Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington. Edmonds has a view of Puget Sound and both the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range. The third most populous city in Snohomish County after Everett and Marysville, the population was 39,709 according to the 2010 census and the estimated population in 2015 was 40,490. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Edmonds ranks 20th of 281 areas in the state of Washington.
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, of which, 8.90 square miles is land and 9.52 square miles is water.
Climate[]
Edmond's climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 75.80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 35.20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Edmonds is 35.96 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is December with an average rainfall of 5.45 Inches.
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 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.
Demographics[]
According to a 2009 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $66,892 and the per capita income for the city was $42,432. About 2.6% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education[]
Edmonds is home to the Edmonds Community College.
Edmonds is served in its entirety by the Edmonds School District, which also serves Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Brier, and Woodway. Within the city limits of Edmonds, there is one high school (Edmonds-Woodway) and six primary schools (Chase Lake, Edmonds, Seaview, Sherwood, Westgate, and Woodway).
Culture[]
In 2006, the Edmonds Center for the Arts was opened.
The Cascadia Art Museum, located in downtown Edmonds, opened in September 2015.
Farmers 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.
Recreation[]
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).
Services[]
Swedish Hospital Edmonds is the key hospital serving the city and surrounding community.
Edmonds has their own fire department and policing is done by the Edmonds Police Department.
Media[]
All Edmonds media comes from Everett or Seattle, including television, radio, and newspapers. The local Edmonds newspaper is the, Edmonds Beacon.
Transportation[]
Edmonds is a rail and ferry hub.
Edmonds is a port in the Washington State Ferries system. Currently, the only ferry from Edmonds is a run to Kingston. In the past, there have been much longer routes from Edmonds to Port Townsend.
The Edmonds Amtrak station is served by Amtrak Cascades and Empire Builder with trains to Vancouver, British Columbia, Eugene, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois. The station is also served by Sounder Commuter Rail on weekdays.