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84-746: The Summer Meltdown was founded by Pacific Northwest band Flowmotion in 2000, as a community-based music festival on San Juan Island, with coordination and execution handled by members of Flowmotion and friends of the band. Flowmotion performed as the headliner of the festival. In 2002, Lewis Anderson and Andrea Wood became key members of the coordination efforts, which included development of an official volunteer program, ticketing system, logistical planning, and county petitioning and permitting attempts. In consecutive years, they each took on more responsibilities, securing insurance, setting up vending program, providing web copy and coordinating media efforts, and handling site logistics. Flowmotion continued to perform as

168-642: A mayor–council form of government. It is one of two towns within Snohomish County, the other being Index , the only incorporated place in the county with a smaller population than Darrington. The five town council members regularly meet twice per month and are elected to four-year terms alongside the mayor. The current mayor, Dan Rankin, a sawmill owner and former councilmember, was elected in 2011; he has twice been re-elected. The town government handles and manages public safety, public works, administration, and parks and recreation. It also operates

252-549: A public library branch operated by the Sno-Isle Libraries system and located in the town hall complex, which was built in 1990 and expanded in 2008. The town lacks home delivery of mail, requiring residents to use the local post office . At the federal level, Darrington is part of the 8th congressional district , which encompasses the eastern portions of the Snohomish, King , and Pierce counties as well as

336-464: A community events complex and park located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the town, which is home to several annual events, including a rodeo and a Bluegrass festival . The Darrington Timberbowl Rodeo began in 1964 and typically draws over a thousand spectators during its two-day run in late June. The rodeo was cancelled in 2013 after an inspection found the venue's bleachers to be unsafe, but $ 25,000 in repairs funded by state grants allowed it to resume

420-619: A high-rise central business district . The satellite cities are primarily suburban , featuring a small downtown core and a small industrial area or port . The suburbs consist mostly of residences, strip malls , and shopping centers. The region is also home to numerous ports. The two largest and busiest are the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma , which, if combined, comprise the third largest container port in North America after Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey. As defined by

504-436: A household in the town was $ 32,813, and the median income for a family was $ 44,063. Males had a median income of $ 36,429 versus $ 25,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 17,384. About 4.7 percent of families and 8.9 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9 percent of those under age 18 and 6.6 percent of those age 65 or over. Darrington is an incorporated town that operates under

588-523: A hundred residents; a second hotel and the town's first social club had been built. The U.S. Lumber Company, which began in 1901 as the Allen Mill, was the largest employer in Darrington during the early 1910s, producing 23,000 board feet (54.28 m ) of wood per day. U.S. Lumber angered the townspeople by hiring 21 Japanese laborers at similar wages to their white counterparts. In June 1910,

672-685: A local cooperative association in 1935 to create jobs, including 33 at an independent sawmill, and provide services at a shared cost. Camp Darrington was primarily used to fight wildfires and develop infrastructure in the Darrington district of the Mount Baker National Forest , including roads, trails, and a series of fire lookout towers atop nearby mountains. Among its projects was the Mountain Loop Highway , which provided connections between ranger stations in Darrington and Granite Falls and also opened up

756-552: A mob of white men rioted and drove the Japanese out of town after little resistance, paying for their train fare to Everett after allowing them to retrieve their belongings. A report by Seattle-based vice-consul Kinjiro Hayashi was forwarded to the Japanese ambassador and state government. The company filed for an injunction after rioters had threatened to burn its Darrington mill and other properties should it attempt to return

840-541: A name was held by several pioneer residents in July 1891 in advance of the establishment of a post office . The vote was tied between two options, Portage (in some accounts, Norma) and Darrington, the maiden name of settler W. W. Cristopher's mother. According to some reports, the name was originally to be "Barrington" but was changed due to a mistake from the Postal Department or by the townspeople to resemble

924-623: A permanent replacement was opened in September. The increased costs to local businesses resulting from the long detour via State Route 20 were mitigated with low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration and recovery funds, including $ 9.5 million in private donations. The tourism industry in Darrington also received a state-funded advertising campaign, keeping revenue and visitation for local events at pre-slide levels. The state government, together with

