Lake Stevens, Washington

Lake Stevens
Northeast shore of lake on which the city is located
Northeast shore of lake on which the city is located
Motto(s): 
"One community, around the lake"
Location of Lake Stevens, Washington
Location of Lake Stevens, Washington
Coordinates: 48°1′11″N 122°3′58″W / 48.01972°N 122.06611°W / 48.01972; -122.06611
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountySnohomish
Founded1889
IncorporatedNovember 29, 1960
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorBrett Gailey
Area
 • Total
9.30 sq mi (24.09 km2)
 • Land9.17 sq mi (23.74 km2)
 • Water0.14 sq mi (0.35 km2)
Elevation
217 ft (66 m)
Population
 • Total
35,630
 • Estimate 
(2022)[3]
39,848
 • Density3,887.2/sq mi (1,500.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
98258
Area code425
FIPS code53-37900
GNIS feature ID1512695[4]
Websitelakestevenswa.gov

Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, that is named for the lake it surrounds. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Everett and borders the cities of Marysville to the northwest and Snohomish to the south. The city's population was 35,630 at the 2020 census.

The lake was named in 1859 for territorial governor Isaac Stevens and was originally home to the Skykomish in the Pilchuck River basin. The first modern settlement on Lake Stevens was founded at the northeastern corner of the lake in 1889. It was later sold to the Rucker Brothers, who opened a sawmill in 1907 that spurred early growth in the area, but closed in 1925 after the second of two major fires. The Lake Stevens area then became a resort community before developing into a commuter town in the 1960s and 1970s.

Lake Stevens was incorporated as a city in 1960, following an exodus of businesses from the downtown area to a new shopping center. The city has since grown through annexations to encompass most of the lake, including the original shopping center, and quadrupled in population from 2000 to 2010. A revitalized downtown area is planned alongside new civic buildings in the 2020s.

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "QuickFacts: Lake Stevens city, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. May 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  4. ^ "Lake Stevens". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. September 10, 1979. Retrieved May 17, 2020.