When will light rail reach Everett?

Sound Transit currently projects the first phase of the Everett Link Extension — reaching the Paine Field area — to open by 2037. The full extension to Everett Station is projected to open by 2041.

Will light rail go to Boeing Paine Field?

Yes. The planned alignment includes a station in the southwest Everett industrial area near Paine Field, home to Boeing's commercial manufacturing facilities. The Paine Field-area station is part of Phase 1, projected to open by 2037.

What is the Everett Link Extension Draft EIS?

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes potential effects of different alignment and station options. It is expected in 2026 with at least 45 days of public comment, required under NEPA and SEPA.

How can I comment on the Everett Link Extension?

When the Draft EIS is published in 2026, Sound Transit will open a formal public comment period. You can submit comments, attend public hearings, or participate at everettlink.participate.online.

Who is the new Everett Police Chief?

Robert Goetz was sworn in as Everett's Chief of Police on January 7, 2026. He was appointed by Mayor Cassie Franklin and brings more than 35 years of service with the Everett Police Department.

How does Everett's Drone as First Responder program work?

When a 911 call is received, a drone launches from one of EPD's precinct locations and reaches a scene in approximately 90 seconds. The drones provide live video and can resolve calls without dispatching a patrol officer.

Is crime going down in Everett?

Yes. Everett reported a more than 20 percent overall crime reduction from 2024 to 2025, with violent crime on pace for its lowest rate in seven years and vehicle thefts down 70 percent.

How many officers does the Everett Police Department have?

EPD had approximately 13 to 14 vacancies when Chief Goetz took over in January 2026. His goal is to reduce that to single digits by year-end.

Who are the top prospects on the 2026 AquaSox roster?

The AquaSox have five Mariners Top-30 prospects: Jonny Farmelo (No. 6), Felnin Celesten (No. 7), Luke Stevenson (top-10 catcher), Carlos Jimenez (No. 21), and Lucas Kelly (No. 29 pitcher).

What was the AquaSox opening night result in 2026?

The Everett AquaSox lost to the Tri-City Dust Devils 17-2 at Everett Memorial Stadium on April 7, 2026, in their home opener.

How can I buy AquaSox tickets?

Tickets are available at milb.com/everett. The AquaSox play at Everett Memorial Stadium Field in Everett, WA.

When do the Silvertips play next in the 2026 WHL Playoffs?

Game 1 of the second round against the Kelowna Rockets is Friday, April 10, at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, WA. Game 2 is Saturday, April 11.

How did the Silvertips do in Round 1?

The Silvertips swept the Portland Winterhawks 4-0, winning 8-1, 4-1, 7-0, and 6-3. They scored 25 goals while allowing only 5.

Where can I buy Everett Silvertips playoff tickets?

Tickets are available at everettsilvertips.com and through the Angel of the Winds Arena box office at angelofthewindsarena.com.

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.

Sound Transit Everett Link Extension: Where the Project Stands in 2026
If you live in Snohomish County and have ever wondered when light rail will actually reach Everett, 2026 is the year to pay attention. Sound Transit’s Everett Link Extension — the 16-mile, six-station project that would connect Snohomish County to the regional rail network — is entering one of its most consequential planning phases. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected in 2026, preferred station alternatives are being confirmed, and the timeline for a Paine Field-area opening sits at 2037. Here’s what you need to know about where the project stands and what the next few years look like.

What Is the Everett Link Extension?

The Everett Link Extension is a planned addition to Sound Transit’s Link light rail network that would extend service from the Lynnwood City Center Station — opened in 2024 — northward through Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Ash Way, Mariner, Paine Field, and ultimately to Everett Station downtown. The project would add 16 miles of track and six new stations, completing what Sound Transit calls “the spine” of the regional rail system.

The project is being planned in two phases. The first phase would reach the southwest Everett industrial area near Paine Field — home to Boeing’s manufacturing operations — with a target opening date of 2037. The second phase would extend all the way to Everett Station, with a projected opening of 2041.

For Snohomish County commuters, the Everett Link Extension represents the difference between driving to park-and-ride lots and being able to step onto light rail from neighborhoods closer to home — and from there, reach Seattle, the airport, and the broader regional network without a car.

Where Things Stand in 2026: The Draft EIS

Sound Transit is currently in the environmental review phase for the Everett Link Extension. That means preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) — a detailed analysis of how each potential alignment and station configuration would affect the surrounding community, neighborhoods, businesses, and environment.

The Draft EIS is expected to be published in 2026 and will be available for public review and comment for a minimum of 45 days. Once published, it’s a major milestone: the document represents Sound Transit’s formal analysis of the project’s impacts and lays out the trade-offs between different alignment and station options.

The EIS is being prepared under both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with the Federal Transit Administration as the lead federal agency, and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), with Sound Transit as the state lead agency.

Following the Draft EIS comment period, Sound Transit expects to identify, confirm, or modify its Preferred Alternative in summer 2026. A Final EIS and Record of Decision are then projected for summer 2027.

What Are the Station Alternatives?

The Everett Link Extension has multiple station locations where Sound Transit has been evaluating different alignment and placement options. Some have already received preliminary preferred designations based on community input and technical analysis during the scoping process (SEPA scoping completed 2023; NEPA scoping completed August 2025).

At the West Alderwood station, alternatives are labeled B, D, and F — with Alternative D as the current preferred alternative. At the Southwest Everett Industrial Center station, alternatives A, B, and C are on the table, with Alternative A preferred. For the I-5/Broadway alignment segment, the two options are BI-1 and BI-2, with BI-1 as the current preferred alignment.

These preferences are not final — they’re starting points for the Draft EIS analysis, and public comment can still shift the outcome. If you have a view on where stations should go or how alignments should route through neighborhoods you know, the Draft EIS public comment period in 2026 is your formal opportunity to put that feedback on record.

The Boeing and Paine Field Factor

One reason the Everett Link Extension has outsized importance for Snohomish County is its planned connection to the Paine Field area, where Boeing’s commercial airplane manufacturing facilities employ tens of thousands of workers across multiple shifts. A light rail connection to that employment center would represent one of the most significant transit investments in the region’s industrial corridor.

For workers commuting from south Snohomish County, south King County, and Seattle, a Paine Field station could eventually eliminate the need to drive Highway 99 or I-5 to reach one of the region’s largest single employment sites. That potential has made the Paine Field alignment a consistent priority in regional planning conversations.

The 2037 Paine Field-area opening date — assuming the project stays on schedule — would arrive roughly a decade after Lynnwood Link opened in 2024. A lot can change in that window, including costs, federal funding priorities, and regional growth patterns. Everett residents watching this project would be wise to stay engaged through Sound Transit’s public process rather than assuming the timeline is settled.

Cost Pressures and the “Savings” Conversation

The Everett Link Extension doesn’t exist in a budget vacuum. In September 2025, HeraldNet reported that Sound Transit was actively weighing possible savings options on the project as costs climbed. This is consistent with a broader pattern across Sound Transit’s expansion portfolio — projects authorized under the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure in 2016 have faced cost escalations, construction inflation, and schedule pressures that have forced the agency to make difficult trade-off decisions.

What “savings options” means in practice can range from value engineering on station designs and materials to reconsidering alignment options that are less expensive to build but potentially less convenient for riders. The Draft EIS process will likely surface these trade-offs explicitly, making 2026 a critical period for community voices to weigh in before decisions get locked in.

Snohomish County has its own Light Rail Communities program, housed at snohomishcountywa.gov, which provides residents with updates on how the county is engaging with Sound Transit’s planning process at the local level.

How to Stay Involved

For Everett and Snohomish County residents who want to track — or actively participate in — the Everett Link Extension planning process, here are the key resources and action points for 2026.
- Watch for the Draft EIS release: Sound Transit will announce the public comment period at soundtransit.org/system-expansion/everett-link-extension. Sign up for project news updates on that page to get notified when the Draft EIS drops.
- Attend public meetings: Sound Transit holds public hearings during comment periods. Check the project’s news and updates page for meeting schedules in your area.
- Explore station design concepts: The project’s public engagement site at everettlink.participate.online has conceptual station design options for review and comment.
- Track Snohomish County’s engagement: The county’s Light Rail Communities program at snohomishcountywa.gov/4068/Light-Rail-Communities provides local context and updates.
- Key timeline dates to watch: Draft EIS publication (2026) → public comment period (minimum 45 days) → Preferred Alternative confirmation (summer 2026) → Final EIS (summer 2027) → Record of Decision (summer 2027).
Frequently Asked Questions

When will light rail reach Everett?

Sound Transit currently projects the first phase of the Everett Link Extension — reaching the Paine Field area — to open by 2037. The full extension to Everett Station downtown is projected to open by 2041. These dates are based on current planning assumptions and may change.

What is the Everett Link Extension Draft EIS?

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a detailed document analyzing the potential effects of different alignment and station options for the Everett Link Extension. It is expected to be published in 2026 and will be open for public comment for a minimum of 45 days. It is a required step under both federal (NEPA) and state (SEPA) environmental law.

How many stations will the Everett Link Extension have?

The Everett Link Extension is planned to include six new stations covering 16 miles of new light rail track, connecting from the Lynnwood City Center Station northward to Everett Station.

Will light rail go to Boeing Paine Field?

Yes. The planned alignment includes a station in the southwest Everett industrial area near Paine Field, which is home to Boeing’s commercial manufacturing facilities. The Paine Field-area station is part of Phase 1 of the extension, projected to open by 2037.

How can I comment on the Everett Link Extension?

When the Draft EIS is published in 2026, Sound Transit will open a formal public comment period. You can submit comments online, attend public hearings, and participate via the project’s engagement site at everettlink.participate.online. Signing up for project updates at soundtransit.org will notify you when the comment period opens.

How much does the Everett Link Extension cost?

