Exploring Everett - Tygart Media

Tygart Media

Category: Exploring Everett

Everett, Washington is in the middle of something big. A $1 billion waterfront transformation. A Boeing workforce that built the world’s largest commercial jets. A port city with a downtown that’s finally catching up to its potential. A Navy presence at Naval Station Everett. A comedy and arts scene punching above its weight. And neighborhoods — Riverside, Silver Lake, Downtown, Bayside — each with their own identity and story.

Exploring Everett is Tygart Media’s hyperlocal coverage vertical for Snohomish County’s largest city. We cover the waterfront redevelopment, Boeing and Paine Field, city hall, the food and arts scene, real estate, neighborhoods, and everything in between — written for people who live here, work here, or are paying attention to what’s coming.

Coverage categories include: Everett News, Waterfront Development, Boeing & Aerospace, Business, Arts & Culture, Food & Drink, Real Estate, Neighborhoods, Government, Schools, Public Safety, Events, and Outdoors.

Exploring Everett content is also published at exploringeverett.com.

  • Everett’s Flock Camera Network and Washington’s Driver Privacy Act: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Pause, the Law, and the May 14 Hearing

    Everett’s Flock Camera Network and Washington’s Driver Privacy Act: The Complete 2026 Guide to the Pause, the Law, and the May 14 Hearing

    Why are Everett’s Flock license plate cameras back on? On April 22, 2026, the City of Everett confirmed it had reactivated its 68-camera Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) network after Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002 — the Driver Privacy Act — on March 30, 2026. SB 6002 exempts ALPR footage from the state Public Records Act, reversing the practical effect of a February 2026 Snohomish County Superior Court ruling that had forced Everett to pause the entire network. Most cameras came back online April 7. A Superior Court hearing on May 14, 2026 will test whether the pre-law February ruling still stands, even though the underlying statute has changed.

    The Short Version of a Long Story

    Everett’s Flock camera saga has four chapters:

    • Chapter 1 — Deployment. Everett Police Department deployed 68 Flock Safety ALPR cameras across the city over 2023–2024 as a stolen-vehicle, missing-person, and major-crime investigation tool. The cameras read license plates of passing vehicles, tag time and location, and retain data for a set period.
    • Chapter 2 — The Public Records Lawsuit. In February 2026, a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled that Everett’s ALPR footage qualifies as a public record under Washington’s Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). Under that reading, anyone could file a public records request and obtain license-plate scan data — a result the city said was incompatible with operating the system, since disclosing plate data would let anyone track anyone else.
    • Chapter 3 — The Pause. Everett turned off the Flock network in February 2026. Stanwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Redmond made similar decisions around the same time.
    • Chapter 4 — SB 6002 and the Reactivation. Washington’s legislature passed Senate Bill 6002, the Driver Privacy Act, in the 2026 session. Gov. Ferguson signed it on March 30, 2026. Everett filed a motion April 3 asking the court to vacate the February ruling in light of the new law. The city restarted the cameras on April 7.

    What SB 6002 — the Driver Privacy Act — Actually Does

    SB 6002 is a Washington state law that simultaneously tightens privacy protections on ALPR use and exempts ALPR data from public records disclosure. It’s structured as a trade: law enforcement retains the investigative tool, but under new statewide guardrails.

    Key provisions:

    • 21-day retention cap. ALPR data must be deleted within 21 days unless tied to an active investigation.
    • Warrant requirement for private-entity data. Law enforcement cannot obtain ALPR data from private entities without a warrant.
    • Ban on sale of ALPR data. Buying and selling ALPR data is prohibited.
    • Sensitive-location prohibition. ALPR cameras may not be positioned to capture data at or around immigration-related facilities, reproductive healthcare facilities, schools, places of worship, courts, and food banks.
    • Public Records Act exemption. ALPR footage is now explicitly exempt from public disclosure under the Public Records Act — the provision that enabled Everett and similar cities to reactivate their networks.
    • Audit and transparency requirements. Regular auditing and transparency reporting, with enforceable accountability measures carrying legal consequences for agency or vendor violations.

    What Happens on May 14

    The May 14, 2026 Superior Court hearing was originally scheduled to address the February ruling that forced the pause. The legal question now is whether that ruling survives SB 6002. Everett’s motion argues that the new Public Records Act exemption renders the February ruling moot. The opposing parties — including the plaintiff who originally sought the ALPR data as public record — can argue the February ruling applied to data captured before SB 6002’s effective date and should still require disclosure.

    Three outcomes are possible:

    • The judge vacates the February ruling — the clearest win for the city and ends the specific dispute.
    • The judge rules SB 6002 applies prospectively, preserving the pre-law ruling on pre-law data but not on anything captured after March 30.
    • The judge denies the motion — forcing the city either to continue operating under partial disclosure exposure or pause again while appealing.

    How the 68 Cameras Are Deployed

    Everett’s Flock network is sited on arterial roads and high-volume intersections across the city, with typical camera placements chosen for traffic throughput rather than neighborhood surveillance. Police department public materials have described the system’s primary use cases as stolen vehicle recovery, Amber and Silver Alert searches, missing-persons cases, and major-crime investigation. Flock’s own white papers emphasize plate-reading speed and hotlist matching against state and federal databases.

    Under SB 6002, camera placements near sensitive locations (immigration facilities, reproductive healthcare, schools, houses of worship, courts, food banks) have to be reviewed. Everett has not publicly released a camera-by-camera audit of its 68-camera network against the new statute’s sensitive-location list, though the law’s compliance window allows time for that review.

    Why This Everett Story Matters Statewide

    Everett is one of the largest Washington cities that had its ALPR system forced offline by the February Public Records ruling. Its reactivation playbook — file a motion to vacate, cite SB 6002, restart the cameras while awaiting a hearing — is the template other paused Washington cities are likely to follow. Stanwood has publicly announced reactivation. Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Redmond are each making their own decisions about whether and when to turn systems back on. The May 14 Everett hearing is effectively a test case for every Washington city still waiting on a ruling.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When did Everett turn its Flock cameras off and when did they come back on?

    Everett paused its 68-camera Flock ALPR network in February 2026 after a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled the footage qualified as a public record. Most cameras came back online April 7, 2026, after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed SB 6002 on March 30.

    What is SB 6002, the Driver Privacy Act?

    SB 6002 is a 2026 Washington state law that regulates automated license plate reader use, requires a 21-day data retention cap, prohibits sale of ALPR data, bans camera placement at sensitive locations including immigration facilities and reproductive healthcare, and exempts ALPR footage from the state Public Records Act.

    How many Flock cameras does Everett have?

    Everett’s Flock Safety network is made up of 68 ALPR cameras positioned on arterial roads and high-volume intersections across the city.

    What does the May 14 Superior Court hearing decide?

    The May 14, 2026 hearing addresses Everett’s April 3 motion to vacate the February Superior Court ruling that had forced the ALPR network offline. The court will decide whether SB 6002’s Public Records Act exemption nullifies that earlier ruling, or whether pre-law data remains subject to disclosure.

    Can I still file a public records request for Flock camera footage in Everett?

    Under SB 6002, ALPR footage is now exempt from the Washington Public Records Act. Public records requests for Flock camera data are unlikely to be granted. The May 14 hearing will clarify whether any data captured before March 30, 2026 remains subject to the older ruling.

    How long does Everett keep Flock camera data?

    SB 6002 requires ALPR data to be deleted within 21 days of capture unless the data is tied to an active investigation. Everett’s retention policy must comply with that statewide 21-day cap.

    What sensitive locations are protected from Flock camera placement under SB 6002?

    SB 6002 prohibits ALPR camera placements that capture data at or around facilities related to immigration matters, reproductive healthcare, schools, places of worship, courts, and food banks.

    Are other Washington cities reactivating their Flock cameras too?

    Yes. Stanwood has publicly announced reactivation. Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Redmond — each of which had shut down ALPR systems during 2025 or early 2026 — are each making their own reactivation decisions. Everett’s May 14 hearing is the closest-watched test case.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage

    Related coverage in this series

  • The Snohomish County $340M Frigate Fight: What Naval Station Everett’s FF(X) Lobbying Effort Is Really Worth

    The Snohomish County $340M Frigate Fight: What Naval Station Everett’s FF(X) Lobbying Effort Is Really Worth

    Why is Snohomish County’s entire federal delegation fighting for Naval Station Everett to get the FF(X) frigate homeport? Because Naval Station Everett is a $340-million-a-year engine for the north Snohomish County economy today, and the FF(X) decision is the difference between that number growing meaningfully over the next decade or being capped at current levels — which, in base-realignment terms, eventually means risk. Rep. Rick Larsen, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, and Economic Alliance Snohomish County are all public, aligned, and specific about what they want: the FF(X) homeport, on the same infrastructure and Pacific-access grounds that won Everett the Constellation-class assignment in 2021.

    The $340 Million Figure — What It Actually Covers

    Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s public estimate is that Naval Station Everett generates approximately $340 million in annual regional economic activity. That figure is built from three layers:

    • Direct payroll: Active-duty sailor pay, civilian federal employee pay, and on-base contractor pay. Roughly 6,000 personnel total.
    • Base contracting: Ship maintenance contracts, facilities services, food service, and supply purchases that flow through local vendors.
    • Multiplier effects: Housing spending, retail, childcare, medical services, schools, and small-business demand generated by Navy families living in north Snohomish County.

