system serving Island County, Washington, Island and Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The system is among the largest in Washington state ...
, its operator. Due to overcrowding at the current building, the city government considered a proposal to build a new library atop a
Target
Target may refer to:
Warfare and shooting
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artille ...
store in the East Gateway urban village, but the plan fell through. The Mill Creek branch has 15,000 monthly visitors and the highest hold and pickup rate in the Sno-Isle Libraries system. The building was renovated in 2024 to improve its
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...
systems to serve as a
cooling center
A cooling center is an air conditioning, air-conditioned public or private space to temporarily deal with the adverse health effects of extreme heat weather conditions, like the ones caused by heat waves. Cooling centers are one of the possible mi ...
during heat waves.
Notable people
*
John E. Corbally, academic administrator and philanthropist
*
Mark Harmsworth, state legislator
*
Jerry Jensen, American football player and coach
*
Ivan Koumaev, dancer
*
Brent Lillibridge
Brent Stuart Lillibridge (born September 18, 1983) is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, a ...
, baseball player
*
John Lovick, state and county legislator
*
August P. Mardesich, state legislator
*
Brett McClure, Olympic gymnast
*
Jared Mead
Jared Michel Mead (born June 23, 1991) is an American politician serving as a member of the Snohomish County Council, representing the 4th district since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously ser ...
, state representative
*
Ramsey Nijem, mixed martial artist
*
Jordan Schweitzer, soccer player
*
Travis Snider, baseball player
*
Paul Soloway, world
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
champion
*
Wendy Sue Swanson, pediatrician and author
*
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, American football player
Education
Public education in Mill Creek is provided by
Everett Public Schools, which serves the adjacent city of Everett and several unincorporated neighborhoods. The school district covers and has a total enrollment of more than 20,200 students.
Mill Creek and its surrounding urban growth area is home to seven of the school district's 32 schools:
Henry M. Jackson High School, Heatherwood Middle School, Gateway Middle School, and four
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
s.
The area also has several private schools, including
Archbishop Murphy High School and Cedar Park Christian School. The nearest post-secondary institution is
University of Washington Bothell
The University of Washington Bothell (UW Bothell) is a campus of the University of Washington, located in Bothell, Washington. It was founded in 1989 and is one of the three campuses of the University of Washington, alongside the Seattle and Tac ...
, which draws students from southern Snohomish County.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Mill Creek lies east of
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 thro ...
, the main north–south freeway through the Seattle metropolitan area with connections to
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared with other city centers on the U.S. West Coast due to its geographical situation, being hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by ...
and
Everett. The city is bisected from north to south by
State Route 527 (the Bothell–Everett Highway), which continues to
Bothell. The two highways are connected by a pair of east–west streets, 164th Street and
128th Street (State Route 96), which continue further east into the residential neighborhoods of Mill Creek and towards
State Route 9.
The city's public transportation is provided by
Community Transit
Community Transit (CT) is the public transit authority of Snohomish County, Washington, United States, in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates Public transport bus service, local bus, paratransit and vanpool service within Snohomish Count ...
, which also serves most of the county with local and commuter bus routes. The county's second
bus rapid transit route, the
Swift Green Line, travels along State Route 527 and has several stops in Mill Creek, connecting the city to
Paine Field
Seattle Paine Field International Airport — also known as Paine Field and 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 uni ...
and northern Bothell. A third bus rapid transit route, the Orange Line, opened in 2024 to connect Mill Creek to
Link light rail
Link light rail is a light rail system with some rapid transit characteristics that serves the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is managed by Sound Transit in partnership with local transit pro ...
at
Lynnwood City Center station
Lynnwood City Center station is a light rail and bus station in Lynnwood, Washington, United States. It is the largest transit hub in southwestern Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish County and is the northern terminus of the 1 Line (Soun ...
. Other local routes connect Mill Creek to Everett,
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 ...
,
Silver Firs, and
Snohomish. During
rush hour
A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English, Indian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice e ...
s, an express route connects Silver Firs and the 132nd Street corridor to Lynnwood City Center station.
The
Ash Way Park and Ride is located west of the
Mill Creek Town Center and has additional Community Transit and
Sound Transit Express
Sound Transit Express (ST Express) is a network of regional express buses, operated by the multi-county transit agency, Sound Transit. The routes connect major regional hubs throughout 53 cities in three counties (King, Pierce, and Snohomish) ...
routes.
A Link light rail extension to Everett is planned to open in 2036 with stations at Ash Way and Mariner Park and Ride near Mill Creek.
A private airfield,
Martha Lake Airport, operated west of modern-day Mill Creek from 1953 to 1998. It has since been converted into a county park, after the owners rejected a proposal to develop it into a housing subdivision. The nearest commercial airport is
Paine Field
Seattle Paine Field International Airport — also known as Paine Field and 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 uni ...
, located northwest in Everett.
Utilities
Electric power
Electric power is the rate of transfer of electrical energy within a electric circuit, circuit. Its SI unit is the watt, the general unit of power (physics), power, defined as one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with oth ...
in Mill Creek is provided by the
Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), a consumer-owned
public utility
A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and ...
that serves all of Snohomish County.
Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy, Inc. (PSE) is an energy utility company based in the U.S. state of Washington that provides electrical power and natural gas to the Puget Sound region. The utility serves electricity to more than 1.2 million customers in I ...
provides
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
service to the city's residents and businesses. The city government has a contract with
Waste Management
Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...
for curbside
garbage
Garbage, trash (American English), rubbish (British English), or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or ...
,
recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...
, and
yard waste collection and disposal.
The city's
tap water
Tap water (also known as running water, piped water or municipal water) is water supplied through a Tap (valve), tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used f ...
and
sewage
Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
systems are split between the Alderwood Water and Wastewater District and the Silver Lake Water and Sewer District, two independent
municipal corporation
Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally o ...
s. Both water districts use the
Spada Lake reservoir, the main source of water for Snohomish County, and send wastewater to the
Brightwater plant in
Maltby and a facility in Everett.
Health care
Mill Creek is located near an
urgent care center operated by
Swedish Medical Center
Swedish Health Services (formerly Swedish Medical Center) is a nonprofit healthcare provider in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates five hospital campuses (in the Seattle neighborhoods of First Hill, Cherry Hill and Ballard, and the ci ...
, which opened in 2011 and has an emergency room and other services.
The Everett Clinic opened a facility in December 2016, offering
walk-in and community services. An urgent care center operated by
EvergreenHealth
EvergreenHealth is an American regional healthcare system based in the Seattle metropolitan area of Washington state. It has two general hospitals in Kirkland and Monroe, and several smaller clinics and urgent care facilities in King and Snoh ...
opened in 2018 with an on-site laboratory and nine exam rooms.
Seattle Children's Hospital also operated a children's health clinic in Mill Creek until 2018, when it was replaced by a countywide facility adjacent to Everett's
Providence Regional Medical Center.
References
External links
City of Mill Creek
{{good article
Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area
Cities in Washington (state)
Cities in Snohomish County, Washington