Sound Transit has not published a final cost estimate for the Everett Link Extension as of April 2026, as the project is still in environmental review. Cost estimates will be refined as the preferred alignment and station design options are confirmed. The agency has been exploring cost reduction options as part of the planning process.

Sources: Sound Transit Everett Link Extension project page (soundtransit.org); Sound Transit Everett Link Extension Project Factsheet (December 2024); Federal Register Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS (July 29, 2025); HeraldNet “Sound Transit weighs possible savings on Everett Link extension” (September 25, 2025); Snohomish County Light Rail Communities program (snohomishcountywa.gov); everettlink.participate.online.
April 9, 2026
Everett’s New Police Chief Has a Plan — Here’s What’s Changing at EPD
When Robert Goetz was sworn in as Everett’s new police chief on January 7, 2026, he brought with him something that not every new top cop carries through the door: 35 years of institutional memory about the community he now leads. He rose through nearly every operational and administrative rank inside the Everett Police Department before Mayor Cassie Franklin appointed him to succeed retiring Chief John DeRousse. And from day one, Goetz has been clear about what he wants the department to look like — more embedded in the community, smarter about technology, and leaner on vacancies.

The early indicators suggest the strategy is working. Crime rates across Everett continued a multi-year downward trend through 2025, with violent crime dropping by more than 30 percent and vehicle thefts falling 70 percent compared to the prior year, according to data cited by Mayor Franklin at the 2026 State of the City address. Meanwhile, the department’s drone program — launched in October 2025 — is already clearing calls without dispatching a single officer. Here’s a closer look at what’s changing at EPD and what it means for residents.

A New Chief With Deep Everett Roots

Robert Goetz isn’t new to Everett. He spent more than three decades with the department before Mayor Franklin tapped him for the top job in late 2025. He has worked in virtually every corner of the organization — patrol, specialty units, and administrative leadership — which means he arrived as chief without needing a long orientation period.

In a Q&A with the Everett Post shortly after his swearing-in, Goetz described his approach: a community-oriented department that meets people where they are, not just when someone calls 911. That means officers showing up at community events, parks during summer months, and neighborhood gatherings — building relationships before a crime ever happens.

It’s a meaningful shift in emphasis for a department that, like many mid-sized city police forces, has faced pressure to do more with constrained staffing. The Lynnwood Times, covering Goetz’s appointment in January 2026, described his philosophy as centered on a department that is “embedded in its community” and “meets youth where they are.”

Staffing: Getting Vacancies Into Single Digits

One of Goetz’s most concrete short-term goals is staffing. When he took over, the department carried about 13 to 14 open positions. His stated target for 2026: get that number into single digits.

It’s not just a headcount goal. Fewer vacancies means more officers available for community engagement assignments, specialty units, and the kind of proactive policing that Goetz has prioritized. The department also recently promoted eight people to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief — a round of promotions that signals both organizational investment and career pathway development for officers already in the ranks.

For residents, this matters practically: more officers means more coverage across Everett’s neighborhoods and a department better positioned to sustain programs like the Violent Crime Reduction Unit, which Mayor Franklin credited with driving down violent crime numbers since its 2023 launch.

The Drone Program: Flying to Calls Before Cars Can Get There

Perhaps the most visible operational change under EPD’s new direction is the Drone as First Responder program, which launched in October 2025 after the Everett City Council approved a $507,000 contract with Flock Safety in April 2025.

The concept is straightforward: when a 911 call comes in, a drone can launch immediately from one of four precinct locations — two at the north precinct, two at the south precinct — and fly over traffic at roughly 50 miles per hour, reaching scenes in about 90 seconds. A patrol car navigating Everett streets in traffic might take four minutes for the same distance. The drone arrives first, gives officers a live visual of the scene, and in some cases resolves the situation entirely without a patrol unit ever leaving the lot.

Since the program launched in October, the results have been measurable. According to EPD’s public drone flight dashboard, 87 calls were cleared without dispatching a patrol resource at all. In total, the drones have helped locate nearly 200 people across various incident types. The department is now expanding the program to add drones at a central Everett location — on top of a local business — which will improve coverage across the city’s core neighborhoods.

The Flock Safety contract also includes Flock 911, which streams live 911 call transcripts to patrol officers and drone pilots simultaneously, improving situational awareness before anyone arrives on scene.

What the Crime Numbers Actually Say

Crime statistics require careful reading, and Goetz has been measured in how he talks about them. The headline figures are genuinely positive: overall crime in Everett trended down across 2025, with violent crime on pace to hit its lowest rate in seven years, according to EPD’s report to the City’s Community Health and Safety Committee in July 2025. Vehicle thefts dropped 70 percent — a dramatic reversal of a trend that had frustrated residents and businesses for years.

Mayor Franklin highlighted these numbers in her March 5, 2026 State of the City address, noting that crime overall decreased more than 20 percent from 2024 to 2025.

Department leadership credits several overlapping efforts: the Violent Crime Reduction Unit, a graffiti paint-over initiative launched in 2025, community-oriented patrol assignments, and increasingly effective use of technology including the Flock camera network (the City Council extended the Flock camera contract alongside the drone program approval in April 2025).

One important note for context: Everett’s crime rate remains above national averages on some measures. The downward trend is meaningful, but it reflects progress on a baseline that still has room to improve. Goetz has acknowledged this framing — the goal isn’t just to celebrate declining numbers, but to sustain and accelerate the trend through the community-first model he’s building.

Youth Violence: Prevention First, Enforcement Last

One area where Goetz has been especially vocal is youth. His stated approach — prevention first, intervention where possible, and enforcement as a last resort — puts youth violence reduction at the center of EPD’s strategic direction. This aligns with a framework Mayor Franklin has emphasized across multiple budget cycles.

In practice, the prevention model means officers assigned to youth engagement, department relationships with schools, and outreach programs designed to build trust between young Everett residents and law enforcement before any conflict arises. The idea is that a different kind of public safety ecosystem emerges when relationships are built early — one that doesn’t rely solely on reactive policing.

What Residents Should Watch For in 2026

Based on Chief Goetz’s stated priorities and the department’s current trajectory, here are the key indicators residents can track to assess EPD’s progress this year.
- Vacancy count: Is EPD hitting its goal of single-digit open positions? The department publishes staffing data on its Community Transparency Dashboard at everettwa.gov.
- Drone program expansion: The planned addition of central Everett drones should be operational in 2026. EPD’s public drone flight dashboard tracks call clearance data in real time.
- Violent crime trends: Sustaining and deepening the 2025 crime reduction gains through 2026 will be the real test of the current strategy.
- Youth programs: Any new partnerships, school programs, or community engagement initiatives Goetz announces will signal how the prevention-first philosophy is being operationalized.
- City Council oversight: The Council’s Community Health and Safety Committee continues to receive regular EPD briefings. Agendas are posted at everettwa.gov/AgendaCenter.
Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the new Everett Police Chief?

Robert Goetz was sworn in as Everett’s Chief of Police on January 7, 2026. He was appointed by Mayor Cassie Franklin and brings more than 35 years of service with the Everett Police Department.

What happened to former Chief John DeRousse?

Chief John DeRousse retired at the end of 2025 after leading EPD. Mayor Franklin appointed Deputy Chief Robert Goetz as his successor.

How does Everett’s Drone as First Responder program work?

When a 911 call is received, a drone launches from one of EPD’s precinct locations and reaches a scene in approximately 90 seconds — significantly faster than a patrol car. The drones provide live video of the scene and in some cases resolve calls without dispatching an officer at all. EPD’s drone flight data is publicly available on its transparency dashboard.

Is crime going down in Everett?

Yes. Everett reported a more than 20 percent overall crime reduction from 2024 to 2025, and violent crime was on pace to reach its lowest rate in seven years. Vehicle thefts dropped 70 percent. Everett’s overall crime rate remains above national averages, but the downward trend has been sustained over multiple years.

How many officers does the Everett Police Department have?

EPD had approximately 13 to 14 vacancies when Chief Goetz took over in January 2026. His goal is to reduce that number to single digits by end of year. Current staffing data is available on EPD’s Community Transparency Dashboard at everettwa.gov.

Where can I follow EPD’s public data?

The City of Everett maintains a Community Transparency Dashboard at everettwa.gov/2862/Community-Transparency-Dashboard with data on crime, calls for service, and drone deployments.

Sources: Everett Post Q&A with Chief Goetz (January 2026); Lynnwood Times Chief Goetz profile (January 13, 2026); HeraldNet “Behind the Badge” (2026); Mayor Franklin 2026 State of the City address (March 5, 2026); HeraldNet “Everett’s Drone as First Responder program underway” (March 14, 2026); EPD Community Transparency Dashboard; City of Everett official website (everettwa.gov).
April 9, 2026
Forest Park’s Hidden Trails, Animal Farm, and 130 Years of Everett History: A Complete Local’s Guide

Q: What is Forest Park in Everett known for?
A: Forest Park is Everett’s oldest and largest park at 197 acres, featuring a WPA-era trail system with up to 4.9 miles and 13 hill climb courses, a free seasonal animal farm, a water playground with an orca theme, the Forest Park Swim Center, and historic structures dating back to the 1930s New Deal era — all located at 802 E. Mukilteo Boulevard.

This Isn’t Just a Park — It’s Where Everett Goes to Be Everett

Every city has a park it points to on the brochure. Forest Park is the one Everett actually uses. On any given weekend, you’ll find trail runners grinding through the hill climb courses, families lined up at the animal farm, kids screaming through the splash park, and retirees doing slow loops on the upper ridge trail while learning about native plants from interpretive signs a local Boy Scout troop installed. It’s 197 acres of forest, history, and community packed into the city limits, and most people who don’t live in Everett have never heard of it.

That’s fine with the locals. They like it that way.

A Park Built by the Great Depression

The land that became Forest Park was first purchased on September 27, 1894 — ten acres for $4,300, with a requirement that $600 in improvements be made within five years. By 1909, the city had expanded its holdings to 80 additional acres, and in 1913, the park was officially named Forest Park.