    When officials talk about Everett’s frigate future, this is the number at stake.

    What the Constellation Cancellation Cost the County

    Twelve Constellation-class frigates were supposed to arrive in Everett between 2026 and 2028, bringing approximately 2,900 additional personnel plus dependents. That’s the growth trajectory Economic Alliance Snohomish County had been modeling: roughly a 50% increase in active-duty population, a proportional bump in economic activity, and the pier and infrastructure investment that comes with preparing a base for a new class. On November 25, 2025, all of that was cancelled when Secretary Phelan pulled the plug on the program.

    The December 19, 2025 FF(X) announcement is Plan B. A replacement class — Legend-class cutter-based, first launched in 2028, with homeports still to be decided — offers Everett a path back to growth, but on a longer timeline and at a smaller per-hull population than Constellation would have delivered.

    The Coalition — Who’s Lobbying and Why It Matters

    Snohomish County’s FF(X) lobbying coalition is unusually unified for a federal military basing decision:

    • Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) is ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee — the committee with direct jurisdiction over surface combatant basing, homeporting directives, and military construction funding. That’s the single most consequential seat in Congress for this fight.
    • Sen. Maria Cantwell sits on Senate Commerce and has long championed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Navy workforce issues.
    • Sen. Patty Murray chairs Senate Appropriations — if FY2027 Navy MilCon funding for Everett pier upgrades is needed, it flows through her committee.
    • County Executive Dave Somers carries the local-government economic development pitch, the existing-infrastructure argument, and the political cover for any base-access or transportation investment the county would need to contribute.
    • Economic Alliance Snohomish County is the private-sector backbone, aligning the Chamber, aerospace suppliers, healthcare networks, and education institutions behind the homeport case.

    Why Everett’s Infrastructure Case Still Holds

    The arguments that won Everett the Constellation homeport assignment in 2021 have not changed for FF(X):

    • Deepwater Pacific access. Direct egress without an Intracoastal or Atlantic transit — matters for Pacific Fleet forward-deployment pacing.
    • Existing pier inventory. Everett’s own piers plus access to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for dry-dock availabilities.
    • Housing headroom. Navy Housing Northwest inventory and the broader Snohomish County market can absorb additional personnel at the FF(X) scale without the pressure San Diego or Pearl Harbor would face.
    • Workforce continuity. A labor market already tuned to Navy work, augmented by IAM 751-level manufacturing depth at Boeing Everett.

    The Growth Math If Everett Wins FF(X)

    A twelve-ship FF(X) homeport at approximately 140 sailors per hull — versus Constellation’s 200-plus — produces a growth curve smaller than the Constellation plan but still meaningful. Roughly 1,700 additional active-duty personnel, plus dependents, plus support commands. On the $340M baseline, a frigate-class homeport win should add a low-nine-figure annual economic impact increment by the mid-2030s once the class is fully operational at Everett.

    The Downside Risk If Everett Doesn’t Win

    If the FF(X) class is homeported elsewhere — likely San Diego or a new Pacific Fleet site — Naval Station Everett’s near-term footprint is stable but its growth story is effectively closed for the rest of the decade. In military basing terms, a static base is a vulnerable base when future Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) rounds eventually occur. Every five-to-ten years, the politics of federal military consolidation put smaller homeports on the defensive. Winning FF(X) doesn’t make Everett BRAC-proof, but losing it meaningfully shortens the runway.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much is Naval Station Everett worth to Snohomish County’s economy right now?

    Economic Alliance Snohomish County estimates the base generates approximately $340 million in annual regional economic activity through payroll, base contracting, and multiplier effects on housing, retail, schools, and medical services.

    What was Snohomish County supposed to gain from the Constellation-class frigates?

    Twelve Constellation-class frigates would have brought approximately 2,900 additional personnel plus dependents to Naval Station Everett between 2026 and 2028, growing the base’s population by roughly 50% and delivering a proportional bump to the $340M annual economic impact figure.

    How many sailors would FF(X) bring compared to Constellation?

    FF(X) is planned for about 140 sailors per hull versus Constellation’s 200-plus. A twelve-ship FF(X) class would bring roughly 1,700 active-duty personnel, compared to Constellation’s planned 2,900 — a smaller population bump, but still a meaningful growth story.

    Why is Rep. Rick Larsen’s HASC Seapower seat the most important piece of this?

    The House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee has direct jurisdiction over surface combatant basing, homeport directives, and Navy MilCon funding. As ranking member, Larsen is positioned to shape the committee’s language on FF(X) homeport decisions — a lever no other member of Washington’s delegation holds.

    Could Naval Station Everett be closed if it doesn’t win FF(X)?

    Not in the near term. Everett’s current five-ship footprint is stable through the decade. However, losing the FF(X) growth story caps the base at current levels and, over the longer horizon of future BRAC rounds, increases vulnerability to consolidation decisions. That’s the strategic argument underneath the lobbying effort.

    When will the FF(X) homeport decision be announced?

    Homeport announcements typically precede lead-hull launch by 12–18 months. With first FF(X) launch targeted for 2028, the homeport decision window is approximately 2026–2027. FY2027 Navy budget language, released in early 2026, may contain early signals.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage

    Related coverage in this series

  • For Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett: What the FF(X) Frigate Decision Means for PCS Plans, School Choices, and the Next Decade

    For Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett: What the FF(X) Frigate Decision Means for PCS Plans, School Choices, and the Next Decade

    If you’re a Navy family at Naval Station Everett, what does the FF(X) frigate announcement actually change for your life? Short version: nothing in the next 24 months, and potentially a lot in the next decade. The twelve Constellation-class frigates that were going to reshape Everett’s base population between 2026 and 2028 are cancelled. The replacement program — FF(X), based on the Coast Guard’s Legend-class cutter — won’t see its first hull launched until 2028, with homeports announced sometime between 2026 and 2027 and first operational arrivals in the early 2030s. If you’re PCSing to Everett this summer, Everett is still a five-ship homeport with roughly 6,000 personnel. If you’re thinking about what it means to buy here, put kids in Mukilteo schools, or build a second career in Everett — the longer horizon matters.

    What’s Staying the Same for Navy Families at NAVSTA Everett

    The three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers currently homeported at Naval Station Everett, including USS Gridley, are not affected by the Constellation cancellation or the FF(X) decision. The five-ship current footprint — destroyers plus supporting ships and commands — is stable through the rest of the decade. Base housing at Navy Housing Northwest, on-base childcare, the Navy Exchange, the commissary, and all family-support services run out of Fleet and Family Support Center Everett continue to operate at current capacity.

    For a family receiving PCS orders to Everett in 2026 or 2027, the base experience you’re moving into is the one current Everett families know: a mid-size Pacific Fleet homeport with roughly 6,000 uniformed and civilian personnel, strong ties to Mukilteo and Everett school districts, and the same commute patterns to on-base work.

    What Changes If Everett Wins the FF(X) Homeport

    If Rep. Rick Larsen’s ongoing lobbying effort succeeds and Naval Station Everett is named the FF(X) homeport, the growth arrives in three waves:

    • Early 2030s: First FF(X) hulls begin arriving. Twelve-ship class at ~140 sailors per hull means approximately 1,700 additional active-duty personnel over the arrival period, plus dependents — roughly 1,000 more school-age children and 1,500 more household moves through the local housing market.
    • Pier and infrastructure work: Shore power upgrades, additional berthing capacity, and expanded dry-dock utilization at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for mid-life availabilities. This is multi-year construction that starts before the first hull arrives.
    • Support command growth: Frigate training detachments, maintenance liaison teams, and expanded logistics commands typically follow a new class assignment.

    The Smaller Crew Size Actually Matters

    The Constellation class was designed for 200-plus sailors per hull. FF(X) is currently planned for about 140. For Navy families, that’s a 30% reduction in the per-ship footprint. If you assumed Everett would get a Constellation-scale population bump, the FF(X) class delivers something closer to two-thirds of that story. Housing pressure on Mukilteo, Marysville, and south Everett neighborhoods would be meaningfully less than the 2021–2024 projections suggested. Schools would absorb fewer new students per class arrival. The base’s baseline six-ship-plus operational footprint would still grow, just not as sharply.

    What to Watch If You’re PCSing to Everett

    The FF(X) homeport decision is the single biggest open variable for Everett Navy family planning over the next 24 months. Three signals to track:

    • FY2027 Navy budget (released early 2026): Homeport language, if included, will name candidate bases for pier-upgrade funding. If Everett appears in Navy Military Construction line items, the assignment is likely moving in Everett’s direction.
    • Pier infrastructure RFPs: NAVFAC Northwest issues construction solicitations when new class arrivals are being prepared for. Watch SAM.gov for Everett-pier work.
    • Rep. Larsen’s HASC Seapower Subcommittee markups: As ranking member, Larsen’s committee language on FF(X) homeport directives is public and frequently explicit about candidate bases.

    Housing and Schools in the Meantime

    Everett’s housing market in April 2026 shows a median home price near $577,000, a Snohomish County median closer to $730,000, and three distinct price-band submarkets that behave very differently. For Navy families using VA loans or looking at Basic Allowance for Housing trade-offs, the under-$750K band in Everett proper is still the most accessible entry point on the commute radius.

