Edmonds, Washington

Edmonds, Washington
City
City of Edmonds

The Washington State Ferries dock in Edmonds

Seal

Location of Edmonds, Washington
Coordinates: 47°48′28.33″N 122°21′36.48″W / 47.8078694°N 122.3601333°W / 47.8078694; -122.3601333Coordinates: 47°48′28.33″N 122°21′36.48″W / 47.8078694°N 122.3601333°W / 47.8078694; -122.3601333
Country United States
State Washington
County Snohomish
Settled 1889
Incorporated August 14, 1890
Government
 • Type Mayor/Council
 • Mayor Dave Earling
Area[1]
 • Total 18.42 sq mi (47.71 km2)
 • Land 8.90 sq mi (23.05 km2)
 • Water 9.52 sq mi (24.66 km2)  51.68%
Elevation 66 ft (20 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 39,709
 • Estimate (2014)[3] 40,896
 • Density 4,461.7/sq mi (1,722.7/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 98020, 98026
Area code 425
FIPS code 53-20750
GNIS feature ID 1512180[4]
Website www.edmondswa.gov

Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, 11 miles (18 km) north of Seattle, 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. Based on per capita income, one of the more reliable measures of affluence, Edmonds ranks 20th of 281 areas in the state of Washington.[5]

Edmonds is a port in the Washington State Ferries system. Currently, the only ferry from Edmonds is a run to Kingston, Washington; in the past, there have been much longer routes from Edmonds to Port Townsend, Washington.[6]

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[7] or in association with the nearby Point Edmund, named by Charles Wilkes in 1841 and later changed to Point Edwards.[8] 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".[9]

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.[10]

Historic sites

The Edmonds South Snohomish Historical Society resides in the city's only National Historic Place - the old Carnegie Library of Edmonds.[11] Located on 5th Ave, it was built in 1910 to serve as a library and education building, and opened to the public February 17, 1911.[12] 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 [13] 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.[14] 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.[1]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1900474—
19101,114135.0%
1920936−16.0%
19301,16524.5%
19401,28810.6%
19502,05759.7%
19608,016289.7%
197023,684195.5%
198027,67916.9%
199030,74411.1%
200039,51528.5%
201039,7090.5%
Est. 201440,896[15]3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]
2014 Estimate[3]

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.[17] 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.

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, 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.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 39,515 people, 16,904 households, and 10,818 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,437.6 people per square mile (1,714.3/km²). There were 17,508 housing units at an average density of 1,966.2 per square mile (759.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.73% White, 1.34% African American, 0.80% Native American, 5.56% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 1.26% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.32% of the population.

There were 16,904 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 20.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

Schools

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). The Edmonds School District recently sold the plot of land that was home to Woodway Elementary School and it is now the home of the alternative high school, Scriber Lake High School. In addition, Edmonds is served by two K-8 schools; Maplewood and Madrona.[18]

In 1990, Edmonds High School merged with Woodway High School to form Edmonds-Woodway High School, which is currently one of only eight schools in the state to host an IB Diploma Programme.[19][20]

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.[21]

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).[22]

Arts

In 2006, the Edmonds Center for the Arts was opened.[23] This is one of two current theaters available for general performing arts, the other being the theater at Mountlake Terrace High School.

Drama

Edmonds has one permanent, privately funded drama group, The Driftwood Players. Their theater, the Wade James Theatre, is located at 950 Main St., adjacent to Yost Park. Usually, they have 4-5 main performances per season, supplemented with short, one night plays. They have been present in the community since 1957.[24]

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.[25][26][27] The festival is especially noted for painting and drawing. The festival is heavily involved with local schools, devoting several galleries to student artwork.[28]

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.

Notable people

Birthplace of

Hometown of:

Sister city

Edmonds has one sister city:[29]

Transportation

Edmonds is a rail and ferry hub.

Surrounding areas

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

References

  1. 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  2. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  3. 1 2 "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ Per Capita Income for Incorporated Cities in Washington State
  6. ↑ Ferry service returns to Port Townsend after a 40-year absence on February 21, 1979
  7. ↑ Seattle PI (2007) Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  8. ↑ George Brackett, HistoryLink
  9. ↑ Satterfield, Archie (1990). Edmonds, The First Century. Edmonds, Washington: City of Edmonds. ISBN 0-9625484-0-5.
  10. ↑ "History-Link.org - Edmonds -- Thumbnail History". Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Historic Site - old Carnegie Library(2007). Retrieved December 7, 2007.
  12. ↑ "The Carnegie Library". Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  13. ↑ http://myedmondsnews.com/2011/04/how-about-a-little-extra-foam-in-that-drink/
  14. ↑ KOMO TV (2007). Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  15. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  17. ↑ Edmonds, Washington - City-Data.com
  18. ↑ Edmonds School District
  19. ↑ Edmonds School District Profile:Edmonds-Woodway
  20. ↑ ED.GOV Archives
  21. ↑ "Edmonds Marsh". Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  22. ↑ "Port of Edmonds". Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  23. ↑ Edmonds Center for the Arts (2007) Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  24. ↑ Driftwood Players History (2007). Retrieved February 13, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Edmonds Arts Festival". Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  26. ↑ "EAF Foundation". Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  27. ↑ "ArtWorks Edmonds". Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  28. ↑ Student Art Exhibit Awards
  29. ↑ Edmonds Sister City Commission

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