Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located in the southwest corner of the county, facing Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Seattle and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Everett. With a population of 39,709 residents in the 2010 U.S. census, Edmonds is the third most populous city in the county. The estimated population in 2019 was 42,605.

Edmonds was established in 1876 by logger George Brackett, who bought the land claim of an earlier settler. It was incorporated as a city in 1890, shortly before the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. Early residents of the city were employed by the shingle mills and logging companies that operated in the area until the 1950s. The hills surrounding Edmonds were developed into suburban bedroom communities in the mid-to-late 20th century and subsequently annexed into the city. Edmonds is a regional hub for the arts, with museums, specialized facilities, and major annual festivals within the city's downtown area.

The city is connected to nearby areas by two state highways and the state ferry system, which operates a ferry route to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. Public transit service in Edmonds is centered around the downtown train station, served by Amtrak and Sounder commuter trains, and includes several Community Transit bus routes that travel through outlying neighborhoods.

History

Edmonds is the oldest incorporated city in Snohomish County. Logger George Brackett founded Edmonds in 1890, naming the city either for Vermont Sen. George Franklin Edmunds or in association with the nearby Point Edmund, named by Charles Wilkes in 1841 and later changed to Point Edwards. Brackett came to the future site of Edmonds while paddling a canoe north of Seattle, searching for timber. When a gust of wind hit his canoe, Brackett beached in a location later called "Brackett's Landing".

The town was named Edmonds in 1884, but was not incorporated until 1890 as an official "village fourth class" of Snohomish County. In that same year, Brackett sold 455 acres (1.84 km²) to the Minneapolis Realty and Investment Company. The town was plotted and a wharf was added along the waterfront. Modest houses and commercial structures sprouted up with a row of shingle mills dominating the cityscape.

In 1891, the Great Northern Railway came through and early settlers and investors grew hopeful that Edmonds would prosper. Unfortunately, the Panic of 1893 created business setbacks and the town owners foreclosed. Brackett reclaimed his town and along with other early settlers continued to develop its infrastructure. By 1900 there was regular passenger ferry service available by the steam-powered "mosquito fleet" of private ferryboats from Edmonds to Seattle.

Edmonds suffered major fires in 1909 and 1928, and many buildings were lost. The first car arrived in Edmonds in 1911. As more roads were established, Edmonds experienced steady growth along with commercial and residential development.

Historic sites

The Edmonds-South Snohomish County Historical Society resides in the city's only National Historic Place - the old Carnegie Library of Edmonds. Located on 5th Ave, it was built in 1910 to serve as a library and city hall, and opened to the public February 17, 1911. It now serves as the Edmonds Historical Museum.

The Edmonds Fountain/Gazebo

The Edmonds fountain.

The Edmonds Fountain, a local landmark, has been a major source of contention over the past decades. The current Edmonds Fountain is located in the center of the intersection of 5th Avenue and Main St. Until 1970, every holiday season the Edmonds municipal Christmas tree stood on this spot. In 1970 the original fountain, an obscure twisted sculpture incorporating water elements, was erected. Often the target of high school pranks (such as adding soap so that bubbles poured from the fountain onto the street) and other local humor, that fountain and sculpture were wrecked in 1998 by a drunk driver. The city council and subsequent "Gazebo" subcommittee decided to build a new structure and a wooden gazebo was constructed a year later. In 2005, a driver crashed into it at night and the gazebo met the same fate as the earlier fountain. After a long discussion over whether to replace the gazebo or landscape the center of the roundabout, a decision was made to rebuild the gazebo/fountain, this time with steel rods extending from the main pillars deep underground. It was completed in the summer of 2006.

Geography

Located in the extreme southwest corner of Snohomish County, Edmonds is bounded by King County on the south and Puget Sound on the west. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.42 square miles (47.71 km²), of which, 8.90 square miles (23.05 km²) is land and 9.52 square miles (24.66 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	474	—
1910	1,114	135.0%
1920	936	−16.0%
1930	1,165	24.5%
1940	1,288	10.6%
1950	2,057	59.7%
1960	8,016	289.7%
1970	23,684	195.5%
1980	27,679	16.9%
1990	30,744	11.1%
2000	39,515	28.5%
2010	39,709	0.5%
2019 (est.)	42,605	7.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Edmonds is the third most populous city in Snohomish County, behind Everett and Marysville, with 39,709 people counted during the 2010 U.S. census. The city had an estimated population of over 40,000 in 2015 and is growing at an annual rate of 1 percent. Between 1960 and 1990, Edmonds' population tripled from 8,000 to over 30,000 due to a series of annexations and natural growth. The population growth also brought an influx of Asian immigrants and their descendants to Edmonds, predominantly Koreans, who now make up about 7 percent of the population and are the largest non-white group in the city. The city's population is expected to reach 45,000 by 2035.