But the park you walk through today was really built during the 1930s. England-born parks superintendent Oden Hall ran one of Washington State’s largest Works Progress Administration projects right here, employing hundreds of workers during the Great Depression to transform what had been rough forestland into a genuine public park. WPA crews cleared trails, built rock walls that still stand today, planted specimen and native trees, constructed animal enclosures for a growing zoo, and erected Floral Hall — a community exhibition building that opened in 1940 and now sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

When you hike the trails and notice the mossy stone steps and aged service roads winding through old-growth-sized trees, you’re walking on infrastructure that Depression-era workers built by hand nearly a century ago. There’s something about that history that makes every trail feel a little more intentional.

The Trail System: 13 Hill Climbs and a Ridge You’ll Want to Take Slow

Forest Park’s trail network is the real draw for anyone who wants to get their heart rate up without driving to the Cascades. The system includes 13 mapped hill climb courses that you can combine for up to 4.9 miles and over 1,100 feet of elevation gain. Kiosks at trailheads show the routes, all marked with numbered posts so you can track your progress — or know exactly where you are when you’re gasping for air on climb number seven.

The terrain is a mix of soft wooded single-track, moss-lined WPA-era stone stairs, aged service roads, and narrow boot paths. It’s not manicured and it’s not paved — this is real Pacific Northwest forest hiking, with roots to step over, mud after rain, and canopy so thick that even on sunny days the light filters green.

For a mellower experience, the upper ridge trail is worth every minute. It follows the park’s high spine through mixed forest, and interpretive signs along the way teach you about the native plant species, local wildlife, and geological history of the area. Bring a camera — the filtered light through the canopy is the kind of thing that makes non-hikers understand why people hike.

The Animal Farm: Free, Charming, and Your Kids Will Not Want to Leave

Forest Park has had animals since 1914, when a small zoo opened that would operate for over six decades. When the zoo closed in 1976, the Animal Farm rose from its footprint — literally built at the old butcher shop location at the park’s west end starting in 1970. Today it operates seasonally during summer months as a free petting farm with goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, ducks, and horses.

For families with young children, this is the anchor attraction. Kids can pet and feed the animals, and horse rides are available for a small donation. It’s low-key, unpretentious, and exactly the kind of thing that creates the memories your kids will bring up at Thanksgiving twenty years from now. The price — free — means you can come every weekend all summer without thinking twice.

Splash Park, Swim Center, and the Playground That Never Ends

Behind the main playground area, Forest Park’s water playground features an orca-themed splash park with spray features designed for different age groups, including a smaller section for toddlers. It’s the kind of place where you’ll watch your kids run through the same water jet fourteen times in a row and somehow never get bored.

The playground itself is enormous — swings, multiple climbing structures, bars, a digger, spinners, and a train-shaped jungle gym that serves as the unofficial meeting point for every playdate in the park. Covered picnic shelters nearby make it easy to set up camp for the day.

The Forest Park Swim Center, which opened to the public in 1975, sits at the park’s edge. Originally built with a unique removable roof — revolutionary for its time — it was damaged in the Thanksgiving Day storm of 1984 and replaced with a permanent structure in 1985. The swim center offers public swim sessions, lessons, and lap swimming year-round, making it one of Everett’s most-used recreational facilities regardless of season.

How to Get Here and What to Know Before You Go

Forest Park is located at 802 E. Mukilteo Boulevard, Everett, WA 98203. The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk. From I-5, take exit 192 for 41st Street and head toward the Mukilteo Ferry. 41st Street becomes Mukilteo Boulevard, and the park entrance is the first left turn.

Public transit reaches the park via Everett Transit routes 3 and 18. Parking is free and generally available on weekdays, though summer weekends can fill the main lot — arrive before 10 a.m. if you’re bringing kids to the animal farm or splash park.

Trail surfaces are natural — wear real shoes, not sandals. After rain, the lower trails get muddy, so boots are worth the effort. The hill climbs are legitimate exercise; bring water. And if you’re visiting the animal farm, check the City of Everett Parks website for current seasonal hours before you go — operating dates vary year to year.

Why Locals Love It

Forest Park isn’t flashy. It doesn’t have a brewery attached to it or a waterfront view. What it has is 197 acres of honest-to-goodness forest in the middle of a city, trails that were built by hand during the hardest economic period in American history, a free animal farm that delights every kid who walks through the gate, and the kind of quiet that’s increasingly rare in the Puget Sound region.

It’s the park where Everett residents proposed, where their kids learned to ride horses, where their grandparents danced to band music, and where — if you show up on any given Tuesday morning — you’ll find a handful of regulars doing their hill climbs in comfortable silence, nodding to each other like old friends. Because they are.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Forest Park in Everett?

Forest Park covers 197 acres, making it Everett’s largest park. It has been part of the city’s park system since the first ten acres were purchased in 1894.

Is Forest Park’s Animal Farm free?

Yes. The Animal Farm operates seasonally during summer months and admission is free. Horse rides are available for a small donation. Animals include goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, ducks, and horses.

How long are the trails at Forest Park?

The trail system includes 13 hill climb courses that can be combined for up to 4.9 miles with over 1,100 feet of elevation gain. A more relaxed upper ridge trail is also available for those who want a gentler walk.

What are the hours for Forest Park?

Forest Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk. The Forest Park Swim Center has separate hours for public swim sessions, lap swimming, and lessons — check the City of Everett website for the current schedule.

How do I get to Forest Park?

From I-5, take exit 192 for 41st Street and head toward the Mukilteo Ferry. 41st Street becomes Mukilteo Boulevard, and the park entrance is the first left turn. The address is 802 E. Mukilteo Boulevard, Everett, WA 98203. Everett Transit routes 3 and 18 also serve the park.

Is Forest Park good for kids?

Forest Park is one of the best family parks in Everett. It features an enormous playground, an orca-themed splash park with age-appropriate sections, a free seasonal animal farm, covered picnic shelters, and gentle trail options alongside more challenging hill climbs for older kids.

What is Floral Hall at Forest Park?

Floral Hall is a community exhibition building constructed during the WPA era and opened in 1940. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to host community events.

Can you swim at Forest Park?

Yes. The Forest Park Swim Center has been open since 1975 and offers public swim sessions, lap swimming, and swim lessons year-round. The outdoor splash park is seasonal and free.

April 9, 2026
Living in Bayside: Inside Everett’s Historic Heart and Most Walkable Neighborhood

Q: What makes Bayside one of Everett’s best neighborhoods?
A: Established in 1892, Bayside is Everett’s historic heart — home to Clark Park (the city’s oldest park), a walkable downtown core, Grand Avenue bluff views over Possession Sound, and an architectural mix of historic mansions, mill worker cottages, and modern condos that tells the full story of Everett’s past and future.

Bayside Didn’t Just Watch Everett’s History Unfold — It Was the Stage

If you want to understand Everett, start in Bayside. This neighborhood predates the city’s official incorporation — residents were building homes and laying out tree-lined streets here as early as 1892, a full year before Everett became a city. When the Everett Land Company was drawing up plans for a new mill town on the shores of Port Gardner Bay, Bayside was already becoming the place where the people running those plans chose to live.

Walk the blocks between Grand Avenue and Colby Avenue today and you’re walking through layers of that history. Victorian-era homes sit next to Craftsman bungalows. Mill worker cottages share streets with early-1900s mansions built by timber barons. And mixed in between, you’ll find modern condos and townhomes that arrived with Everett’s recent growth wave. It’s not a museum — it’s a living neighborhood where the architecture tells you exactly how this city evolved.

Clark Park: The Park That Started It All

Every neighborhood has a park. Bayside has the park — Clark Park, established in 1894 and officially named in 1931 for John Clark, one of Everett’s founding figures who passed away in 1922. This is Everett’s oldest city park, and it still functions as Bayside’s front yard.

The park’s bandstand, designed by architect Benjamin F. Turnbull in 1921, anchored community life for decades. From the 1920s through the 1960s, Everett residents gathered here for band concerts on summer evenings. Tennis courts went in during 1927 and got lights in 1935 — a big deal during the Depression, when free entertainment mattered. Today, Clark Park is still where Bayside residents walk their dogs in the morning, eat lunch on the benches at noon, and meet neighbors in the evening.

Grand Avenue and the Bluff Views You Won’t Believe Are Free

Grand Avenue runs along the western edge of Bayside, and if you haven’t walked it, you’re missing one of Everett’s best-kept secrets. The bluff overlooks the industrial waterfront, Possession Sound, and on clear days, the Olympic Mountains fill the horizon. Sunsets from up here are the kind of thing that stops you mid-sentence.

It’s also where you’ll find the Bayside P-Patch, a one-acre community garden at 23rd Street and Grand Avenue. For about forty dollars a year, Bayside residents can claim a plot and grow whatever they want — tomatoes, dahlias, herbs, squash. The garden has been going strong for nearly 25 years, and the juxtaposition is pure Everett: beautiful flowers growing on a terraced hillside with views of old waterfront factories in the background. Benches along mulched trails give gardeners and passersby a place to sit and watch the water.

The Walkability Factor

Bayside consistently scores among the most walkable neighborhoods in all of Snohomish County. With a Walk Score hovering around 82, daily errands — groceries, coffee, a trip to the library — don’t require a car. The Carnegie Main Public Library, Everett High School, downtown restaurants, and the waterfront marina are all within walking or easy biking distance.

This matters more than it might sound. In a region where most neighborhoods were designed around cars, Bayside’s pre-automobile street grid means sidewalks are wide, blocks are short, and you actually run into your neighbors on foot. It’s the kind of neighborhood where the barista at your local coffee shop knows your order and the librarian recognizes your kids.

