Mount Vernon is the county seat of and the most populous city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. A central location in the Skagit River Valley, the city is located south of the Canadian border and north of Seattle. The population was 35,219 at the 2020 census, making it the 35th most-populous city in Washington, with 62,966 people living in its urban area. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area, covering most of Skagit County.

Mount Vernon and its surrounding areas are known for its annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which has Mount Vernon host a street fair in downtown once a year, with millions of tulips grown in the Skagit Valley every year. Between the 2000 and 2020 census, Mount Vernon grew by 34.3%, and is a prominent location in Northwestern Washington, connected to neighboring communities via I-5 and Amtrak (with Skagit Station).

History

Early days

thumb|Mount Vernon in 1880

Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley first settled on the banks of the Skagit River, where the city of Mount Vernon now lies, in 1870. Later on, Harrison Clothier came to the community in 1877 to teach school and join in business with a former student, E.G. English. They were later recognized as the city's founders and pioneer businessmen. A post office was established in November 1877 with Clothier appointed postmaster. The city was named after Mount Vernon, the plantation estate and resting place of George Washington. The two men laid out the city's first plan while the area was still heavily timbered.

Mount Vernon's first industry was logging; camps were set up to log the townsite. The community grew quickly following the loggers, and hotels and saloons opened up along the Skagit River next to English & Clothiers' store. While poised to grow, river access to the community was stymied by a massive and ancient log jam in the river which prevented large ships from being able to port. Mail carriers instead had to paddle canoes down-stream to nearby Skagit City which enjoyed a brief period of prosperity thanks to this obstacle. The mining activity at nearby Ruby Creek spurred growth for a short time in 1880, gaining the city a new hotel, but little else was accomplished when the mines proved to be shallow. More logging operations were established but were not profitable due to the low price of logs at the time. By 1881, Mount Vernon's permanent population was a modest 75. The boost from the railroad's construction quickly replaced these buildings. 1891 also saw the construction of several large civic structures such as a large brick schoolhouse on the hill above the city as well as the Mount Vernon Opera House, designed by Peacock & Dalton.

Growth slowed considerably after the Panic of 1893. Following a large flood in 1894, the first dike was built along the Skagit River. Another great fire in 1900 wiped out all of Mount Vernon's original structures including English & Clothiers' store and the Ruby Hotel. Fire would destroy more downtown businesses in 1903. The city finally received a water system in 1902 after a failed attempt in 1894. In 1969, Interstate 5 was built through downtown, severing it from most of the residential district and opening the farm lands north of the city to urban development, where many of Mount Vernon's downtown businesses moved.

Culture

200px|thumb|Lincoln Theatre|left

The Historic Lincoln Theatre on First Street in downtown Mount Vernon was originally built in 1926 as a vaudeville and silent movie house. Through the early 1980s, the Lincoln was a movie theater showing first-run films and now hosts live theatrical performances and concerts while also showcasing classic, as well as contemporary, movies year-round. The Lincoln is one of only 98 theaters in the United States that still possesses its original Wurlitzer theatre organ, which is often played prior to a show.

In addition, the Skagit Symphony resides in the area.

The city's public library was relocated to a new multi-use community center that opened in September 2024 at a cost of $56 million. The Mount Vernon Library Commons includes meeting spaces, a community center with a commercial kitchen, and a three-story parking garage with 275 stalls. The garage includes the largest municipally owned electric vehicle charging station in the United States with 76 stalls and several charging lockers for electric bicycles.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

|date=April 2011

Flood control and waterfront redevelopment

thumb|250px|The [[Skagit River, which flows through Mount Vernon, is prone to flooding during periods of heavy rain in the Cascades. In October 2003 the townspeople of Mount Vernon turned out to build a sandbag dike along the river in anticipation of a flood.]]

Since this city was founded, the downtown area of Mount Vernon bordering the Skagit River has been plagued by flooding, especially during times of heavy rain. Historically, each time the water rose above a certain level, citizens had to work together to build a sandbag wall stretching six city blocks and as high as .

In the spring of 2007, the city council authorized the mayor to purchase a mobile flood wall from Norway-based company AquaFence, the first such flood wall sold in the United States. The flood wall is high and can be assembled in as little as three hours by a handful of volunteers as opposed to the up to 12 hours and hundreds of volunteers required by the traditional sandbag wall.

A permanent flood wall was completed in 2019.

