Editing Darrington, Washington

{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Darrington, Washington
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|image_skyline            = Darrington - panoramio.jpg 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Distant view of Darrington from the northwest
|image_map                = Snohomish_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Darrington_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Darrington, Washington
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Dan Rankin
|established_title1       = Founded
|established_date1        = 1891
|established_title2       = [[Municipal incorporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = October 15, 1945
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 4.54
|area_land_km2            = 4.47
|area_water_km2           = 0.07
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.75
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.73
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.03
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_total         = 1462
|pop_est_as_of            = 2022
|population_est           = 1461
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="Census-Estimate2022">{{cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census-Profile">{{cite web |title=Profile: Darrington town, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Darrington_town,_Washington?g=160XX00US5316690 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
|population_density_km2   = 322.03
|population_density_sq_mi = 835.43
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 558
|coordinates              = {{coord|48|15|08|N|121|36|11|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 98241
|area_code                = [[Area code 360|360]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 53-16690
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2412405<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412405}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|townofdarrington.com}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Darrington''' is a town in [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. It is located in a [[North Cascades]] mountain valley formed by the [[Sauk River (Washington)|Sauk]] and [[Stillaguamish River|North Fork Stillaguamish]] rivers. Darrington is connected to nearby areas by [[Washington State Route 530|State Route 530]], which runs along the two rivers towards the city of [[Arlington, Washington|Arlington]], located {{convert|30|mi|km}} to the west, and [[Rockport, Washington|Rockport]]. It had a population of 1,347 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].

Non-indigenous settlement in the area began in 1891 at the site of a Skagit campsite between the two rivers, near the traditional home of the [[Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington|Sauk-Suiattle]] tribe. [[Prospectors]] had arrived in the area during the 1880s while looking for [[gold]] and other minerals, but were quickly displaced by the [[logging]] industry that would come to dominate Darrington for much of the 20th century. The [[Northern Pacific Railway]] built a [[branch line]] to the town in 1901 and ushered in several years of growth.

During the [[Great Depression]], Darrington hosted a [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] camp that improved roads, trails, and firefighting infrastructure in the nearby [[Mount Baker National Forest]]. Several waves of [[Appalachian Americans|Appalachian]] emigrants arrived in the area from [[North Carolina]], forming a culture that is seen in the town's annual [[bluegrass festival]] and [[rodeo]].

Darrington was [[municipal incorporation|incorporated]] as a town in 1945, under a [[mayor–council government]]. Its economy has transitioned away from logging and towards tourism, particularly outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain climbing, and fishing, due to its proximity to the [[Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest]]. The Darrington area is {{convert|554|ft|m}} above [[mean sea level|sea level]] and receives significantly more precipitation and [[snowfall]] than the [[Puget Sound region|Puget Sound lowlands]].

==History==

===Prehistory and early exploration===

The upper Stillaguamish and Sauk valleys on the [[Sauk River (Washington)|Sauk]], [[Suiattle River|Suiattle]], and [[White Chuck River|White Chuck]] rivers were historically inhabited by various [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] [[Coast Salish]] groups, including the [[Stillaguamish people|Stillaguamish]], the [[Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington|Sauk-Suiattle]], and the [[Upper Skagit Indian Tribe|Upper Skagit]].<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Oakley |first=Janet |date=January 17, 2009 |title=Darrington — Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8798 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The Sauk-Suiattle maintained a village site and burial ground near modern-day Darrington, while the Skagit used the plain between the Stillaguamish and Sauk rivers as a [[portage]] for overland transport of canoes. The portage, [[Anglicisation (linguistics)|Anglicized]] as Kudsl Kudsl or Kuds-al-kaid, was also used as a transiting point for travelers from [[Eastern Washington]] on their way to and from the [[Puget Sound]] coast.<ref name="Prehistory">{{cite book |last1=Hollenbeck |first1=Jan L. |last2=Moss |first2=Madonna |year=1987 |title=A Cultural Resource Overview: Prehistory, Ethnography and History: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest |publisher=[[United States Forest Service]] |pages=135–139, 156–157 |oclc=892024380 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005998596 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Poehlman18">{{cite book |last=Poehlman |first=Elizabeth S. |year=1979 |title=Darrington: Mining Town/Timber Town |pages=18–19 |publisher=Gold Hill Press |location=Shoreline, Washington |lccn=78-75242 |oclc=34948805 }}</ref>

The area was known as Burn or Sauk Portage to early surveyors and visitors from towns along the Puget Sound coastline. A group of railroad surveyors for the [[Northern Pacific Railway]] arrived in modern-day Darrington in 1870 while plotting the potential route for a railroad crossing the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] to [[Lake Chelan]], but ultimately chose [[Stampede Pass]] to the south.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=35–37}} The North Stillaguamish Valley was nicknamed "Starve Out" by early settlers, who arrived alone and underprepared for the area's conditions, leading to several difficult winters.<ref name="History1906">{{cite book|editor1-last=Hastie |editor1-first=Thomas P. |editor2-last=Batey |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Sisson |editor3-first=E.A. |editor4-last=Graham |editor4-first=Albert L. |year=1906 |title=An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte/page/408 408], 461 |chapter=Chapter VI: Cities and Towns |publisher=Interstate Publishing Company |location=Chicago |lccn=06030900 |oclc=11299996 |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte |via=[[The Internet Archive]] |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> Soldiers sent to the area by the valley settlers threatened to evict the Sauk-Suiattles; this did not occur as the settlers' claim that the Sauk-Suiattle were hostile and had attacked them was determined to be unfounded. The tribe later hired surveyors to record their claims to the eastern side of the Sauk River, lands that currently comprise their [[Indian reservation]].{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=21–23}}

The discovery of gold and other valuable minerals in the [[Monte Cristo, Washington|Monte Cristo]] area in 1889 lured prospectors into the North Cascades and stimulated the development of the surrounding valleys. A {{convert|45|mi|km|adj=mid}} [[wagon road]] along the Sauk River connecting Monte Cristo to Sauk Prairie and the settlement of [[Sauk City, Washington|Sauk City]] on the [[Skagit River]] was built in 1891, later forming part of the modern [[Mountain Loop Highway]].{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=38–40}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Beckey |first=Fred W. |author-link=Fred Beckey |orig-year=1973 |year=2003 |title=Cascade Alpine Guide Vol. 2: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass |page=29 |series=[[Cascade Alpine Guide]] |edition=3rd |publisher=[[The Mountaineers (club)|The Mountaineers Books]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ukAUElJXPIC |isbn=0-89886-838-6 |oclc=52517872 |via=Google Books |access-date=March 9, 2019}}</ref> It was only used for three years before being replaced by the [[Everett and Monte Cristo Railway]] to the south; until that time, the Sauk Prairie at the modern site of Darrington was an overnight camping spot for prospectors.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=38–40}} Nearby areas were explored by prospectors who made over a hundred claims to tracts of land in the highlands around the valley, including Gold Hill.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=40–41}}<ref name="Poehlman-RR">{{cite news |last=Poehlman |first=Elizabeth S. |date=August 2, 1972 |title=Railways prominent in Darrington past |page=21 |work=The Arlington Times |url=http://arl.stparchive.com/Archive/ARL/ARL08021972P021.php |via=Small Town Papers |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019072422/http://arl.stparchive.com/Archive/ARL/ARL08021972P021.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Establishment and early development===
[[File:Packtrain at the Montegue and Moore store in Darrington, Washington, ca 1905 (WASTATE 487).jpeg|thumb|right|A group of [[packhorse]]s pictured outside a [[general store]] in Darrington, {{circa}} 1905]]
The Sauk Prairie campsite evolved into a settlement that was known as "The Portage" and developed around several homesteads established between 1888 and 1891.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 2, 1972 |title=Darrington history dates back to 1888 |page=21 |work=The Arlington Times}}</ref> A vote on a name was held by several pioneer residents in July 1891 in advance of the establishment of a [[post office]].{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=59–61}} The vote was tied between two options, Portage (in some accounts, Norma) and Darrington, the [[maiden name]] of settler W. W. Cristopher's mother.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=59–61}}<ref>{{cite news |date=July 3, 2002 |title=How local towns got their names |page=A6 |work=The Arlington Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nr4kAAAAIBAJ&pg=2428%2C2636723 |via=Google News Archive |access-date=March 9, 2019}}</ref> According to some reports, the name was originally to be "Barrington" but was changed due to a mistake from the [[United States Post Office Department|Postal Department]] or by the townspeople to resemble the word "dare".<ref name="Times-South72">{{cite news |last=Johnsrud |first=Byron |date=August 27, 1972 |title=There's a touch of the South about bucolic Darrington |pages=8–9 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Meany |first=Edmond S. |author-link=Edmond S. Meany |year=1923 |title=Origin of Washington Geographic Names |page=63 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |oclc=1963675 |jstor=40474558 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001444300 |via=[[HathiTrust]] |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> By the end of the decade, the town had gained a [[school]]house, a [[general store]], a [[hotel]], and a [[postmaster]], Fred Olds, whose horse inspired the naming of [[Whitehorse Mountain (Washington)|Whitehorse Mountain]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/>{{sfnp|Beckey|2003|page=129}}

