General Information

The Community

The City of Edmonds is located in south Snohomish County on the shores of Puget Sound approximately 14 miles north of Seattle. Edmonds was a well-established town by the turn of the century and the present urban form preserves many characteristics of its historic origins. The community's location on the west-facing slopes of Puget Sound provides many amenities, including extensive views of the water and Olympic Mountains, access to beaches and waterfront parks, and compact downtown area.

Historic Development

The community that became the City of Edmonds grew out of a homestead and logging operation started by George Brackett in 1876. Incorporated in 1890, the original townsite is now occupied primarily by the downtown and adjacent residential areas. The Great Northern Railroad reached the town in 1891 and for many years provided access for goods and passenger travel. Although fires destroyed many of the waterfront mills, shingle production continued to be the primary industry in the city into the 1940s. Ferry service to Kingston began in 1923 when a ferry terminal was built near the location of the existing ferry dock. The present ferry terminal was built in the early 1950s after acquisition of the ferry system by the State of Washington.

The city continued to grow during the 1940s and 50s, resulting in a more active role of the municipality in providing water, sewer and streets for residential and commercial expansion. The Port district was formed in 1948 and began waterfront improvements. Completion of Interstate 5 and increased growth in the Puget Sound region led to a gradual change in the character of the city with more emphasis on residential development and a decline in the retail importance of the downtown.

The City is now primarily a residential community that also provides many amenities for residents and visitors. An active arts and cultural community contributes to the strong sense of civic pride widely shared in the community. There are numerous well-kept residential neighborhoods, a viable economic base, and an active, involved citizenry.

Population and Employment

As of April 2007, the population of the City of Edmonds has grown to 40,760. The rate of population growth has been relatively stable at about 1% per year with major increases occurring primarily as a result of annexations in the 1960s and 1970s. Based on forecasted continued growth at 1% per year, the population in 2010 is projected to be 43,650.

Over the last decade, employment within the city has grown somewhat faster than population, increasing about 2.7% per year. In 1990, the city had an estimated 9,263 jobs with the largest portion of those in services (38%). Retail trade and government accounted for 27% and 23% of employment, respectively. Employment is forecast to increase by 3,000 jobs (32.2%) over the period 1990-2012.

Transportation

The existing transportation system consists of a complete network of arterials, collectors and local streets. Three major arterials provide links to major centers and to the ferry system.

The Burlington Northern Railroad runs adjacent to the city's shoreline; the rail line is currently used for freight and AMTRAK passenger rail service. Bus service is provided by Community Transit with three regular bus routes and four peak period commuter bus routes. Metro transit provides direct services to the University of Washington and downtown Seattle.

The Edmonds-Kingston Ferry connects south Snohomish County and north King County with the northern Kitsap Peninsula and points west on the Olympic Peninsula via the Hood Canal Bridge. This ferry route has experienced the greatest increase in ridership for all state ferries over the period 1985-1992, with vehicular and passenger traffic increasing 68% and 51%, respectively. A preliminary feasibility study that looked at alternative locations for the ferry terminal concluded that relocating the terminal site to Point Edwards would help to resolve existing taffic conflicts and congestion as well as providing increased terminal capacity. Studies are underway for a multimodal facility that would incorporate terminals for rail and bus service, park and ride lots, and pedestrian access with a new ferry terminal.

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