Gold Bar, Washington

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.

History

Main Street in Gold Bar, Template:Circa 1911

The ancestral home of the indigenous Skykomish people (Template:Lang) was in the upper Skykomish Valley east of modern-day Sultan and including the drainage basins of the Sultan and Wallace rivers. They had a permanent village at the confluence of the Skykomish and Wallace rivers, where modern-day Gold Bar lies, named Template:Lang. The village had a large potlatch house, built to accommodate a number of travelers, and a cemetery; it had an estimated population of 40 families in the late 19th century, representing approximately 240 people. Template:Lang was used as a base camp for travelers coming to the area to hunt elk in the Sultan River basin.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss">Template:Cite book</ref> The Skykomish were a signatory party of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott and assigned to the Tulalip Indian Reservation at the mouth of the Snohomish River.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Many members of the tribe remained in the Skykomish Valley, with as many as 320 non-reservation residents estimated in 1900, but the Skykomish later ceased to have a distinct government and assimilated into the Tulalip Tribes.<ref name="Hollenbeck-Moss"/><ref name="HistoryLink">Template:Cite web</ref>

The upper Skykomish Valley was visited by prospectors who sought gold deposits, which had been discovered in the Fraser Canyon and triggered a regional gold rush in 1858.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A campsite at the confluence of the Skykomish and Wallace rivers was established by prospectors Template:Circa 1869 and given the name Gold Bar after a miner found traces of gold on a nearby gravel bar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Washington - A guide to the Evergreen State, WPA American Guide Series, Washington State Historical Society, 1941</ref>

In the mid-20th century, the city doubled in population as it attracted retirees as well as long-distance commuters to jobs in Everett and Seattle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1990s, Gold Bar gained a new grocery store and several new businesses as it became more of a bedroom community. The city hall was expanded to double its size in 2001 to accommodate growth in the number of employees and services provided by the municipal government.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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 activist Anne Block.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city council voted against disincorporation and placed a property tax levy on the ballot,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was rejected by voters in November 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Block, an employment attorney, published a hyperlocal blog named the Gold Bar Reporter that alleged city officials of corruption and illegal acts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was later disbarred and ordered in 2018 by a U.S. District Court judge to reimburse the Gold Bar city government $78,000 in attorney fees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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 Template:Convert east of Everett and Template:Convert west of Stevens Pass, a major route through the Cascades.<ref name="ComprehensivePlan">Template:Cite web</ref> According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all of it land.<ref name="Census-Gazetteer">Template:Cite web</ref> Of the total area, approximately 66Template:Nbsppercent is zoned for residential use (primarily single-family housing) and 19Template:Nbsppercent is considered vacant or undeveloped.<ref>Template:Harvp</ref>

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.<ref name="CompPlan-88">Template:Harvp</ref> Gold Bar lies on alluvial deposits with an underlayer of gravel.<ref name="CompPlan-123"/><ref>Template:Cite map</ref> May Creek, a tributary of the Wallace River, passes through the city.<ref name="USGS-Map">Template:Cite map</ref>

Economy

The city has several small businesses that cater towards tourists who travel on the Stevens Pass Highway, including a snowboard shop and roadside restaurants.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A rafting tour company is also based in Gold Bar.<ref name="Times-Rafting"/> According to Economic Alliance Snohomish County, there are 41 total businesses in the city, of which six are classified as food service establishments and six are retailers.<ref name="EconomicAlliance">Template:Cite web</ref> As of the 2023 American Community Survey estimates, a total of 1,224 Gold Bar residents over the age of 16 are in the labor force and 4.5Template:Nbsppercent are unemployed. The most common employers are in the educational services and healthcare sector, followed by recreation and food services.<ref name="ACS">Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately 2.9Template:Nbsppercent of Gold Bar residents in the labor force work within the city; the most common commuting destinations are Seattle (11.4%), Monroe (7.7%), Sultan (7.5%), and Everett (7.1%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The mean one-way commute for the city's workforce was 47Template:Nbspminutes; 76.1Template:Nbsppercent of commuters drove alone to their place of employment, while 10.1Template:Nbsppercent worked from home.<ref name="ACS"/>

Demographics

Gold Bar is the fourth least populous municipality in Snohomish County, with a population of 2,403 at the 2020 census. The city's population grew by nearly 16Template:Nbsppercent from 2010 to 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, Gold Bar has 853 total housing units, of which 592 are single-family and 229 are mobile homes.<ref>Template:Harvp</ref> In 2021, the city's median home value for a single-family unit was $420,120—approximately 62Template:Nbsppercent of the county's median. The median household income for Gold Bar residents was $77,708 in 2021.<ref>Template:Harvp</ref>

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 2,403 people and 865 households living within Gold Bar's city limits. The city's population density was Template:Convert. There were 892 total housing units, of which 97% were occupied and 3% were vacant or for occasional use. The racial makeup of Gold Bar was 89.4% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 6.5% from other races. Residents who identified as more than one race were 10.6% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 14.6% of the population.<ref name="Census2020">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 865 households in Gold Bar, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, and 9.6% were cohabitating but unmarried. Households with a male householder with no spouse or partner were 22.5% of the population, while households with a female householder with no spouse or partner were 15.4% of the population. Out of all households, 29.2% had residents who were 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020"/> There were 865 occupied housing units in Gold Bar, of which 80.8% were owner-occupied and 19.2% were occupied by renters.<ref name="Census2020"/>