Who Lives in Bayside Today

Bayside’s population is a genuine cross-section of Everett. Young professionals drawn by the walkability and downtown access share the neighborhood with longtime residents who’ve been here for decades. Families appreciate the proximity to Everett High School and the neighborhood’s relatively low crime rates compared to other urban-core neighborhoods in the region. Retirees love the flat walking routes along Grand Avenue and the ease of reaching medical offices, restaurants, and transit without fighting traffic.

The housing stock reflects that mix. You can find a renovated Craftsman for the mid-$400s, a condo in a newer building for under $350,000, or — if you’re patient and lucky — one of the historic homes along Grand Avenue or Rucker Avenue that occasionally comes on the market. Prices have risen with Everett’s overall growth, but Bayside remains more accessible than comparable walkable neighborhoods in Seattle or Bellevue.

What Long-Timers Want You to Know

Ask anyone who’s lived in Bayside for more than a decade and they’ll tell you the same thing: this neighborhood rewards people who slow down. The hidden alleys between blocks — remnants of the original 1890s street plan — are worth exploring on foot. The view from the P-Patch at golden hour is better than anything you’ll find at a restaurant with a cover charge. And Clark Park on a Saturday morning, when the neighborhood is waking up and dog walkers are trading gossip on the paths, is Everett at its most genuine.

They’ll also tell you that Bayside is changing. New development is filling in vacant lots. The waterfront redevelopment south of the neighborhood is bringing new restaurants and foot traffic. But the bones of the neighborhood — the tree-lined streets, the bluff views, the walkable grid, the sense that people actually know each other here — those haven’t changed since the 1890s, and they’re not going anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Bayside neighborhood in Everett?

Bayside is located in North Everett, encompassing the downtown core area. It’s bounded roughly by the waterfront to the west and extends east through the historic residential streets around Grand Avenue, Colby Avenue, and Rucker Avenue.

Is Bayside a safe neighborhood?

Bayside is generally considered one of Everett’s safer urban neighborhoods. Like any downtown-adjacent area, it has typical city activity, but the active neighborhood association and high foot traffic contribute to a strong sense of community safety.

What is the Bayside P-Patch?

The Bayside P-Patch is a one-acre community garden located at 23rd Street and Grand Avenue. Plots are available to residents for approximately forty dollars per year. The garden has been operating for nearly 25 years and offers views of Possession Sound from its terraced hillside location.

How walkable is Bayside compared to other Everett neighborhoods?

Bayside is the most walkable neighborhood in Everett, with a Walk Score around 82. Its pre-automobile street grid, proximity to downtown services, and connections to the waterfront make car-free living genuinely practical here.

What schools serve the Bayside neighborhood?

Everett High School is located within Bayside. The neighborhood is served by the Everett School District, which enrolls approximately 20,000 students across 33 schools.

What is Clark Park?

Clark Park is Everett’s oldest city park, established in 1894 and named in 1931 for city founder John Clark. It features a historic bandstand designed by architect Benjamin F. Turnbull, tennis courts, and serves as Bayside’s central gathering space.

How much does it cost to live in Bayside?

Housing in Bayside ranges from condos in newer buildings starting under $350,000 to renovated Craftsman homes in the mid-$400,000 range. Historic homes along Grand Avenue or Rucker Avenue command higher prices but appear on the market infrequently.

April 9, 2026

April at the Historic Everett Theatre: Five Shows Worth Your Saturday Night

What’s playing at the Historic Everett Theatre in April 2026? Five verified shows including tribute rock (Def Leppard, Journey, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan), stand-up comedy (Henry Cho, Tyler Smith’s Dope Show), and an Elvis fundraiser for the Fallen Heroes Project. Venue: 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA. Box office: 425-258-6766.

The 1901 brick building at 2911 Colby Ave has been putting on shows for longer than most of the rest of Everett has even existed. And this April, the Historic Everett Theatre is doing what it does best — stacking a month’s worth of live entertainment so dense it’s basically impossible to claim there’s nothing to do on a Saturday night in Everett.

From thunderous tribute bands to sharp stand-up comedy to an Elvis performance that doubles as a fundraiser for fallen veterans, the theatre’s April lineup is a case study in why this venue continues to be the cultural anchor of downtown Everett. Here’s what’s coming up and which shows are worth clearing your calendar for.

April 10 & 11: Hysteria + Infinity Project (Def Leppard & Journey Tributes)

The weekend of April 10–11 is all about the golden era of rock. Opening the run is Stevie Ray Visited with Randy Hansen on Friday night — a double-bill tribute honoring both Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Randy Hansen has built a serious following in the Pacific Northwest as one of the most committed Hendrix interpreters working today, and pairing his act with a Stevie Ray tribute makes this one of the more ambitious single-night lineups the theatre has booked this spring.

Saturday night brings arguably the biggest crowd-pleasers of the month: Hysteria (a Def Leppard tribute) and Infinity Project (a Journey tribute) sharing the same stage. If you grew up with “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” this is a nostalgic one-two punch designed specifically to make you forget what year it is. These aren’t bar bands running through the hits — both acts have been playing these catalogs long enough to do them justice.

For the Saturday show: doors at 6 PM, show at 7 PM. Get there early if you want a good spot on the floor.

April 18: Tyler Smith Presents The Dope Show

Saturday, April 18 | 7:00 PM
2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA | Tickets via Tixr
Note: This is an external production. Theatre gift certificates and coupons are not valid for this event.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when comedians perform one sober set, take an intermission to consume cannabis, and then get back on stage to perform again — this is exactly that experiment, live and in public at one of Everett’s most storied venues.

Tyler Smith’s The Dope Show is a touring comedy showcase that has developed a cult following for the comedic chaos that premise creates. The contrast between the tight, polished first sets and whatever happens after intermission is the entertainment. It’s unpredictable in the best possible way.

Washington’s legal cannabis culture has created a whole lane for this kind of event, and seeing it staged inside the 125-year-old Historic Everett Theatre is a combination that probably couldn’t exist anywhere else in the country. Recommended for adults who enjoy boundary-pushing stand-up.

April 24: Henry Cho

Friday, April 24 | 8:00 PM
2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA | Tickets via box office: 425-258-6766

Henry Cho is one of those comics who’s been quietly excellent for decades without ever making the kind of noise that gets him on magazine covers. His material is clean, sharp, and consistently underestimated — which is exactly why his shows tend to sell out. If you’ve seen him before, you already know. If you haven’t, April 24th is an excellent entry point.

The 8 PM showtime makes this an easy choice for a dinner-and-comedy date night in downtown Everett. With limited tickets remaining as of early April, don’t sit on this one.

April 25: Tracy Alan Moore as Elvis — Fallen Heroes Project Fundraiser

Saturday, April 25 | Doors 6:30 PM | Show 7:30 PM
2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA | Tickets from $69 via venue and ticketing partners

The month closes on a meaningful note. Tracy Alan Moore is widely considered one of the top Elvis Presley tribute artists on the West Coast, and his April 25 show at the Historic Everett Theatre is also a fundraiser for the Fallen Heroes Project, an organization that supports families of fallen U.S. military personnel.

At $69 and up, this is one of the pricier evenings on the April calendar, but you’re getting both a high-production Elvis experience and the knowledge that your ticket revenue is going somewhere worthwhile. Moore’s command of Presley’s catalog — from the Sun Records rockabilly days through the Vegas years — is the kind of performance you can describe to people who weren’t there without sounding like you’re overselling it.

The 1901 venue is a fitting setting for an Elvis show. The King started his career playing theaters not unlike this one, and there’s something genuinely poetic about seeing that tradition honored in a building that predates rock and roll by more than five decades.

Why the Historic Everett Theatre Keeps Winning

It would be easy to take this building for granted. It’s been standing on Colby Avenue since 1901 — through both World Wars, the Boeing boom, the 1990s downtown slump, and now the ongoing revival happening block by block through downtown Everett. The fact that it’s still here, still programming shows, still drawing audiences from across Snohomish County, is not an accident.

The Historic Everett Theatre fills a specific and important niche: intimate enough that there’s not a bad seat in the house, but large enough to attract acts and touring productions that wouldn’t work in a bar. It’s the kind of venue that makes a city feel like a real city — not a bedroom community waiting for something to do on a Saturday night, but a place with its own cultural gravity.

April’s lineup reflects that: five shows across four weekends, covering tribute rock, blues, stand-up comedy, and a veterans fundraiser. That’s a full month of reasons to stay in Everett instead of driving to Seattle.

Quick Reference: April at the Historic Everett Theatre

Date	Show	Doors	Show Time
Fri, April 10	Stevie Ray Visited + Randy Hansen	6:30 PM	7:30 PM
Sat, April 11	Hysteria (Def Leppard) + Infinity Project (Journey)	6:00 PM	7:00 PM
Sat, April 18	Tyler Smith’s The Dope Show (comedy)	—	7:00 PM
Fri, April 24	Henry Cho (stand-up comedy)	—	8:00 PM
Sat, April 25	Tracy Alan Moore as Elvis (Fallen Heroes fundraiser)	6:30 PM	7:30 PM

Box office: 425-258-6766 | Tickets: Tixr or historiceveretttheatre.org
Address: 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201

The theatre has been making this city worth living in since the year McKinley was president. Give it a Friday night this April — you won’t regret it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time should I arrive at the Historic Everett Theatre?
For most shows, doors open 30–60 minutes before the listed show time. For April 11, doors open at 6 PM with the show at 7 PM. For April 25, doors are at 6:30 PM for a 7:30 PM show. Arriving at doors is recommended for popular shows where floor space fills quickly.

Where is the Historic Everett Theatre located?
The theatre is at 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201 in the heart of downtown Everett. Street parking and nearby lots are available. Box office: 425-258-6766.

How old is the Historic Everett Theatre?
The Historic Everett Theatre has been operating since 1901, making it over 125 years old and one of the oldest continuously operating performance venues in Washington State.