After adequate flood control is in place, a Citizens' Advisory Committee plans to enhance the city's use of the revetment, which is currently used mostly for parking and a seasonal farmer's market. Current plans call for a promenade with condos or mixed-use development facing the river. A two- or three-story parking garage is planned to replace the revetment parking lost due to development. During Thanksgiving 2017 the city, as well as Lyman and Hamilton, experienced flooding; and again on November 15, 2021.

Transportation

Mount Vernon's main transportation hub is Skagit Station, built in 2004, which is served by Amtrak and bus operators. Commuters and travelers can switch between modes of transportation in downtown Mount Vernon. The station offers stops for Skagit Transit buses, Greyhound bus, Amtrak Cascades rail and local taxis. Skagit Transit operates a commuter bus to Everett Station that connects with the Sounder commuter train to Seattle.

Skagit Regional Airport, northwest, fills much of the area's general aviation needs. It has service on two cargo airlines. The closest commercial airport with scheduled passenger service is Bellingham International Airport, north.

Major highways

  • I-5 runs north–south from the Mexican border to the Peace Arch at the Canadian border in Blaine and to the Surrey, British Columbia border-crossing. It connects Mount Vernon to Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Redding, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego.
  • State Route 9 runs parallel to I-5, linking Mount Vernon with Snohomish and Arlington to the south and Sedro-Woolley and the Canadian border near Sumas to the north.
  • State Route 536 runs from SR 20 into downtown Mount Vernon and I-5.
  • State Route 538 runs east–west from Interstate 5 to SR 9 at the Baker Heights neighborhood of Mount Vernon.

Government and politics

The City of Mount Vernon is a code city and uses a Mayor-Council form of government. The Mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer for the City of Mount Vernon and oversees and manages all operations including: Finance, City Attorney, Information Services, Human Resources, Development Services, Library, Public Works, Parks and Enrichment Services, Police, and Fire Department. This includes a City staff of 235 full time employees, 56 part time/seasonal employees, and a total City budget of $70 million. The directly elected mayor serves a four-year term, with the next election being set to occur on November 4, 2027. Six of the seven city council members are elected by the three wards of Mount Vernon for staggered four-year terms. The seventh council member is elected at-large every two years. Incumbent Mayor of Mount Vernon Peter Donovan started his first term on December 23, 2023, succeeding three-term mayor Jill Boudreau.

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br />2020 Census Males had a median income of $33,724 versus $27,244 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,041. About 10.8% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Mount Vernon had a population of 35,219. The median age was 36.8 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.4 males age 18 and over.

99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 12,896 households in Mount Vernon, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.4% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 21,485 || 61.0%

|-

| Black or African American || 356 || 1.0%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 639 || 1.8%

|-

| Asian || 1,292 || 3.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 192 || 0.5%

|-

| Some other race || 6,213 || 17.6%

|-

| Two or more races || 5,042 || 14.3%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 11,881 || 33.7%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 31,743 people, 11,342 households, and 7,443 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 12,058 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.8% White, 1.0% African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 17.6% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.7% of the population.

There were 11,342 households, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.33.

The median age in the city was 32.3 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.4% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 26,232 people, 9,276 households, and 6,205 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,686 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.44% White, 0.73% African American, 1.02% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 17.13% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.12% of the population.

There were 9,276 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 29.0% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

Notable people

  • Glenn Beck, American television and radio host
  • Cheryl Bentyne, Grammy Award–winning singer
  • Winnie Brinks, majority leader of the Michigan Senate
  • Jim Caviezel, film and television actor
  • Scott Clements, professional poker player
  • Harriet Ball Dunlap, temperance leader
  • Don Eldridge, businessman and politician
  • R. Garcia y Robertson, fantasy and science fiction writer
  • David Gates, Singer/songwriter for the 1970s group Bread
  • N. Bruce Hannay, Vice President of Bell Telephone Laboratories
  • Mark Hendrickson, baseball and basketball player
  • Oscar Jimenez, soccer player for Louisville City FC
  • Craig Kelly, pioneer snowboarder
  • Kyle Kendrick, baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
  • Graham Kerr, culinary expert, known as "The Galloping Gourmet"
  • Chad Lindberg, film and television actor
  • Ross Mathews, Ross the Intern on the Tonight Show
  • Colton Harris Moore Former fugitive known as the “Barefoot Bandit”
  • T. J. Oshie, ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals
  • Michael E. Pegram, owner of the race horse Real Quiet
  • Jillian Speer, musician and singer
  • Coady Willis, drummer

Sister cities

Mount Vernon has the following Sister Cities, according to the Washington State Lt. Governor's office:

  • Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

See also

  • Skagit City

References

  • City website
  • Mount Vernon's annual Tulip Festival
  • Lincoln Theater