    School choice remains centered on Mukilteo School District (for families living on or near base), Everett Public Schools (for Rucker Hill, Bayside, and downtown-adjacent neighborhoods), and Marysville School District for families north of the base. The Mukilteo district’s Navy-family concentration is reflected in extensive on-base liaison programming at Fleet and Family Support Center Everett.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are the ships currently at Naval Station Everett going away?

    No. The three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (including USS Gridley) and supporting ships currently homeported at NAVSTA Everett are stable for the rest of the decade. The Constellation cancellation and FF(X) announcement affect only the planned addition of new frigate hulls, not the existing fleet.

    Will my PCS to Everett in 2026 or 2027 be affected by the FF(X) decision?

    No. The FF(X) class has not been built yet. First hull launches in 2028, first operational arrival at a homeport is targeted for the early 2030s. Any PCS to Everett in the next several years lands you at a base with today’s footprint.

    If Everett wins the FF(X) assignment, how many more Navy families would move to the area?

    A twelve-ship FF(X) class at approximately 140 sailors per hull would bring roughly 1,700 additional active-duty personnel to Naval Station Everett over the arrival period, plus dependents. That’s smaller than the 2,900 personnel the Constellation class would have delivered, which means housing and school impact would also be meaningfully smaller.

    When will we know if NAVSTA Everett is getting the FF(X) homeport?

    The Navy typically announces homeports 12–18 months before lead-hull launch. With first FF(X) launch targeted for 2028, homeport announcements are expected in the 2026–2027 window. FY2027 Navy budget documents released in early 2026 may include early signals.

    Who can help me navigate what all this means for my family’s planning?

    Fleet and Family Support Center Everett is the primary on-base resource for PCS planning, spouse employment, childcare, and school liaison. For ombudsman contact through your sailor’s command, check the CNIC NAVSTA Everett page. For VA claims help post-separation, Snohomish County Veterans Assistance at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue and the Everett Vet Center remain the key access points — see our NAVSTA Everett VA claims help guide for the current landscape.

    Should I buy a house in Everett or wait to see what happens with FF(X)?

    For a decision horizon shorter than five years, FF(X) should not drive your housing choice — first arrivals are early-2030s at earliest, and the class’s smaller per-hull crew means the housing-market effect will be gradual rather than a step-change. Base your decision on current Everett market conditions, your BAH, and your family’s fit with Mukilteo vs. Everett vs. Marysville school districts.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage for Navy Families

    Related coverage in this series

  • The FF(X) Frigate and Naval Station Everett: The Complete 2026 Guide to What’s Left to Win After the Constellation Cancellation

    The FF(X) Frigate and Naval Station Everett: The Complete 2026 Guide to What’s Left to Win After the Constellation Cancellation

    Is Naval Station Everett still getting new frigates? Not yet. The twelve Constellation-class frigates originally assigned to Everett are gone — Secretary of the Navy John Phelan cancelled the program on November 25, 2025. On December 19, 2025, the Navy announced a replacement class called FF(X) based on Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Legend-class National Security Cutter, with the lead ship to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi and launched in 2028. The Navy has not announced homeports for the FF(X). Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) and Snohomish County officials are actively lobbying Navy leadership to assign the new class to Everett on the same Pacific-access grounds that won the Constellation assignment in 2021.

    Why Everett’s Frigate Future Matters Right Now

    Naval Station Everett is home to roughly 6,000 active-duty sailors and civilians across five ships and supporting commands. Economic Alliance Snohomish County has consistently pegged the base’s annual economic impact at approximately $340 million. For four years, that number was supposed to climb. Twelve Constellation-class guided-missile frigates were scheduled to arrive in Everett between 2026 and 2028, bringing an estimated 2,900 additional personnel, new pier work, and a generational reset for the base.

    Then the Constellation program collapsed. Cost overruns, schedule slips, and a design that had diverged too far from its FREMM parent hull led the Navy to pull the plug in late November 2025. By December 19, Secretary Phelan and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle had announced the replacement: a new class called FF(X), based on a design the Coast Guard has been operating successfully for nearly two decades.

    What the FF(X) Actually Is

    The FF(X) is a roughly 4,000-ton surface combatant based on HII’s Legend-class National Security Cutter — the 418-foot platform the Coast Guard uses for its largest cutters. The Navy’s version will keep the proven hull and propulsion but add combat systems sized for a frigate mission: likely a vertical launch system, upgraded radar, and a raised platform over the open boat deck for containerized mission packages. Crew size is planned at about 140 sailors, substantially smaller than the 200-plus Constellation-class complement.

    The first FF(X) will be built at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi — the same yard that builds the Legend-class cutters. Additional builders will be added through competition, which matters because the Navy wants production rates higher than any single yard can sustain. The first ship is expected to be launched in 2028. Homeports have not been announced.

    Everett’s Case — And Why It’s Still Strong

    Naval Station Everett won the original Constellation-class homeport assignment in 2021 for reasons that have not changed: deepwater access, direct Pacific egress without an Intracoastal run, existing family-housing inventory at Navy Region Northwest, and the backbone of support commands already stood up in Puget Sound. The pier infrastructure improvements that were planned for the Constellation arrival — shore power upgrades, expanded dry-dock access at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and berthing capacity at Everett’s own piers — are still needed for any frigate class the Pacific Fleet wants to forward-deploy.

    Rep. Rick Larsen, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee and the congressman representing Everett, has been explicit about his ask: homeport the FF(X) class at Naval Station Everett. The argument is infrastructure readiness plus strategic geography. If the Navy wants FF(X) hulls operating in the Western Pacific quickly, Everett is the least friction-heavy option on the West Coast. San Diego is already saturated. Pearl Harbor is stretched. Everett has pier room, housing headroom, and a workforce already trained on frigate-adjacent platforms.

    What Changed Between Constellation and FF(X)

    Three things shifted that matter for Everett:

    • Smaller crews. Constellation-class was designed for 200-plus sailors per ship. FF(X) is currently planned for about 140. If the same twelve-ship end strength is preserved, that reduces the Everett population bump from roughly 2,900 to closer to 2,000 personnel and dependents — still a meaningful number for Everett housing and schools, but materially smaller.
    • Later first delivery. Constellation’s first hull was supposed to arrive at Everett in 2026. FF(X) first launch is targeted for 2028, with first operational deployment and homeport assignment several years beyond that. Everett’s frigate economic bump, if won, is a late-2020s story, not an immediate one.
    • A different builder geography. Constellation was a Marinette, Wisconsin hull. FF(X) is Pascagoula. For Snohomish County’s aerospace-adjacent defense suppliers, that shifts some of the maintenance and sustainment opportunity structure — the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard work for mid-life availabilities becomes more important than builder-yard proximity.

    The Snohomish County $340M Economic Argument

    Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s public messaging during the Constellation cancellation campaign centered on a consistent figure: Naval Station Everett generates approximately $340 million in annual regional economic activity. That includes direct payroll, base contracting, and the multiplier effect on housing, retail, schools, and medical services in north Snohomish County. A frigate homeport assignment would grow that number. Losing the assignment permanently — with no FF(X) replacement — would cap it at current levels and risk future base-realignment vulnerability.

    That economic case is the throughline of the current lobbying push. Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Larsen, and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers have all been publicly aligned on Everett’s candidacy for the FF(X) homeport.

    The Timeline — What to Watch

    • 2026: FF(X) detailed design work at Ingalls; Navy budget documents may begin naming candidate homeports.
    • 2027: Construction of lead hull begins. Pier-infrastructure RFPs at potential homeports start clarifying which bases are being seriously considered.
    • 2028: Lead FF(X) launched at Pascagoula. Homeport announcements typically precede launch by 12–18 months, so the homeport decision window for the first hull is roughly 2026–2027.
    • Early 2030s: First operational deployment and arrival at homeport.

    What Everett Loses If It Doesn’t Win FF(X)

    The existing five-ship footprint at NAVSTA Everett — three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Gridley and her sister destroyers and support ships — is stable for the rest of the decade. Nothing in the FF(X) decision threatens the base’s current assignments. What’s at stake is the growth story: additional hulls, additional sailors, the pier improvements that were already scoped for Constellation, and the political durability that comes from being a growing homeport rather than a static one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When did the Navy cancel the Constellation-class frigates Everett was supposed to receive?

    Secretary of the Navy John Phelan announced the cancellation of the Constellation-class program on November 25, 2025. The twelve ships originally planned for Naval Station Everett will not be built.

    What is the FF(X) frigate?

    The FF(X) is the Navy’s replacement frigate class, announced December 19, 2025. It is based on Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Legend-class National Security Cutter — the same 418-foot, 4,000-ton design the U.S. Coast Guard operates. The first ship is to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched in 2028.

    Will Naval Station Everett get the FF(X) frigates?

    The Navy has not announced homeports for the FF(X) class. Rep. Rick Larsen, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Sen. Patty Murray, and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers are publicly lobbying for Naval Station Everett to receive the assignment, citing the same Pacific-access and infrastructure arguments that won Everett the Constellation homeport in 2021.