Are the April shows all-ages?
Age restrictions vary by event. The Dope Show on April 18 is a cannabis-themed comedy event — check Tixr or call 425-258-6766 to confirm age policy. Henry Cho on April 24 performs clean comedy appropriate for older teens and adults. Call the box office to confirm policies for specific shows.

How do I buy tickets for Historic Everett Theatre shows?
Most shows sell tickets through Tixr, the Historic Everett Theatre’s official website (historiceveretttheatre.org), or resellers like Vivid Seats and SeatGeek. For the Tracy Alan Moore Elvis tribute on April 25, tickets start at $69.

Is the Fallen Heroes Project a legitimate charity?
Yes. The Fallen Heroes Project is an established organization that provides support for families of fallen U.S. military personnel. The April 25 Tracy Alan Moore Elvis tribute is a fundraiser benefiting this organization.

What happens if I have gift certificates or coupons for the Historic Everett Theatre?
Theatre gift certificates and coupons are valid for Historic Everett Theatre-produced events. The Dope Show on April 18 is an external production and explicitly states that theatre gift certificates and coupons are not valid for that event.

What other events are coming to Everett in spring 2026?
Schack Art Center is running its “Water Ways: Healing the Circle of Water and Life” exhibition through May 16. APEX Everett has live music events throughout April including The Black Tones on April 17. The Everett Art Walk runs every third Thursday downtown. Exploring Everett covers the full scene — bookmark us for the latest.

April 9, 2026

AquaSox Home Opener Was Rough, But Here’s Why the 2026 Season Is Still Worth Getting Excited About

Quick Answer: The Everett AquaSox opened their 2026 home schedule on April 7 with a tough 17-2 loss to the Tri-City Dust Devils. Don’t panic — this is the defending Northwest League champion team with five top-30 Mariners prospects, and one rough night doesn’t define a long season.

Look, nobody said defending a championship was going to be easy. The Everett AquaSox opened their 2026 home schedule Tuesday night at Everett Memorial Stadium and ran into a buzzsaw — dropping their home opener to the Tri-City Dust Devils 17-2 in front of 1,414 fans. It was ugly. It was not representative of what this team is capable of. And if you’re an AquaSox fan, you already know: one game in April does not a season make.

Here’s what actually matters as the AquaSox settle into their first homestand of 2026.

What Happened Opening Night

The numbers were rough. Tri-City jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, extended it to 10-0 through three, and kept piling on. By the time the night was over, the Dust Devils had put up 17 runs against an AquaSox pitching staff that just didn’t have it on Tuesday.

For Everett, the highlights were few but real. Josh Caron grounded a triple down the left-field line in the fourth inning — a reminder of the kind of contact hitters the AquaSox have on this roster. Luke Stevenson drove in the first AquaSox run with a sacrifice fly. And in the bottom of the eighth, Jonny Farmelo launched a 381-foot solo home run to make it 17-2.

It’s a box score you’d rather forget. But before you write off this team, let’s talk about what they’re actually working with.

The 2026 AquaSox Roster Is Stacked With Mariners Prospects

The Everett AquaSox roster for 2026 is legitimately exciting for anyone who follows the Mariners’ farm system. This is a team built to compete — 22 returners from the 2025 Northwest League Championship squad, plus five of the Mariners’ Top-30 prospects and eight newcomers.

Here’s who to watch this summer at Everett Memorial Stadium:

Jonny Farmelo — Outfielder, Mariners No. 6 Prospect

Farmelo is the name everyone in the Mariners system is talking about. A left-handed hitter with real power (that 381-foot blast on Opening Night was no fluke), he’s back in Everett for his second taste of High-A baseball after battling through an ACL tear in 2024 and a stress reaction in his ribs in 2025. In 29 games last year, he hit .230 with 13 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. If he stays healthy in 2026, expect those numbers to look a lot better over a full season. He has the tools to move quickly through the system.

Felnin Celesten — Shortstop, Mariners No. 7 Prospect

Celesten is one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire Mariners organization — a switch-hitter at shortstop with serious upside. He got a brief taste of High-A last August (11 games), and now he’s back for a full season. The switch-hitting ability alone makes him valuable; add the defensive profile at short and you’ve got a guy who could be a key piece of Seattle’s future middle infield. Watch him closely in this homestand.

Luke Stevenson — Catcher, Top-10 Prospect

Stevenson drove in the AquaSox’s first run of the home season on Tuesday. He’s a catching prospect in the Mariners’ top 10 — a position where Seattle is actively building for the future. Behind the plate and at the dish, Stevenson is someone to follow all season long.

Carlos Jimenez — Outfielder, Mariners No. 21 Prospect

The 21st-ranked prospect in Seattle’s system, Jimenez adds another outfield bat to an already deep lineup. He’s one of the newcomers joining the returning championship core, and he’s coming in with something to prove.

Lucas Kelly — Right-Handed Pitcher, Mariners No. 29 Prospect

The Mariners need pitching depth like every organization does, and Kelly is one of the arms to watch this summer. On a night like Opening Night when the staff struggled, it’s easy to be critical — but over a full season, seeing how prospects like Kelly develop is exactly why you watch High-A baseball.

22 Champions Are Back — And That Matters

This isn’t a retooling project. Twenty-two players who won the 2025 Northwest League Championship are back in Everett uniforms this season. That’s continuity, that’s chemistry, and that’s a roster that already knows what it takes to win in the Northwest League.

Defending champions in minor league baseball always carry a target on their back — opposing teams game-plan for them, and there’s added pressure every night. One blowout in a six-game series at home doesn’t change who this team is.

For context: the AquaSox went 3-3 in their opening road series in Spokane before returning home. They picked up their first win of 2026 with a 3-2 victory over the Spokane Indians, powered by home runs from Josh Caron, Carter Dorighi, and Jonny Farmelo. The pitching showed its depth in that game, with Evan Truitt going 4.2 innings and Christian Little adding two shutout frames with five strikeouts.

These guys can play ball.

The 2026 Home Schedule: What’s Coming Up

The AquaSox play Tri-City again through Sunday, April 12, at Everett Memorial Stadium. After that, they’ll continue the home schedule through the summer. Everett Memorial Stadium remains one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to watch live baseball — affordable tickets, a great atmosphere, and now a roster loaded with legitimate Mariners prospects worth tracking for years to come.

Tickets and the full schedule are available at milb.com/everett.

Tuesday was one bad night. The season is 132 games long. Come out to the ballpark and watch what this group can do when everything clicks — because with this much prospect talent, it’s going to be a fun summer in Everett.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 AquaSox

What was the AquaSox’s opening night result in 2026?

The Everett AquaSox lost to the Tri-City Dust Devils 17-2 at Everett Memorial Stadium on April 7, 2026, in front of 1,414 fans. It was a tough start to the home season.

Who are the top prospects on the 2026 AquaSox roster?

The AquaSox have five Mariners Top-30 prospects: outfielder Jonny Farmelo (No. 6), shortstop Felnin Celesten (No. 7), catcher Luke Stevenson (top-10), outfielder Carlos Jimenez (No. 21), and pitcher Lucas Kelly (No. 29).

How many returning players are on the 2026 AquaSox from the championship team?

22 players from the 2025 Northwest League Championship squad are back on the 2026 AquaSox roster, along with 8 newcomers, for a total of 30 players.

What league do the AquaSox play in?

The Everett AquaSox compete in the Northwest League as the Seattle Mariners’ High-A affiliate in Minor League Baseball.

How can I buy AquaSox tickets?

Tickets are available at milb.com/everett. The AquaSox play at Everett Memorial Stadium Field in Everett, WA.

When is the 2026 AquaSox home opener series?

The AquaSox’s first home series runs April 7-12 against the Tri-City Dust Devils at Everett Memorial Stadium.

April 9, 2026
Silvertips Enter Round 2 as WHL’s Hottest Team: Get to Angel of the Winds Arena This Friday
Quick Answer: The Everett Silvertips swept the Portland Winterhawks 4-0 in Round 1 of the 2026 WHL Playoffs, outscoring them 25-5. They now face the Kelowna Rockets in Round 2, with Games 1 and 2 at Angel of the Winds Arena on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11.

The Everett Silvertips swept the Portland Winterhawks out of the playoffs like they weren’t even there. Twenty-five goals. Four games. Zero losses. Now, the best team in the Western Hockey League all season is heading into Round 2 of the 2026 WHL Playoffs — and the party starts right here at Angel of the Winds Arena this Friday night.

If you haven’t been paying attention to this Silvertips squad all year, now is the time to start. This is a team playing playoff hockey at a different level than everyone else.

The First Round Was a Statement

Let’s recap what the Silvertips just did to Portland, because it deserves a moment.

Game 1: 8-1. Eight goals. They didn’t ease into the playoffs — they detonated.

Game 2: 4-1. Four unanswered goals after falling behind.

Game 3: 7-0. Seven different skaters scored. A shutout. A statement.

Game 4: Down 2-0 in Portland, they scored six unanswered to win 6-3. Forward Zackary Shantz finished with a three-point night (1G, 2A) to seal the comeback.

Final tally: 25 goals for, 5 against in a four-game sweep. The Silvertips outscored Portland by twenty goals. That’s not a series — that’s a message to the rest of the Western Conference. This was the Silvertips’ first playoff series sweep since 2016 — and fittingly, it was also against the Winterhawks back then.

What Makes the 2026 Silvertips So Dangerous

The Silvertips entered the postseason as the regular season’s top team — winners of the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s best record-holder — and the third-highest scoring team in the league. They’ve got a balanced attack that makes them nearly impossible to key on.

Matias Vanhanen and Julius Miettinen have been the offensive engines in the playoffs so far, combining for 13 points (7 goals) through four games. Both players carried their strong regular-season form right into the postseason without missing a beat.

Carter Bear is the name to watch in this series. Against Kelowna in the regular season, Bear was flat-out dominant — 8 points on 5 goals and 3 assists in just four games. If that production carries over, the Rockets are going to have a very hard time containing him.

