Snohomish, Washington
Snohomish County, Washington is named for the Snohomish Indian Tribe. Snohomish County, created from Island County in 1861, is located on Puget Sound. It covers 2,090 square miles, making it the 13th largest county in total square miles of land area in Washington. The varied topography ranges from saltwater beaches, rolling hills, and rich river bottom farmlands in the west to dense forest and alpine wilderness in the mountainous east. At 10,541 feet, volcanic Glacier Peak is the highest point in Snohomish County and one of the highest in Washington State.
Snohomish County owes its moderate year-round climate, with average temperatures from about 75°F in July to about 33°F in January, to the shelter of the Olympic Mountains to the west, across Puget Sound. The County Seat is Everett; major urban centers are Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, and Marysville. Snohomish County has a total area 2,196 square miles, with 107 square miles of it or 4.89% being water.
The territorial years (1853-1889) saw the founding of many cities in Snohomish County, many of which are also Indian names: Snohomish, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Lowell, Stanwood, and Tulalip. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 686,300 residents (U.S. Census). That makes it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King County (1,861,300) and Pierce County (790,500). The county seat is the city of Everett, Washington, the county's largest city in population.
The largest building in the world, the Boeing 777 plant in Everett, is located in Snohomish County. Boeing also houses an Aviation Museum in this county of specialized and historical museums. Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett, Edmonds-South Snohomish County Museum, Granite Falls Museum, Monroe Historical Society Museum, Mukilteo Lighthouse Museum, the Museum Of Snohomish County History, Blackman House Museum, Stanwood Area History Museum, and Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum in Arlington are just a few of those available in Snohomish County. Shopping venues are interspersed with antiques and boutiques. With all that history, you would expect the many active genealogical societies that Snohomish boasts - but what about sports? The new Western Hockey League franchise, the Everett Silvertips, calls the Everett Events Center home, and basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics events are well-attended at the Everett Events Center also.
Edmonds and Everett Community College, together, 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. During the 2007 legislative session, the State Legislature appropriated $4 million to plan for the creation of a University of Washington branch campus to serve north Snohomish, Island, and Skagit counties.