    How many sailors would FF(X) bring to Everett if the base is selected?

    If the Navy holds to a twelve-ship assignment and a crew size of roughly 140 per hull, the FF(X) fleet would bring approximately 1,700–2,000 sailors plus dependents to Naval Station Everett — smaller than the 2,900 personnel the Constellation program would have delivered, but still a material increase over today’s footprint.

    When could the first FF(X) frigate arrive at Naval Station Everett?

    Based on the December 2025 Navy timeline, the first FF(X) hull is targeted for launch in 2028. Homeport assignment typically occurs 12–18 months before launch, and first operational arrival at a homeport happens 1–2 years after commissioning. Realistically, the earliest an FF(X) would arrive at Naval Station Everett — assuming Everett wins the assignment — is the early 2030s.

    What is Naval Station Everett’s current economic impact on Snohomish County?

    Economic Alliance Snohomish County estimates Naval Station Everett generates approximately $340 million in annual regional economic activity, supporting roughly 6,000 active-duty sailors and civilians and their dependents across the north Snohomish County economy.

    Which Navy ships are currently homeported at Naval Station Everett?

    Naval Station Everett currently homeports three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including USS Gridley, plus supporting ships and commands. The five-ship current footprint is stable for the rest of the decade and is not affected by the FF(X) homeport decision.

    Who is lobbying for Naval Station Everett to get the FF(X) homeport assignment?

    The public Everett coalition includes Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett), ranking member of the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee; Sen. Maria Cantwell; Sen. Patty Murray; Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers; and Economic Alliance Snohomish County. The lobbying focuses on Pacific-access geography, existing pier and housing infrastructure, and the readiness of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for maintenance availabilities.

    Related Exploring Everett Coverage

    Related coverage in this series

  • Everett Reactivates Flock Camera Network After SB 6002 Becomes Law

    Everett Reactivates Flock Camera Network After SB 6002 Becomes Law

    Why did Everett turn its Flock license plate cameras back on? On April 22, 2026, the City of Everett confirmed it had reactivated its network of 68 Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras after Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002 on March 30, 2026. The new state law — the Driver Privacy Act — exempts ALPR footage from the Public Records Act, which had led a Snohomish County judge to rule in February that Everett’s footage was public record and forced the city to pause the network. Most of Everett’s cameras came back online April 7, though a Superior Court hearing on May 14 will test whether the earlier ruling stands.

    What just happened with Everett’s Flock camera network

    On Tuesday, April 22, 2026, the City of Everett confirmed that its network of automated license plate reader cameras operated by Flock Safety has been reactivated. The cameras had been paused since February after a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled that Everett’s ALPR footage qualified as a public record under the state Public Records Act.

    According to city officials, Mayor Cassie Franklin directed the Everett Police Department to restart the cameras in early April. Most of the network was back online by April 7, 2026, according to the city. The city filed a motion in Snohomish County Superior Court on April 3 asking the judge to vacate the February ruling in light of a new state law signed just days earlier.

    The state law that changed the picture

    On March 30, 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 6002, known as the Driver Privacy Act. The law explicitly exempts ALPR footage from Washington’s Public Records Act. That single change reshaped the legal footing for every Washington city operating — or considering — a Flock network.

    SB 6002 also includes new guardrails that apply to every ALPR network in the state. According to the final bill text:

    • Agencies can retain ALPR data for no more than 21 days.
    • ALPR use is limited to specific categories of investigation.
    • Sharing data with federal agencies is prohibited.
    • ALPR collection is restricted near schools and health care facilities.

    The law’s stated purpose is to balance law enforcement access to license plate data with driver privacy — especially for people who might be targeted if their movements became discoverable through a public records request. The ACLU of Washington has objected to the law’s 21-day retention period, calling the provision unacceptable; the organization says the original version of the legislation contemplated a 72-hour retention window.

    What Everett Police say the cameras have done

    Everett launched its Flock network in October 2024 under a two-year, $550,000 grant-funded contract signed in June 2024. The city operates 68 ALPR cameras across Everett.

    According to Everett Police, in the months between the October 2024 launch and the February 2026 pause the cameras were used in more than 250 arrests, along with stolen vehicle recoveries and missing-person locates. The city points to those numbers as the case for bringing the cameras back.

    City spokesperson Simone Tarver addressed the restart directly. “This new state law ensures that we can protect the privacy of residents — including victims of domestic violence, harassment, and stalking — from anyone who may have had the intention of misusing this information,” Tarver said. She added that “the strategic and responsible use of technology remains a priority for the City.”

    How Everett got here: a 6-month timeline

    The Everett Flock story has moved quickly through the courts and the Legislature. Here is the sequence of events, drawn from court filings, city statements, and state records:

    • October 2024: Everett launches 68-camera Flock network.
    • February 2026: A Snohomish County Superior Court judge rules that ALPR footage is public record. Everett pauses its network.
    • March 5, 2026: Everett files an appeal of the public records ruling.
    • March 30, 2026: Governor Ferguson signs SB 6002 (the Driver Privacy Act).
    • Early April 2026: Mayor Franklin directs EPD to reactivate cameras.
    • April 3, 2026: Everett files a motion in Superior Court to vacate the February ruling.
    • April 7, 2026: Most of Everett’s cameras are back online.
    • April 22, 2026: The city publicly confirms the reactivation.
    • May 14, 2026: Hearing scheduled on Everett’s motion to vacate.

    The May 14 hearing is the next legal checkpoint. If the court grants the motion to vacate, the February public-records ruling goes away. If it does not, Everett and Flock opponents will continue to argue in court about what, exactly, SB 6002 does to a case that was filed before the law existed.

    The federal data-sharing question

    One detail from the Flock rollout has drawn separate scrutiny. Public records reviewed by reporters showed that from April to June 2025, federal agencies — including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations — queried Everett’s Flock network. The access was possible because Everett, like many departments on the platform, had Flock’s “nationwide lookup” feature enabled until July 2025.

    EPD spokesperson Natalie Given described the feature. “While national look up feature was enabled, outside agencies would have had the ability to query all networks with the feature enabled en masse, including Everett’s,” Given said.

    Former Everett Police Chief John DeRousse confirmed that Flock’s user agreements restrict use to legitimate law enforcement purposes and prohibit civil immigration enforcement and First Amendment-protected activity. Under SB 6002, sharing ALPR data with federal agencies is now legally prohibited — a shift that formalizes what department policies had already required in many cases.

    Where other Washington cities stand

    Everett is not the only Washington city working through the Flock question. Each city has landed in a different place:

    • Mountlake Terrace canceled its Flock contract in December 2025 before the cameras were even installed, citing community division and public-records concerns.
    • Lynnwood terminated its Flock contract in February 2026, roughly seven months after installation, after resident pushback.
    • Stanwood is appealing a similar public-records ruling and reactivated its network on April 1, 2026.
    • Everett reactivated and is pursuing its motion to vacate, with the May 14 hearing as the next step.

    Those four trajectories — cancel, terminate, reactivate-and-appeal, reactivate-and-move — capture the range of policy responses a Washington city can take in the post-SB 6002 environment.

    What this means for Everett residents

    For most residents, the practical changes under SB 6002 are easy to summarize. ALPR data from Everett’s cameras can now be held for no longer than 21 days before deletion. Federal agencies cannot receive Everett’s data. ALPR collection locations near schools and health care facilities are restricted. Public-records requests for raw footage will be refused under the new exemption.

    What the cameras still do: read license plates as vehicles pass, flag plates against hot lists (stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, felony warrants), and log timestamps and locations that Everett Police can query during an investigation. That operational picture has not changed. The governance around it has.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are Everett’s Flock cameras back on?

    Yes. The City of Everett confirmed on April 22, 2026 that the cameras have been reactivated. Most of the 68-camera network was back online by April 7, 2026, after Mayor Cassie Franklin directed the Everett Police Department to restart the network in early April.

    What is SB 6002 and why does it matter?

    Senate Bill 6002, also known as the Driver Privacy Act, was signed by Governor Bob Ferguson on March 30, 2026. It exempts ALPR footage from Washington’s Public Records Act, sets a 21-day retention limit, prohibits sharing data with federal agencies, and restricts ALPR collection near schools and health care facilities.

    Why were Everett’s cameras shut off in February?

    A Snohomish County Superior Court judge ruled in February 2026 that Everett’s ALPR footage was a public record under the state Public Records Act. The city paused the network in response to the ruling while it evaluated its legal options.

    How many Flock cameras does Everett operate?

    Everett operates 68 Flock ALPR cameras across the city under a two-year, $550,000 grant-funded contract that was signed in June 2024.

    Can federal immigration agencies access Everett’s ALPR data?

    Under SB 6002, data sharing with federal agencies is now prohibited. Records show that federal agencies queried Everett’s network between April and June 2025 using Flock’s “nationwide lookup” feature, which Everett kept enabled until July 2025. That access is no longer permitted under state law.

    What happens at the May 14 court hearing?

    Snohomish County Superior Court is scheduled to hear Everett’s motion to vacate the February 2026 public-records ruling in light of SB 6002. If the motion is granted, the February ruling goes away. If not, litigation continues.

    How long can Everett Police keep ALPR data under the new law?

