Skagit

Formed November 28, 1883 (33^rd county)

Skagit County (116,901), Mount Vernon (31,743)

The tan brick Classical Revival facility was constructed in 1924.  It is located on 3^rd Street at Kinchaid Street.  Interstate Highway 5 passes three blocks to the east of the site.  T. F. Doan provided the designs for the courthouse.  The building features columns with veteran memorials on the grounds.  A 1976 Administration Building and a 1983 District Court augments the county structure.  There was an 1893 version earlier.  The county was formed on November 28, 1883 from Whatcom County as the 33^rd county.  LaConner was the first county seat until 1884 when Mount Vernon assumed the role.  Skagit County is named for the Native American tribe.  The county seat was named for the estate of United States President George Washington. 

Skagit County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a clerk, a treasurer, an auditor, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four Superior Court Judges and Three District Court Judges serve Skagit County (judicial.)  The county is in the northwest part of Washington.  Seattle, Washington is south and Vancouver, Canada is northwest of the county.  The county center is 37.3 miles East of Mount Vernon nearer Hamilton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Whatcom, Okanogan, Chelan, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties. 

The area of the county is 1920 square miles.  It is 18 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 11 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 60.89 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 39 in the state.  Skagit County has 58.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 passes north to south through the county from Whatcom County to Snohomish County.  The county’s shape could be described as a dragon head, east, and tail, west, with a rectangular body.  Mount Vernon is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Mount Vernon is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 27.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SKA-JIT.  This county is in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area.