Snohomish County is a county located in the State of Washington and is named after the Snohomish tribe. Snohomish County is the third largest county in Washington in population following King County and Pierce County. Everett is the county seat and the largest population center in the county. The largest employer in the county is the Boeing Company at its Everett plan where the 747 and 777 are currently manufactured. There is also a large US Navy base in Everett which has a significant influence on the economy. Folks who love horses and others who love the rural lifestyle are more than happy to make the drive from the Eastside, and even Seattle, in order to enjoy this country lifestyle. 
About Snohomish County Snohomish County is the next county north of King County, where Seattle and the Eastside are located. Where the western side of King County has become very urbanized, Snohomish County still has the unique characteristics of a rural area. For example, Snohomish County has the largest number of horses per capita of population of any county in the USA. Wherever you drive in Snohomish County you will see horses of all breeds and disciplines. Of course, there are many equestrian properties throughout the county and, these too, vary from affordable small acreages to luxury estates. Many horse lovers who work in the urban areas of King County live in Snohomish County so they can have their horses. Although Snohomish County has a decidedly rural feeling it does not have a lot of large-scale farming. The terrain with its mountains, foothills and abundant water does not lend itself to that kind of agriculture, however, the farther north you go in the county the more agricultural land becomes available. The largest city in Snohomish County is Everett, the county seat, situated on the waters of Puget Sound. It is home to Naval Station Everett, a large US Navy base which supports the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. It is also home to an enormous Boeing plant that produces the 747, 767, 777 and is now ramping up to build the 787—the Dreamliner. This production facility is the largest building in the world. That’s big. Housing is generally more affordable in Snohomish County than it is in King County and many people make the commute for the sake of more house and a relaxed, rural environment. US Highway 2 begins in Everett and heading east from there you come to the town of Snohomish. This is a very old town built along the Snohomish River and many consider to be the antique-capitol of the Northwest. The main area of town boasts some beautiful older homes that have been lovingly restored to their original glamour. These are also many new homes because land costs are much lower here than in King County. Continuing east from the town of Snohomish you come to Monroe. This town is rapidly expanding to be a major retail hub for this predominately rural area. Recently some of the well-known major chain stores have built in Monroe and signs of continued growth are strong. Again, because of the availability of land in and around this area a lot of new homes are being built. The next town to the east is Sultan, a sleepy little logging town on the Skykomish River that is beginning to wake up. Right in the middle of town is located the third best fishing hole in the state of Washington. Needless to say, during steelhead and salmon season that is a busy place. For decades the main source of income in this town has been logging and the businesses that support this industry. Logging is accomplished these days with far fewer people and, accordingly, the town did not grow for a long time. However, with the rapidly rising house prices, largely due to land costs, Sultan recently saw a significant upswing in residential building. It is predicted that there will be an additional 3,000 housing units in this town in the next few years. As you continue east on highway 2 you reach the summit of the Cascade Mountains at Stevens Pass. This is a great winter sports area and every Friday night there is a long and continuous stream of cars heading east with snowboards, skis, snowmobiles and other winter sports gear strapped to the roofs or pulled behind. In the summer this is a popular route to the heat and sunshine that is available just east of Stevens Pass in the Wenatchee Valley. If you like rural, horses, fishing or outdoor activity it would be hard to find a better place to live than Snohomish County. |