    SB 6002 caps retention of ALPR data at 21 days. The ACLU of Washington has said this window is too long and that the original version of the legislation called for 72 hours.

    Have any Washington cities walked away from Flock?

    Yes. Mountlake Terrace canceled its contract in December 2025 before installation. Lynnwood terminated its contract in February 2026. Stanwood and Everett have both reactivated their networks under SB 6002 but are still working through prior legal challenges.

  • Everett EMS Levy Goes to August 2026 Ballot: What the Lid Lift Means

    Everett EMS Levy Goes to August 2026 Ballot: What the Lid Lift Means

    What is Everett’s August 2026 EMS levy ballot measure? On April 22, 2026, the Everett City Council voted to send a property tax levy lid lift to the August 4 primary ballot. If voters approve, the city’s emergency medical services (EMS) levy rate would rise from $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to $0.50 per $1,000 — the rate voters originally approved in 2000. The typical Everett homeowner would pay about $80 more per year. The levy funds roughly 78 firefighter-paramedic positions inside the Everett Fire Department.

    What the Everett City Council actually did on April 22

    On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Everett City Council voted to place a property tax levy lid lift for emergency medical services on the August 4 primary ballot. The measure would restore the city’s EMS levy rate from its current $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to the $0.50 per $1,000 cap that Everett voters first approved in 2000.

    This is not a new tax. Washington state law limits how fast regular property tax collections can grow — no more than 1% per year, regardless of how fast property values rise. Over time, that 1% ceiling has pushed Everett’s effective EMS rate well below the ceiling voters originally said yes to. A levy lid lift asks voters for permission to reset the rate back up to the original cap.

    How much it costs a typical Everett household

    According to the city, the average Everett homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year if the measure passes. The exact dollar impact depends on a home’s assessed value, because the rate is applied per $1,000 of assessed value. A home assessed at $500,000, for example, would pay roughly $70 more annually — $250 at the new rate versus $180 at the current rate.

    Renters don’t pay property tax directly, but the cost is typically reflected in rents over time. Commercial property owners also pay the levy and may pass costs along to tenants.

    What the EMS levy actually funds

    The EMS levy is one of the primary funding sources for Everett’s emergency medical services — the ambulance, paramedic, and first-response medical calls handled by the Everett Fire Department. The levy currently supports about 78 positions inside the department, according to city documents presented at the April 22 meeting.

    When residents call 911 for a heart attack, a car crash, a fall, or an overdose, the people who arrive are paid largely through this levy. Everett Fire Department responds to thousands of medical calls per year — the overwhelming majority of its total call volume is medical, not fire.

    Why the levy is on the ballot again

    Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco addressed the City Council on April 22 in support of the measure. According to his statement, the EMS fund has remained solvent but call volume has grown and the cost of labor and medical supplies has risen since the last lid lift.

    “The fund has remained solvent throughout this period of extraordinary growth, also a global pandemic and increasing demands for service,” DeMarco told the council. “However, to remain stable and meet the growing emergency medical services needs of our community, the restoration of the levy is necessary.”

    The city notes that call volume at the Everett Fire Department is higher today than it was in 2018, when voters last restored the $0.50 rate. Labor and medical supply costs have also increased in that period.

    Everett’s levy history: 2000, 2010, 2018, 2026

    Everett voters have approved EMS levy lid lifts multiple times over the past 25 years, each time restoring the rate to the $0.50 per $1,000 cap that was originally authorized in 2000. The pattern is consistent:

    • 2000: Everett voters approved a permanent EMS levy at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
    • 2010: Voters approved a lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50 after state law had allowed it to drift downward.
    • 2018: Voters approved another lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50.
    • 2026: The current measure, scheduled for the August 4 primary ballot.

    The recurring nature of these votes is a direct consequence of Washington’s 1% property tax cap, which applies to most regular levies statewide and was established by Initiative 747 in 2001.

    What “levy lid lift” means in plain English

    A levy lid lift is a ballot measure that asks voters for permission to raise a regular property tax levy back up to a previously authorized cap. It does not create a new tax. It also does not authorize a rate higher than what voters previously approved.

    Without a lid lift, state law caps year-over-year growth in a regular property tax levy at 1%, even when property values and service costs rise faster than that. For a service like EMS — where labor costs, medical supplies, and call volume all outpace 1% inflation in most years — that ceiling gradually erodes purchasing power. A lid lift is the reset button.

    What happens next

    The measure now heads to the Snohomish County Auditor for placement on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. Ballots typically mail to registered voters roughly three weeks before election day. A simple majority (50% plus one) of voters in the City of Everett is required for the lid lift to pass.

    If the measure passes, the higher rate would take effect in the 2027 property tax year. If it fails, the current $0.36 rate would remain in place, and the city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund — a gap that would need to be closed either by reducing EMS service levels, shifting costs to Everett’s general fund (which is already projecting a $14 million gap in 2027), or returning to the ballot with a revised measure.

    How this fits into Everett’s larger 2027 budget picture

    The EMS levy vote does not directly close the city’s projected $14 million 2027 general fund gap, which was outlined at Mayor Cassie Franklin’s 2026 State of the City address. EMS is a separate, voter-approved fund. But the two pictures are connected: if the EMS levy fails, rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund, compounding the gap.

    This is the second major voter-facing budget decision Everett has surfaced in 2026. The first was the regional fire authority and library regionalization discussion raised as part of the 2027 budget conversation. The EMS levy is the first of these budget levers to actually reach a ballot.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will Everett voters decide on the EMS levy?

    The measure is scheduled for the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. Ballots typically mail to registered voters roughly three weeks before election day. A simple majority is required for the measure to pass.

    How much more will I pay if the EMS levy passes?

    The city estimates an average homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year. The exact amount depends on your home’s assessed value, because the rate is charged per $1,000 of assessed value. The rate would rise from $0.36 to $0.50 per $1,000.

    Is the EMS levy a new tax?

    No. The EMS levy was originally approved by Everett voters in 2000. The 2026 measure is a levy lid lift, which restores the rate back to the cap voters already authorized. It does not create a new tax and does not raise the rate above $0.50 per $1,000.

    What does the EMS levy pay for?

    The levy funds emergency medical services provided by the Everett Fire Department — ambulance, paramedic, and medical first-response calls. The levy currently supports approximately 78 positions inside the department.

    Why is this the third time Everett has voted on the $0.50 rate?

    Washington state law limits regular property tax levy growth to 1% per year, even when costs and property values rise faster. Over time, that cap pushes the effective levy rate below what voters originally approved. A lid lift is required to reset the rate back up to the authorized cap. Everett voters previously approved lid lifts in 2010 and 2018.

    What happens if the EMS levy fails in August?

    The current $0.36 rate would remain in place. The city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund, which would need to be closed by reducing service levels, shifting costs to the general fund, or returning to the ballot with a revised measure.

    Does this affect the stadium vote or the 2027 budget gap?

    Not directly. EMS is a separate, voter-approved fund and does not close the projected $14 million 2027 general fund gap. But rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund if the EMS levy fails.

    Who can vote on the Everett EMS levy?

    Registered voters who live inside the City of Everett are eligible. Voters outside Everett city limits — even elsewhere in Snohomish County — do not vote on this measure.

  • Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake: The 35-Acre Everett Park Most Locals Still Underuse

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake: The 35-Acre Everett Park Most Locals Still Underuse

    What is Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake is a 35.3-acre City of Everett park at 11405 Silver Lake Road. It wraps the south end of Silver Lake and offers a swimming beach (no lifeguards), a 9-hole disc golf course, three picnic shelters, self-serve kayak and paddleboard rentals, a playground, waterfront trails, and Silver Hall for events. The park is open 6 a.m. to dusk year-round. Small electric or gas motors (8 horsepower maximum) are allowed on the lake.

    The Everett park most locals drive past

    Silver Lake has a neighborhood named after it, a shopping district named after it, and a highway exit named after it. What it doesn’t have — in most Everett residents’ mental maps — is the 35-acre park wrapping its south shore that most people haven’t actually walked since they were kids.

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake is that park. If you live anywhere south of 41st and want a day outside without driving to Mukilteo or over to Jetty Island, this is the answer most Everett locals haven’t fully reckoned with.

    The basics

    • Address: 11405 Silver Lake Road, Everett, WA 98208
    • Size: 35.3 acres
    • Hours: 6 a.m. to dusk, every day
    • Cost: Free for day use
    • Phone: City of Everett Parks, 425-257-8700
    • Parking: Free on-site lot

    No lifeguards are on duty. Life jackets are available to borrow at the beach.

    What’s actually here

    A real swimming beach

    This is the big one. Silver Lake has an honest-to-goodness sand beach at the park — not a ramp, not a pier, an actual walk-into-the-water beach with a sand playground area right next to it. On hot summer weekends this is the default Everett family move for anyone who doesn’t want to fight traffic to a saltwater beach. Because the lake is smaller than a Sound beach, the water warms up faster in the spring, which makes this one of the first genuinely swimmable places in Everett each year.

    The city posts water safety reminders prominently: no lifeguards, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket if you’re not confident, and swim with a buddy. Drowning risk climbs sharply in summer across all Western Washington lakes — this park takes the messaging seriously, and so should visitors.