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1008-536: A public cemetery , the municipal airport , and contracts for utility services . The mayor and town council appoint a clerk treasurer and the heads of various government departments. As of 2016 , the town government employs seven people and has an annual budget of $ 3 million. The town has an independent fire department with two stations, but contracts with the Snohomish County Sheriff for policing and emergency services. The town also has

1092-555: A valley between foothills of the Cascade Mountains , including the 6,852-foot (2,088 m) Whitehorse Mountain . The plain was formed by lahar deposits from several eruptions of Glacier Peak , 25 miles (40 km) to the southeast. The area remains in the volcano's lahar hazard zone and also lies on a fault line that last produced a major earthquake less than 500 years ago. Soil in The Darrington area

1176-638: A village site and burial ground near modern-day Darrington, while the Skagit used the plain between the Stillaguamish and Sauk rivers as a portage for overland transport of canoes. The portage, Anglicized as Kudsl Kudsl or Kuds-al-kaid, was also used as a transiting point for travelers from Eastern Washington on their way to and from the Puget Sound coast. The area was known as Burn or Sauk Portage to early surveyors and visitors from towns along

1260-583: A whole favors the Democratic Party in elections, Darrington has generally supported Republican candidates. During the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Darrington had the highest percentage of votes in Snohomish County for Republican Donald Trump , at 61 percent compared to 33 percent for Democrat Hillary Clinton , who carried the county. Similarly, in the same year's gubernatorial election , 59 percent of Darrington voters preferred Republican Bill Bryant over incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee , who

1344-617: A workforce population of 1,138 and an unemployment rate of 9.3 percent. The most common employers for Darrington residents are in manufacturing (23.8 percent), followed by educational and health services (17.6 percent), retail (13.7 percent), and public administration (10.5 percent). Approximately 9.9 percent of Darrington residents also work within the town, while 13 percent commute to Everett , 6.4 percent work in Seattle , and 5.7 percent work in Arlington. The average one-way commute for

1428-651: Is 554 feet (169 m) above sea level and receives significantly more precipitation and snowfall than the Puget Sound lowlands . The upper Stillaguamish and Sauk valleys on the Sauk , Suiattle , and White Chuck rivers were historically inhabited by various Native American Coast Salish groups, including the Stillaguamish , the Sauk-Suiattle , and the Upper Skagit . The Sauk-Suiattle maintained

1512-654: Is due to the Aleutian Low coming in from the northwest, and variation in winter rain from year to year is mostly due to variation in the strength of the Aleutian Low (strong = dry and weak = wet). The dry season (May-Sep) is caused by a subtropical high moving north from California. The driest part of the region is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains around Sequim and Whidbey Island , receiving 40-75 cm of precipitation per year. The wettest part

1596-715: Is from Salishan languages and means "people of". The Puget Sound region was formed by the collision and attachment of many terranes ("microcontinents") to the North American Plate between about 50 to 10 million years ago. About 15,000 years ago during the Vashon Glaciation , the Puget Sound region was covered by a lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet . The glacier that covered the area was about 3,000 feet (900 m) thick within

1680-764: Is in the foothills of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mts, and on the west side of the Sound, receiving 125-1000+ cm of precipitation per year. North Pacific Oak Woodland is one of the principal plant associations of the Puget Trough, where many of the soils are well drained mesic. Counties of the Puget Sound region: In addition, the San Juan Islands (all of San Juan County plus a few islands belonging to Whatcom County ) are often considered part of

1764-649: Is primarily composed of glacial sands and gravels that have deposits of various mineral ores, including gold , silver , copper , lead , zinc , antimony , arsenic , mercury , and iron . Darrington has a general climate similar to most of the Puget Sound lowlands and the Cascades foothills, with dry summers and mild, rainy winters moderated by a marine influence from the Pacific Ocean . Temperatures in Darrington typically differ by approximately 10 °F (5.6 °C) from Everett and other coastal cities in

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1848-649: The Herald , a daily publication from Everett, and the weekly Arlington Times . The town's first newspaper, named The Wrangler , was published from 1907 to 1915 by the Darrington Literary Society. A second newspaper, The Darrington News , was published for two years from 1947 to 1949 and was followed by the Timber Bowl Tribune , which was printed in Darrington and Concrete using a plant owned by The Concrete Herald . The Tribune