According to 2012 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, Edmonds has a median family income of $93,125 and a per capita income of $43,048, ranking 20th of 281 areas within the state of Washington. Approximately 5.2 percent of families and 9 percent of the overall population were below the poverty line, including 14 percent of those under the age of 18 and 5 percent aged 65 or older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 39,709 people, 17,381 households, and 10,722 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,461.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,722.7/km²). There were 18,378 housing units at an average density of 2,064.9 per square mile (797.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White, 2.6% African American, 0.7% Native American, 7.1% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population.

There were 17,381 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the city was 46.3 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 32.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female. The median age and number of retirees in Edmonds is significantly higher than the countywide average.

Recreation

The Edmonds Marina.

Edmonds hosts a variety of parks, including a dog park, a small skate park, a salt marsh and the Edmonds Underwater Park.

Edmonds Marsh is one of the few remaining urban saltwater estuaries in the Puget Sound area and is the first station on the Cascade Loop of Audubon Washington's Great Washington State Birding Trail.

In addition, Edmonds has one of the largest marine facilities in Snohomish County, the Port of Edmonds. The marina is partly artificial, being dredged to a depth of 13 feet (4.0 m), and can house 948 craft (668 in the water, and 280 in dry storage).

Arts

In 2006, the Edmonds Center for the Arts was opened. This is one of two current theaters available for general performing arts, the other being the theater at Mountlake Terrace High School.

The Cascadia Art Museum, located in downtown Edmonds, opened in September 2015.

Drama

Edmonds has one permanent, privately funded drama group, Edmonds Driftwood Players. Their theater, the Wade James Theatre, is located at 950 Main St., adjacent to Yost Park. Usually, they produce 5 mainstage performances per season, supplemented with 4 TIPs (Theatre of Intriguing Possibilities) alternative stage presentations. They have been present in the community since 1958.

Edmonds Arts Festival

The Otter Chimera

Since 1957, Edmonds has annually hosted the Edmonds Arts Festival, a three-day art exhibit, on Father's Day weekend. The festival is especially noted for painting and drawing. The festival is heavily involved with local schools, devoting several galleries to student artwork.

Edmonds Jazz Connection

Every year the Edmonds Rotary sponsors the Edmonds Jazz Connection festival, on Memorial Day Weekend in May. During the day, the festival showcases the best of school-age and high school jazz groups, and the evening show features prominent, professional jazz musicians. The event is a large draw for both local and regional audiences.

Frances Anderson Center

The Frances Anderson Center, located on Main Street, serves as a central hub for many activities in the city. It contains sports facilities, child-care programs, art classes, and is directly adjacent to the Edmonds Library. The Edmonds Arts Festival is also held at the Frances Anderson Center.

Periodicals

The Edmonds community is home to a weekly news publication the Edmonds Beacon. The mayor writes a column each week in the paper, usually responding to current issues, citizen concerns, and planned city projects. An archive of all articles written by the mayor is found on the city website. MyEdmondsNews.com is a local news website.

Farmer's Market

The Edmonds Museum Summer Market, sponsored by the Edmonds-South Snohomish County Historical Society, is held each Saturday from May to September. Stretching from City Hall to the downtown area near the gazebo, the Summer Market is a large event attracting up to 2,000 people every Saturday. Mainstays of the market include cut flower stands, produce, handmade crafts and occasionally art.

Sister city

Edmonds has one sister city:

Hekinan, Japan

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Edmonds train station, served by Amtrak, Sounder commuter trains, and buses

Edmonds is served by several modes of transportation that converge in the downtown area, including roads, railroads, ferries, and buses. The city's ferry terminal is located at the west end of Main Street at Brackett's Landing Park and is served by a ferry route to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. From 1979 to 1980, Washington State Ferries also ran ferries to Port Townsend during repairs to the Hood Canal Bridge. The Edmonds train station lies a block southwest of the terminal and is served by Amtrak's intercity Cascades and Empire Builder trains as well as Sound Transit's Sounder commuter train. These trains operate on the BNSF Railway, which runs along the Edmonds waterfront and is primarily used for freight transport. Two state highways, State Route 104 and State Route 524, connect the downtown area to eastern Edmonds and other points in southern Snohomish County and northern King County. An additional state highway, State Route 99, runs north–south in eastern Edmonds and connects the city's commercial district to Seattle and Everett.

Public transportation in Edmonds is provided by Community Transit, which serves most of Snohomish County and covers 74 percent of Edmonds residents. Community Transit's local buses run on major streets and connect downtown Edmonds to transit hubs at Aurora Village, Lynnwood Transit Center, and Edmonds Community College. It also operates Swift on State Route 99, a bus rapid transit service connecting Aurora Village and Everett. Community Transit also operates three commuter routes that run from park and ride lots in Edmonds to Downtown Seattle and the University District.