    A 9-hole disc golf course

    Thornton A. Sullivan has one of the better natural-terrain disc golf courses in Snohomish County. It’s 9 holes, forested, free to play, and busy on weekends. Beginners and veterans share the course. If you’ve never played disc golf, this is the most forgiving place in Everett to learn — the fairways are generous enough that first-timers aren’t constantly hunting lost discs.

    Self-serve kayak and paddleboard rentals

    Whenever Watersports operates a self-serve kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk at the park. It’s app-based — you rent from your phone, grab the gear, and return it when you’re done. The kiosk operates from sunrise to sunset, every day, with no reservations required. For an Everett family that wants to paddle without owning the equipment or hauling it anywhere, this is the simplest entry point to lake paddling in the city.

    Silver Lake allows small motorized boats — electric or gas motors up to 8 horsepower. That cap keeps the lake quiet and swim-friendly while still allowing a fishing skiff.

    Three picnic shelters

    Camp Patterson Picnic Shelter, Silver Lake Beach Shelter, and the Silver Lake Dock Shelter each anchor a different section of the park. They’re reservable through the City of Everett. The main shelter seats up to 64 for large family gatherings or birthday parties.

    Silver Hall

    If you need to host an indoor event at the park, Silver Hall is 1,018 square feet with a 40-person capacity. It includes restrooms and a kitchen with a stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator. Reservations go through the City of Everett Parks department.

    Trails and waterfront access

    The park has a loop trail system around the southern lakeshore with multiple waterfront viewpoints. The loop is short enough to walk with a toddler and long enough to actually count as a walk. There’s a concrete table tennis table in the sand area — a small detail, but the kind that tells you someone who used this park as a kid designed it.

    Fishing

    Silver Lake is stocked and open to fishing with a valid Washington fishing license. The park’s waterfront viewpoints and the dock area are the most common fishing spots.

    When to go

    Spring (April–May): The best time for walking the trails and playing disc golf. Water’s still cold for swimming, but the park is quiet and the weather is starting to turn.

    Summer (June–August): Prime swimming and paddling season. Weekends get crowded — plan to arrive before 11 a.m. if you want a shaded picnic spot or a shelter without a reservation. Weekdays are dramatically quieter.

    Fall (September–October): Disc golf weather is excellent through October. The trees around the disc golf course turn and the park empties out.

    Winter: The park stays open at 6 a.m. to dusk year-round. Trails are walkable in most weather. The disc golf course plays cold but plays fine.

    How the park got here

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park is named for a long-serving parks commissioner whose work shaped the Everett parks system for decades. The park has been Everett’s primary lake-access park since the city acquired and developed the site, and it’s been expanded and renovated in phases over the years. Today’s 35.3 acres include the southern arc of Silver Lake’s shore, the beach, the wooded disc golf corridor, and the meadow zone around the picnic shelters.

    What makes the park distinct in Everett’s park system is that it’s one of the only city parks built around a lake — not a viewpoint of Port Gardner Bay, not a city block retrofit, but a park where the water is the point.

    Who this park is for

    Families who want a swim day without leaving the city. Disc golfers who want 9 holes they can play after work. Paddlers who don’t own a kayak. Anyone hosting a birthday party in Everett who doesn’t want to pay for a venue. Seniors who want a flat, walkable loop with benches. Kids who want a playground with a beach attached.

    If you’ve lived in Everett for a decade and haven’t been to Thornton A. Sullivan in five years, you’ve probably forgotten how good this park is.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Thornton A. Sullivan Park in Everett?

    The park is at 11405 Silver Lake Road, Everett, WA 98208, wrapping the south end of Silver Lake in the Silver Lake neighborhood of south Everett.

    What are the hours of Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    The park is open from 6 a.m. to dusk every day of the year. There are no lifeguards on duty at any time.

    Is there a swimming beach at Silver Lake?

    Yes. The park includes a sand beach with designated swimming area. There are no lifeguards, so swimmers are asked to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets (available to borrow) and swim with a buddy.

    Can you rent kayaks at Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    Yes. Whenever Watersports operates a self-serve kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk on the lakeshore. Rentals are app-based, available sunrise to sunset, with no reservations required.

    Is there a disc golf course at the park?

    Yes. The park has a 9-hole natural-terrain disc golf course. It’s free to play and open during park hours.

    Can you have a motorized boat on Silver Lake?

    Yes, but only small motors — electric or gas motors up to 8 horsepower are allowed. That keeps Silver Lake quiet and swim-friendly while allowing fishing skiffs.

    Can you reserve picnic shelters or Silver Hall?

    Yes. Camp Patterson Picnic Shelter, the Silver Lake Beach shelter, the Silver Lake Dock shelter, and Silver Hall are all reservable through the City of Everett. Silver Hall seats 40 and includes a kitchen; the largest picnic shelter seats up to 64.

    Is fishing allowed at Silver Lake?

    Yes. A valid Washington State fishing license is required. The dock and waterfront viewpoints are the most common fishing spots.

    Related

  • Living in Riverside: Everett’s Oldest Neighborhood Is Also One of Its Most Overlooked

    Living in Riverside: Everett’s Oldest Neighborhood Is Also One of Its Most Overlooked

    What is the Riverside neighborhood in Everett?

    Riverside is Everett’s oldest neighborhood, running from 19th Street south to Pacific Avenue and from Broadway east to the Snohomish River. It was first platted in 1891 and is home to Garfield Park, Riverside Park, Summit Park, JJ Hill Park, and Judd & Black Park — more public green space per square block than almost any other Everett neighborhood. Residents are automatically members of the Riverside Neighborhood Association and pay no dues.

    Everett’s first neighborhood, still writing its story

    Most Everett guides start downtown. Riverside was there first.

    The eastern-most part of the neighborhood was platted by the Mitchell Land Company and filed on September 23, 1891 — the third plat in Everett, just weeks behind the first two, and months before the main plat of the city itself. Everything east of Broadway and west of the Snohomish River that sits between 19th and Pacific traces its street grid back to that filing. By the time Everett incorporated in 1893, Riverside was already a neighborhood with a name, streets, and a working river on its eastern edge.

    That matters, because Riverside is the neighborhood that most directly connects modern Everett to its sawmill-and-railroad origin story. The Snohomish River isn’t a view from Riverside — it’s the eastern property line. Stand at the top of Summit Avenue and you’re looking at the same ridge workers climbed home to after a shift at the waterfront mills a hundred and thirty years ago.

    Where Riverside actually is

    If you’re new to Everett, the boundaries are easy to hold in your head:

    • North: 19th Street
    • South: Pacific Avenue
    • East: the Snohomish River
    • West: Broadway

    Broadway is the western artery — the wall that separates Riverside from the Bayside grid to the west. Everything between Broadway and the river is Riverside. That’s a rectangle roughly a mile wide and a mile and a half tall, cut through by Everett Avenue, Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, and a whole lot of quiet residential streets that most Everett residents have driven past without ever knowing they were there.

    Six parks in one neighborhood

    Riverside’s quiet superpower is parks. For a neighborhood this small, the park inventory is remarkable — and most of them are the kind of parks only locals know about.

    Garfield Park (23rd & Walnut)

    The anchor park. Baseball fields, a playground, a walking track, pickleball courts, basketball, tennis courts — all in one footprint. Garfield is the park where Riverside kids grow up, Little League seasons happen, and pickleball players have been quietly organizing for years. The city has an active renovation plan in motion, and we’ve covered the Garfield makeover separately.

    Riverside Park (Everett Avenue & East Grand)

    A viewpoint park at the east end of Everett Avenue overlooking the Snohomish River and the Cascade foothills beyond. There’s a little free library here. The view at sunrise is arguably the best unofficial viewpoint in Everett — and one that almost no tourist guide mentions.

    Summit Park (Summit Avenue)

    The highest point in Riverside. On a clear day you can see the Cascade Mountains from Summit, which is why generations of Riverside families have walked up there to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.

    JJ Hill Park (Hewitt & Broadway)

    A pocket park at the western edge — small, but it does the job of breaking up the Hewitt-Broadway intersection with a patch of green.

    Judd & Black Park (Hewitt Avenue & Maple)

    Another small neighborhood park — the kind of place where locals walk their dogs on the way back from the grocery store and nobody else stops.

    The Snohomish Riverfront

    Technically not a city park, but functionally one — the Snohomish Riverfront Trail system runs along the eastern edge of the neighborhood, and the Lowell Riverfront Trail extension sits a short walk south. Snohomish County has been acquiring former Puget Sound Energy corridor parcels since 2020 for the Snohomish River Trail Phase 1, which will eventually knit the whole riverfront together from Everett to Snohomish.

    The neighborhood association that actually runs things

    The Riverside Neighborhood Association is one of Everett’s most active. Residents are automatically members — no sign-up, no dues. The association uses mini-grants from the City of Everett to fund community programs, organize events, and lobby on neighborhood infrastructure questions.

    That “automatically a member” structure matters. It means the neighborhood association isn’t a small club of the same ten people — it’s a framework that lets anyone on any Riverside block show up to a meeting and count. If you just moved in, you already belong.