The Silvertips don’t just have one line. Seven different goal-scorers in Game 3 tells you everything you need to know about how this team is built.

The Opponent: Kelowna Rockets Bring Playoff Motivation

The Kelowna Rockets are not a team to sleep on. They swept the Kamloops Blazers in Round 1 and they’ll be playing with extra motivation as the host of the 2026 Memorial Cup. For Kelowna, every game this spring is a warmup for the biggest junior hockey tournament on the continent being played in their own building.

The Rockets’ top weapons are Vojtec Cihar and Tij Iginla, who combined for 11 goals and 20 points in the first round against Kamloops. Both players got hot at exactly the right time.

But here’s the thing: the Silvertips dominated Kelowna during the regular season. Everett went 4-0 against the Rockets in their regular-season matchups. Kelowna knows they’re facing an uphill battle — their own local press is acknowledging as much.

2026 WHL Playoffs Round 2 Schedule: Silvertips vs. Rockets

This is your window to be part of something special in person. The series opens in Everett with back-to-back home games:
- Game 1 — Friday, April 10 at Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett
- Game 2 — Saturday, April 11 at Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett
- Game 3 — Tuesday, April 14 at Prospera Place, Kelowna
- Game 4 — Wednesday, April 15 at Prospera Place, Kelowna
- Game 5 (if needed) — Friday, April 17
- Game 6 (if needed) — Sunday, April 19
- Game 7 (if needed) — Tuesday, April 21
Angel of the Winds Arena playoff hockey is some of the best live sports entertainment in the Pacific Northwest. The building gets loud, the energy is real, and the Silvertips have given their fans every reason to pack the house this weekend. Tickets are available at everettsilvertips.com and through the Angel of the Winds Arena box office.

Why This Run Feels Different

Being the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy winner means you had the best record in the WHL all season. That’s not luck — that’s consistency across 68 regular-season games. And then to open the playoffs by outscoring your opponent 25-5 in a sweep? That’s dominance.

The Silvertips have the offensive depth to grind teams down, the defensive structure to protect leads, and the playoff experience to handle adversity. That 6-3 comeback in Game 4 at Portland — down 2-0 on the road — is the mentality of a team that believes it’s going to win.

Kelowna has the motivation of the Memorial Cup and two dangerous forwards who can change games. This should be a quality second round. But right now, the Silvertips are the hottest team in the WHL, and they’re playing their next two games at home.

Get to the arena Friday night.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Silvertips 2026 Playoff Run

When do the Silvertips play next in the 2026 WHL Playoffs?

Game 1 of the second round against the Kelowna Rockets is Friday, April 10, at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, WA. Game 2 follows on Saturday, April 11, at the same venue.

How did the Silvertips do in Round 1 of the 2026 WHL Playoffs?

The Silvertips swept the Portland Winterhawks 4-0, winning 8-1, 4-1, 7-0, and 6-3. They scored 25 goals while allowing only 5 across the series.

Who are the Silvertips’ key players to watch in Round 2?

Matias Vanhanen and Julius Miettinen lead the offense with 6 points each in the playoffs. Carter Bear had 8 points (5G, 3A) against Kelowna in the regular season and is a major threat in this series.

Who are the Kelowna Rockets and why are they dangerous?

Kelowna is the 2026 Memorial Cup host and swept Kamloops in Round 1. Their key forwards Vojtec Cihar and Tij Iginla combined for 11 goals in the first round. They’re motivated and battle-tested.

What is the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy?

The Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy is awarded to the WHL team with the best regular-season record. The Silvertips won it for the 2025-26 season, making them the No. 1 overall seed in the WHL Playoffs.

Where can I buy Everett Silvertips playoff tickets?

Tickets are available at everettsilvertips.com (Playoff Ticket Central section) and through the Angel of the Winds Arena box office at angelofthewindsarena.com, or by calling 1-425-322-2600.
April 9, 2026
Naval Station Everett’s Fight for Its Future After the Frigate Program Collapse

Q: What happened to the frigates coming to Naval Station Everett?
A: The Navy cancelled the Constellation-class frigate program in November 2025 after years of cost overruns and construction delays, ending a plan to homeport 12 new ships in Everett. Local leaders are now fighting to ensure the base secures a role in whatever comes next.

Naval Station Everett’s Fight for Its Future After the Frigate Program Collapse

For years, Naval Station Everett had a clearly defined destiny: become the Pacific homeport for 12 brand-new Constellation-class guided-missile frigates, transforming the base into one of the most significant surface combatant hubs on the West Coast. The frigates would bring thousands of additional sailors and their families to Snohomish County, generate billions in economic activity, and cement Everett’s identity as a Navy town well into the 21st century.

Then, on November 25, 2025, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan posted a message on social media: the Constellation-class frigate program was over.

The cancellation sent shockwaves through the Everett community — and set off a scramble that’s still playing out today.

What Happened to the Constellation-Class Frigates

The Constellation-class frigate program, designated FFG-62, was supposed to be the Navy’s answer to a capability gap in its surface fleet: a capable, affordable, medium-sized warship that could be produced faster and cheaper than the larger DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Congress funded the program starting in 2020, and in 2021 the Navy selected Naval Station Everett as the future homeport for all 12 ships.

The problems began almost immediately. Construction of the lead ship, USS Constellation (FFG-62), began at Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s shipyard in Wisconsin — but the program struggled from the start to complete its functional design. Without design stability, construction stalled. By May 2024, the Government Accountability Office found that the first ship was running approximately three years behind its original schedule, with delivery pushed to at least April 2029 instead of the originally planned July 2026.

Costs climbed alongside the delays. The lead ship had gained nearly 759 tons of additional weight compared to original specifications, and the price tag ballooned. Secretary Phelan’s blunt assessment: “The Constellation-class frigate was canceled because, candidly, it didn’t make sense anymore to build it. It was 80 percent of the cost of a destroyer and 60 percent of the capability.”

Construction on the first two ships — USS Constellation (FFG-62) and one follow-on hull — will continue to completion. But homeporting decisions for those ships have not been made, and may not be made until much closer to their eventual commissioning dates. The remaining ships on order have been cancelled entirely.

What It Means for Everett

Naval Station Everett currently employs approximately 6,000 military personnel and 500 civilian workers, making it one of Snohomish County’s largest employers. The base’s economic footprint touches everything from local housing markets to small businesses that cater to military families.

The frigate program had been expected to dramatically expand that footprint. New personnel would have created demand for thousands of additional housing units, strained and eventually grown local schools, and generated ripple effects throughout the regional economy. The Navy had already secured $19 million from Congress to build 88 new family-style military homes at the Navy Support Complex in Smokey Point — 11 miles north of the main base in Marysville — specifically to prepare for the incoming frigate crews and their families. That construction was anticipated to begin in early 2026.

With the program cancelled, the region now faces a more uncertain equation. The housing investment may still proceed, but the population surge that justified it is on hold. And the question of what Naval Station Everett’s long-term mission will look like — with or without new frigates — is very much unanswered.

Everett Leaders Push Back

The response from Snohomish County’s political and economic leadership has been forceful, if not always optimistic.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), whose district includes Naval Station Everett and who has spent years advocating for the base on Capitol Hill, called the cancellation “disheartening” but immediately redirected his focus toward the future. In an interview in December 2025, Larsen said Naval Station Everett is “uniquely situated” to receive whatever next-generation frigates the Navy ultimately develops — pointing to the same geographic, logistical, and strategic advantages that originally made Everett the Navy’s choice for the Constellation-class ships.

Larsen has since been pressing defense officials to ensure that Everett is at the front of the line when homeporting decisions are made for the Navy’s new FF(X) program — the replacement frigate concept based on the Coast Guard’s Legend-class National Security Cutter. Congress has already appropriated $242 million in long-lead funding for the first FF(X) ships, and the program is moving forward, though no homeporting decisions have been announced.

On the local advocacy front, the Economic Alliance Snohomish County has re-activated its Military Affairs Committee — a group that had previously gone dormant — specifically to serve as what organizers called “a coordinated regional voice that understands both the national security implications and the local economic impacts” of decisions affecting the base. Representatives from the Port of Everett, the City of Everett, Snohomish County government, and the Economic Alliance have all been making trips to Washington, D.C., to make the case for Naval Station Everett’s continued relevance.

The FF(X) Program: Everett’s Next Best Hope

The Navy’s replacement frigate concept, officially called FF(X), represents a significant philosophical shift from the Constellation-class approach. Rather than designing an entirely new ship from scratch — the approach that led to the Constellation’s cost and timeline disasters — the FF(X) will be based on an existing, proven design: the Coast Guard’s 418-foot Legend-class National Security Cutter, built by Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The theory is straightforward: use a design that’s already been built, add naval combat systems, and avoid the years of engineering uncertainty that plagued the Constellation program. The FF(X) program was announced in December 2025, with Huntington Ingalls Industries named as the builder.

No homeporting decisions have been made. The first FF(X) ships won’t be ready for years. But the Navy’s shift to a more producible design gives Everett advocates something concrete to fight for — and a program that at least has a realistic path to completion.

What the Base Means to This Community

Beyond the economics and the politics, it’s worth pausing to remember what Naval Station Everett actually is: a community. Roughly 6,000 service members and their families live, work, and raise children in Snohomish County. They fill the bleachers at high school football games. They shop at local businesses. Their spouses navigate the particular challenges of military life — frequent moves, long deployments, career uncertainty — often far from extended family.

The Everett Vet Center, located at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, provides confidential counseling and support for veterans, service members, and their families. The Snohomish County Veterans’ Assistance Program serves as a single portal for veterans seeking help with emergency financial assistance, employment, and benefits navigation. These aren’t abstract institutions — they’re the connective tissue of a military community that has made its home here.

