Gold Bar, Washington

Gold Bar, Washington
City
Welcome sign on U.S. Route 2
Welcome sign on U.S. Route 2
Location of Gold Bar, Washington
Location of Gold Bar, Washington
Coordinates: 47°51′15″N 121°41′36″W / 47.85417°N 121.69333°W / 47.85417; -121.69333
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountySnohomish
IncorporatedSeptember 16, 1910
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorSteven Yarbrough
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.06 sq mi (2.74 km2)
 • Land1.06 sq mi (2.74 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
207 ft (63 m)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • Total
2,403
 • Estimate 
(2022)[3]
2,398
 • Density2,220.96/sq mi (857.19/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
98251
Area code360
FIPS code53-27365
GNIS feature ID1520077[4]
Websitecityofgoldbar.us

Gold Bar is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Skykomish River between Sultan and Index, connected by U.S. Route 2. The population was 2,403 at the 2020 census.[2]

History

The Skykomish people have lived in the area around what is now Gold Bar long before the arrival of American settlers. The Skykomish had a community at the present site of Gold Bar. The village was populated by 40 families, roughly equating to 240 people. The community was large, stretching to the Wallace River, and had many houses, including the largest potlatch house on the Skykomish River. The village was used as a base camp for travelers coming to the area to hunt in the Sultan Basin.[5][6]

The modern settlement of Gold Bar started as a prospectors camp in 1869, named by a miner who found traces of gold on a river gravel bar.[7] After Gold Bar became a construction camp for the Great Northern Railway, anti-Chinese sentiment was inflamed by a shooting fray started by disreputable camp followers. To save the lives of the threatened Chinese, construction engineer Eduard Bauer slipped them out of camp in hastily constructed coffins. Gold Bar was officially incorporated on September 16, 1910. The 1940 population was 307.[8]

In 2012, the city government considered disincorporation to avoid bankruptcy due to low sales tax revenue and high expenses attributed to filling public records requests and fighting lawsuits from an activist.[9] The city council voted against disincorporation and placed a property tax levy on the ballot,[10] which was rejected by voters in November 2012.[11]

Geography

Gold Bar is situated in the Skykomish Valley, a region of eastern Snohomish County along the Skykomish River in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The city is 30 miles (48 km) east of Everett and 40 miles (64 km) west of Stevens Pass, a major route through the Cascades.[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.03 square miles (2.67 km2), all of it land.[13] Of the total area, approximately 66 percent is zoned for residential use (primarily single-family housing) and 19 percent is considered vacant or undeveloped.[14]

The city was built on a narrow plain within the valley that is bordered to the south by the Skykomish River and to the north by the Wallace River.[15] Gold Bar lies on alluvial deposits with an underlayer of gravel.[16][17] May Creek, a tributary of the Wallace River, passes through the city.[18]

Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Gold Bar has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.[19]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920353—
1930304−13.9%
19403071.0%
1950305−0.7%
19603153.3%
197050460.0%
198079457.5%
19901,07835.8%
20002,01486.8%
20102,0753.0%
20202,40315.8%
2022 (est.)2,398[3]−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
2020 Census[2]

As of 2022, Gold Bar has 853 total housing units, of which 592 are single-family and 229 are mobile homes.[21] In 2021, the city's median home value for a single-family unit was $420,120—approximately 62 percent of the county's median. The median household income for Gold Bar residents was $77,708 in 2021.[22]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 2,075 people, 782 households, and 519 families living in the city. The population density was 2,014.6 inhabitants per square mile (777.8/km2). There were 837 housing units at an average density of 812.6 per square mile (313.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.1% White, 0.6% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 7.0% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.1% of the population.

There were 782 households, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.20.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,014 people, 705 households, and 525 families living in the city. The population density was 1,887.2 people per square mile (726.7/km2). There were 769 housing units at an average density of 720.6 per square mile (277.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.56% White, 0.40% African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 4.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.28% of the population.[23]

There were 705 households, out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.30.[23]

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.[23]

The median income for a household in the city was $45,714, and the median income for a family was $48,152. Males had a median income of $40,250 versus $25,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,712. About 5.6% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.[23]

Government and politics

Gold Bar's city hall

Gold Bar is a noncharter code city with a mayor–council government.[24] The city's residents elect a mayor and five members to the city council, all serving four-year terms from at-large seats.[25] The city council serves as the legislative body, while the mayor is empowered to cast tiebreaking votes in addition to their normal duties as the administrator of the city government.[24][26] Since 2022, the city's mayor has been former councilmember Steve Yarbrough.[27]

The city government has contracted with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office to provide policing services since it disbanded its own police department in 1994. A sergeant from the sheriff's office serves as Gold Bar's police chief and is based out of a precinct in the city.[28][29] Gold Bar's volunteer fire department provides fire protection services for a 36-acre (15 ha) area. It is also contracted by King County to provide paramedic services in Skykomish and on the U.S. Route 2 corridor between Gold Bar and Stevens Pass.[30] The city was annexed into the Sno-Isle Libraries system in 1997, becoming the second-to-last municipality in Snohomish County to join.[31]