1932-495: The 2000 census , there were 1,136 people, 473 households, and 292 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,171.9 people per square mile (452.2/km ). There were 505 housing units at an average density of 520.9 per square mile (201/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 94.98 percent White, 1.67 percent Native American, 0.35 percent Asian, 0.26 percent from other races, and 2.73 percent from two or more races. Hispanic of Latino residents of any race were 1.23 percent of

2016-480: The COVID-19 pandemic . The town also has several other annual events, including Darrington Day in late May, a Fourth of July parade, and a street fair in July. Darrington formerly hosted an annual wildflower festival and an annual Christian music festival in the 1990s during the transition to a tourism-based economy. With no local newspaper, events in Darrington are covered by Everett's daily newspaper,

2100-510: The COVID-19 pandemic . Summer Meltdown returned in 2022 after relocating to Monroe, Washington , but the following edition was cancelled. Darrington, Washington Darrington is a town in Snohomish County , Washington , United States. It is located in a North Cascades mountain valley formed by the Sauk and North Fork Stillaguamish rivers. Darrington is connected to nearby areas by State Route 530 , which runs along

2184-547: The Cascade Range and east of the Olympic Mountains . It is characterized by a complex array of saltwater bays, islands, and peninsulas carved out by prehistoric glaciers. Poet Robert Sund called the Puget Sound region "Ish River country", owing to its numerous rivers with names ending in "ish", such as the Duwamish , Samish , Sammamish , Skokomish , Skykomish , Snohomish , and the Stillaguamish . The ish ending

2268-646: The Economic Alliance Snohomish County and Washington State University , drafted a $ 65 million economic recovery plan that was put into effect in 2016. Darrington is located in the northeastern reach of Snohomish County in Western Washington , just south of the Skagit County border. It is 28 miles (45 km) east of Arlington , the nearest city, and 74 miles (119 km) northeast of Seattle . According to

2352-604: The Everett and Monte Cristo Railway to the south; until that time, the Sauk Prairie at the modern site of Darrington was an overnight camping spot for prospectors. Nearby areas were explored by prospectors who made over a hundred claims to tracts of land in the highlands around the valley, including Gold Hill. The Sauk Prairie campsite evolved into a settlement that was known as "The Portage" and developed around several homesteads established between 1888 and 1891. A vote on

2436-621: The Gibson Brothers , and Rural Delivery, have performed at Darrington's Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater. From 2006 to 2019, the amphitheater also hosted the Summer Meltdown jam festival in early August, which attracted a wide variety of musical acts. The four-day event typically drew 4,000 visitors and 40 acts, as well as art pieces that were installed around the campgrounds. Both festivals were cancelled in 2020 due to

2520-634: The Great Depression led several small sawmills in the Darrington area to suspend operations for a full year and laying off most of the town's workforce in late 1930. The town suffered outbreaks of scarlet fever and smallpox in 1931, followed by winter storms that damaged bridges and roads in the Sauk valley. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work program established Camp Darrington on May 20, 1933, to provide employment for up to 200 men from northern Snohomish County. The townspeople established

2604-637: The Köppen climate classification system, Darrington has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb). Darrington's largest industry remains logging , centered around several small companies and the Hampton sawmill , the town's largest employer at 160 jobs. Hampton acquired the disused sawmill from Summit Timber in 2002 and reopened it the following year after $ 15 million in renovations. The sawmill primarily processes western hemlock and Douglas fir from nearby state and local lands. Other major industries in

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2688-642: The Lake Washington Shipyard . Since 1995, Puget Sound has been recognized as an American Viticultural Area by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau . The urban region designated the Puget Sound Region is centered on Seattle and consists of nine counties , two urban center cities and four satellite cities making up what has been dubbed "Pugetopolis." Both urban core cities have large industrial areas and seaports plus

2772-726: The Monte Cristo area in 1889 lured prospectors into the North Cascades and stimulated the development of the surrounding valleys. A 45-mile (72 km) wagon road along the Sauk River connecting Monte Cristo to Sauk Prairie and the settlement of Sauk City on the Skagit River was built in 1891, later forming part of the modern Mountain Loop Highway . It was only used for three years before being replaced by

2856-518: The Seattle–Tacoma combined statistical area (CSA), which encompasses most of the Puget Sound region. The population of this wider region is 4,269,349—almost two-thirds of Washington's population—as of 2012 . The Seattle CSA is the 12th largest CSA , and the 13th largest primary census statistical area in the country. The additional metropolitan and micropolitan areas included are: A state-run ferry system, Washington State Ferries , connects