    What it’s like to live here

    Riverside’s housing stock is older than almost anywhere else in Everett, which means you get the good and the quirky. Craftsman houses with original woodwork. Mid-century ramblers. The occasional Victorian holdout. Streets that don’t quite line up with the rest of the city because they were laid out before the modern grid was imposed. Mature trees that give the neighborhood a canopy most Everett neighborhoods haven’t had time to grow.

    It’s also one of the most walkable non-downtown neighborhoods in the city. Hewitt Avenue runs through it. Everett Avenue runs through it. You can walk from central Riverside to downtown Everett in fifteen minutes and to the riverfront in ten.

    The demographic profile tilts toward a mix of long-time residents and younger households who’ve figured out that Riverside offers Everett’s most house for the money once you get east of Rucker. Rentals make up about half the housing stock, but owner-occupancy is higher here than in many central Everett neighborhoods.

    What long-timers say

    The thing longtime Riverside residents repeat, almost verbatim, is that the neighborhood is underrated — and they’d prefer to keep it that way. It doesn’t have the waterfront cachet of Bayside. It doesn’t have the lake of Silver Lake. What it has is history, parks, the river, and a neighborhood association that actually meets and actually gets things done.

    If you’re reading a Riverside neighborhood guide, you’re probably already the kind of person who would fit in here.

    Getting around

    Broadway and Rucker handle the north-south traffic. Hewitt, Everett, and Pacific handle the east-west. I-5 is a five-minute drive west. The Snohomish Riverfront Trail is a walk east. The Everett Transit Station is a mile south, which puts commuters on a Sound Transit bus to Seattle without needing to drive to a park-and-ride.

    For the riverfront trail connection specifically, the Mill Town Trail loop ties the Port of Everett waterfront to Riverside Park via East Grand Avenue — a continuous six-plus-mile walking loop that uses Riverside as its eastern anchor.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the Riverside neighborhood in Everett?

    Riverside sits between 19th Street and Pacific Avenue on the north-south axis, and between Broadway and the Snohomish River on the east-west axis. It’s directly east of Bayside and directly north of the Port Gardner / Pacific Avenue corridor.

    Is Riverside really Everett’s oldest neighborhood?

    Yes. The first plat in what is now Riverside was filed in September 1891 — earlier than the main plat of Everett itself. The neighborhood’s eastern blocks trace directly back to that filing.

    How many parks are in Riverside?

    Five official city parks sit inside the neighborhood: Garfield Park, Riverside Park, Summit Park, JJ Hill Park, and Judd & Black Park. The Snohomish Riverfront Trail corridor runs along the eastern edge, adding a sixth functional green space.

    Does Riverside have a neighborhood association?

    Yes. The Riverside Neighborhood Association covers the entire boundary area. Residents are automatically members, there are no dues, and the association uses City of Everett mini-grants to fund neighborhood programs.

    Is Riverside a good place to live in Everett?

    For buyers and renters who value walkability, older housing stock, mature trees, and proximity to both downtown Everett and the Snohomish River, Riverside is among the strongest options in the city. It sits outside the price pressure of the waterfront and the density of downtown while keeping a short walk to both.

    What’s the history of Garfield Park?

    Garfield Park is one of Everett’s oldest named parks, anchored at 23rd and Walnut. It has grown into a multi-use facility with baseball fields, a playground, a walking track, pickleball, basketball, and tennis — and the city is currently advancing a formal renovation plan for the park.

    How do I join the Riverside Neighborhood Association?

    You already did. If you live inside the Riverside boundaries — 19th Street to Pacific Avenue, Broadway to the river — you are automatically a member and can attend any association meeting or event without signing up or paying dues.

    Related

  • Richard Marx’s After Hours Tour Lands at the Historic Everett Theatre May 8 — And This Friday Night Is Already Running Out of Seats

    Richard Marx’s After Hours Tour Lands at the Historic Everett Theatre May 8 — And This Friday Night Is Already Running Out of Seats

    Richard Marx — yes, that Richard Marx, the guy who held down the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the late ’80s like it was his personal lease — is bringing his After Hours Tour into the Historic Everett Theatre on Friday, May 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM. One night. One of the most historically loaded rooms on Colby Avenue. And according to Bandsintown’s listing for the show, ticket availability is already down to a sliver.

    If you came up on “Right Here Waiting” on the car radio, if “Hold On to the Nights” was your slow-dance song, if “Endless Summer Nights” is permanently wired into your summer memory — this is the kind of show that only makes sense to skip if you truly hate joy. It is also, genuinely, one of the more unexpected bookings Everett has landed this spring.

    Here is everything worth knowing before you click buy.

    The Show at a Glance

    • **Who:** Richard Marx — five-time No. 1 Billboard hitmaker, After Hours Tour
    • **What:** Richard Marx live, supporting his January 2026 jazz-infused album After Hours
    • **When:** Friday, May 8, 2026 — 7:30 PM
    • **Where:** Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
    • **Tickets:** Official box office and links through everetttheater.org and theeveretttheatre.org; also listed on Bandsintown
    • **Availability:** Bandsintown’s listing for the Everett date showed very limited inventory remaining at time of publish

    If you have ever talked yourself out of a show because “we’ll grab tickets closer to the date” — do not do that here.

    Why This Booking Is a Big Deal for Everett

    Let’s zoom out for a second. The Historic Everett Theatre is not a 5,000-seat amphitheater. It is an intimate, roughly 800-seat room with 1901 opera-house bones — a building that’s been hosting touring artists since vaudeville was the dominant American art form. An artist with Richard Marx’s catalog — the kind of catalog that would sell out rooms five times the Everett Theatre’s size in bigger markets — playing a venue this small and this historic is the entire reason we keep telling people to watch this theater’s calendar.

    Between this booking, Canned Heat with Big Brother and the Holding Company on April 29, Trio Los Panchos on May 7, and Corduroy’s Pearl Jam tribute on May 9, the Historic Everett Theatre is quietly putting up one of the most stacked weekends in its modern concert history. Richard Marx on a Friday and a tribute to Pearl Jam the very next night in the same 1901 room — that’s not an accident of scheduling. That’s a room that’s been carefully programmed by people who know what they’re doing.

    About the After Hours Tour

    After Hours is Richard Marx’s jazz-infused studio album, released January 16, 2026. According to Marx’s interview with Billboard and his official tour site, the record was cut entirely live with a 24-piece ensemble — full takes, no studio patchwork, the way jazz records used to be made. The album’s lead-up singles included:

    • **”Big Band Boogie”** featuring saxophonist Kenny G
    • **”All I Ever Needed”** — a jazz-infused ballad featuring trumpeter Chris Botti
    • **”Magic Hour”** — co-written with Marx’s wife, Daisy Fuentes

    The tour officially kicked off April 16, 2026 and moves through Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada through the year, including headline stops at Red Rocks and the London Palladium. Marx is also joining Rod Stewart for select dates on Stewart’s tour, and the two released a duet version of “Young at Heart” in 2026.

    The Everett Theatre show sits in a tight West Coast run. According to the official tour site, it is sandwiched between the Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon (May 9) and the Holly Theatre in Medford, Oregon (May 10) — meaning Everett is the northernmost stop on that West Coast swing. This is the room and the date for the Puget Sound region. There is no closer option.

    What to Expect from the Setlist

    Tours built around a new jazz record still tend to honor the hits. On Richard Marx’s recent runs, the setlist has braided the new After Hours material with the songs everyone in the theater actually came to hear: “Right Here Waiting,” “Hold On to the Nights,” “Endless Summer Nights,” “Hazard,” “Satisfied,” “Should’ve Known Better,” “Now and Forever.”

    Here’s the career footnote worth appreciating while you’re there: according to his Wikipedia entry and Billboard’s own historical chart data, Richard Marx is the only male artist in history whose first seven singles all reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. That is an absurd statistic. That is a “you were extremely good at this” statistic. Sitting in a theater built in 1901 watching the guy who did that perform them live with a band — that’s the kind of thing you tell people about at work on Monday.

    Historic Everett Theatre: The Quick History

    If this is your first time inside the Historic Everett Theatre, here’s the context that makes the night hit harder:

    • **1901** — Opens as the Everett Opera House, hosting opera, vaudeville, and legitimate theater. Early-20th-century performers to grace the stage included Lillian Russell, Al Jolson, Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys, and George M. Cohan.
    • **1923** — A fire tears through the building, destroying the interior and collapsing part of the front wall.
    • **1924** — Rebuilt and reopened as the 1,200-seat New Everett Theater.
    • **2000–2004** — Restored to its current form. The room now operates as a classic movie screen, concert venue, and stage-production house, seating roughly 800.

    In other words: the same room that hosted Al Jolson in the 1910s is hosting Richard Marx on May 8. That lineage is not a marketing line. It is the physical building. That matters.

    Getting There + Logistics

    • **Address:** 2911 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
    • **Start time:** Doors typically open an hour before showtime; show at 7:30 PM
    • **Parking:** Colby Avenue street parking plus nearby downtown Everett garages — the Everpark Garage is one of the closest options for downtown events
    • **Box office / ticket links:** everetttheater.org and theeveretttheatre.org both route to the official ticketing. Show is also listed on Bandsintown for tracking
    • **Food and drink before the show:** Downtown Everett’s Hewitt Avenue is a four-minute walk. Tony V’s Garage, Lucky Dime, the restaurants along the Colby/Hewitt corridor — any of them will put you inside the theater well before the 7:30 curtain

    The Honest Verdict

    If you are the kind of person who already has tickets, you didn’t need this article. You’ve known for weeks.