At the federal level, Gold Bar is part of the 8th congressional district, which encompasses the eastern portions of the Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties as well as the entirety of Chelan and Kittitas counties.[32] It was part of the 1st congressional district until 2022, when the 8th district was extended into Snohomish County.[33] At the state level, the city is part of the 12th legislative district, which also crosses the Cascade Mountains and includes Skykomish, part of Snoqualmie, and most of Chelan County outside of Wenatchee.[34][35] Gold Bar was previously part of the 39th legislative district until it was moved into the cross-mountain district as part of a redistricting compromise in 2022.[36] The city also lies within the Snohomish County Council's 5th district, which includes the Skykomish Valley, Snohomish, and Lake Stevens.[37]

Culture

Gold Bar, along with neighboring Sultan and Index, was a filming location for the 2016 film Captain Fantastic.[38][39]

The city hosts an annual festival, named Gold Dust Days, on a weekend in late July. It includes a parade, a street fair with vendors and food, live music, a car show, and a beauty pageant. Gold Bar is also home to an annual Memorial Day picnic.[40][41]

Parks and recreation

The city government maintains 17.1 acres (6.9 ha) of parks and open space within Gold Bar.[42] These include Railroad Avenue Park on U.S. Route 2, which has picnic facilities and a dog park, and Gateway Community Park, which opened in 2004. Several undeveloped facilities are also planned for future parks by the city government.[43] Gold Bar is adjacent to Wallace Falls State Park, located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the city limits.[44] It is one of the most popular outdoor attractions in Snohomish County, with over 186,000 total visitors in 2024, which has resulted in parking issues on nearby roads.[45][46] The park has a 5.6-mile (9.0 km) hiking trail to its eponymous waterfalls with a total elevation gain of 1,300 feet (400 m)—among the lowest in the Cascades.[47] The state parks system also maintains a boat launch on the Skykomish River at Big Eddy.[48]

The area around Gold Bar has facilities for various forms of outdoor recreation, including hiking, fishing, skiing, and rafting.[49] The Skykomish River is used for whitewater rafting and includes sets of Class IV and V rapids, including one named the "Boulder Drop", around Gold Bar.[50][51] The Reiter Foothills, a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) forest managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, is located two miles (3.2 km) northeast of Gold Bar. It includes hiking trails and paths for off-road driving that were developed beginning in the 1960s.[52][53] The area has been proposed for formal protection as a state park but remains open to permitted logging.[54]

Education

The city lies within the boundaries of the Sultan School District, which serves 30 square miles (78 km2) of the Skykomish Valley and has over 2,000 enrolled students.[42] Gold Bar originally had its own school district until it was consolidated with the Sultan School District in 1969; the two districts previously had an agreement to bus middle and high school students to Sultan and share some capital costs for Sultan High School.[55] A new elementary school in Gold Bar opened in 1992 to relieve overcrowding in Sultan.[56]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Gold Bar is connected to nearby cities by U.S. Route 2, which continues west towards Monroe and Everett and east over Stevens Pass towards Wenatchee and Spokane.[57] The highway carries a daily average of over 12,000 vehicles through Gold Bar and has a 80-foot (24 m) right-of-way.[58] U.S. Route 2 is frequently congested during weekends due to recreational traffic, which also causes backups on rural roads that split from the highway.[59] The city is also bisected by the Scenic Subdivision of BNSF Railway, which carries freight and Amtrak passenger trains along the Skykomish River.[58][60] Community Transit operates two bus routes from Gold Bar to other cities on the U.S. Route 2 corridor, with direct service to Everett Station.[58][61] The agency previously operated express routes that continued beyond Everett Station to the Boeing Everett Factory.[62][63]

Utilities

Electric power for the city is provided by the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD), a consumer-owned public utility that serves all of Snohomish County. The utility derives most of its electricity from hydroelectricity that it purchases from the federal Bonneville Power Administration or generates on its own.[64][65] Natural gas for the Gold Bar's residents and businesses is provided by Puget Sound Energy, a private company. The city government contracts with Waste Management to collect household garbage and recycling.[64]

Gold Bar's municipal tap water system serves 678 residential and non-residential connections with 51,000 feet (16,000 m) of pipes. It is sourced from four groundwater wells and stored at a series of three reservoirs with a combined normal capacity of 263,532 US gallons (997,580 L). The PUD also operates a well in the area that is able to supply water to Gold Bar in the event of an emergency or repairs to other facilities.[16] The city lacks a sanitary sewer system due to the high cost of a sewage treatment plant; most buildings instead rely on septic tanks.[66] Stormwater runoff is not directly managed by the city government and generally drains into the Skykomish River basin through various facilities, such as bioswales and underground vaults.[16]

