Editing Skykomish, Washington

{{About||the river of the same name|Skykomish River|the Native American group|Skykomish people}}
{{distinguish|Skokomish, Washington}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Skykomish
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|image_skyline            = Skykomish,_WA_bridge_02.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_map                = King_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Skykomish_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Skykomish, Washington
<!-- Location ------>
|subdivision_type         = 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        = [[King County, Washington|King]]
<!-- Government ------>
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1889
|established_title1       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date1        = June 5, 1909
<!-- Area ------>
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 0.88
|area_land_km2            = 0.81
|area_water_km2           = 0.07
|area_total_sq_mi         = 0.34
|area_land_sq_mi          = 0.31
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.03
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 158
|pop_est_as_of            = 2022
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2022"/>
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 161
|population_density_km2   = 270.42
|population_density_sq_mi = 700.64
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Standard Time|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = −8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 925
|coordinates              = {{coord|47|42|37|N|121|21|30|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 98288
|area_code                = [[Area code 360|360]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 53-64855
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2413295<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413295}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://skykomishwa.gov/|skykomishwa.gov}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Skykomish''' is a town in [[King County, Washington|King County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 161 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Skykomish_town,_Washington?g=160XX00US5364855 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 3, 2023}}</ref> down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s.<ref name=HL01>{{cite web|last=Stein|first=Alan J.|title=Skykomish -- Thumbnail History|work=Essay 1623|publisher=HistoryLink.org|date=August 12, 1999|url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=1623|access-date=November 7, 2008}}</ref>

Located in the [[Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest]], 49 miles east of Everett, Washington, on the [[Skykomish River#South Fork|South Fork of the Skykomish River]], Skykomish was founded as a railroad town. Today, it is mainly a stopping point for recreational access to the surrounding mountains, including [[ski]]ing at nearby [[Stevens Pass]].

Being located in the far northeastern corner of King County, mountains deny Skykomish any road access to the rest of the county. Instead, [[U.S. Highway 2]] (known in the area as the [[Cascade Highway (Washington)|Cascade Highway]]) connects it with [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish County]] to the north and through Stevens Pass (17 miles east of town) to [[Chelan County, Washington|Chelan County]].

==History==
[[File:Maloneys General Store.jpg|thumb|left|Maloney's General Store in 2008]]
[[File:Schneider's Hotel, Skykomish, Washington, ca 1903 (WASTATE 281).jpeg|thumb|left|Schneider's Hotel, circa 1903]]
The name "Skykomish" derives from the [[Skykomish people|Skykomish]] or Skai-whamish tribe (originally considered a subdivision of the [[Snoqualmie (tribe)|Snoqualmie]]s) who inhabited the area before European settlement.<ref>Ruby, Robert H. and John Arthur Brown. (1992.) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=-7zBc-pqnGsC A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest]'', 2nd ed. University of Oklahoma Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-7zBc-pqnGsC&dq=skykomish%20name&pg=PA211 p. 211]. {{ISBN|0-8061-2479-2}}. Google Book Search.  Retrieved 2009-12-13.</ref>

John Maloney, a guide for the [[surveying]] team on the Great Northern Railway, settled a flat spot in 1892, which got the name "Maloney's Siding".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://skykomishwa.gov/about | title=Town of Skykomish }}</ref> The following year the railroad was completed, and when a post office was established, the place became known as Skykomish. The townsite was platted in 1889 and was officially incorporated as the town of Skykomish on June 5, 1909.<ref name="PI-1998">{{cite news |last=Modie |first=Neil |date=October 24, 1998 |title=This town is rich with history and volunteers |page=D1 |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]}}</ref> Maloney opened [[Maloney's General Store]] in 1893. A hotel, the Skykomish Hotel, soon followed. In 1902 this hotel burned to the ground and was replaced by Schneider's Hotel. In 1904, a fire burned down every commercial building except the store. Maloney's General Store was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on August 29, 1997. In 2000, the entire commercial district, with the historic Skykomish Hotel (erected to replace the burned-down Schneider's Hotel in 1904) as its cornerstone, was also placed on the NRHP.<ref>{{NRHPRef|reference=97001078}}</ref><ref>{{NRHPRef|reference=00000974}}</ref><ref>The 1910 Wellington Disaster
By Deborah Cuyle, Rodney Fletcher, Arcadia Publishing, 2019, page 60</ref>

