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.