ABOUT MOUNT VERNON
Located on Interstate 5, Mount Vernon is conveniently located mid-way between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Mount Vernon is the regional center for financial, technology, cultural, legal, health care, education and government.
Mount Vernon offers a vibrant mix of office, retail, restaurants and professional services on the shores of beautiful Skagit River. It’s also one of the few areas in the country that offers high speed, state of the art fiber optic technology.
Nestled between the San Juan Islands in the Puget Sound to the West and the Cascade Mountains with the scenic Cascade Loop drive to the East, Mount Vernon is known for its spectacular natural environment. It’s also home to the world-famous Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which annually attracts a million visitors.
Discover our stunning natural environment. Celebrate our strong sense of community. Take advantage of our economic future and our ability to unleash the possibilities of our residents and business owners.
Informational Sheets
Did we peak your interest, are you thinking about Mount Vernon? On your way already? Great!
Whatever you have in mind, we have created informational sheets for your convenience and to provide you with the resources you need.
Resources include:
• Quick Facts about Mount Vernon, WA
• Partner Organiziations and Links
• Park Lists and Maps
• Business Statistics and Incentives
• Real Estate Facts
Downtown Mount Vernon
Waterfront Revitalization Project
The Downtown Mount Vernon Flood Protection and Revitalization Project will protect Mount Vernon’s historic downtown from flooding with FEMA certified flood protection and serve to revitalize the historic downtown area. The project will remove the downtown from the FEMA 100-year base flood elevation and will release pent up economic opportunities that are so important to our region. The project is the key component of the comprehensive downtown redevelopment plan that is being used to guide public and private investments over the next 20 years.
The Project, which features a river promenade, trail system and public riverfront park, is being done in three phases. Phase III construction began March 2017. With secured funding, project will begin construction in 2017 and include 1.4 miles of floodwall and earthen levee and .9 miles of riverwalk and trail connection to regional trail system
Getting Here
Mount Vernon is located in Skagit County about 60 miles north of Seattle and 90 miles south of Vancouver, BC, on both sides of Interstate 5. Downtown and the Visitor Center can be reached off exit 226. The visitor center is located at the 301 W Kincaid Street. The phone number is 360-428-8547.
Mount Vernon Skagit Transportation Center, I-5 at exit 226, provides regional and local connections to train, bus or taxi. Amtrak offers train and bus service from Vancouver, BC to Seattle and beyond, plus connections to Sound Transit, Everett Transit and Community Transit. Skagit Transit provides bus service throughout Skagit including connections to the Anacortes Washington State Ferry terminal. Regional connections can also be made from Skagit Station with Island Transit and Whatcom Transit. Commercial air service is available at Sea-Tac. Small craft runways are available at Port of Skagit and Port of Anacortes airports. Washington State Ferries provides daily passenger and vehicle ferry connections between Skagit County/Anacortes and the San Juan Islands.
A County, “Skagit” is Born
Mount Vernon beat out LaConner and Anacortes to become the County Seat in 1884, it was incorporated on June 27, 1890 with a population of about 1000. By 1889, more than a dozen sternwheelers worked up and down the Skagit River serving the needs of homesteaders, prospectors and loggers at numerous mining and logging camps. The Great Northern Railway finished construction of their rail line through Mount Vernon in 1891. Major floods in 1892 and 1894 motivated the construction of a massive levee system. These floods were likely the reason homes were constructed on “the hill.” As the residential population began to shift to the hill, public buildings including Lincoln and Roosevelt schools were constructed there. By 1912, population was listed at 2600. For more history, click here. From HistoryLink.org
Mount Vernon History
Mount Vernon’s earliest recorded settlers, Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley, likely first stopped in the area in 1870 because the Skagit River was not navigable beyond this point due to enormous, ancient log jams. In 1876 the log jams were removed allowing travel and commerce to flow with Mount Vernon positioned as an important transportation and trading center along the river. In 1877 Harrison Clothier purchased about ten acres from Jasper Gates along the riverfront for $100. Clothier and partner Ed English built a store, secured a post office and laid out four blocks of a town site he named Mount Vernon in recognition of George Washington’s Potomac River estate. In 1883-84, Whatcom County was divided and its southern portion became what is now known as Skagit County. Photo Credits: City of Mount Vernon.