Utilities

Electric power in Edmonds is provided by the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), a consumer-owned public utility that serves all of Snohomish County. In 2017, the city signed a clean energy pledge that would mandate the use of renewable energy sources to generate all of its electricity by 2025. Puget Sound Energy provides natural gas service to the city's residents and businesses.

The city's municipal tap water is provided by the Alderwood Water District, which sources its water from Everett's Spada Lake Reservoir. The city government maintains its own sanitary sewer and wastewater treatment services, including a treatment plant in downtown; wastewater is also sent to the regional Brightwater plant near Maltby, which was originally planned to be built in Edmonds. Disposal of garbage, recycling, and yard waste is contracted by the city government to three private companies serving different areas of Edmonds.

Surrounding areas

Puget Sound	Puget Sound	Lynnwood
Puget Sound, Kingston		Mountlake Terrace
	Edmonds

Puget Sound, Woodway	Shoreline	Shoreline

Economy

As of 2015^[update], Edmonds has an estimated workforce population of 22,152 and an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent. As of 2019, most of the city's employed residents commute to neighboring cities for work, including 11 percent to Seattle, 6 percent to Lynnwood, 6 percent to Everett, and 5 percent to Shoreline. Only 11.7 percent of residents work at employers within Edmonds city limits. The average one-way commute for Edmonds residents was approximately 31 minutes; 71 percent of commuters drove alone to their workplace, while 9 percent carpooled and 9 percent used public transit. The most common occupational industry for Edmonds residents is in educational and health services, employing 23 percent, followed by retail (13%) and professional services (12%). The nearest shopping malls are Alderwood in Lynnwood and Aurora Village in Shoreline, the latter of which was seen as a potential annexation target by Edmonds in the 1990s.

The city has over 13,000 jobs, a ratio of 0.325 jobs per capita—a figure that is lower than neighboring cities. Approximately 70 percent of jobs in Edmonds are in the services sector, which includes health care and professional services. Other large industries in Edmonds include retail (12%), education (6%), and construction (4%). The city's largest employers are the Edmonds School District, Swedish Medical Center, and large retailers, which includes grocery stores and car dealerships. The car dealerships, which are primarily located along the State Route 99 corridor, account for $152 million in annual retail sales, which contributes to the city's general sales tax revenue.

Education

Edmonds is wholly within the boundaries of the Edmonds School District, which also serves Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Woodway. The city is home to Edmonds Woodway High School, of the district's five high schools, which was formed in 1990 after the merger of Edmonds and Woodway and moved in 1998 to a new campus east of the city. The high school has 1,800 students and is one of the top schools in the state and hosts an IB Diploma Programme. The school district also operates an alternative high school, Scriber Lake, two K–12 schools, five elementary schools, and two combined elementary–middle schools within Edmonds city limits.

Edmonds is located near the campus of Edmonds College, which actually lies within Lynnwood city limits. The city was formerly home to the private Puget Sound Christian College, which operated from 1977 to 2001 at the former Edmonds High School building (now the Edmonds Center for the Arts). Edmonds is also home to several private schools, which accommodate grade levels from preschool to high school.

Notable people

Guy Anderson, painter
Steven W. Bailey, actor
Brian Baird, former U.S. Congressman
Jean-Luc Baker, ice dancer and Olympian
David Bazan, musician
Sean Beighton, Olympic curling coach and former curler
Alan Stephenson Boyd, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator
Ryan Couture, MMA fighter
Annie Crawley, underwater photographer and filmmaker
Anna Faris, actress
Vern Fonk, insurance salesman
Susan Gould, civil activist and state legislator
Morris Graves, artist
Dave Hamilton, professional baseball player
Bridget Hanley, actress
Missouri T. B. Hanna, suffragist and newspaper publisher
Chris Henderson, professional soccer player
Ken Jennings, author and Jeopardy! contestant
Corey Kispert, college basketball player
Sota Kitahara, professional soccer player
Todd Linden, professional baseball player
Marko Liias, state senator
Jay Park, musician
Paull Shin, state senator
Rick Steves, travel author and television host
Rosalynn Sumners, figure skater and Olympic medalist
Scott Uderitz, professional soccer player
Helen Westcott, actress

Images for kids

Main Street in downtown Edmonds
A shingle mill on Lake Ballinger, pictured in 1907
Brackett's Landing Park, a public beach developed in the 1970s
Aerial view of downtown Edmonds
The city's public marina, one of the largest in the Puget Sound region
The Carnegie Library is the only building in Edmonds with a national historic designation.

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Edmonds, Washington facts for kids

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