Skagit County, Washington Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Skagit County

U.S. county

Tulip fields in the Skagit Valley

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

(2023)

131,417

• Density

71/sq mi (27/km²)

Time zone

UTC−8 (Pacific)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−7 (PDT)

Congressional district

2nd

Skagit County is a county in the state of Washington. In 2020, about 129,523 people lived there. The main city and county seat is Mount Vernon.

Skagit County was created in 1883 from Whatcom County. It is named after the Skagit Indian tribe. This tribe lived in the area long before European-Americans settled there.

The county is part of the Mount Vernon-Anacortes area. It is also included in the larger Seattle-Tacoma region. Skagit County is in the Puget Sound region. It is famous for its farms and the yearly tulip festival.

Exploring Skagit County's Geography
People of Skagit County
Protecting the Environment
Getting Around Skagit County
- Main Roads
Cities and Towns
Learning and Schools
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Skagit County's Geography

Skagit County covers about 1,920 square miles. Most of this is land (1,731 square miles), and 189 square miles (9.8%) is water. The county is known for the wide, rich valley of the Skagit River. This area is a major center for growing beautiful tulips and tasty strawberries.

Cool Places in Skagit County

Fir-Conway Lutheran Church.

Skagit County has many interesting natural spots:

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, the highest point in Skagit County

Neighboring Counties

Skagit County shares borders with these other counties:

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

Protected Natural Areas

Parts of these national protected areas are found in Skagit County:

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

People of Skagit County

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%
2023 (est.)	131,417	12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

In 2010, there were 116,901 people living in Skagit County. About 83.4% of the people were white. About 16.9% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in the county was 40.1 years old. The average income for a family was about $63,468. About 11.7% of the people lived below the poverty line.

Protecting the Environment

Skagit County cares about protecting its natural areas. In 2006, a group called the Skagit County Marine Resources Committee studied how to protect ocean life. They looked into creating special "no-take" areas in the ocean. These areas would help protect fish like rockfish from being overfished.

Getting Around Skagit County

Skagit Transit provides bus service throughout the county. You can also take buses to nearby cities like Everett and Bellingham. Skagit Transit also runs the Guemes Island ferry. This ferry connects Anacortes to Guemes Island.