2940-592: The U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget , the Seattle metropolitan area is officially the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and consists of: Based on commuting patterns, the adjacent metropolitan areas of Olympia , Bremerton , and Mount Vernon , along with a few smaller satellite urban areas, are grouped together in a wider labor market region known as

3024-595: The U.S. Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 1.67 square miles (4.33 km ), of which, 1.65 square miles (4.27 km ) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km ) is water. Darrington is situated on a plain between the North Fork Stillaguamish River to the west and the Sauk River to the east. The plain is 5 miles (8.0 km) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, at approximately 554 feet (169 m) above sea level in

3108-435: The deadliest landslide in U.S. history and the deadliest natural disaster in state history since the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens . Darrington was one of the main staging areas for disaster response workers and supplies; the community center was used as an emergency shelter for victims and the rodeo grounds became an animal shelter and housing for workers. State Route 530 was partially reopened by early June and

3192-450: The logging industry that would come to dominate Darrington for much of the 20th century. The Northern Pacific Railway built a branch line to the town in 1901 and ushered in several years of growth. During the Great Depression , Darrington hosted a Civilian Conservation Corps camp that improved roads, trails, and firefighting infrastructure in the nearby Mount Baker National Forest . Several waves of Appalachian emigrants arrived in

3276-461: The 1960s, and the passenger depot was demolished in 1967. The railroad was eventually abandoned in 1990 and its right-of-way was acquired by the county for conversion into a rail trail . The gyppo operations gave way to a small local timber company, Summit Timber, which acquired the largest sawmill in Darrington, now the Hampton mill. Several smaller mills in Darrington and surrounding communities, including four for cedar shakes , closed during

3360-452: The 1960s, declining by 230 residents by 1990 and rebounding since then. Darrington predominantly has single-family residences, with only 36 multi-family units reported in 2010. According to 2012 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, Darrington has a median family income of $ 60,750, and a per capita income of $ 18,047, ranking 227th of 281 areas within the state of Washington. Approximately 16.7 percent of families and 20.9 percent of

3444-545: The 1960s, leading to further population decline. The area's timber industry was also adversely affected by tighter logging restrictions on federal lands during the 1980s and 1990s meant to protect the mountain habitats of threatened and endangered species, including the northern spotted owl . In response, Summit transitioned to processing private forests and lands managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources , maintaining its position as

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3528-455: The 1970s, which prevented new development until 2002. Darrington subsequently developed into a bedroom community for commuters working in Everett and Marysville . Opposition from residents forced the town government to drop plans for a 400-bed minimum-security prison work camp in 1990. The town government unsuccessfully campaigned for a NASCAR racetrack and regional swimming center in

3612-448: The Cascades backcountry to logging and recreation. The camp employed the first wave of Appalachian emigrants from North Carolina , who would eventually form a majority of the town's population. Camp Darrington workers also assisted in the creation of two winter sports areas that were equipped with ski runs , toboggan trails, and a ski jump . The Works Progress Administration , another federal jobs program, provided funds to replace

3696-456: The Japanese laborers. The injunction was denied, but the townspeople relented and allowed 20 Japanese laborers to return to the mill a week later following Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu 's visit to Seattle. Darrington's residents resisted the county government's dry plan to prohibit the sale of alcohol and close the town's saloons. They circulated a petition to incorporate Darrington as a fourth-class city in order to continue alcohol sales, but

3780-475: The Puget Sound area. The first non-indigenous settlement was New Market (now known as Tumwater ) in 1846. In 1853 Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory . In 1888 the Northern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to eastern states. For a long period Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold, silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle

3864-603: The Puget Sound coastline. A group of railroad surveyors for the Northern Pacific Railway arrived in modern-day Darrington in 1870 while plotting the potential route for a railroad crossing the Cascades to Lake Chelan , but ultimately chose Stampede Pass to the south. The North Stillaguamish Valley was nicknamed "Starve Out" by early settlers, who arrived alone and underprepared for the area's conditions, leading to several difficult winters. Soldiers sent to

3948-546: The Sauk and Suiattle rivers. The Mountain Loop Highway connects Darrington to various scenic areas, including birdwatching hotspots and the Pacific Crest Trail system. Puget Sound region The Puget Sound region is a coastal area of the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. state of Washington , including Puget Sound , the Puget Sound lowlands, and the surrounding region roughly west of

