Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes is a city of 17,966 people in Skagit County, Washington, founded in 1891.
Why visit Anacortes
Townapedia lists 17 museums and landmarks, 44 parks and trails, 83 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Anacortes Cinemas, Burrows Island Light, W.T. Preston Museum and Wilson Hotel.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 75°F; December lows average 36°F.
Weather in Anacortes
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Anacortes
Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes' population was 17,637 at the time of the 2020 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Anacortes, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Burrows Island Light
Lighthouse · 4.2 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
Museums and landmarks17
Wilson Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Hotel in Anacortes, United States of America
WT Preston
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
American steamship
Maritime Heritage Center
Monument and historic site · 2.0 mi
Anacortes Maritime Heritage Center. Operates under the auspices of the City of Anacortes Museum.
703 R Avenue, Anacortes
La Merced
Monument and historic site · 1.9 mi
Remnants of La Merced, four masted schooner. On record of National Register of Historic Places, U.S. Department of the Interior,...
5 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds44
Anacortes Farmers Market park and Railway Museum
Park · 2.1 mi
611 R Avenue, Anacortes
sunrise-sunset
Lake Erie Public Access
Park · 2.8 mi
13380 Rosario Road, Anacortes
sunrise-sunset
32 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes83
Anthony's at Cap Sante Marina
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.8 mi
1207 Q Avenue, Anacortes
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
De Asian
Restaurant · Sushi · 1.5 mi
1506 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes
Su-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-24:00
Naung Mai Thai Kitchen
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
2216 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes
Mo-Su 11:00-14:30,15:30-21:00
Pizza Factory
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.7 mi
3219 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
71 more on the map.
History
Anacortes is within the historical territory of the Samish people. Anacortes was officially incorporated on May 19, 1891.
In 1877, railroad surveyor and town founder Amos Bowman moved his family to the northern tip of Fidalgo Island. Bowman began promoting the area as an obvious terminus for the Northern Pacific Railway as it was built through the north Cascades to the Pacific. Bowman established the town's first newspaper, The Northwest Enterprise, to promote his vision of the New York of the West.
Seattle and Northern Company began building a rail line from the town in 1888. Real estate and development boomed from 1888 to 1890 as a result of the railroad rumors, and the Oregon Improvement Company posted $15 million in bonds to develop the town.
In 1891, the real estate bubble burst. Speculators lost money and the Oregon Improvement Company could no longer afford to complete tracks over the Cascades. The town failed to become the railroad terminus Bowman had envisioned.
A second newspaper, the Anacortes American was established in 1890, and digitized copies of its publication from inception through December 2000 are searchable at the Washington State Library's archives. In 1960, the paper's masthead showed it was an affiliate member of the National Editorial Association.
From the History section of Anacortes, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Churches and places of worship12
First Baptist Church of Anacortes
Church · Baptist · 0.8 mi
2717 J Avenue, Anacortes
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 1.9 mi
1300 9th Street, Anacortes
Shopping17
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Healthcare5
Map of Anacortes
225 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 37°F | 3.9 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 37°F | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 40°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 43°F | 2.1 in |
| May | 66°F | 48°F | 1.9 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 52°F | 1.5 in |
| Jul | 75°F | 54°F | 0.8 in |
| Aug | 75°F | 54°F | 1.4 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 51°F | 1.6 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 46°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 40°F | 4.4 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 36°F | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Anacortes (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Skagit County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-03-29: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-01-05: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Anacortes Airport (OTS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Bay View 7 mi east, about 12 min by car
- La Conner 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Whidbey Island Station 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Bow 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Oak Harbor 13 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Burlington 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Mount Vernon 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Arlington 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Everett 42 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Alderwood Manor 49 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Anacortes Municipal Building, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anacortes, WA 98221, USA - panoramio, Kira Picabo, CC BY 3.0
- Looking Toward Cap Sante Lookout In Anacortes - panoramio, JHetherington20, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Welcome Anacortes Washington - panoramio, Chanilim714, CC BY-SA 3.0
- March Point Anacortes Washington - panoramio, Chanilim714, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anacortes - Historic Wilson Hotel, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Anacortes, WA - W.T. Preston pano 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Color Card F and C, Justin Connelly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Northwest Coffee & Espresso (8784970169), Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Chicken fajitas at Agave Taqueria (8785194803), Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Predators with the Heart wolf encounter, TButterworth, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Calypso bulbosa 38946, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Calypso bulbosa 38958, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Calypso bulbosa 38953, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Calypso bulbosa 38957, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Calypso bulbosa 38955, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Claytonia perfoliata 38518, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Claytonia perfoliata 38501, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Claytonia perfoliata 38509, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Claytonia perfoliata 38531, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Collinsia parviflora 38537, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Plectritis congesta 38940, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Ranunculus occidentalis 38972, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Ranunculus occidentalis 38970, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Flickr - Hugo90 - Missed It, JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Ranunculus occidentalis 39005, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Ranunculus occidentalis 39003, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Plectritis congesta 39013, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Lomatium utriculatum 38987, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Arbutus menziesii 38999, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Castilleja hispida 39022, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Castilleja hispida 39021, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Plectritis congesta 39029, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Lithophragma parviflorum 39034, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Lithophragma parviflorum 39037, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Lithophragma parviflorum 39033, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Castilleja hispida 39019, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Arbutus menziesii 39044, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Paxistima myrsinites 38584, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
- Paxistima myrsinites 38562, Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5
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