Darrington's residents lobbied the [[Seattle and International Railway]] for the construction of a [[branch line]] from [[Arlington, Washington|Arlington]] to the town as early as 1895,{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=42}} offering a 15-year contract to ship 75 percent of the area's extracted [[ore]]s. The railroad agreed to the offer and began construction in 1900. It later merged with the Northern Pacific Railway, outpacing [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern]] and their plans to build a railroad to their timber holdings in the Sauk River valley.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=47–50}} Railway crews arrived in the Darrington area by the following year and the first train arrived at the town's depot in 1901.<ref name="Whitfield1926">{{cite book |last=Whitfield |first=William M. |year=1926 |title=History of Snohomish County, Washington |publisher=Pioneer Historical Publishing Company |location=Chicago |pages=552–556 |oclc=8437390 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102122401 |via=HathiTrust |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>

Several [[sawmill]]s and other timber industries began in the years following the railroad's completion, as mining fortunes in the surrounding area dwindled.<ref name="Whitfield1926"/> Most of the original prospectors had left the Darrington area during the [[Klondike gold rush]] of the late 1890s, while those who remained established a single [[smelter]] in the mountains.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=43}} A [[Bornite]] mine was later developed at Long Mountain in hopes of reviving mining in the area, but was abandoned after its mineral deposits were found to be smaller than expected.<ref name="History1906"/>{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=46}} By 1906, Darrington had more than a hundred residents; a second hotel and the town's first [[social club]] had been built.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Poehlman-RR"/> The U.S. Lumber Company, which began in 1901 as the Allen Mill, was the largest employer in Darrington during the early 1910s, producing 23,000 [[board feet]] (54.28 m{{sup|3}}) of wood per day.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=53–55}}

U.S. Lumber angered the townspeople by hiring 21 [[Japanese American|Japanese]] laborers at similar wages to their white counterparts. In June 1910, a mob of white men [[race riot|rioted]] and drove the Japanese out of town after little resistance, paying for their train fare to Everett after allowing them to retrieve their belongings.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 15, 1910 |title=Japanese Will Be Put Under Protection |page=4 |work=[[Oregon Statesman]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29373107/japanese_will_be_put_under_protection/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> A report by Seattle-based vice-consul Kinjiro Hayashi was forwarded to the [[Japanese Ambassador to the United States|Japanese ambassador]] and state government.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 16, 1910 |title=Japanese Envoy Asked to Act in Darrington Case |page=4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The company filed for an [[court injunction|injunction]] after rioters had threatened to burn its Darrington mill and other properties should it attempt to return the Japanese laborers.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 18, 1910 |title=Darrington Mill Company to Ask For Injunction |page=1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The injunction was denied,<ref>{{cite news |date=June 17, 1910 |title=No Injunction to Protect Japanese |page=6 |work=[[The Tacoma Times]]}}</ref> but the townspeople relented and allowed 20 Japanese laborers to return to the mill a week later following [[Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu]]'s visit to Seattle.<ref name="HistoryLink"/>{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=53–55}}<ref>{{cite news |date=June 19, 1910 |title=Wait For Departure of Prince Fushimi |page=3 |work=[[The Billings Gazette]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29374278/wait_for_departure_of_prince_fushimi/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

===Early 20th century===
[[File:Entrance to Camp Darrington CCC Camp, Mt. Baker National Forest, Washington (3226865012).jpg|thumb|right|The entrance to Camp Darrington, established in 1933 by the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]]]]

Darrington's residents resisted the county government's [[dry county|dry]] plan to prohibit the sale of alcohol and close the town's saloons. They circulated a petition to [[municipal incorporation|incorporate]] Darrington as a fourth-class city in order to continue alcohol sales, but the attempt was thwarted after protests by U.S. Lumber and several civic leaders.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=53–55}}<ref name="HL-Incorp">{{cite web |last=Oakley |first=Janet |date=December 13, 2010 |title=Darrington incorporates as a fourth-class town on October 15, 1945. |url=http://historylink.org/File/9645 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> On July 5, 1910, the town voted 46–35 in favor of remaining a "wet" settlement, but the countywide plebiscite the same day passed in favor of prohibition.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=53–55}}

The town grew substantially in the early 1920s, with new sawmills attracting more residents and businesses. The wagon road along the North Fork Stillaguamish River (now part of [[Washington State Route 530|State Route 530]]) was improved. A local improvement club established a [[fire department]], a municipal [[water supply]], and electrical service. [[Standard Oil]] built an auxiliary [[gas station]] in 1922 to serve the area, and a [[stagecoach]] service started at the same time.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=104}} Darrington gained its first [[movie theater]] in 1923, a [[high school]] in 1925, and a purpose-built [[jail]] that replaced a disused [[boxcar]].<ref name="HistoryLink"/>{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=74–75, 102–104}}

Falling lumber prices during the [[Great Depression]] led several small sawmills in the Darrington area to suspend operations for a full year and laying off most of the town's workforce in late 1930.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=156}} The town suffered outbreaks of [[scarlet fever]] and [[smallpox]] in 1931, followed by winter storms that damaged bridges and roads in the Sauk valley.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=157}} The [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] (CCC) work program established Camp Darrington on May 20, 1933, to provide employment for up to 200 men from northern Snohomish County.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The townspeople established a local [[cooperative]] association in 1935 to create jobs, including 33 at an independent sawmill, and provide services at a shared cost.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=158–159}}

Camp Darrington was primarily used to fight [[wildfire]]s and develop infrastructure in the Darrington district of the [[Mount Baker National Forest]], including roads, trails, and a series of [[fire lookout tower]]s atop nearby mountains.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=140}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Stevick |first=Eric |date=May 15, 2006 |title=A House Shares its Past |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/05/15/100loc_a1darrington001.cfm |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416091354/http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/05/15/100loc_a1darrington001.cfm |archive-date=April 16, 2007 |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> Among its projects was the [[Mountain Loop Highway]], which provided connections between [[ranger station]]s in Darrington and [[Granite Falls, Washington|Granite Falls]] and also opened up the Cascades backcountry to logging and recreation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cameron |first=David A. |date=March 4, 2008 |title=A key part of the work to build the scenic Mountain Loop Highway linking Granite Falls to Darrington (Snohomish County) begins on March 23, 1936. |url=https://historylink.org/File/8460 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> The camp employed the first wave of [[Appalachian American|Appalachian]] emigrants from [[North Carolina]], who would eventually form a majority of the town's population.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=119}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=David A. |last2=LeWarne |first2=Charles P. |last3=May |first3=M. Allan |last4=O'Donnell |first4=Jack C. |last5=O'Donnell |first5=Lawrence E. |year=2005 |title=Snohomish County: An Illustrated History |pages=196–197 |publisher=Kelcema Books LLC |location=Index, Washington |isbn=978-0-9766700-0-1 |oclc=62728798}}</ref> Camp Darrington workers also assisted in the creation of two winter sports areas that were equipped with [[ski run]]s, [[toboggan]] trails, and a [[ski jump]].{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=160}} The [[Works Progress Administration]], another federal jobs program, provided funds to replace the town's overcrowded high school in 1936.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=74}}

===Incorporation and decline of lumber===

Darrington reached a population of 600 residents in 1945 and was officially incorporated as a fourth-class town on October 15, 1945, following a 96–60 vote in favor.<ref name="HL-Incorp"/> The townspeople celebrated by establishing an annual summer festival, the Timberbowl, which ran until 1967 and was initially used to raise funds for a [[fire engine]] and other equipment.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=107–108}} A two-story [[town hall]] was built in 1947, housing the town council chambers, offices for town officials, the [[police department]], the fire department, and a [[public library]].{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=107–108}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Swaney |first=Aaron |date=September 4, 2015 |title=River Time Brewing opens in downtown Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/river-time-brewing-opens-in-downtown-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> In 1952, the town built a dedicated [[community center]] to serve as a venue for various social functions and a general gymnasium with seating for 1,200 people.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=August 19, 2011 |title=New community center gym floor ready for Darrington's high school athletes |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/new-community-center-gym-floor-ready-for-darringtons-high-school-athletes/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> A new high school and [[Darrington Municipal Airport|municipal airport]] opened in 1958 at opposite ends of the town.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=75}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Bergsman |first=Jerry |date=August 8, 1981 |title=Comprehensive plan paves way for new hangar at airport |page=F7 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

Railroad companies with large timber holdings in the area began to leave in the 1960s, leading to the rise of independent "[[Gyppo logger|gyppo]]" loggers who salvaged discarded timber while under contract to regional paper mills.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=162–163}} A large [[open-pit mine]] on Miners Ridge planned by [[Kennecott Utah Copper|Kennecott]] in the late 1960s was halted after intervention from environmental activists and local politicians.<ref>{{cite news |last=Muhlstein |first=Julie |date=April 26, 2020 |title=An open-pit mine that wasn't: Ridge near Glacier Peak spared |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/an-open-pit-mine-that-wasnt-ridge-near-glacier-peak-spared/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> Northern Pacific ended passenger rail service to the Darrington area in the 1960s, and the passenger depot was demolished in 1967.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=47–50}} The railroad was eventually abandoned in 1990 and its [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]] was acquired by the county for conversion into a [[rail trail]].<ref name="Times-Vision"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Reed |first=Claudia |date=September 2, 1993 |title=New hiking trail may go alongside an old rail line |page=4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