4032-407: The age of 18 living with them, 44.8 percent were married couples living together, 9.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present, 7.2 percent had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4 percent were non-families. Individuals made up 32.6 percent of all households; and 13.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and

4116-403: The area began to leave in the 1960s, leading to the rise of independent " gyppo " loggers who salvaged discarded timber while under contract to regional paper mills. A large open-pit mine on Miners Ridge planned by Kennecott in the late 1960s was halted after intervention from environmental activists and local politicians. Northern Pacific ended passenger rail service to the Darrington area in

4200-538: The area by the valley settlers threatened to evict the Sauk-Suiattles; this did not occur as the settlers' claim that the Sauk-Suiattle were hostile and had attacked them was determined to be unfounded. The tribe later hired surveyors to record their claims to the eastern side of the Sauk River, lands that currently comprise their Indian reservation . The discovery of gold and other valuable minerals in

4284-522: The area from North Carolina , forming a culture that is seen in the town's annual bluegrass festival and rodeo . Darrington was incorporated as a town in 1945, under a mayor–council government . Its economy has transitioned away from logging and towards tourism, particularly outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain climbing, and fishing, due to its proximity to the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest . The Darrington area

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4368-519: The area's extracted ores . The railroad agreed to the offer and began construction in 1900. It later merged with the Northern Pacific Railway, outpacing Great Northern and their plans to build a railroad to their timber holdings in the Sauk River valley. Railway crews arrived in the Darrington area by the following year and the first train arrived at the town's depot in 1901. Several sawmills and other timber industries began in

4452-522: The attempt was thwarted after protests by U.S. Lumber and several civic leaders. On July 5, 1910, the town voted 46–35 in favor of remaining a "wet" settlement, but the countywide plebiscite the same day passed in favor of prohibition. The town grew substantially in the early 1920s, with new sawmills attracting more residents and businesses. The wagon road along the North Fork Stillaguamish River (now part of State Route 530 )

4536-402: The average family size was 2.96. The median age in the town was 41.4 years. Residents under the age of 18 accounted for 22.7 percent of the population, 7.7 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24, 24.9 percent were from 25 to 44, 28.1 percent were from 45 to 64 and 16.6 percent were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.9 percent male and 49.1 percent female. As of

4620-418: The county, with colder winters and warmer summers. The majority of the region's precipitation arrives during the winter and early spring, and Darrington averages 152 days of precipitation annually that totals 79.35 inches (201.5 cm) on average—significantly higher than areas in lowland Snohomish County. Darrington also receives significantly more snowfall than other cities in the county due to being in

4704-517: The early 2000s, aiming to become an all-year destination for the county. Several major floods in the late 1990s and early 2000s damaged properties along the rivers; in 2003, a flood washed out part of the Mountain Loop Highway. The highway was not restored until 2008, costing Darrington approximately $ 750,000 in tourist revenue and forcing several businesses to close. Darrington's main lumber mill laid off 67 workers in 2011, citing

4788-420: The early 20th century during the heyday of logging in the area, which also attracted Scandinavian and Western European immigrants. The town saw an influx of Appalachian transplants from North Carolina (particularly the area around Sylva ) in the 1940s and 1950s, whose families remain in the Darrington area, influencing traditions and local culture. The town's population has remained relatively stable since

4872-580: The effects of the Great Recession and declining demand. The town government, running on a small budget of $ 1.6 million, accepted several grants from the state to upgrade its water system and repair streets during the recession. On March 22, 2014, a major mudslide on a hillside near Oso , 12 miles (19 km) west of Darrington, destroyed dozens of homes and a section of State Route 530, cutting off direct road access between Arlington and Darrington for two months. It killed 43 people, becoming

4956-492: The entirety of Chelan and Kittitas counties. The town was part of the 1st congressional district until 2022. At the state level, Darrington shares the 39th legislative district with Lake Stevens, Granite Falls , and eastern Skagit County . The city lies in the Snohomish County Council 's 1st district, which includes most of the county north of Everett and Lake Stevens. While Snohomish County as