Whatever happens with frigates and fleet allocations in the years ahead, that community isn’t going anywhere. The men and women of Naval Station Everett serve with distinction. Their families carry significant burdens with quiet strength. And the people of Everett have, by and large, embraced them as neighbors.

That relationship is worth fighting for — which is exactly what Everett’s leaders say they intend to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Naval Station Everett at risk of closing?

There are no current indications of closure. The base remains active with approximately 6,000 military personnel and 500 civilian employees. While the cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program is a setback, local and congressional leaders are actively advocating for the base to receive future naval assets.

What happened to the 12 frigates that were supposed to come to Everett?

The Constellation-class frigate program was cancelled by the Secretary of the Navy in November 2025 due to construction delays and cost overruns. Only the first two ships (FFG-62 and FFG-63) will be completed; the remaining 10 planned ships have been cancelled.

Will Everett still get new ships?

It’s possible but not confirmed. The Navy has launched a new FF(X) frigate program based on the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter design. No homeporting decisions have been made, but Rep. Rick Larsen and other local leaders are advocating for Naval Station Everett to be a priority homeport.

What is the FF(X) frigate?

The FF(X) is the Navy’s next-generation small surface combatant, intended to replace the cancelled Constellation-class. It will be built by Huntington Ingalls Industries and based on the Legend-class National Security Cutter design. Congress approved $242 million in long-lead funding for the program in early 2026.

What military housing is being built near Naval Station Everett?

Congress approved $19 million to construct 88 new family-style military homes at the Navy Support Complex in Smokey Point (Marysville), originally intended to house families of incoming frigate crews. The status of that construction in light of the frigate cancellation has not been formally announced.

How does Naval Station Everett affect the local economy?

The base employs approximately 6,000 military personnel and 500 civilian workers, making it one of Snohomish County’s largest employers. Military families’ spending, housing needs, and community engagement generate significant economic activity throughout the region.

What is the Economic Alliance Snohomish County doing about the frigate cancellation?

The Economic Alliance has reactivated its Military Affairs Committee to advocate for the base at the federal level, coordinating with the Port of Everett, City of Everett, and Snohomish County to present a unified regional voice in Washington, D.C.

See also: NAVSTA Everett After the Frigate Collapse: What the Base Fights For Next | What the Frigate Cancellation Means for Military Families at NAVSTA Everett

April 9, 2026
Boeing 777X Production Flight Targeting April from Paine Field: What It Means for Everett

A Milestone Years in the Making

What is the Boeing 777X first production flight? Boeing is targeting April 2026 for the first flight of a production-configured 777-9 aircraft from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. This milestone — the first time a delivery-standard 777X will take to the air — is a required step in the FAA certification process for the world’s largest twin-engine passenger jet.

After more than six years of delays, billions in development charges, and enough setbacks to fill a book, Boeing’s 777X program is approaching a moment the aviation world has been waiting for: the first flight of an actual production aircraft.

Boeing is targeting April 2026 for that flight, which will originate from Paine Field in Everett — the same airfield where generations of Boeing widebody jets have taken their first steps into the sky. The aircraft is a 777-9 variant, destined for launch customer Lufthansa, and it has been undergoing fuel system checks and engine testing at Boeing’s fuel docks on the Paine Field flight line.

For Everett, this is more than an aviation industry milestone. It’s a reminder of why this city, this campus, and this workforce matter to global aviation.

What Makes This Flight Different

Boeing has been flying 777X test aircraft for years. The first 777X flight happened in January 2020, and the company has accumulated thousands of hours of test flight data with a fleet of prototype aircraft. But those earlier jets were built specifically for testing — modified from production-standard in various ways to support the certification process.

This April flight would be different. The aircraft scheduled to take off from Paine Field is a production-configured 777-9 — built to the same specification as jets that would eventually carry passengers. Regulators require this step. The FAA must see a delivery-standard aircraft fly before it can grant Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) for production jets, which would then allow FAA pilots to enter the cockpit for the final stages of certification flying.

In simple terms: all the test flying done up to this point has been prologue. The April flight is where the certification clock really starts ticking on a production 777X.

The 777X: What It Is

The 777-9 is the larger of two planned 777X variants (the smaller 777-8 will follow later). It is, by most measures, the most capable large twin-engine passenger jet ever designed.

The aircraft spans 71.8 meters in wingspan — but its distinctive folding wingtips retract to 64.8 meters for gate compatibility at airports not built for a jet this size. It is powered by the GE9X engine, currently the world’s largest commercial turbofan. A typical 777-9 configuration seats around 426 passengers in a two-class layout, though airline configurations will vary.

Airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Cathay Pacific have been waiting on 777X orders. The aircraft has more than 540 firm orders — a backlog that represents hundreds of billions of dollars in potential revenue for Boeing, if and when the program achieves certification and delivery.

The Road That Got Here

Honesty requires acknowledging how difficult the path to this April moment has been. The 777X was originally projected to enter service in 2020. It is now expected to reach airlines no earlier than 2027 — a seven-year slip from initial projections.

The delays have accumulated from multiple directions. A GE9X engine blade issue discovered during early testing required design changes and grounding of the test fleet. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the aviation market so severely that Boeing and airlines briefly discussed delaying the program voluntarily. The global 737 MAX crisis — stemming from two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 — consumed enormous company and regulatory bandwidth, slowing every program Boeing was running. And then came the 2024 IAM machinists’ strike, which idled the Everett factory for weeks during a critical phase.

The program has generated more than $15 billion in development charges, making it one of the most expensive commercial aircraft development programs in history.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has been characteristically candid about where the program stands. “The mountain of work is still there,” he acknowledged in recent months, noting that the company is “falling behind on certification.” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr has publicly confirmed that his airline does not expect 777X delivery until Q1 2027 at the earliest.

What April Means — And What It Doesn’t

A successful April production flight would not mean the 777X is certified. It would not mean deliveries are imminent. What it would mean is that Boeing has cleared one of the final procedural hurdles required before the FAA can assign its pilots to conduct the certification test flights that form the basis of a type certificate.

If the flight goes well, Boeing expects the FAA to grant TIA for production-configured aircraft by the second half of 2026. That would enable a final certification push — additional flight hours, systems testing, and the formal regulatory review — that Boeing hopes concludes before the end of 2026. Delivery to Lufthansa, pending airline readiness and the logistics of preparing the first handover aircraft, would then follow in early 2027.

There is also a GE Aerospace engine matter in the background — a potential component issue that was flagged recently. Boeing and GE have both indicated they do not expect it to affect the 2027 delivery timeline, but it is worth monitoring.

Paine Field: Where History Gets Made

The choice of location — Paine Field — is not incidental. Boeing’s Everett factory has a runway complex capable of handling the world’s heaviest commercial aircraft, and it is where virtually every Boeing widebody has made its first flight. The 747’s inaugural flight departed from here in 1969. The 777’s first flight was here in 1994. The 787’s first flight lifted off from Paine Field in 2009.

The 777X’s production first flight will add another chapter to that history. For Everett residents who have grown up watching enormous jets bank over the Cascade foothills on their way back around for landing, April could bring one of those days worth watching the sky.

The Everett Workforce Behind the 777X

The production 777-9 sitting at Boeing’s Paine Field fuel docks didn’t assemble itself. It was built by the machinists, engineers, quality inspectors, and support workers who make up the Everett campus workforce — members of IAM District 751 and SPEEA, the engineers’ union, along with thousands of non-union Boeing employees.

The 777X has been a complex program for the Everett workforce, not only because of the jet’s technical ambitions but because of the uncertainty that prolonged delays create for workers and their families. Every month of slip means months more of holding pattern — not knowing when hiring will accelerate, when overtime will be available, when the program’s full production rhythm will arrive.

A successful April production flight doesn’t resolve that uncertainty overnight. But it is a real step toward the moment when the 777X transitions from an aspirational program to a delivering one — and when the Everett factory’s newest and most capable jet becomes part of the daily rhythm of this city’s most defining industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Boeing 777X first production flight happen?
Boeing is targeting April 2026 for the first flight of a production-configured 777-9 from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The exact date has not been publicly announced.

What is the difference between this flight and earlier 777X test flights?
Previous 777X flights used prototype aircraft built specifically for testing. This April flight involves a production-standard 777-9 — built to the same specification as jets intended for airline delivery. Regulators require this step before FAA pilots can join the cockpit for final certification flights.

Who is the launch customer for the 777X?
Lufthansa is the 777X launch customer. The German airline’s CEO has confirmed they do not expect delivery until Q1 2027 at the earliest.

When will the 777X be certified and enter service?
Boeing expects FAA certification in late 2026 and first deliveries to airlines in early 2027, pending a successful production flight and completion of remaining certification test flying.

Why has the 777X been delayed so many times?
The program has faced compounding challenges: a GE9X engine blade issue, COVID-19 market disruption, the diversion of Boeing resources to address the 737 MAX crisis, and the 2024 machinists’ strike. Development charges have exceeded $15 billion.

Where is the 777X built?
The 777X is assembled at Boeing’s Everett factory — the world’s largest building by volume — adjacent to Paine Field in Everett, Washington. It employs thousands of Snohomish County workers.

How many 777X orders does Boeing have?
Boeing has more than 540 firm orders for the 777X from airlines including Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Cathay Pacific.

April 9, 2026
Boeing’s North Line Is Coming to Everett: Inside the Workforce Preparing to Build 737 MAXs This Summer

A New Era of Manufacturing Takes Shape in Everett

What is Boeing’s North Line? The North Line is Boeing’s fourth 737 MAX assembly line, being built inside the Everett factory — the first time 737s have ever been assembled in Everett. It is scheduled to begin low-rate initial production in summer 2026, eventually adding capacity toward a rate of more than 47 aircraft per month.

Something significant is taking shape on the north end of Boeing’s massive Everett campus. Among the widebody jets that have long defined this facility — the 747s, 767s, 777s, and the towering 777X — a new kind of production work is beginning. For the first time in the history of the world’s largest building by volume, workers are preparing to assemble 737 MAX narrowbody jets.