From the 1890s to 1974, Skykomish was a maintenance and fueling station for the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]], which eventually became part of the [[Burlington Northern Railroad]], and presently the [[BNSF Railway]]. At its peak, eight passenger trains serviced Skykomish daily, and it saw stops by several named passenger trains including the [[List of named passenger trains of the United States (D–H)#G|Great Northern Flyer]], the [[Oriental Limited]], the [[Cascadian (train)|Cascadian]], the [[Western Star (train)|Western Star]] and the [[Empire Builder]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://skyhistory.org/history.htm | title=Skykomish Historical Society History }}</ref>  It was also once the western terminus for electric operations (1928–56) on the [[Cascade Tunnel]] route all the way to [[Wenatchee]].  Here, steam or diesel locomotives were changed or coupled to electric locomotives.<ref>Middleton, William D.  ''When the Steam Railroads Electrified''.  Indiana University Press: 2002.  {{ISBN|978-0-253-33979-9}}</ref> The Great Northern Depot, the former [[Skykomish station]], was moved to a new city park in 2012 and today serves as a visitors center and history museum.

The town gained a [[public library]] service operated by the [[King County Library System|King County Rural Library District]] in 1944, its library opening the following year in the [[city hall]]. It moved to a new building in 1993, which was expanded in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://kcls.org/about-skykomish-library/ | title=About Skykomish Library }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schein |first=Michael |date=April 11, 2017 |title=Skykomish Library celebrates a grand opening and a 50th anniversary on July 16, 1994. |url=https://historylink.org/File/20331 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=September 29, 2019}}</ref>

Skykomish's population peaked at around 8,000 in the 1920s and shrank to under 300 by 1990 due to the loss of businesses and jobs.<ref name="PI-1998"/>

Legal but ill-advised waste disposal practices, common during that era, resulted in the [[contamination]] of its [[soil]], its [[groundwater]], and the [[Skykomish River]] by [[oil]] and [[Heavy metal (chemistry)|heavy metals]]. The video class of the local school chose to document the oil
under the town, winning the 2002 President’s Environmental Youth Award.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Skykomish Was Meant to be a Railroad Town | url=http://skyhistory.org/pdf/SkykomishHistory2.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701091856/http://www.skyhistory.org:80/pdf/SkykomishHistory2.pdf | archive-date=2015-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.epa.gov/archive/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/0fd4db3f1fad128b852570cb0075e20c.html | title=4/8/2002: Skykomish High Students Win President's Environmental Youth Award for Skykomish River Video Project }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.epa.gov/archive/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/0fd4db3f1fad128b852570cb0075e20c.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827102830/https://www.epa.gov/archive/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/0fd4db3f1fad128b852570cb0075e20c.html | archive-date=August 27, 2023 | title=4/8/2002: Skykomish High Students Win President's Environmental Youth Award for Skykomish River Video Project }}</ref> BNSF (then BN) and the Washington State Department of Ecology began remediation discussions in the mid-1980s, and in 2006, agreed to a plan whereby the railroad would pay up to $50 million to clean up the area over a three-year period (completed in 2009). This effort involved massive [[Earthworks (engineering)|excavations]]—essentially removing the contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil—and the rebuilding of a [[levee]]. (The eventual total cost of the cleanup exceeded $100 million.)

Twenty two of Skykomish's buildings – both homes and business – were temporarily moved during the cleanup process.  After the contaminated soil under them was removed, the buildings were moved back to their original locations on new foundations and utilities connections.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kimball |first=Jill |date=July 4, 2010 |title=Skykomish uprooted by massive cleanup project |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2012281469_skykomish05m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 29, 2019}}</ref> The town was restored with modern conveniences such as sidewalks and street lights, but the historic character of Skykomish was maintained. The greatest benefit of the cleanup to every resident and business in town was the installation of the new [[wastewater treatment]] system connected to every building.

Led by point guard John Best, the Skykomish basketball team won the 1954 State B championship beating the highly favored 3A Bainbridge. In 1954, Skykomish had a total of 51 students, while Bainbridge had an enrollment of 266.