    If you are the kind of person who wasn’t paying attention — this is your nudge. Five No. 1 Billboard hits. A brand-new jazz record cut live with a 24-piece ensemble. A 125-year-old theater that Al Jolson once played. Tickets already showing as limited availability. A Friday night in Everett.

    It is not complicated. Go.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: What time does Richard Marx go on at the Historic Everett Theatre?

    A: The show is scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM. Doors typically open around an hour before showtime.

    Q: Where is the Historic Everett Theatre located?

    A: The Historic Everett Theatre is at 2911 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201, in downtown Everett.

    Q: Are tickets still available for Richard Marx in Everett?

    A: At time of publication, Bandsintown’s listing for the Everett date showed very limited inventory remaining. Check everetttheater.org, theeveretttheatre.org, or Bandsintown for the current availability — this show may already be sold out by the time you read this.

    Q: What tour is this show part of?

    A: This is Richard Marx’s After Hours Tour, supporting his January 2026 jazz-infused album of the same name. The Everett date sits in a West Coast run between Salem, Oregon (May 9) and Medford, Oregon (May 10).

    Q: Will Richard Marx play his old hits or just new jazz material?

    A: Based on setlists from the tour, Marx is braiding material from the new After Hours album with his catalog of Billboard hits including “Right Here Waiting,” “Hold On to the Nights,” “Endless Summer Nights,” and “Hazard.”

    Q: How big is the Historic Everett Theatre?

    A: The current seating capacity is roughly 800 seats. That makes this show an unusually intimate setting for an artist of Richard Marx’s commercial stature.

    Q: Is the venue all-ages?

    A: The Historic Everett Theatre hosts all-ages concerts as a general rule. Verify at the box office if you’re bringing younger family members.

    Q: What’s the best place to eat before the show?

    A: Downtown Everett’s Hewitt Avenue corridor is a short walk. Tony V’s Garage, Lucky Dime, and the Colby/Hewitt dining cluster all work if you want to grab dinner and walk to the theater.

  • Jetty Island Ferry Returns July 8: Your Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Best Free Beach

    Jetty Island Ferry Returns July 8: Your Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Best Free Beach

    Q: When does the Jetty Island ferry open in 2026?
    A: The Jetty Island passenger ferry runs July 8 through September 6, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are required and cost $4 per person Wed-Thu and $7 Fri-Sun. Children 2 and under ride free. The ferry departs from Jetty Landing at 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett.

    Jetty Island Ferry Returns July 8: Your Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Best Free Beach

    Mark July 8 on the calendar. That’s the day the Jetty Island ferry season officially starts in 2026, and that’s the day Everett’s two-mile-long sandy island park becomes accessible again to anyone who can get to the marina. The ferry runs through September 6 — exactly two months of the only beach in Western Washington that actually feels like a beach.

    If you’ve never made the trip, here’s the short version: Jetty Island is a man-made, two-mile-long sandbar just off the Port of Everett, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. There’s warm water on the inner shoreline (the channel side warms up in the summer sun), wind for kiteboarders on the outer shoreline, miles of walking, and almost no infrastructure. Bring what you need, take what you brought. That’s the deal.

    The 2026 Ferry Schedule

    The passenger ferry runs Wednesday through Sunday from July 8 through September 6, 2026. Operating hours by day:

    • Wednesday and Thursday: 10 AM to 5:45 PM
    • Friday and Saturday: 10 AM to 6:45 PM
    • Sunday: 10 AM to 5:45 PM
    • Monday and Tuesday: No ferry service

    The ferry departs from Jetty Landing, which is right next to the boat launch at the corner of 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett. There’s parking near the launch, but on a hot weekend in August it fills up fast. Get there early or be prepared to walk a few blocks.

    Reservations Are Required (Yes, Even on Weekdays)

    This is the part that trips up first-timers. You cannot just show up. All ferry rides require advance reservations through the Port of Everett’s reservation system. Walk-up tickets are not sold at the dock.

    Pricing for 2026:

    • Wednesday-Thursday: $4 per person
    • Friday-Sunday: $7 per person
    • Children 2 and under: Free

    Applicable taxes and a small booking fee apply at checkout. Reservations open up at portofeverett.com — and for prime weekend slots in July and August, they go fast. If you know you want to be there a particular weekend, book it the moment the schedule goes live.

    What You Need to Know Before You Go

    Jetty Island is intentionally left rustic. There are no concessions. There is no drinking water. There are vault toilets and that’s it. Pack:

    • Water — more than you think you need. Two miles of beach in August sun without shade is a long day.
    • Sunscreen and a hat — there is genuinely zero shade on most of the island.
    • Snacks/lunch — and a trash bag. Pack out what you pack in.
    • Wind layer — even on hot days the outer beach gets a steady afternoon wind off the Sound.
    • Beach toys, a kite, or a paddleboard — the channel side is calm and warm enough for all-day water play.

    Pets are allowed, but they need to stay on leash. There’s no lifeguard service. Watch the tide schedule — at extreme low tides the channel between the mainland and the island gets shallow enough to expose long stretches of mudflat, which is fascinating to look at and miserable to walk through.

    Why the Ferry Closes Early on Hot Days

    This is the one operational quirk to plan around. When the island reaches maximum capacity — which happens on hot weekends in late July and August — the ferry can stop running new round-trips early. The return ferries still operate to bring everyone back, but if you show up at 2 PM on a 90-degree Saturday and the ferry is paused, your reservation may not get you across. Earlier is better.

    Inclement weather can also cancel ferry service. The Port posts updates on the day-of through their site and social channels.

    The Things People Don’t Realize About Jetty Island

    The water is actually warm. The channel side, sheltered from the Sound, gets shallow and sun-heated through the day. Kids can wade for hours. It’s the warmest swimming water you’ll find anywhere in Snohomish County.

    It’s a kiteboarding hotspot. The outer shoreline catches a consistent westerly afternoon wind in summer, and the local kiteboarding community treats Jetty as one of the best spots in the region. If you’ve ever wanted to watch the sport up close, head to the south end of the island in the late afternoon.

    The bird life is wild. Jetty is on the Pacific Flyway and is a Snohomish County designated wildlife area. Bald eagles, herons, oystercatchers — bring binoculars if you’re into that.

    You can paddle there. If the ferry is full or you’ve got your own kayak or paddleboard, the channel from the marina is short, calm, and well within reach for a casual paddler. Bring a leash for your board and a PFD.

    Getting to Jetty Landing

    Jetty Landing is at 1700 W. Marine View Drive, right next to the Port of Everett’s 10th Street boat launch. From I-5, take exit 193 (Pacific Avenue) and head west until Marine View Drive, then turn north. The boat launch parking lot is signed.

    Everett Transit’s Route 7 stops within about a half-mile walk if you’d rather not deal with parking. On weekends the bike racks at Jetty Landing fill up too, which tells you something about who knows what they’re doing.

    What to Do After the Beach

    Coming back from a Jetty day around 5 or 6 PM puts you right at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place — which has the best dinner options in the area and is about a five-minute walk from where you’ll dock. Tapped Public House, Rustic Cork, and the new Sound to Summit taproom on the south side of the marina are all right there. The Net Shed Fish Market & Kitchen is another great option for a casual dinner with a view.

    Make a day of it: ferry over for a morning swim, beach lunch, kite-watching afternoon, then dinner on the waterfront when you get back. That’s an Everett summer Saturday done right.

    The Big Picture: Jetty Days 2026

    The Port of Everett’s Jetty Island Days programming runs alongside the ferry season July 8 – September 6, with naturalists, environmental education programs, and family activities scheduled throughout. The full programming calendar typically goes live in mid-June. Watch portofeverett.com for the schedule.

    This is a free island park (the only cost is the ferry ride). It is a genuinely unusual asset for a city the size of Everett. And once you’ve been once, you’ll find a reason to go back every summer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does the Jetty Island ferry open in 2026?
    July 8, 2026.

    When does the ferry season end?
    September 6, 2026.

    How much is the ferry?
    $4 per person Wednesday-Thursday, $7 per person Friday-Sunday. Children 2 and under ride free.

    Where do I make ferry reservations?
    Through portofeverett.com. Reservations are required — there are no walk-up tickets.

    Where does the ferry leave from?
    Jetty Landing at 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett, next to the Port of Everett boat launch.

    What days does the ferry run?
    Wednesday through Sunday. No ferry service Monday or Tuesday.

    Can I bring my dog to Jetty Island?
    Yes, dogs are allowed but must be on leash.

    Is there food on Jetty Island?
    No — bring your own food, water, and pack out all trash.

    Can I kayak or paddleboard to Jetty Island?
    Yes. The channel from the marina is short and calm in good weather. Wear a PFD and use a board leash.

    Are there bathrooms on the island?
    Yes, vault toilets only. No running water.

    Can the ferry be canceled?
    Yes, the ferry may close due to weather or when the island reaches maximum capacity on busy days. Check portofeverett.com for day-of updates.