Monroe
Monroe is a city in Snohomish County located at the confluence of the Skykomish, Snohomish, and Snoqualmie rivers near the Cascade foothills, about 30 miles northeast of Seattle. Monroe was originally founded in 1864 as the town of Park Place, as a trading post used by the indigenous Skykomish people. Park Place was renamed to Monroe in 1890 to honor U.S. President James Monroe, and was moved northeast to be near the tracks of the Great Northern Railway, which was constructed in 1892. Monroe was incorporated in 1902 and was selected as the home of a major condensed milk plant and the state reformatory.
Demographics:
Population
About 19,400 people as of 2020.
Home Ownership
67.7% homes are owner-occupied (according to Census data).
Walk-ability / Bike-ability
Walk Score of 31/100. Bike Score of 39/100 (according to Walkscore.com).
School District
Monroe School District
Neighborhoods:
- City Center
- Woods Creek
- Monroe Northwest
- Monroe North
- Monroe West
- Fryelands
Interesting Places To Visit:
The Monroe Reptile Zoo is home to the most diverse collection of Reptiles in the Pacific Northwest with over 85 species from across the world. Here you will have the opportunity to get up close to turtles, alligators, lizards and many types of snakes including some venomous types such as cobras and rattlesnakes. Some of the most popular animals include a turtle with two heads, an albino alligator, and Aldabra giant tortoises.
The Evergreen State Fair Park has been a prominent year-round event facility in Snohomish County since 1949. The 193-acre park, located near Monroe, WA, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is the proud host of the Evergreen State Fair every August. The Evergreen State Fair Park has a variety of facilities that can accommodate year-round events like trade shows, swap meets, animal shows, training seminars, festivals and car shows. The Evergreen Speedway entertains crowds with a variety of events like, NASCAR races, Drift, Autocross, and other special events.
Lake Tye Park is a 64-acre community park which hosts many spectacular community events throughout the year. The lake boasts a 42-acre recreational lake, including a boat launch. Walkers, runners and bicyclists regularly enjoy spectacular views along the 1.63-mile loop trail around Lake Tye. Two large covered picnic shelters can be reserved for parties, restrooms, concession building, tennis/pickleball and basketball courts, softball/baseball field, full-sized soccer/lacrosse field, and children’s playground.
The Monroe Historical Society is an all-volunteer organization that was founded in 1976. The Society opened its museum in 1982 in Monroe’s original two-story City Hall building at 207 East Main Street. As well as a wide-ranging collection of local historical artifacts, the museum maintains a variety of local history resources available, with some restrictions, to society members and to the public.
Al Borlin Park is the largest Monroe Park at 90 acres and among one of the oldest. Named after a former City Councilmember and Monroe school teacher who promoted parks and environmental education, Al Borlin offers stunning viewpoints of the wild river and bald eagles in their natural habitat. Trail access and a landscaped picnic area on the southwestern tip of the park can be accessed by crossing the pedestrian bridge from Lewis Street Park. The park is thickly wooded and crisscrossed with a 1.2-mile network of soft-surface gravel trails.
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