The gyppo operations gave way to a small local timber company, Summit Timber, which acquired the largest sawmill in Darrington, now the Hampton mill.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|page=165}}<ref>{{cite news |date=October 19, 2001 |title=Portland company will buy Darrington sawmill |page=E1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> Several smaller mills in Darrington and surrounding communities, including four for [[cedar shake]]s, closed during the 1960s, leading to further population decline.<ref name="PI-1990">{{cite news |last=Werner |first=Larry |date=September 22, 1990 |title=Timber town of Darrington knows it will survive |page=A10 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The area's timber industry was also adversely affected by tighter logging restrictions on federal lands during the 1980s and 1990s meant to protect the mountain habitats of threatened and endangered species, including the [[northern spotted owl]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Pryne |first=Eric |date=March 28, 1993 |title=Big trees, big questions |page=A1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> In response, Summit transitioned to processing private forests and lands managed by the [[Washington State Department of Natural Resources]], maintaining its position as the town's largest employer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Erb |first=George |date=August 15, 1999 |title=Ruling spikes timber sales |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/1999/08/16/story3.html |work=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]] |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Times-Vision">{{cite news |last=Larsen |first=Richard W. |date=November 17, 1991 |title=A vision for Darrington |page=A21 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19911117/1317701/a-vision-for-darrington |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> The loss of timber-industry jobs led to local protests, part of the "[[timber wars]]" that erupted across logging communities in the [[Pacific Northwest]] during the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 10, 2015 |title=Logging partnership formed for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/logging-partnership-formed-for-mount-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest/ |work=The Everett Herald |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=February 27, 1988 |title=Logging trucks roll to protest forest-use plan |page=A8 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

===Tourism economy and modern Darrington===
[[File:Darrington Street and Emens Avenue, Darrington, WA.jpg|thumb|right|Darrington Street in downtown Darrington]]

The town government sought to diversify Darrington's economy and focus on [[tourism industry|tourism]] as an alternate industry, creating new festivals and promoting its existing [[bluegrass festival]] and [[rodeo]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Dietrich |first=Bill |date=August 6, 1991 |title=Lumbering towns now take light steps |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910806/1298451/lumbering-towns-now-take-light-steps----communities-loggers-move-slowly-toward-uncertain-future-without-mainstay-industry |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Times-Bloom">{{cite news |last=Pryne |first=Eric |date=June 1, 1993 |title=A plan blooms in Darrington |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930601/1704305/a-plan-blooms-in-darrington----timber-towns-new-wildflower-festival-part-of-survival-bid |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> It adopted strong [[land use]] controls to preserve its rural character in the 1970s, which prevented new development until 2002.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=August 16, 2003 |title=Buyers scarce for controversial Darrington houses |page=H16 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030416/develop16n0/buyers-scarce-for-controversial-darrington-houses |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Darrington subsequently developed into a [[bedroom community]] for commuters working in Everett and [[Marysville, Washington|Marysville]].<ref name="Times-Sewage">{{cite news |last=Burkitt |first=Janet |date=July 17, 2000 |title=Lure of past clouds town's future |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Opposition from residents forced the town government to drop plans for a 400-bed minimum-security prison work camp in 1990.<ref name="PI-1990"/>

The town government unsuccessfully campaigned for a [[NASCAR]] racetrack and regional [[swimming]] center in the early 2000s, aiming to become an all-year destination for the county.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=October 22, 2003 |title=Idea for regional swim center surfaces again in Darrington |page=H8 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Heffter |first=April 7, 2004 |title=Marysville-Arlington area drives for a NASCAR track |page=H20 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2001896759_nascar07n.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Several major floods in the late 1990s and early 2000s damaged properties along the rivers; in 2003, a flood [[Washout (erosion)|washed out]] part of the Mountain Loop Highway.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=April 21, 2004 |title=River taking a neighborhood |page=H23 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The highway was not restored until 2008, costing Darrington approximately $750,000 in tourist revenue and forcing several businesses to close.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hodges |first=Jane |date=June 2, 2004 |title=Area's small businesses feeling pinch |page=H23 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gilmore |first=Susan |date=June 27, 2008 |title=Darrington, Granite Falls to celebrate reopening of Mountain Loop Highway |page=B1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2008020289_highway27m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> Darrington's main lumber mill laid off 67 workers in 2011, citing the effects of the [[Great Recession]] and declining demand.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 14, 2011 |title=Arlington, Darrington companies announce layoffs coming in December |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/arlington-darrington-companies-announce-layoffs-coming-in-december/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> The town government, running on a small budget of $1.6&nbsp;million, accepted several grants from the state to upgrade its water system and repair streets during the recession.<ref name="Herald-Budget">{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=December 7, 2010 |title=Darrington's modest budget covers town's needs |url=http://heraldnet.com/article/20101207/NEWS01/712079895/1043/COMM0605 |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216073014/http://heraldnet.com/article/20101207/NEWS01/712079895/1043/COMM0605 |archive-date=December 16, 2010 |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref>

On March 22, 2014, a [[2014 Oso mudslide|major mudslide]] on a hillside near [[Oso, Washington|Oso]], {{convert|12|mi|km}} west of Darrington, destroyed dozens of homes and a section of State Route 530, cutting off direct road access between Arlington and Darrington for two months.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Kirk |date=July 23, 2014 |title=Washington Mudslide Report Cites Rain, but Doesn't Give Cause or Assign Blame |page=A13 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/us/washington-mudslide-report-cites-rain-but-doesnt-give-cause-or-assign-blame.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref> It killed 43 people, becoming the [[List of landslides|deadliest landslide]] in U.S. history and the deadliest natural disaster in state history since the [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Doughton |first=Sandi |author-link=Sandi Doughton |date=December 22, 2015 |title=New analysis shows Oso landslide was no fluke |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/new-analysis-shows-oso-landslide-was-no-fluke/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Burns |first=Frances |date=April 16, 2014 |title=Medical examiner: 39 now confirmed dead in Washington State mudslide |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/04/16/Medical-examiner-39-now-confirmed-dead-in-Washington-State-mudslide/3311397677335/ |publisher=United Press International |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Darrington was one of the main staging areas for disaster response workers and supplies; the community center was used as an [[emergency shelter]] for victims and the [[rodeo]] grounds became an animal shelter and housing for workers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lacitis |first=Erik |date=March 26, 2014 |title=A small town's embrace: In Darrington, 'we help people out' |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023225246_mudslidedarringtonxml.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Catchpole |first=Dan |date=March 30, 2014 |title=Grit and heart keep Darrington going |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/grit-and-heart-keep-darrington-going/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=June 20, 2015 |title=In Darrington, a slide reunion means laughter, tears |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/in-darrington-a-slide-reunion-means-laughter-tears/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref>

State Route 530 was partially reopened by early June and a permanent replacement was opened in September.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=June 20, 2014 |title=Highway 530 open to two-way traffic at mudslide site |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/highway-530-open-to-two-way-traffic-at-mudslide-site/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Rikki |date=September 27, 2014 |title=43 trees mark lives lost along Highway 530 in Oso |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/43-trees-mark-lives-lost-along-highway-530-in-oso/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> The increased costs to local businesses resulting from the long detour via [[Washington State Route 20|State Route 20]] were mitigated with low-interest loans from the [[Small Business Administration]] and recovery funds, including $9.5 million in private donations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Catchpole |first=Dan |date=April 25, 2014 |title=For Darrington, disaster is a blow it can little afford |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/for-darrington-disaster-is-a-blow-it-can-little-afford/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cornwell |first=Paige |date=March 18, 2015 |title=Oso landslide donations: Where the millions went |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/millions-in-donations-help-ease-burden-in-oso-slide-communities/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> The tourism industry in Darrington also received a state-funded advertising campaign, keeping revenue and visitation for local events at pre-slide levels.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Ads to boost tourism in Stillaguamish Valley begin airing |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/ads-to-boost-tourism-in-stillaguamish-valley-begin-airing/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=July 30, 2014 |title=Darrington businesses are ready to be 'mobbed' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-businesses-are-ready-to-be-mobbed-2/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=March 17, 2015 |title=In Darrington, 'recovery is a marathon, not a sprint' |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/in-darrington-recovery-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> The state government, together with the [[Economic Alliance Snohomish County]] and [[Washington State University]], drafted a $65 million economic recovery plan that was put into effect in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=December 2, 2015 |title=Officials to present Oso mudslide economic recovery plan |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/officials-to-present-oso-mudslide-economic-recovery-plan/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Whitehorse Mountain seen from Old School Park.jpg|thumb|[[Whitehorse Mountain (Washington)|Whitehorse Mountain]] seen from Old School Park]]

Darrington is located in the northeastern reach of [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish County]] in [[Western Washington]], just south of the [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit County]] border. It is {{convert|28|mi|km}} east of [[Arlington, Washington|Arlington]], the nearest city, and {{convert|74|mi|km}} northeast of [[Seattle]].<ref name="KING-Brief">{{cite news |date=March 26, 2014 |title=A brief history of Darrington and Oso |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/oso-landslide/a-brief-history-of-darrington-and-oso/246924308 |publisher=KING 5 News |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.67|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|1.65|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Census-Gazetteer">{{cite web |title=2018 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2018_Gazetteer/2018_gaz_place_53.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 16, 2020}}</ref>

