Snohomish County is just north of Seattle, and is one of the more popular and naturally beautiful areas adjacent to the city. The largest city in Snohomish County is Everett. Snohomish County is nestled between Puget Sound and the Cascade mountains. Ferries take people from the mainland to islands in the Sound, including Whidbey Island and the San Juans. The Cascade Range is just 45 minutes away, where there is fantastic hiking and skiing, with mountains over 10,000 feet high. North of Snohomish County is Mount Vernon, renowned for the Skagit Valley Tulip festival. Bellingham, a college town and boating capital is about an hour north of Everett, as are the San Juan Islands. Cosmopolitan Vancouver, British Columbia is just across the border, two hours north of Everett.

When it comes to choosing an area to live, Snohomish County offers a number of different options. Desirable cities closer to Seattle include Edmonds and Mukilteo, known for their excellent schools and location on the Sound. Heading north, Everett has a variety of neighborhoods. Close to Everett is Marysville, a city with quaint old downtown neighborhoods and eastside homes with panoramic views of Puget Sound. The schools and parks are good, and nearby is the thriving Tulalip tribal region, with a retail presence that includes premium outlets and a destination resort and casino. Nearby is the Centennial Trail, Snohomish County’s most popular recreational trail. It features 17 miles of paved trail from Snohomish to Arlington, used for walking, bicycling, hiking and horseback riding.