5040-769: The festival moved to the Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater in Darrington, Washington , which it shared with the Darrington Bluegrass Festival. The festival property is also known as the Darrington Bluegrass Park. Because of the diverse musical variety at Summer Meltdown, the festival producers decided to create a venue name that did not include bluegrass in the name, hence the name, Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater. No concerts were held in 2020 due to

5124-553: The following year. The Timberbowl Rodeo is named for a former festival that was held annually in late June from 1946 to 1967, and featured various logging events and competitions in addition to a town parade. The Darrington Bluegrass Festival is held for three days every July and was started in 1977 by descendants of Appalachian transplants to the area. The festival draws around 10,000 people, including visitors who use an adjacent campground and participate in communal jam sessions . Prominent Bluegrass groups, including Bill Monroe ,

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5208-478: The headliner of the festival until 2011. By 2005, the Summer Meltdown had reached a critical growth stage and it was no longer possible to throw the event as a party, without official county permitting. The event had long since moved off San Juan Island and had occurred in three venues in three counties. Event coordinators agreed to take a hiatus that year and look to a future re-grouping in 2006. In 2006

5292-535: The larger islands to the Washington mainland, as well as both sides of the sound, allowing cars and people to move about the greater Puget Sound region. The region has a Csb ( warm summer mediterranean ) climate with some areas in the far east (western foothills of the Cascades) having an oceanic ( Cfb ) climate if the 30 millimetres (1.2 in) isohyet is used. The wet season is from October to April and

5376-516: The mountains, with 10 to 15 days on average and approximately 39 inches (99 cm) of snowfall annually since 1911. July is Darrington's warmest month, with average high temperatures of 77.5  °F (25.3  °C ), and January is the coolest, at an average high of 40.8 °F (4.9 °C). The highest recorded temperature, 107 °F (42 °C), occurred in July 2007, and the lowest, −14 °F (−26 °C), in January 1950. According to

5460-538: The nation's heavy bombers and the ports of Seattle, Bremerton and Tacoma available for shipbuilding. The most important yards in the Sound during World War II were Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding 's Seattle and Tacoma yards, also known as Todd Pacific , Todd Seattle and Todd Tacoma and the Puget Sound Navy Yard . They produced a significant portion of destroyers and escort carriers . Smaller operations included Winslow , Associated Shipbuilders and

5544-409: The overall population were below the poverty line , including 24 percent of those under the age of 18 and 8.9 percent aged 65 or older. Darrington is described as economically depressed and has median household incomes that are far below the Snohomish County average. As of the 2010 U.S. census , there were 1,347 people, 567 households, and 349 families residing in the town. The population density

5628-432: The population. There were 473 households, out of which 30.9 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49 percent were married couples living together, 8.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1 percent were non-families. 31.7 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

5712-502: The town include tourism and outdoor recreation, educational services for the Darrington School District , and forestry management. The town has a grocery store , a bakery , several restaurants , a bookstore , and a microbrewery . The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe had a small casino and bingo hall that employs 50 people until it closed in 2020. A 2015 Census Bureau survey estimated that Darrington had

5796-472: The town's largest employer. The loss of timber-industry jobs led to local protests, part of the " timber wars " that erupted across logging communities in the Pacific Northwest during the 1990s. The town government sought to diversify Darrington's economy and focus on tourism as an alternate industry, creating new festivals and promoting its existing bluegrass festival and rodeo . It adopted strong land use controls to preserve its rural character in

5880-423: The town's overcrowded high school in 1936. Darrington reached a population of 600 residents in 1945 and was officially incorporated as a fourth-class town on October 15, 1945, following a 96–60 vote in favor. The townspeople celebrated by establishing an annual summer festival, the Timberbowl, which ran until 1967 and was initially used to raise funds for a fire engine and other equipment. A two-story town hall

5964-444: The town's workers is approximately 36.5 minutes; 85.3 percent of commuters drove alone to their workplace, while 6.8 percent carpooled and 6.2 percent walked or used other modes of transport. Darrington is the third-smallest incorporated place in Snohomish County, ahead of Woodway and Index , with a population of 1,462 as of the 2020 census . Historically, the Darrington area's population peaked at an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 in

6048-446: The traditions and customs in the Darrington area. The term "going down below" is sometimes used among Darrington residents to refer to trips outside of the town. Memorial dinners and fundraisers during funerals are hosted by its residents, typically attended by up to a fourth of the town's population. Darrington also has a strong tradition of volunteerism , which it sometimes relies on in lieu of municipal services. Darrington has