Healthcare

The city lies within the public hospital district for EvergreenHealth Monroe, the only full-service medical facility in the Skykomish Valley.[67][68] Gold Bar is the home base for a mobile medical clinic established by Acadia Healthcare and the Snohomish County government in 2025 to address the opioid epidemic in rural communities.[69]

References

  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "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. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ Hollenbeck, Jan L.; Moss, Madonna (1987). A Cultural Resource Overview: Prehistory, Ethnography and History: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. United States Forest Service. pp. 161–164. OCLC 892024380. Retrieved January 5, 2019 – via HathiTrust.
  6. ^ Dailey, Tom. "Village Descriptions -- Snohomish-Everett". Coast Salish Map. Archived from the original on February 13, 2003. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-295-95158-3. OCLC 1052713900. Retrieved November 18, 2019 – via The Internet Archive.
  8. ^ Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941
  9. ^ Harish, Alon (July 13, 2012). "Gold Bar, Wash., Broke and Divided, May Disappear From Map". ABC News. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Myers, Laura L. (July 17, 2012). "Lawsuit-plagued Washington town mulls tax increase, not dissolution". Reuters. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  11. ^ Heffter, Emily (November 19, 2012). "Hard-hit Gold Bar may be at the end of the road". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "Gold Bar 2024 Comprehensive Plan" (PDF). City of Gold Bar. November 2024. p. 7. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  13. ^ "2018 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  14. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 31, 81–85
  15. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), p. 88
  16. ^ a b c Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 123–124
  17. ^ Tabor, R.W.; Frizzell, Jr., V.A.; Booth, D.B.; Waitt, R.B.; Whetten, J.T.; Zartman, R.E. (1993). Geologic Map of the Skykomish River 30- by 60-Minute Quardangle, Washington (PDF) (Map). 1:100,000. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  18. ^ Gold Bar Quadrangle, Washington (Topographic map). 1:24,000. United States Geological Survey. 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  19. ^ Climate Summary for Gold Bar, Washington
  20. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  21. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 86, 105
  22. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), p. 107
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  24. ^ a b "Title 1 – General Provisions". Gold Bar Code of Ordinances. Retrieved March 12, 2022 – via Municode.
  25. ^ "City Council". City of Gold Bar. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  26. ^ "City Government". City of Gold Bar. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
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  29. ^ Moriarty, Leslie (October 9, 2001). "Gold Bar residents oppose change in police service". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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  31. ^ Brooks, Diane (August 9, 2006). "No library cards?! Families' petition spurs Sept. 19 vote". The Seattle Times. p. H3. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
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  36. ^ Cornfield, Jerry (December 3, 2021). "State Supreme Court declines to draw new redistricting plan". The Everett Herald. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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  39. ^ Kahn, Dean (July 19, 2016). "Whatcom County has scenic role in new film, 'Captain Fantastic'". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
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  41. ^ Bray, Kari (July 6, 2016). "Celebrate the Sky Valley at Sultan Shindig, Gold Dust Days". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  42. ^ a b Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 124–126
  43. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 146–147
  44. ^ Lee, Jessica (April 24, 2018). "Body of woman recovered from water at Snohomish County's Wallace Falls State Park". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  45. ^ King, Rikki (January 20, 2018). "It's hard to find a parking spot at Wallace Falls State Park". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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  48. ^ "Big Eddy". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  49. ^ Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 73–74, 150–151
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  53. ^ Haun, Riley (February 26, 2023). "After controversial cutting, Middle May managers look to the future". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  54. ^ Sanders, Julia-Grace (August 16, 2020). "Would a 5,300-acre county park be a good thing for U.S. 2?". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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  56. ^ Tuohy-Morgan, Claire (October 3, 1995). "Growth pushes eastern edges at Gold Bar school". The Everett Herald. p. 3F. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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  58. ^ a b c Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 113–115
  59. ^ Watanabe, Ben (March 8, 2021). "Gold Bar fire chief pleads for U.S. 2 traffic help from state". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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  63. ^ Going to Boeing (Map). Everett Transit. 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  64. ^ a b Gold Bar Comprehensive Plan (2024), pp. 67–69
  65. ^ "Quick facts". Snohomish County Public Utility District. December 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  66. ^ Switzer, Jeff (April 1, 2008). "Gold Bar wants county to ease up on growth limit". The Everett Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  67. ^ Cornwell, Paige (April 17, 2019). "Eastside, Monroe hospitals seek voter approval for ballot measures to fund major upgrades". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  68. ^ Sheil, Hannah (August 13, 2021). "EvergreenHealth Monroe critical care unit has been closed". The Everett Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  69. ^ Richmond, Taylor (July 30, 2025). "New Snohomish County mobile opioid care unit showcased". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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