Mount Vernon, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Mount Vernon | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States of America |
| State | Washington |
| County | Skagit |
| Incorporated | July 5, 1889 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Mayor-council |
| - Mayor | Bud Norris |
| Area GR1 | |
| - City | 11.4 sq mi (29.4 km²) |
| - Land | 11.1 sq mi (28.8 km²) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²) |
| Elevation | 180 ft (54.9 m) |
| Population (2000)GR2 | |
| - City | 26,232 |
| - Density | 2,360.6/sq mi (911.6/km²) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 98273, 98274 |
| Website: www.ci.mount-vernon.wa.us | |
Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, USA. The population was 26,232 at the 2000 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat of Skagit County. Mount Vernon is known for its annual Tulip Festival. The climate of Skagit County is similar to that of Holland. While many tulips are grown in the Skagit Valley none are shipped to Holland which has strict import-export laws. In 1998 Mount Vernon was rated the #1 "Best Small City in America" by the New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.
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[edit] History
Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley first settled on the banks of the Skagit River, where the City of Mount Vernon now lies, in 1870. Later on, Harrison Clothier came to the community to teach school and got into business with a former student, E.G. English. They were later recognized as the city's founders. Mount Vernon was officially incorporated on July 5, 1893.
[edit] Notable locals
- Glenn Beck, conservative talk show host.
- Cheryl Bentyne, jazz singer and member of The Manhattan Transfer
- Jim Caviezel, actor; most well-known for his role as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ.
- R. Garcia y Robertson, fantasy and science fiction writer.
- Mark Hendrickson, Major League Baseball player and former NBA basketball player.
- Craig Kelly, pioneer snowboarder; killed by an avalanche in 2003.
- Chad Lindberg, actor.
- Demi Moore, actress; Lived in Mount Vernon and attended LaVenture Middle School for a brief time in her early adolescent years.
- Ross Mathews, actor, also known as Ross the Intern on The Tonight Show
- Graham Kerr, culinary expert, author and television personality.
- Richard Olmsted, graphite artist, drummer for Dudamana.
- Coady Willis, drummer for Melvins, Big Business and Murder City Devils.
[edit] Notable buildings
The Lincoln Theater on First Street in downtown Mount Vernon was built in 1926. Originally a vaudeville and silent movie theater, the Lincoln now hosts school performances and local concerts and showcases classic as well as modern movies year-round. The theater is also one of 98 theaters in the United States which still possesses its original Wurlitzer theatre organ, which is still played prior to every show[1].
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 26,232 people, 9,276 households, and 6,205 families residing in the city. The population density was 911.6/km² (2,360.6/mi²). There were 9,686 housing units at an average density of 336.6/km² (871.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.44% White, 0.73% African American, 1.02% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 17.13% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.12% of the population.
There were 9,276 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,999, and the median income for a family was $44,772. Males had a median income of $33,724 versus $27,244 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,041. About 10.8% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Sister Cities
Mt. Vernon has the following Sister Cities, according to the Washington State Lt. Governor's list of Washington Sister Cities:
[edit] External links
- Official City of Mount Vernon website
- Mount Vernon history
- Mount Vernon's annual Tulip Festival
- Lincoln Theater
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