Darrington is situated on a [[plain]] between the [[Stillaguamish River|North Fork Stillaguamish River]] to the west and the [[Sauk River (Washington)|Sauk River]] to the east.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> The plain is {{convert|5|mi|km|1}} long and {{convert|1.5|mi|km|1}} wide,<ref name="Whitfield1926"/> at approximately {{convert|554|ft|m}} above sea level in a valley between foothills of the [[Cascade Mountains]], including the {{convert|6,852|ft|m|adj=mid}} [[Whitehorse Mountain (Washington)|Whitehorse Mountain]].<ref name="HazardPlan">{{cite report |date=September 2015 |title=Snohomish County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, Volume 2: Planning Partner Annexes |page=4{{hyphen}}1 |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14608 |publisher=Snohomish County |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Herald-Snow">{{cite news |last=Bryan |first=Zachariah |date=February 23, 2019 |title=Buried in 3 feet of snow, Darrington takes care of itself |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/buried-in-3-feet-of-snow-darrington-takes-care-of-itself/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref>

The plain was formed by [[lahar]] deposits from several eruptions of [[Glacier Peak]], {{convert|25|mi|km}} to the southeast.<ref name="Herald-Lahar">{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=May 15, 2018 |title=Cloaked in ice, Snohomish County's volcano is a future danger |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/cloaked-in-ice-snohomish-countys-volcano-is-a-future-danger/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The area remains in the volcano's lahar hazard zone and also lies on a [[fault line]] that last produced a major [[earthquake]] less than 500 years ago.<ref name="Herald-Lahar"/><ref>{{cite web |year=2013 |title=Modeling a Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake on the Darrington–Devils Mountain Fault Zone in Skagit County |url=http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_seismic_scenario_devils_mt.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Natural Resources]] |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Soil in the Darrington area is primarily composed of glacial sands and gravels that have deposits of various mineral ores, including [[gold]], [[silver]], [[copper]], [[lead]], [[zinc]], [[antimony]], [[arsenic]], [[mercury (element)|mercury]], and [[iron]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Broughton |first=W. A. |year=1942 |title=Inventory of Mineral Properties in Snohomish County, Washington |page=7 |url=http://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ri6_wdg_min_prop_snohomish_co.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Natural Resources|Washington State Department of Conservation and Development]] |oclc=4409664 |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>

===Climate=== 

Darrington has a general climate similar to most of the Puget Sound lowlands and the Cascades foothills, with dry summers and mild, rainy winters moderated by a marine influence from the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Climate of Washington |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/washington/ |publisher=[[Western Regional Climate Center]] |access-date=February 27, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423022715/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/washington/ |archive-date=April 23, 2017 }}</ref> Temperatures in Darrington typically differ by approximately {{convert|10|F-change}} from [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] and other coastal cities in the county, with colder winters and warmer summers.<ref name="HazardPlan"/> The majority of the region's [[precipitation]] arrives during the winter and early spring, and Darrington averages 152 days of precipitation annually that totals {{convert|79.35|in|cm}} on average—significantly higher than areas in lowland Snohomish County.<ref name="Times-South72"/><ref name="WRCC">{{cite web |date=April 30, 2016 |title=Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary: Darrington, Washington (451992) |url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa1992 |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Darrington also receives significantly more [[snowfall]] than other cities in the county due to being in the mountains, with 10 to 15 days on average and approximately {{convert|39|in|cm|0}} of snowfall annually since 1911.<ref name="HazardPlan"/><ref name="WRCC"/>

July is Darrington's warmest month, with average high temperatures of {{convert|77.5|F|C|lk=on}}, and January is the coolest, at an average high of {{convert|40.8|F|C}}.<ref name="WRCC"/> The highest recorded temperature, {{convert|107|F|C}}, occurred in July 2007, and the lowest, {{convert|-14|F|C}}, in January 1950.<ref name="WRCC"/> According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Darrington has a [[warm-summer Mediterranean climate]] (Csb).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peel |first1=M. C. |last2=Finlayson |first2=B. L. |last3=McMahon |first3=T. A. |year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification |journal=[[Hydrology and Earth System Sciences]] |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |issn=1027-5606 |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |publisher=[[European Geosciences Union]] |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |access-date=February 28, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210144308/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html |archive-date=February 10, 2017 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Darrington, Washington
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
| Jan record high F = 74
| Feb record high F = 70
| Mar record high F = 82
| Apr record high F = 91
| May record high F = 103
| Jun record high F = 105
| Jul record high F = 107
| Aug record high F = 105
| Sep record high F = 104
| Oct record high F = 94
| Nov record high F = 77
| Dec record high F = 65
| year record high F = 107
| Jan high F = 40.0
| Feb high F = 45.9
| Mar high F = 51.1
| Apr high F = 57.5
| May high F = 65.3
| Jun high F = 70.9
| Jul high F = 78.6
| Aug high F = 78.0
| Sep high F = 71.1
| Oct high F = 59.3
| Nov high F = 46.8
| Dec high F = 39.8
| year high F = 
| Jan low F = 29.2
| Feb low F = 30.6
| Mar low F = 33.8
| Apr low F = 36.9
| May low F = 43.4
| Jun low F = 48.5
| Jul low F = 52.0
| Aug low F = 51.8
| Sep low F = 46.1
| Oct low F = 40.1
| Nov low F = 33.7
| Dec low F = 29.7
| year low F = 
| Jan record low F = -14
| Feb record low F = -11
| Mar record low F = 0
| Apr record low F = 20
| May record low F = 20
| Jun record low F = 31
| Jul record low F = 30
| Aug record low F = 24
| Sep record low F = 24
| Oct record low F = 16
| Nov record low F = -4
| Dec record low F = -10
| year record low F = -14
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 11.84
| Feb precipitation inch = 8.73
| Mar precipitation inch = 8.44
| Apr precipitation inch = 5.16
| May precipitation inch = 3.60
| Jun precipitation inch = 2.83
| Jul precipitation inch = 1.43
| Aug precipitation inch = 1.63
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.62
| Oct precipitation inch = 7.39
| Nov precipitation inch = 11.84
| Dec precipitation inch = 12.85
| year precipitation inch =

| Jan snow inch = 10.7
| Feb snow inch = 7.0
| Mar snow inch = 3.3
| Apr snow inch = 0.3
| May snow inch = 0
| Jun snow inch = 0
| Jul snow inch = 0
| Aug snow inch = 0
| Sep snow inch = 0
| Oct snow inch = 0.1
| Nov snow inch = 2.8
| Dec snow inch = 9.6

| Jan precipitation days = 17
| Feb precipitation days = 14
| Mar precipitation days = 16
| Apr precipitation days = 13
| May precipitation days = 12
| Jun precipitation days = 11
| Jul precipitation days = 6
| Aug precipitation days = 7
| Sep precipitation days = 9
| Oct precipitation days = 13
| Nov precipitation days = 16
| Dec precipitation days = 17

|source 1 = [[Western Regional Climate Center]]<ref name="WRCC"/>
|date=February 2019
}}

==Economy==
[[File:Mill in Darrington WA.jpg|thumb|right|The Hampton [[lumber mill]], Darrington's largest employer]]

Darrington's largest industry remains [[logging]], centered around several small companies and the Hampton [[sawmill]], the town's largest employer at 160 jobs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Jim |date=April 1, 2014 |title=Darrington sawmill hopes to avoid shutting down |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/darrington-sawmill-hopes-to-avoid-shutting-down/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hayes |first=Katie |date=July 11, 2021 |title=Hampton Lumber makes big purchase for small-town Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/hampton-lumber-makes-big-purchase-for-small-town-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=July 12, 2021}}</ref> Hampton acquired the disused sawmill from Summit Timber in 2002 and reopened it the following year after $15 million in renovations.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 28, 2003 |title=Hampton reopens Washington sawmill |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2003/03/24/daily50.html |work=[[Portland Business Journal]] |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> The sawmill primarily processes [[Tsuga heterophylla|western hemlock]] and [[Douglas fir]] from nearby state and local lands.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 7, 2002 |title=Hampton completes purchase of Darrington sawmill |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2002/02/04/daily32.html |work=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]] |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=August 21, 2011 |title=A battle for 'the greatest good' |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/a-battle-for-the-greatest-good/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> Other major industries in the town include tourism and outdoor recreation, educational services for the [[Darrington School District]], and forestry management.<ref name="KING-Brief"/><ref name="HazardPlan"/> The town has a [[grocery store]], a [[bakery]], several [[restaurant]]s, a [[bookstore]], and a [[microbrewery]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=July 20, 2017 |title=Darrington-bound? Check out these great dining options |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/darrington-bound-check-out-these-great-dining-options/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Swaney |first=Aaron |date=September 4, 2015 |title=River Time Brewing opens in downtown Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/river-time-brewing-opens-in-downtown-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The [[Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe]] had a small [[casino]] and [[bingo hall]] that employs 50 people until it closed in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=September 6, 2018 |title=Sauk-Suiattle Tribe's casino and bingo hall near completion |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sauk-suiattle-tribes-new-casino-closer-to-opening/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dunn |first=Kayla J. |date=April 29, 2023 |title=Sauk-Suiattle disenrollment saga threatens dozens in 314-member tribe |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sauk-suiattle-disenrollment-saga-threatens-dozens-in-314-member-tribe/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=May 21, 2024}}</ref>