6132-456: The two rivers towards the city of Arlington , located 30 miles (48 km) to the west, and Rockport . It had a population of 1,347 at the 2010 census . Non-indigenous settlement in the area began in 1891 at the site of a Skagit campsite between the two rivers, near the traditional home of the Sauk-Suiattle tribe. Prospectors had arrived in the area during the 1880s while looking for gold and other minerals, but were quickly displaced by

6216-561: The vicinity of Seattle. By the time Captain George Vancouver found the Sound in 1792, early native people had already been there for over 5,000 years. Logging started as early as 1853. In the 1880s logging railroads cut their way into Puget Sound. 1886 the St. Helens fire burned 300,000 acres (1,200 km ). Mount Rainier National Park started in 1899. The 1902 Yacolt Burn burned 600,000 acres (2,400 km ). Olympic National Park

6300-413: The word "dare". By the end of the decade, the town had gained a schoolhouse , a general store , a hotel , and a postmaster , Fred Olds, whose horse inspired the naming of Whitehorse Mountain . Darrington's residents lobbied the Seattle and International Railway for the construction of a branch line from Arlington to the town as early as 1895, offering a 15-year contract to ship 75 percent of

6384-559: The years following the railroad's completion, as mining fortunes in the surrounding area dwindled. Most of the original prospectors had left the Darrington area during the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, while those who remained established a single smelter in the mountains. A Bornite mine was later developed at Long Mountain in hopes of reviving mining in the area, but was abandoned after its mineral deposits were found to be smaller than expected. By 1906, Darrington had more than

6468-438: Was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 27.1 percent under the age of 18, 6.9 percent from 18 to 24, 27.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.9 percent from 45 to 64, and 16.6 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for

6552-461: Was 816.4 inhabitants per square mile (315.2/km ). There were 644 housing units at an average density of 390.3 per square mile (150.7/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 92.4 percent White, 2.4 percent Native American, 0.4 percent Asian, 0.5 percent from other races, and 4.2 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.2 percent of the population. There were 567 households, of which 30.9 percent had children under

6636-765: Was active from 1955 to 1958, when it was folded into the Arlington Times . Darrington is surrounded by the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest and serves as the headquarters of the Darrington Ranger District, a unit of the U.S. Forest Service . The area includes three designated wilderness areas , Glacier Peak , Henry M. Jackson , and Boulder River , and over 300 miles (480 km) of hiking and backcountry trails that are also open to mountain biking and horseback riding . Darrington has several campgrounds , roadside recreational areas, fishing areas, and whitewater rafting courses along

6720-453: Was built in 1947, housing the town council chambers, offices for town officials, the police department , the fire department, and a public library . In 1952, the town built a dedicated community center to serve as a venue for various social functions and a general gymnasium with seating for 1,200 people. A new high school and municipal airport opened in 1958 at opposite ends of the town. Railroad companies with large timber holdings in

6804-534: Was established in 1938. George Vancouver explored Puget sound in 1792. Vancouver claimed it for Great Britain on June 4, 1792, naming it for one of his officers, Lieutenant Peter Puget . It became part of the Oregon Country , and became U.S. territory when the 1846 Oregon Treaty was signed. After arriving along the Oregon Trail , many settlers wandered north to what is now Washington and settled

6888-424: Was improved. A local improvement club established a fire department , a municipal water supply , and electrical service. Standard Oil built an auxiliary gas station in 1922 to serve the area, and a stagecoach service started at the same time. Darrington gained its first movie theater in 1923, a high school in 1925, and a purpose-built jail that replaced a disused boxcar . Falling lumber prices during

6972-456: Was re-elected. Some Democrats have succeeded in Darrington, however. In the 2012 presidential election , Barack Obama won the town with 52 percent of the vote. Darrington describes itself as a self-sufficient and tight-knit community, owing to its isolation and small population. Descendants of emigrants from North Carolina , particularly the Sylva area, after World War II , shaped many of

7056-483: Was the primary port for trade with Alaska and the rest of the country and for a time possessed a large shipbuilding industry. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II , and the Boeing Company became established in the area. During World War II the Puget Sound area became a focus for the war industry, with Boeing producing many of

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