Boeing’s “North Line” — a fourth 737 MAX assembly line being stood up inside the Everett factory — is targeting a midsummer 2026 launch, and April has brought the clearest picture yet of how that effort is progressing. Production leader Jennifer Boland-Masterson described the approach plainly: “We know how to do it… but we need to warm up our muscles. You don’t start with a marathon.”

Why Everett? Why Now?

The short answer is capacity. Boeing’s existing three 737 MAX lines all run out of its Renton, Washington facility — a plant that has been the sole home of 737 production since the original 737 first flew in 1967. As Boeing pushes to reach and eventually surpass a production rate of 47 aircraft per month, Renton alone cannot absorb the volume. The Everett campus, home to the widebody programs, has the physical space, the skilled workforce, and the infrastructure to take on the load.

The longer answer involves Boeing’s recovery from one of the most turbulent stretches in its history. The 2024 IAM machinists’ strike — which idled production for nearly seven weeks — and ongoing FAA production rate caps have forced the company to rebuild methodically. The North Line isn’t just about adding jets off the end of an assembly process; it’s about demonstrating to regulators, customers, and the public that Boeing can scale quality manufacturing safely.

The People Making It Happen

The North Line workforce is being built from three sources: newly hired employees, experienced workers transferring from Renton, and veterans already on the Everett campus.

Among the first hired are Jaden Myers and Alondra Ponce, who joined the program in late 2025. Myers captured the weight of the moment: “Opening a new production line is something special. So, we have to do it right.” Ponce noted the quality of the onboarding experience: “Training was so positive and refreshing… My managers and the coaches were always there.”

New hires begin with 12 weeks of foundational training — much of it conducted in Renton, where they work alongside experienced mechanics on active 737 production before transitioning to Everett. The approach is intentional: Boeing wants North Line workers absorbing muscle memory from people who have built thousands of these planes, not just learning from manuals.

The program also leans on institutional knowledge already inside Everett. John V., a nearly 40-year Boeing veteran who spent years in a quality coaching role, is among those transitioning to support the North Line. “This will be my first time working on the 737 program,” he said. “But we are doing the training right.”

What the North Line Will Build

The line will be capable of assembling all 737 MAX variants — the MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10 — though it will begin with a low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase that prioritizes quality checks over throughput. Boeing is also introducing the 737 Wing Transport Tool to the Everett operation, a piece of tooling that ferries partially completed wings from suppliers into the final assembly process — replicating how the Renton line works, now inside the Everett footprint.

Once the LRIP phase is complete and the line is integrated into Boeing’s overall 737 MAX production flow, the North Line will add meaningful capacity toward the company’s stated rate targets. Boeing has set 47 jets per month across all 737 lines as a near-term milestone, with longer-term ambitions reaching 63 aircraft per month when all four lines are running at full tempo. The 47/month target — once forecast for 2026 — has been pushed to 2027, a timeline that reflects both the deliberate ramp pace and ongoing FAA oversight requirements.

What It Means for Everett

Boeing’s Everett campus already employs more than 30,000 people, making it the single largest employer in Snohomish County and one of the most consequential job centers in the state of Washington. The North Line adds to that count — but the significance runs deeper than headcount.

For decades, Everett’s Boeing identity has been synonymous with widebody jets: the enormous 747, the freighter-capable 767, the long-range 777, and now the 777X. The addition of 737 narrowbody production shifts Everett’s manufacturing profile. It means more job classifications, more union-represented roles under the IAM District 751 contract, and a broader base of production activity that makes the campus less vulnerable to any single program’s fluctuations.

For the workers being hired into the program today — many of them Snohomish County residents who will drive to the Paine Field campus rather than commute to Renton — the North Line represents exactly what Everett has needed: new manufacturing jobs, on the doorstep, inside one of the most iconic industrial facilities in the world.

The Bigger Picture

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg toured the North Line earlier this month, a visible signal of executive attention on a program that carries considerable symbolic weight. The company is in a recovery phase — rebuilding production quality, restoring regulator confidence, and delivering on commitments to customers who have been waiting on aircraft orders for years. The North Line must go well.

Boland-Masterson’s marathon analogy holds. Boeing isn’t sprinting out of the gate in Everett. The LRIP phase will likely last several months before the line transitions to standard production flow. Every airplane that rolls off the North Line in its early phase will be inspected rigorously, and the rate will climb only when quality data supports it.

That measured approach may test the patience of airlines — Ryanair, Alaska Airlines, and others with large MAX backlogs — but it’s the right call for a program that can’t afford another quality headline. Everett’s North Line team knows that. The new hires know it. The veterans who’ve spent careers here know it.

“You don’t start with a marathon.” In Everett this summer, Boeing is lacing up its shoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Boeing building on the North Line in Everett?
The North Line will produce 737 MAX narrowbody jets — all variants (MAX 8, MAX 9, and MAX 10) — marking the first time 737s have been assembled at the Everett factory.

When will the North Line start production?
Boeing is targeting midsummer 2026 for the beginning of low-rate initial production on the North Line.

Why is Boeing adding a 737 production line in Everett?
Boeing needs additional production capacity to reach and sustain 737 MAX rates above 47 aircraft per month. The Renton facility, which currently builds all 737s, cannot absorb that volume alone. Everett has the space, workforce, and infrastructure to support expansion.

How many workers will the North Line employ?
Boeing is hiring hundreds of workers for the North Line, drawing from new hires, existing Renton employees transferring to Everett, and experienced Everett campus workers adding 737 responsibilities.

How are North Line workers being trained?
New employees complete 12 weeks of foundational training, including hands-on time in Renton working alongside experienced 737 mechanics, before transitioning to the Everett North Line.

What is the FAA’s role in the North Line ramp-up?
The FAA has production rate oversight authority over Boeing’s 737 operations. The North Line will begin in a low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase with additional quality checks before being integrated into Boeing’s standard production flow — a process that requires FAA alignment.

Does the North Line affect Boeing’s Everett widebody programs?
The 737 program operates in a separate section of the Everett factory and does not directly impact widebody assembly (767, 777, 777X). Boeing has described the campus footprint as having capacity to accommodate both narrowbody and widebody work simultaneously.

See also: Boeing’s North Line: What 737 MAX Production Means for the Whole Region | Boeing North Line: What It Means If You Work at Paine Field

April 9, 2026

Category: Exploring Everett

What Is the Everett Link Extension?

Where Things Stand in 2026: The Draft EIS

What Are the Station Alternatives?

The Boeing and Paine Field Factor

Cost Pressures and the “Savings” Conversation

How to Stay Involved

Frequently Asked Questions

When will light rail reach Everett?

What is the Everett Link Extension Draft EIS?

How many stations will the Everett Link Extension have?

Will light rail go to Boeing Paine Field?

How can I comment on the Everett Link Extension?

How much does the Everett Link Extension cost?

A New Chief With Deep Everett Roots

Staffing: Getting Vacancies Into Single Digits

The Drone Program: Flying to Calls Before Cars Can Get There

What the Crime Numbers Actually Say

Youth Violence: Prevention First, Enforcement Last

What Residents Should Watch For in 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the new Everett Police Chief?

What happened to former Chief John DeRousse?

How does Everett’s Drone as First Responder program work?

Is crime going down in Everett?

How many officers does the Everett Police Department have?

Where can I follow EPD’s public data?

This Isn’t Just a Park — It’s Where Everett Goes to Be Everett

A Park Built by the Great Depression

The Trail System: 13 Hill Climbs and a Ridge You’ll Want to Take Slow

The Animal Farm: Free, Charming, and Your Kids Will Not Want to Leave

Splash Park, Swim Center, and the Playground That Never Ends

How to Get Here and What to Know Before You Go

Why Locals Love It

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Forest Park in Everett?

Is Forest Park’s Animal Farm free?

How long are the trails at Forest Park?

What are the hours for Forest Park?

How do I get to Forest Park?

Is Forest Park good for kids?

What is Floral Hall at Forest Park?

Can you swim at Forest Park?

Bayside Didn’t Just Watch Everett’s History Unfold — It Was the Stage

Clark Park: The Park That Started It All

Grand Avenue and the Bluff Views You Won’t Believe Are Free

The Walkability Factor

Who Lives in Bayside Today

What Long-Timers Want You to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Bayside neighborhood in Everett?

Is Bayside a safe neighborhood?

What is the Bayside P-Patch?

How walkable is Bayside compared to other Everett neighborhoods?

What schools serve the Bayside neighborhood?

What is Clark Park?

How much does it cost to live in Bayside?

April 10 & 11: Hysteria + Infinity Project (Def Leppard & Journey Tributes)

April 18: Tyler Smith Presents The Dope Show

April 24: Henry Cho

April 25: Tracy Alan Moore as Elvis — Fallen Heroes Project Fundraiser

Why the Historic Everett Theatre Keeps Winning

Quick Reference: April at the Historic Everett Theatre

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happened Opening Night

The 2026 AquaSox Roster Is Stacked With Mariners Prospects

Jonny Farmelo — Outfielder, Mariners No. 6 Prospect

Felnin Celesten — Shortstop, Mariners No. 7 Prospect

Luke Stevenson — Catcher, Top-10 Prospect

Carlos Jimenez — Outfielder, Mariners No. 21 Prospect

Lucas Kelly — Right-Handed Pitcher, Mariners No. 29 Prospect

22 Champions Are Back — And That Matters

The 2026 Home Schedule: What’s Coming Up

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 AquaSox

What was the AquaSox’s opening night result in 2026?

Who are the top prospects on the 2026 AquaSox roster?

How many returning players are on the 2026 AquaSox from the championship team?

What league do the AquaSox play in?

How can I buy AquaSox tickets?

When is the 2026 AquaSox home opener series?