A 2015 [[United States Census|Census Bureau]] survey estimated that Darrington had a workforce population of 1,138 and an [[unemployment rate]] of 9.3 percent.<ref name="ACS">{{cite web |date=September 15, 2016 |title=Selected Economic Characteristics: Darrington, Washington |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/1600000US5316690 |work=[[American Community Survey]] |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213095021/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/1600000US5316690 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The most common employers for Darrington residents are in manufacturing (23.8 percent), followed by educational and health services (17.6 percent), [[retail]] (13.7 percent), and public administration (10.5 percent).<ref name="ACS"/> Approximately 9.9 percent of Darrington residents also work within the town, while 13 percent commute to [[Everett, Washington|Everett]], 6.4 percent work in [[Seattle]], and 5.7 percent work in Arlington.<ref>{{cite web |title=Work Destination Report&nbsp;— Where Workers are Employed Who Live in the Selection Area&nbsp;— by Places (Cities, CDPs, etc.) |url=https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/ |publisher=United States Census Bureau |via=OnTheMap |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The average one-way commute for the town's workers is approximately 36.5 minutes; 85.3 percent of commuters drove alone to their workplace, while 6.8 percent [[carpool]]ed and 6.2 percent walked or used other modes of transport.<ref name="ACS"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1950= 921
|1960= 1272
|1970= 1094
|1980= 1064
|1990= 1042
|2000= 1136
|2010= 1347
|2020= 1462
|estyear=2022
|estimate=
|estref=<ref name="Census-Estimate2022"/>
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing |url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

Darrington is the third-smallest incorporated place in Snohomish County, ahead of [[Woodway, Washington|Woodway]] and [[Index, Washington|Index]], with a population of 1,462 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census-Profile"/><ref name="Herald-Census">{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Joseph |date=August 13, 2021 |title=2020 Census: Snohomish County grows by more than 114,000 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/2020-census-snohomish-county-grows-by-more-than-114000/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 22, 2024}}</ref> Historically, the Darrington area's population peaked at an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 in the early 20th century during the heyday of logging in the area, which also attracted Scandinavian and Western European immigrants.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Duncan |first=Don |date=October 6, 1980 |title=Darrington: That feisty logging spirit mingles with a shot of heady mountain air and toe-tappin' bluegrass |page=B6 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The town saw an influx of [[Appalachian Americans|Appalachian]] transplants from [[North Carolina]] (particularly the area around [[Sylva, North Carolina|Sylva]]) in the 1940s and 1950s,<ref name="Herald-NC">{{cite news |last=Muhlstein |first=Julie |date=April 8, 2014 |title=N.C. town with deep kinship to hold fundraiser |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/n-c-town-with-deep-kinship-to-hold-fundraiser/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> whose families remain in the Darrington area, influencing traditions and local culture.<ref name="Times-South72"/><ref name="PI-Loyal">{{cite news |last=Denn |first=Rebekah |date=December 19, 1998 |title=Residents fiercely loyal to town |page=D1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> The town's population has remained relatively stable since the 1960s, declining by 230 residents by 1990 and rebounding since then.<ref name="Times-South72"/><ref name="PI-1990"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Chuck |date=February 1, 2013 |title=Snohomish County demographics from the census |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-demographics-from-the-census/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Darrington predominantly has [[single-family housing|single-family]] residences, with only 36 [[multi-family housing|multi-family]] units reported in 2010.<ref name="CompPlan">{{cite web |year=2015 |title=Darrington Comprehensive Plan, 2015 Update |page=39 |url=https://townofdarrington.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Darrington-Comprehensive-Plan-2015-FINAL.pdf |publisher=Town of Darrington |ref={{SfnRef|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015}} |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

According to 2012 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, Darrington has a median family income of $60,750, and a [[per capita income]] of $18,047, [[Washington locations by per capita income|ranking 227th]] of 281 areas within the state of Washington.<ref name="ACS"/><ref>{{cite web |author=United States Census Bureau |date=May 2014 |title=Per Capita Income for Incorporated Cities in Washington State |url=http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/grants/Per%20Capita%20Income%20for%20Incorporated%20Cities%20%28Final%29.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Ecology]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908032551/http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/grants/Per%20Capita%20Income%20for%20Incorporated%20Cities%20(Final).pdf |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Approximately 16.7 percent of families and 20.9 percent of the overall population were below the [[poverty line]], including 24 percent of those under the age of 18 and 8.9 percent aged 65 or older.<ref name="ACS"/> Darrington is described as economically [[Depression (economics)|depressed]] and has median household incomes that are far below the Snohomish County average.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Lynn |date=March 17, 2007 |title=Town grieves, takes stock after 3 deaths |page=H16 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2003622740_darrington17e.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

===2010 census===

As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 U.S. census]], there were 1,347 people, 567 households, and 349 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|816.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 644 housing units at an average density of {{convert|390.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|racial makeup]] of the town was 92.4 percent White, 2.4 percent Native American, 0.4 percent Asian, 0.5 percent from other races, and 4.2 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.2 percent of the population.<ref name="Census">{{cite web |date=September 2011 |title=Decennial Census Tables |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/data/tables.2010.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref>

There were 567 households, of which 30.9 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8 percent were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.5 percent had a female householder with no husband present, 7.2 percent had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.4 percent were non-families. Individuals made up 32.6 percent of all households; and 13.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.<ref name="Census"/>

The median age in the town was 41.4 years. Residents under the age of 18 accounted for 22.7 percent of the population, 7.7 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24, 24.9 percent were from 25 to 44, 28.1 percent were from 45 to 64 and 16.6 percent were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.9 percent male and 49.1 percent female.<ref name="Census"/>

===2000 census===

As of the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]], there were 1,136 people, 473 households, and 292 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,171.9 people per square mile (452.2/km{{sup|2}}). There were 505 housing units at an average density of 520.9 per square mile (201/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the town was 94.98 percent White, 1.67 percent Native American, 0.35 percent Asian, 0.26 percent from other races, and 2.73 percent from two or more races. Hispanic of Latino residents of any race were 1.23 percent of the population.<ref name="Census2000">{{cite web |year=2000 |title=Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: Darrington town, Washington |url=https://www.psrc.org/sites/default/files/darrington.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |via=[[Puget Sound Regional Council]] |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225161959/https://www.psrc.org/sites/default/files/darrington.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

There were 473 households, out of which 30.9 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49 percent were married couples living together, 8.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1 percent were non-families. 31.7 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.08.<ref name="Census2000"/>

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 27.1 percent under the age of 18, 6.9 percent from 18 to 24, 27.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.9 percent from 45 to 64, and 16.6 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.<ref name="Census2000"/>

The median income for a household in the town was $32,813, and the median income for a family was $44,063. Males had a median income of $36,429 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,384. About 4.7 percent of families and 8.9 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9 percent of those under age 18 and 6.6 percent of those age 65 or over.<ref name="Census2000"/>

==Government and politics==
[[File:Library and town hall, Darrington, WA.jpg|thumb|right|Darrington's town hall, which also houses a [[public library]] operated by [[Sno-Isle Libraries]]]]
Darrington is an incorporated [[town (Washington)|town]] that operates under a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government.<ref name="SAO">{{cite web |date=December 28, 2017 |title=Financial Statements Audit Report: Town of Darrington |pages=4, 24 |url=https://portal.sao.wa.gov/ReportSearch/Home/ViewReportFile?isFinding=false&arn=1020417 |publisher=[[Washington State Auditor]] |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> It is one of two towns within Snohomish County, the other being [[Index, Washington|Index]], the only incorporated place in the county with a smaller population than Darrington.<ref name="Buildable">{{cite web |date=June 12, 2013 |title=Snohomish County 2012 Buildable Lands Report |page=4{{hyphen}}5 |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7662/2012-Buildable-Lands-Report?bidId= |publisher=Snohomish County |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The five [[city council|town council]] members regularly meet twice per month and are elected to four-year terms alongside the mayor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Town Council |url=https://townofdarrington.com/Departments/town-council/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The current mayor, Dan Rankin, a [[sawmill]] owner and former councilmember, was elected in 2011; he has twice been re-elected.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=October 9, 2015 |title=Ronning challenging Rankin in Darrington mayoral race |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/ronning-challenging-rankin-in-darrington-mayoral-race/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref>

The town government handles and manages public safety, public works, administration, and parks and recreation.<ref name="SAO"/> It also operates a public [[cemetery]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=May 25, 2017 |title=Darrington celebrates centennial of the town's cemetery |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-celebrates-centennial-of-the-towns-cemetery/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 3, 2019}}</ref> the municipal [[airport]], and contracts for [[utilities|utility services]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Departments |date=April 11, 2018 |url=https://townofdarrington.com/departments/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> The mayor and town council appoint a clerk [[treasurer]] and the heads of various government departments.<ref name="SAO"/>