==Geography==
Skykomish has no direct road connection to the rest of [[King County, Washington|King County]], with access on [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|U.S. Route 2]] through [[Snohomish County, Washington|Snohomish County]]. The relative isolation of Skykomish from the rest of the county and its services has led to calls for secession or joining Snohomish County.<ref>{{cite news |last=Popescu |first=Roxana |date=October 10, 2007 |title=Residents feel pull of two counties |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/residents-feel-pull-of-two-counties/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=February 27, 2024}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.33|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|0.31|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 19, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref>

{{wide image|Skykomish pano 02.jpg|700px|Panoramic view of downtown Skykomish, 2012. The former Maloneys General Store is straight ahead. Great Northern Depot is at extreme right. Each is on the National Register of Historic Places in its own right, as is the entire historic center of the town.}}

==Climate==
Skykomish has a ''[[Oceanic climate|Cfb]]'' (bordering on ''Dsb'', ''Dfb'', and ''Csb'') climate, with warm, sunny summers and cold, snowy winters.{{Weather box
|location = Skykomish, Washington (1955)
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|Jan high F = 39.7
|Feb high F = 42.4
|Mar high F = 49.9
|Apr high F = 58.2
|May high F = 64.9
|Jun high F = 69.8
|Jul high F = 76.1
|Aug high F = 75.2
|Sep high F = 70.5
|Oct high F = 59.0
|Nov high F = 46.8
|Dec high F = 40.9
|year high F=57.8 
|Jan low F = 27.2
|Feb low F = 27.5
|Mar low F = 31.4
|Apr low F = 38.0
|May low F = 43.5
|Jun low F = 49.0
|Jul low F = 49.0
|Aug low F = 49.7
|Sep low F = 47.0
|Oct low F = 40.8
|Nov low F = 32.7
|Dec low F = 31.3
|year low F=38.9 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 12.60
|Feb precipitation inch = 12.26
|Mar precipitation inch = 9.35
|Apr precipitation inch = 6.17
|May precipitation inch = 5.25
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.77
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.62
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.14
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.86
|Oct precipitation inch = 8.19
|Nov precipitation inch = 11.37
|Dec precipitation inch = 15.15
|year precipitation inch= 
|Jan snow inch = 14.2
|Feb snow inch = 17.7
|Mar snow inch = 6.8
|Apr snow inch = 0.2
|May snow inch = 0
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 0
|Nov snow inch = 0
|Dec snow inch = 7.6
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 17
|Feb precipitation days = 16
|Mar precipitation days = 15
|Apr precipitation days = 14
|May precipitation days = 13
|Jun precipitation days = 10
|Jul precipitation days = 6
|Aug precipitation days = 7
|Sep precipitation days = 9
|Oct precipitation days = 10
|Nov precipitation days = 14
|Dec precipitation days = 18
|source 1= Western Regional Climate Center<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa7708 | title=SKYKOMISH, WASHINGTON - Climate Summary }}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 238
|1920= 267
|1930= 562
|1940= 479
|1950= 497
|1960= 366
|1970= 283
|1980= 209
|1990= 273
|2000= 214
|2010= 198
|2020= 161
|estyear=2022
|estimate=158
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=December 3, 2023|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 3, 2023}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 31, 2013}}</ref>
}}

[[Image:Skykomish, WA 01.jpg|thumb|left|The heart of Skykomish (2008). In foreground, the [[BNSF]] tracks. Behind that, left to right: Skykomish Historical Society Museum, Maloney's General Store, listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], Skykomish Hotel, Cascadian Hotel and Café.]]

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 161 people, 49 households in the town.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 198 people, 95 households, and 45 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|638.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 168 housing units at an average density of {{convert|541.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 95.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 95 households, of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.6% were non-families. 44.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the town was 51.3 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.7% were from 25 to 44; 38.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 57.1% male and 42.9% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 214 people, 104 households, and 58 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was 623.2 people per square mile (243.0/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 162 housing units at an average density of 471.8 per square mile (184.0/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 94.39% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.47% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.40% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.93% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 2.80% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanics]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latinos]] of any race were 2.80% of the population.

There were 104 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 48.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 2.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.66.

18.2% of the town's population was under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,357, and the median income for a family was $48,500. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $25,938 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $22,829. About 3.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.6% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.

==Infrastructure==

The town's residents mainly relied on [[dial-up]] service for internet access until the full rollout of [[DSL]] in the 2010s—far later than the rest of King County. A $1.3&nbsp;million project to add [[Fiber-optic communication|fiber-optic]] service to Skykomish was announced in 2021 by [[Ziply Fiber]] with funding from the state government. An existing [[fiber-optic cable]] runs underground through parts of the town but did not serve its residents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yaw |first=Claudia |date=December 20, 2021 |title=Internet's 'final frontier': Broadband is coming to Skykomish! |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/internets-final-frontier-broadband-is-coming-to-skykomish/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=March 31, 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://skykomishwa.gov/ Town of Skykomish -- Official Website]
* [http://www.skyhistory.org/ Skykomish Historical Society]

{{King County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in King County, Washington]]
[[Category:Towns in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in Washington (state)]]