Skagit County, Washington Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Skagit County

U.S. county

Skagit County Courthouse

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Washington

Washington's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Washington

Founded

November 28, 1883

Named for

Skagit tribes

Seat

Mount Vernon

Largest city

Mount Vernon

Area

• Total

1,920 sq mi (5,000 km²)

• Land

1,731 sq mi (4,480 km²)

• Water

189 sq mi (490 km²) 9.8%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

129,523

• Estimate

(2022)

131,179

• Density

71/sq mi (27/km²)

Time zone

UTC−8 (Pacific)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−7 (PDT)

Congressional district

1st

Skagit County /ˈskædʒɪt/ is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Skagit Indian tribe, which has been indigenous to the area prior to European-American settlement.

Skagit County comprises the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is included in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the Puget Sound region.

Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
County conservation efforts
Transportation
- Major highways
Communities
See also

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,920 square miles (5,000 km²), of which 1,731 square miles (4,480 km²) is land and 189 square miles (490 km²) (9.8%) is water. It is noted for its broad, fertile valley of the Skagit River, a center for cultivation of tulips and strawberries.

Geographic features

Fir-Conway Lutheran Church.

Allan Island
Burrows Island
Cascade Mountains
Cypress Island
Fir Island
Fidalgo Island
Guemes Island
Hart Island
Hope Island
Kiket Island
Pass Island
Samish Island
Sauk River
Sinclair Island
Skagit Island
Skagit River
Vendovi Island
Mount Buckner, highest point in Skagit County

Adjacent counties

Whatcom County – north
Okanogan County – east
Chelan County – southeast
Snohomish County – south
Island County – southwest
San Juan County – west

National protected areas

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (part)
North Cascades National Park (part)
Ross Lake National Recreation Area (part)
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	8,747	—
1900	14,272	63.2%
1910	29,241	104.9%
1920	33,373	14.1%
1930	35,142	5.3%
1940	37,650	7.1%
1950	43,273	14.9%
1960	51,350	18.7%
1970	52,381	2.0%
1980	64,138	22.4%
1990	79,555	24.0%
2000	102,979	29.4%
2010	116,901	13.5%
2020	129,523	10.8%
2022 (est.)	131,179	12.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 116,901 people, 45,557 households, and 30,656 families living in the county. The population density was 67.5 people per square mile (26.1 people/km²). There were 51,473 housing units at an average density of 29.7 units per square mile (11.5 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.4% white, 2.2% American Indian, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.2% Pacific islander, 8.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.9% of the population. The largest ancestry groups were: 17.8% German, 14.9% Mexican, 13.7% English, 11.4% Irish, 8.3% Norwegian, 4.8% Swedish, and 4.3% Dutch.

Of the 45,557 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 40.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,811 and the median income for a family was $63,468. Males had a median income of $48,979 versus $34,628 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,925. About 7.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

County conservation efforts

In 2006, the Skagit County Marine Resources Committee commissioned a study to evaluate establishing one or more no-take marine reserves to protect rockfish and other groundfish from overfishing.

Transportation

Skagit Transit provides the county with bus service. It also offers connections to Everett, Bellingham, Whidbey Island and Camano Island, and operates the Guemes Island ferry linking Anacortes to Guemes Island.