{{As of|2016}}, the town government employs seven people and has an annual budget of $3 million.<ref name="SAO"/>{{Update inline|date=July 2020}} The town has an independent [[fire department]] with two stations, but contracts with the [[Snohomish County Sheriff]] for policing and emergency services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Emergency Services |url=https://townofdarrington.com/emergency-services/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|pages=73–79}} The town also has a [[public library]] branch operated by the [[Sno-Isle Libraries]] system and located in the town hall complex, which was built in 1990 and expanded in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=December 4, 2008 |title=Darrington celebrates its revamped library |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-celebrates-its-revamped-library/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |year=2016 |title=Sno-Isle Libraries 2016–2025 Capital Facilities Plan |page=23 |url=https://www.sno-isle.org/assets/12682/12682_20160727113900.pdf |publisher=[[Sno-Isle Libraries]] |access-date=March 11, 2019 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919033009/https://www.sno-isle.org/assets/12682/12682_20160727113900.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town lacks home delivery of mail, requiring residents to use the local [[post office]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis-Leonard |first=Ian |date=November 14, 2020 |title=Darrington post office's limited access has residents peeved |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-post-offices-limited-access-has-residents-peeved/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=November 16, 2020}}</ref>

At the federal level, Darrington is part of the [[Washington's 8th congressional district|8th congressional district]], which encompasses the eastern portions of the Snohomish, [[King County, Washington|King]], and [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce]] counties as well as the entirety of [[Chelan County, Washington|Chelan]] and [[Kittitas County, Washington|Kittitas]] counties.<ref>{{cite map |author=Census Bureau Geography Division |year=2023 |title=118th Congress of the United States: Washington – Congressional District 8 |scale=1:368,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST53/CD118_WA08.pdf |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The town was part of the [[Washington's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]] until 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornfield |first=Jerry |date=October 25, 2022 |title=Snohomish County in middle of key battle for control of U.S. House |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-in-middle-of-key-battle-for-control-of-u-s-house/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> At the state level, Darrington shares the [[Washington's 39th legislative district|39th legislative district]] with Lake Stevens, [[Granite Falls, Washington|Granite Falls]], and eastern [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit County]].<ref>{{cite map |author=Washington State Redistricting Commission |date=July 15, 2022 |title=Legislative District 39 |page=40 |work=District Maps Booklet 2022 |url=https://leg.wa.gov/LIC/Documents/Maps/Redistricting%20Map%20Booklet_2022.pdf |publisher=Washington State Legislative Information Center |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref> The city lies in the [[Snohomish County Council]]'s 1st district, which includes most of the county north of Everett and Lake Stevens.<ref>{{cite map |date=May 12, 2022 |title=Snohomish County: County Council Districts |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/99589/County-Council-Districts-PDF |publisher=Snohomish County Elections |accessdate=January 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=August 2, 2017 |title=Nehring and Low lead their respective County Council races |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/nehring-and-low-lead-their-respective-county-council-races/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref>

While Snohomish County as a whole favors the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in elections, Darrington has generally supported [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidates. During the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]], Darrington had the highest percentage of votes in Snohomish County for [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Donald Trump]], at 61 percent compared to 33 percent for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Hillary Clinton]], who carried the county. Similarly, in the same year's [[2016 Washington gubernatorial election|gubernatorial election]], 59 percent of Darrington voters preferred Republican [[Bill Bryant (politician)|Bill Bryant]] over incumbent Democrat [[Jay Inslee]], who was re-elected.<ref name="Herald-2016Election">{{cite news |last1=Cornfield |first1=Jerry |last2=Catchpole |first2=Dan |date=November 14, 2016 |title=Trump voters elated but most of Snohomish County followed state |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/trump-voters-elated-but-most-of-snohomish-county-followed-state/ |work=The Everett Herald |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429040554/http://www.heraldnet.com/news/trump-voters-elated-but-most-of-snohomish-county-followed-state/ |archive-date=April 29, 2017 |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Some Democrats have succeeded in Darrington, however. In the [[2012 United States presidential election in Washington (state)|2012 presidential election]], [[Barack Obama]] won the town with 52 percent of the vote.<ref name="Herald-2016Election"/>

==Culture==

Darrington describes itself as a self-sufficient and tight-knit community, owing to its isolation and small population.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tompkins |first=Caitlin |date=September 1, 2017 |title=Darrington comes together in wake of vandals' destruction |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-comes-together-in-wake-of-vandals-destruction/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Garnick |first=Coral |date=March 28, 2014 |title=Darrington comes together following tragedy |url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/03/darrington-comes-together-following-tragedy/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Descendants of emigrants from [[North Carolina]], particularly the [[Sylva, North Carolina|Sylva]] area, after [[World War II]], shaped many of the traditions and customs in the Darrington area.<ref name="Herald-NC"/> The term "going down below" is sometimes used among Darrington residents to refer to trips outside of the town.<ref>{{cite news |last=Alexander |first=Brian |date=June 17, 2005 |title=Bad news from 'down below': Darrington's only bank will close |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/bad-news-from-down-below-darringtons-only-bank-will-close/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Memorial dinners and fundraisers during [[funeral]]s are hosted by its residents, typically attended by up to a fourth of the town's population.<ref>{{cite news |last=Muhlstein |first=Julie |date=July 1, 2007 |title=Home cooking is part of grieving in Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/home-cooking-is-part-of-grieving-in-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hatcher |first=Candy |date=December 8, 2000 |title=Everyone is family |page=A1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> Darrington also has a strong tradition of [[volunteerism]], which it sometimes relies on in lieu of municipal services.<ref name="Herald-Snow"/><ref name="Herald-Together">{{cite news |last=Muhlstein |first=Julie |date=March 25, 2014 |title=Darrington: A family that pulls together |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-a-family-that-pulls-together/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

===Events and festivals===
[[File:Darrington Rodeo Grounds.jpg|thumb|right|The host grounds of the Darrington [[rodeo]]]]
Darrington has a community events complex and park located {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of the town, which is home to several annual events, including a [[rodeo]] and a [[Bluegrass festival]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Rodeo upgrades could help Darrington's mudslide recovery |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/rodeo-upgrades-could-help-darringtonrsquos-mudslide-recovery/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> The Darrington Timberbowl Rodeo began in 1964 and typically draws over a thousand spectators during its two-day run in late June.<ref>{{cite news |last=Catchpole |first=Dan |date=May 21, 2014 |title=Outside money keeps Darrington rodeo alive |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/outside-money-keeps-darrington-rodeo-alive/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> The rodeo was cancelled in 2013 after an inspection found the venue's bleachers to be unsafe, but $25,000 in repairs funded by state grants allowed it to resume the following year.<ref name="NYT-Bluegrass">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Kirk |date=July 16, 2014 |title=Months After Washington Landslide, Hopeful Steps Forward |page=A11 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/17/us/months-after-washington-landslide-hopeful-steps-forward.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> The Timberbowl Rodeo is named for a former festival that was held annually in late June from 1946 to 1967, and featured various logging events and competitions in addition to a town parade.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=107–108}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Della |date=June 19, 1966 |title=Darrington: It's small, but its people and beauty make it big |page=2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=July 30, 1972 |title=Month-long fest in Stillaguamish area |page=D10 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>

The Darrington Bluegrass Festival is held for three days every July and was started in 1977 by descendants of [[Appalachian Americans|Appalachian]] transplants to the area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=July 15, 2016 |title=At 40 years, Darrington's bluegrass festival still going strong |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/at-40-years-darringtons-bluegrass-festival-still-going-strong/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> The festival draws around 10,000 people, including visitors who use an adjacent campground and participate in communal [[jam session]]s. Prominent Bluegrass groups, including [[Bill Monroe]], the [[Gibson Brothers (bluegrass duo)|Gibson Brothers]], and Rural Delivery, have performed at Darrington's Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater.<ref name="NYT-Bluegrass"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=July 15, 2015 |title=Darrington Bluegrass Festival about music and family |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/darrington-bluegrass-festival-about-music-and-family/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> From 2006 to 2019, the amphitheater also hosted the [[Summer Meltdown]] jam festival in early August, which attracted a wide variety of musical acts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stout |first=Gene |date=August 4, 2015 |title=Summer Meltdown way more than a jam band's backyard party |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/summer-meltdown-way-more-than-a-jam-bands-backyard-party/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> The four-day event typically drew 4,000 visitors and 40 acts, as well as art pieces that were installed around the campgrounds.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Evan |date=August 13, 2018 |title=Summer Meltdown: Musical ecstasy in Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/summer-meltdown-musical-ecstasy-in-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> Both festivals were cancelled in 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Carlson |first=Mark |date=May 14, 2020 |title=Both of Darrington's iconic summer music festivals canceled |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/both-of-darringtons-iconic-summer-music-festivals-canceled/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref>

The town also has several other annual events, including Darrington Day in late May, a [[Fourth of July]] parade, and a [[street fair]] in July.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=May 13, 2014 |title=Shaken Darrington to keep its community celebrations |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/shaken-darrington-to-keep-its-community-celebrations/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref><ref name="ConcreteGuide">{{cite web |year=2018 |title=North Cascadian Travelers' Guide 2018 |pages=38–44 |url=https://www.concreteheritagemuseum.org/uploads/2/2/3/4/22348866/travelers_guide_2018.pdf |publisher=[[The Concrete Herald]] |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Darrington formerly hosted an annual [[wildflower]] festival and an annual [[Christian music]] festival in the 1990s during the transition to a tourism-based economy.<ref name="Times-Bloom"/><ref name="PI-Loyal"/>

