Arlington, WA

Arlington's old street grid records a merger: Division Street marks the boundary between two rival 1890 townsites. Arlington occupied higher ground around a railroad depot, while Haller City stood by the Stillaguamish; businesses gradually moved uphill, and the two incorporated together under the Arlington name in 1903. At the forks of the river, this place had long been a travel and fishing site for Coast Salish people, primarily the Stillaguamish, who called it Skabalko. The city later extended southwest to Smokey Point, annexed in 1999. The population rose from 19,868 in the 2020 census to an estimated 22,031 in July 2025. That geography gives residents two recognizable service areas rather than a single center. Sno-Isle Libraries operates one branch near downtown on North Washington Avenue and another in Lakewood/Smokey Point. In the older core, the paved Centennial Trail runs through town and reaches Haller Park, a 2.5-acre riverfront space with beach and fishing access, a playground, splash pad, and a connection to Eagle Trail.

Across Arlington, 20 municipal parks cover more than 194 acres and include about eight miles of trails; the city also holds the approximately 140-acre Country Charm Conservation Area for habitat and future recreation. The city-owned airport began as a 200-acre leased field in 1934 and served as a Navy auxiliary air station from 1940. It now supports flight instruction, maintenance, charter, glider, and ultralight activity. Its 2026 Hometown Fly-In and Community Airport Day includes aircraft displays and introductory youth flights. Downtown's 2026 calendar adds a Saturday farmers market through September, summer music in Legion Park, and the July street fair.