WELCOME TO NORTH SOUND
The North Sound area doesn’t have a defined border, but generally covers the suburbs North of Seattle, from Shoreline to Everett, East to Bothell. This area provides unbeatable opportunity for culture, access to employment centers, and affordable living.
With regional leaders recognizing the astronomical growth in the area, several regional enhancements have recently been implemented, or in the planning stages. These improvements includes the new passenger service at Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport in Everett, with service by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines beginning in February and March of 2019. The other massive infrastructure project is Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail Extension, with phased stations and extension being completed over a period extending into the 2040’s. Service is scheduled to begin in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, and Lynnwood, in 2023. Further extensions to Mukilteo in Everett are set to be phased in over future years. If you need to commute to downtown Seattle, the Sound Transit Sounder service is for you, with direct commute-hours train service from Everett, Mukilteo, and Edmonds to Seattle with regularly scheduled service.
Outside of public transit options, the North Sound’s highway system gives residents easy access to shopping and employment centers in downtown Seattle and the Eastside. Right in the middle of everything, I-5 and I-405 meet. You’ll also find easy access to State Route 9, Highway 99, State Route 522 with access to points East such as Monroe and Woodinville, and State Route 525 leading into Mukilteo. New High Occupancy Toll, or HOT lanes make travel to the Eastside a breeze, even during rush hour traffic.
The North Sound area has tremendous opportunity for outdoor lovers. Numerous parks, covering thousands of acres, are within easy access to nearly everyone, from Shoreline’s Richmond Beach Saltwater Park to Everett’s waterfront parks with small ferry service to Jetty Island. If you can’t wait to get on the water, plentiful marinas and boat launches will make it easy for you. And if you’d prefer to just be a passenger, Washington’s ferry system is hard to beat, with service in Edmonds and Mukilteo, transporting passengers to Kingston’s charming downtown or Whidbey Island’s spectacular natural areas or top wineries.
North Sound is also home to award-winning school districts, from Shoreline to the Northshore District, serving Bothell, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore. You’ll also find many specialty STEM and international schools, in addition to world-class private schools.
In addition to K-12 education, North Sound has countless opportunities for higher education, including Edmonds Community College, Shoreline Community College, Everett Community College, Bastyr University in Kenmore, and the University of Washington’s Bothell campus, which provides easy access to most of UW’s programs.
If healthcare is a priority for you, North Sound delivers. The area boasts world-class healthcare systems, including Swedish Medical Center’s campus in Edmonds, and Providence Health Care’s large medical and trauma center in Everett. Snohomish County provides world-class emergency medicine through multiple Medic One agencies. Just few miles South in Seattle is one the largest core areas of top-rated medicine on the West Coast, from Harborview Medical Center’s Level 4 trauma center to Virginia Mason Hospital’s countless speciality services.
North Sound is home to many large area employers. In Bothell, you’ll find some of the top biotech companies in Washington in the Canyon Park area. It’s hard to miss Boeing’s influence on the area as well, with direct employment of over 45,000 people in Everett, plus dozens of aerospace suppliers adding tens of thousands of more jobs. While Paine Field will soon boast commercial flights, it is widely known in the area as the unofficial home of Boeing. The largest building in the world resides here, where Boeing’s 747, 787, 777, and 767 planes roll off manufacturing lines. Countless other aircraft from around the world can also be seen coming and going for maintenance at Boeing’s facilities here.
Living in the North Sound area will also put you close to many of the greater Seattle area’s outdoor attractions. You can jump on the Amtrak Cascades and leave the stress of driving behind, with several daily departures to points North including Vancouver, BC and Whistler, and going as far South as Los Angeles, CA.
During the winter, many North Sound residents take advantage of the closeness of the area’s ski resorts, with Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and Crystal Mountain all within a few hours’ drive. Summer hikers are just minutes from many of the top hikes in the Seattle area, including Wallace Falls and Rattlesnake Ridge.
A short drive North to Skagit and Whatcom Counties gives unbeatable views of Puget Sound along Chuckanut Drive. If you want a leisurely Springtime activity, it’s hard to beat Skagit Valley’s annual Tulip Festival. A stop in Bellingham extends your outdoor opportunities, and the countless breweries are a must for beer lovers. For star gazers looking for the best location in Western Washington, a short drive out to Artist Point will not disappoint.
Driving a little further out, residents here are just a few hours from beautiful destinations such as Portland to the South and Vancouver, BC to the North. Cruises to Alaska sail regularly out of Seattle and Vancouver during the summer months, adding to the exploration possibilities of the Northwest.