===Media===

With no local newspaper, events in Darrington are covered by Everett's daily newspaper, the ''[[The Everett Herald|Herald]]'', a daily publication from Everett, and the weekly ''[[The Arlington Times|Arlington Times]]''. The town's first newspaper, named ''The Wrangler'', was published from 1907 to 1915 by the Darrington Literary Society. A second newspaper, ''The Darrington News'', was published for two years from 1947 to 1949 and was followed by the ''Timber Bowl Tribune'', which was printed in Darrington and [[Concrete, Washington|Concrete]] using a plant owned by ''[[The Concrete Herald]]''. The ''Tribune'' was active from 1955 to 1958, when it was folded into the ''Arlington Times''.{{sfnp|Poehlman|1979|pages=110–112}}<ref>{{cite news |date=August 27, 2008 |title=This week in history – from The Arlington Times archives |url=http://www.arlingtontimes.com/news/this-week-in-history-from-the-arlington-times-archives-10/ |work=The Arlington Times |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

===Parks and recreation===
[[File:Darrington Ranger Station, Darrington, Washington.jpg|thumb|right|The headquarters of the Darrington Ranger District, a unit of the [[Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest]]]]
Darrington is surrounded by the [[Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest]] and serves as the headquarters of the Darrington Ranger District, a unit of the [[U.S. Forest Service]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=January 9, 2019 |title=Forest ranger's retirement is blocked by border-wall standoff |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/forest-rangers-retirement-stuck-in-federal-shutdown/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The area includes three [[National Wilderness Preservation System|designated wilderness areas]], [[Glacier Peak Wilderness|Glacier Peak]], [[Henry M. Jackson Wilderness|Henry M. Jackson]], and [[Boulder River Wilderness|Boulder River]], and over {{convert|300|mi|km}} of hiking and backcountry trails that are also open to [[mountain biking]] and [[horseback riding]].<ref name="TNT-Recreation">{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Craig |date=August 17, 2014 |title=Darrington: 'A lifetime is not enough' to do it all |page=E1 |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/outdoors/article25876639.html |work=[[The News Tribune]] |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> Darrington has several [[campground]]s, roadside recreational areas, fishing areas, and [[whitewater rafting]] courses along the Sauk and Suiattle rivers.<ref name="TNT-Recreation"/><ref name="Herald-Day">{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=July 17, 2015 |title=A day-tripper's guide to resilient Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/a-day-trippers-guide-to-resilient-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The [[Mountain Loop Highway]] connects Darrington to various scenic areas, including [[birdwatching]] hotspots and the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] system.<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=October 24, 2014 |title=Darrington to celebrate as road to wilderness opens again |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/darrington-to-celebrate-as-road-to-wilderness-opens-again/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

The town government also maintains several small parks in Darrington, totaling {{convert|24|acre}} of open space.{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|p=96}} Old School Park sits within view of Whitehorse Mountain and has a [[gazebo]], a [[playground]], a [[skate park]], and a [[pump track]] for bicycles.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=November 16, 2015 |title=Recreation opportunities expanding in Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/recreation-opportunities-expanding-in-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> Harold Engles Park has a [[disc golf]] course and a lawn, and Nels Bruseth Memorial Garden has historic exhibits and a [[rhododendron]] garden.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parks |url=https://townofdarrington.com/Departments/parks/ |publisher=Town of Darrington |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The Snohomish County government owns and operates Whitehorse Community Park, which includes several [[baseball]] and [[softball]] fields on {{convert|80|acres}} north of the town that opened in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=August 4, 2009 |title=Costly Darrington ballpark attracts few visitors |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/bullish-on-business/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitehorse Community Park |url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Whitehorse-Community-Park-89 |publisher=Snohomish County Parks and Recreation |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> Darrington is the only town in the state to have a permanent [[archery]] range, which is one of three that regularly hosts events organized by the [[National Field Archery Association]].<ref name="Herald-Day"/> The archery complex includes six full ranges, trails, concession stands, and {{convert|190|acre|ha}} of reserved space.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Diane |date=July 16, 2003 |title=Contest targets Darrington |page=H28 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20030716/archery16n/national-outdoor-archery-contest-targets-darrington |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 3, 2019}}</ref> The town also has a [[community center]] that was built in 1954 and typically functions as a gymnasium and gathering space.<ref name="Herald-Together"/>

===Historic preservation===

The town has a small [[historical society]] that preserves photographs and other documents for research.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=July 6, 2016 |title=Darrington historians, UW students create mudslide archive |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-historians-uw-students-create-oso-mudslide-archive/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> The Darrington Ranger District has four structures [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Snohomish County, Washington|listed]] on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP).<ref name="Herald-NRHP">{{cite news |date=July 5, 2012 |title=Designated historic sites in Snohomish County |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/news/designated-historic-sites-in-snohomish-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> The [[ranger station]] in Darrington was listed in 1991, while the [[fire lookout tower|fire lookout]]s on [[Three Fingers (Washington)|Three Fingers]], Miners Ridge, and [[Green Mountain (Snohomish County, Washington)|Green Mountain]] were listed in 1987 and 1988.<ref name="Herald-NRHP"/> The Green Mountain lookout was to be removed since its maintenance requires [[helicopter]]s and other machinery, until passage of the [[Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act]] by the U.S. Congress in 2014 provided funds for a restoration project.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=April 7, 2014 |title=Mountain lookout is saved, cheering Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/mountain-lookout-is-saved-cheering-darrington/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Song |first=Kyung M. |date=April 7, 2014 |title=Fire lookout near Darrington saved by Congress |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fire-lookout-near-darrington-saved-by-congress/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 11, 2019}}</ref>

===Notable people===

*[[Bob Barker]], former [[game show]] host of ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]''; born in Darrington<ref>{{cite news |last=Vejnoska |first=Jill |date=December 12, 2017 |title=Happy 94th birthday, Bob Barker. Here's why you rock! |url=https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/happy-94th-birthday-bob-barker-here-why-you-rock/0wJgykQlCvuo4tPo9DIImK/ |work=[[Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Nels Bruseth]], forest ranger, artist, and naturalist<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=February 12, 2011 |title=Explore history of lookouts |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/explore-history-of-lookouts/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>
<!--Needs a reliable source from an independent outlet: *[[Paul Stamets]], mycologist and author-->

==Education==

The [[Darrington School District]] operates two [[State school|public schools]] in the town that enroll 414 students during the 2016–17 school year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Public School District Directory Information: Sultan School District |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&ID2=5301980 |publisher=[[National Center for Education Statistics]] |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> It employs 31 teachers and administrations, and 50 other staff members.<ref name="Herald-School">{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=February 27, 2016 |title=Darrington High School grads now teaching the next generation |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-high-school-grads-now-teaching-the-next-generation/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The district primarily serves Darrington and areas east of [[Oso, Washington|Oso]], as well as areas in [[Skagit County, Washington|Skagit County]] that are near the Sauk-Suiattle Reservation.<ref>{{cite map |date=December 21, 2017 |title=Snohomish County School Districts Map |url=http://www.snoco.org/docs/scd/PDF/PDS_CFP/Snohomish%20County%20School%20District.pdf |publisher=Snohomish County |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-date=October 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023065755/http://www.snoco.org/docs/scd/PDF/PDS_CFP/Snohomish%20County%20School%20District.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite map |date=February 10, 2020 |title=Washington State K-12 School Districts |url=https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/maps/downloadfiles/SchoolDistrictsESDs-17x11_2020.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction]] |access-date=February 26, 2021}}</ref> The town's [[elementary school]], serving kindergarten through eight grade, was opened in 1990 and shares its campus with the [[high school]].<ref name="Herald-School"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Turner |first=Andy |date=August 15, 1990 |title=State of the art: D'ton school opening |page=1 |work=The Arlington Times}}</ref> The mascot for the school is the Darrington Loggers, named after the town's historic principal industry. Loggers teams have won state championships in various sports during the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=November 14, 2011 |title=A home for the best of Darrington's Loggers |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/sports/a-home-for-the-best-of-darringtons-loggers/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==

===Transportation===
[[File:State Route 530 westbound in downtown Darrington, WA.jpg|thumb|right|Looking westbound on [[Washington State Route 530|State Route 530]] as it leaves Darrington]]
Darrington is located along [[Washington State Route 530|State Route 530]], which travels {{convert|28|mi|km}} west towards Arlington and north to [[Washington State Route 20|State Route 20]] at [[Rockport, Washington|Rockport]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Broom |first=Jack |date=May 8, 2014 |title=530 slide bypass road opens to wider use |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/530-slide-bypass-road-opens-to-wider-use/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bray |first1=Kari |last2=King |first2=Rikki |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Highway 530 reopens, but Darrington residents are wary |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/highway-530-reopens-but-darrington-residents-remain-wary/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The highway carries a [[Annual average daily traffic|daily average]] of approximately 3,300 vehicles west of the town and 2,300 vehicles north of the town towards the Sauk-Suiattle Reservation.<ref>{{cite report |year=2017 |title=2016 Annual Traffic Report |page=207 |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_2016.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026105850/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/travel/pdf/Annual_Traffic_Report_2016.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Darrington has a third highway connection through the [[Mountain Loop Highway]], a backcountry [[scenic byway]] that runs {{convert|54|mi|km}} south through the Cascades and west to [[Granite Falls, Washington|Granite Falls]]. It is closed in the winter and is considered unsuitable for commercial traffic, in part due to a {{convert|14|mi|km|adj=mid}} dirt and gravel section.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=April 6, 2014 |title=Alternate route to Darrington scenic, slow |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/alternate-route-to-darrington-scenic-slow/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=October 2, 2016 |title=Study to examine Mountain Loop Highway improvements |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/study-to-examine-mountain-loop-highway-improvements/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