The median age in the city was 37.8 years old for all sexes, 38.1 years old for males, and 37.6 years old for females. Of the total population, 26.9% of residents were under the age of 19; 6% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 26.2% were between the ages of 25 and 44; 28.8% were between the ages of 45 and 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.3% male and 47.7% female.<ref name="Census2020"/>

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 2,075 people, 782 households, and 519 families living within Gold Bar's city limits. The city's population density was Template:Convert. There were 837 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the Gold Bar 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 residents of any race were 10.1% of the population.<ref name="OFM-Census2010">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 782 households in Gold Bar, 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 in the city was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.20.<ref name="OFM-Census2010"/>

The median age in the city was 36.6 years old. 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.<ref name="OFM-Census2010"/>

Government and politics

Gold Bar's city hall

Gold Bar is a noncharter code city with a mayor–council government.<ref name="MuniCode">Template:Cite web</ref> The city's residents elect a mayor and five members to the city council, all serving four-year terms from at-large seats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="MuniCode"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2022, the city's mayor has been former councilmember Steve Yarbrough.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gold Bar's volunteer fire department provides fire protection services for a Template:Convert 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Herald-FireUS2"/> The city was annexed into the Sno-Isle Libraries system in 1997, becoming the second-to-last municipality in Snohomish County to join.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref> It was part of the 1st congressional district until 2022, when the 8th district was extended into Snohomish County.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city also lies within the Snohomish County Council's 5th district, which includes the Skykomish Valley, Snohomish, and Lake Stevens.<ref>Template:Cite map</ref>

Culture

The city hosts an annual festival, named Gold Dust Days, over a weekend in late July that includes a parade, a street fair with vendors and food, live music, a car show, and a beauty pageant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was founded in 2007 and also has events to commemorate the history of the Skykomish Valley, such as gold panning demonstrations and historical reenactments of battles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Gold Bar is also home to an annual Memorial Day picnic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city, along with neighboring Sultan and Index, was a filming location for the 2016 movie Captain Fantastic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Until 2003, Gold Bar was the home of the Washington Serpentarium, a privately-operated reptile zoo. It relocated to the Monroe area after the number of visitors, which reached 35,000 in 2002, outgrew the initial building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Parks and recreation

A gazebo at Gateway Community Park

The city government maintains Template:Convert of parks and open space within Gold Bar.<ref name="CompPlan-124">Template:Harvp</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Harvp</ref> Gold Bar is adjacent to Wallace Falls State Park, located Template:Convert northeast of the city limits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The park has a Template:Convert hiking trail to its eponymous waterfalls with a total elevation gain of Template:Convert—among the lowest in the Cascades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state parks system also maintains a boat launch on the Skykomish River at Big Eddy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The area around Gold Bar has facilities for various forms of outdoor recreation, including hiking, fishing, skiing, and rafting.<ref name="CompPlan-Parks">Template:Harvp</ref> 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.<ref name="Times-Rafting">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Reiter Foothills, a Template:Convert forest managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, is located Template:Convert northeast of Gold Bar. It includes hiking trails and paths for off-road driving that were developed beginning in the 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The area has been proposed for formal protection as a state park but remains open to permitted logging.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

The city lies within the boundaries of the Sultan School District, which serves Template:Convert of the Skykomish Valley and has over 2,000 enrolled students.<ref name="CompPlan-124"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A new elementary school in Gold Bar opened in 1992 to relieve overcrowding in Sultan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite WSDOT map</ref> The highway carries a daily average of over 12,000 vehicles through Gold Bar and has a Template:Convert right-of-way.<ref name="CompPlan-113">Template:Harvp</ref> 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.<ref name="Herald-FireUS2">Template:Cite news</ref> The city is also bisected by the Scenic Subdivision of BNSF Railway, which carries freight and Amtrak passenger trains along the Skykomish River.<ref name="CompPlan-113"/><ref>Template:Cite map</ref> 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.<ref name="CompPlan-113"/><ref>Template:Cite map</ref> The agency previously operated express routes that continued beyond Everett Station to the Boeing Everett Factory.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite map</ref>

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.<ref name="CompPlan-Utilities">Template:Harvp</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="CompPlan-Utilities"/>

Gold Bar's municipal tap water system serves 678 residential and non-residential connections with Template:Convert of pipes. It is sourced from four groundwater wells and stored at a series of three reservoirs with a combined normal capacity of Template:Convert. 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.<ref name="CompPlan-123">Template:Harvp</ref> The city lacks a sanitary sewer system due to the high cost of a sewage treatment plant; most buildings instead rely on septic tanks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="CompPlan-123"/>

Healthcare

The city lies within the public hospital district for EvergreenHealth Monroe, the only full-service medical facility in the Skykomish Valley.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• City website