The area is also served by [[Community Transit]], the main public transportation agency for most of Snohomish County. Route 230 connects Darrington to Oso, Arlington, and a [[transit center]] in [[Smokey Point, Washington|Smokey Point]] twice a day during [[peak period|rush hour]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Watanabe |first=Ben |date=April 23, 2023 |title=Want ride-hailing at bus prices in Arlington? Let Community Transit know |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/want-ride-hailing-at-bus-prices-in-arlington-let-community-transit-know/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=April 23, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 2023 |title=Route 230: Darrington–Smokey Point |url=https://www.communitytransit.org/route/230/table |publisher=[[Community Transit]] |accessdate=April 23, 2023}}</ref> The agency expanded its Zip Shuttle [[microtransit]] service to Darrington and the surrounding area in December 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=December 15, 2024 |title=Zip Shuttle expanding to Darrington, Arlington, Lake Stevens |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/zip-shuttle-expanding-to-darrington-arlington-lake-stevens/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=February 18, 2025}}</ref> The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe operates a bus route serving Darrington, its reservation, and [[Concrete, Washington|Concrete]]. It has six daily round trips and launched in 2016 with grants from the state and federal governments.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=November 7, 2016 |title=Sauk-Suiattle Tribe's new bus goes to Concrete, Darrington |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sauk-suiattle-tribes-new-bus-service-connects-rural-areas/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

The [[Whitehorse Trail]], a recreational trail for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders, is being developed by the county government to connect Darrington with Arlington. It follows the [[Northern Pacific Railway|Northern Pacific's]] 1901 route, sold to the county in 1993.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 11, 1993 |title=Railroad land to add 27 miles to trail system |page=4 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=December 28, 2015 |title=Work to begin on another 9.5 miles of Whitehorse Trail |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/work-to-begin-on-another-9-5-miles-of-whitehorse-trail/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The town government operates a small airport, [[Darrington Municipal Airport]], which has a single paved runway suitable for [[general aviation]] and other activities.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 22, 2012 |title=Darrington Municipal Airport Economic Profile |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C5FAEEE2-C05A-4543-B5D0-ABB95F6D25EE/0/2012Darrington.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

===Utilities===

[[Electric power]] for Darrington residents and businesses is provided by the [[Snohomish County Public Utility District]] (PUD), a consumer-owned [[public utility]] that serves all of Snohomish County.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quick Facts |url=https://www.snopud.com/?p=1350 |publisher=[[Snohomish County Public Utility District]] |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The Hampton mill operates a small [[biomass]] [[cogeneration]] plant in Darrington that produces electricity from [[steam power]] by burning wood from the Hampton Lumber sawmill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Power Supply: Biomass |url=https://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/Biomass.ashx?p=1157 |publisher=Snohomish County Public Utility District |access-date=March 1, 2019 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031134605/https://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/Biomass.ashx?p=1157 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 7 [[Megawatt|MW]] plant was installed in 2006 after an earlier proposal by the National Energy Systems Company (NESCO) for a similar plant that would have generated up to 20 MW was rejected.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reese |first1=Phil |last2=Carlson |first2=Bill |date=May 15, 2007 |title=Experts ponder future of biomass industry |url=https://www.powermag.com/experts-ponder-future-of-biomass-industry/?printmode=1 |work=[[Power Magazine]] |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> The NESCO proposal was withdrawn in 2004 over local concerns about air pollution and environmental degradation to the nearby National Forest lands.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fetters |first=Eric |date=July 30, 2004 |title=Darrington electric plant shelved |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/darrington-electric-plant-shelved/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Morris |first=Scott |date=March 14, 2004 |title=Feds join Darrington power plant battle |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/feds-join-darrington-power-plant-battle/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> The town lacks [[natural gas]] service and relies on [[wood-burning stove]]s for building heat, some of which have been replaced by the [[Puget Sound Clean Air Agency]] due to their impact on [[air quality]].{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|pages=107–108}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=February 1, 2009 |title=Darrington cleans up its air, one wood stove at a time |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darrington-cleans-up-its-air-one-wood-stove-at-a-time/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

[[Ziply Fiber]] is the only land-based provider of Internet and telephone service to Darrington, using a [[fiber-optic cable]] laid along State Route 530.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=March 10, 2015 |title=Permanent cables link Arlington, Darrington once again |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/permanent-cables-link-arlington-darrington-once-again/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The state government awarded a $16.5&nbsp;million grant in 2022 to improve broadband and fiber service in northern Snohomish County, including Darrington.<ref>{{cite news |last=Allison |first=Jacqueline |date=January 25, 2022 |title=$16M grant to speed up broadband to north Snohomish County |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/16m-grant-to-speed-up-broadband-to-north-snohomish-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=January 25, 2022}}</ref> The installation of new fiber-optic lines and connections to 4,000 households along the State Route 530 corridor is scheduled to be completed by 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=June 27, 2024 |title=Notoriously slow internet gets a boost on Highway 530 corridor |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/notoriously-slow-internet-gets-a-boost-on-highway-530-corridor/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=July 1, 2024}}</ref> A non-profit internet provider was started by local residents in 2017 to address the lack of broadband service in the area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Day |first=Matt |date=August 17, 2017 |title=Darrington man sets up internet utility to bring broadband to rural area |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/darrington-man-sets-up-internet-utility-to-bring-broadband-to-area/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=February 14, 2024}}</ref>

The town government provides water from a pair of wells, and [[water treatment]], to 534 structures.{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|p=78}} Darrington is one of several small communities in Snohomish County without a municipal [[sewer system]], instead relying on [[septic tank]]s.{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|p=18}}<ref>{{cite report |date=June 10, 2015 |title=Snohomish County General Policy Plan |page=UT-5 |chapter=Utilities |chapter-url=https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8730/Utilities |publisher=Snohomish County |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The town government has considered installing a sewage system several times in the 1990s and 2000s, but those plans have stalled due to the $6.5 million cost (as estimated in 2000) and the land needed for a [[sewage treatment|treatment]] plant.<ref name="Times-Sewage"/> [[Municipal solid waste|Solid waste]] and [[single-stream recycling|recycling]] collection is contracted out by the town government to [[Waste Management (company)|Waste Management]].{{Sfnp|Darrington Comprehensive Plan|2015|pages=107–108}}

===Health care===

Darrington's nearest [[general hospital]] is the [[Cascade Valley Hospital]] in Arlington.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 30, 2013 |title=Interactive map of hospitals in King, Pierce, Snohomish counties |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localpages/2022360954_interactive-map-hospitals-king-pierce-snohomish.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127073938/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localpages/2022360954_interactive-map-hospitals-king-pierce-snohomish.html |archive-date=January 27, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town also has a medical clinic operated by [[Skagit Regional Health]] and staffed by a single doctor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiege |first=Gale |date=May 17, 2013 |title=Darrington's sole doctor is always in |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/darringtons-sole-doctor-is-always-in/ |work=The Everett Herald |access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> The clinic was established in 1958 and operated by Cascade Valley Hospital until it was absorbed into the Skagit system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Darrington Clinic Guild |url=http://www.cascadevalley.org/darrington-clinic-guild/ |publisher=[[Cascade Valley Hospital]] |access-date=February 28, 2019 |archive-date=March 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301140213/http://www.cascadevalley.org/darrington-clinic-guild/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town has periodically gone for years without a doctor, notably substituting a [[registered nurse]] to provide the majority of medical care in the early 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 25, 1973 |title=Darrington's nurse-practitioner system may be solution for other small towns |pages=A10–A11 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Darrington's lone [[pharmacy]] was established in 1917 and closed in 2023 after its owner was unable to sell the business.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Jordan |date=June 20, 2023 |title='The last thing I wanted': Darrington Pharmacy to close in July |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/the-last-thing-i-wanted-darrington-pharmacy-to-close-in-july/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 23, 2023}}</ref> The nearest pharmacy is in Arlington, a {{convert|56|mi|km|adj=mid}} round trip.<ref>{{cite news |last=de Lapparent Alvarez |first=Aina |date=December 21, 2023 |title=To fill prescriptions, Darrington residents drive 56 miles |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/to-fill-prescriptions-darrington-residents-drive-56-miles/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 23, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_283-86b2rq2z Tarheels in the Northwest], [[KCTS-TV]] (PBS), 1979 – via [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]]

{{Snohomish County, Washington}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Snohomish County, Washington]]
[[Category:Towns in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Logging communities in the United States]]