Anacortes is the primary city on Fidalgo Island in western Skagit County. Covering just under 12 square miles of land, the city is known for the ferry shepherding people westward to and from the San Juan Islands. “Locals use it, but tourists use it more in the spring and summer,” says Kelli Lang, Managing Broker at Kelli Lang RE/MAX Gateway in Anacortes. “Tourism brings more people to the island in the spring and summer.” Locals and tourists alike take advantage of Anacortes’ natural landscape for boating, biking and rock-climbing adventures. Oil refineries are major employers in the area; they lie across Fidalgo Bay from downtown. The population is about 18,000, and most of Anacortes’ streets are gridded; north-south avenues are lettered C through W, while 4th through 41st streets run east-west. Cul-de-sacs are west of downtown, and a swath of forest surrounding Mount Erie lies to the south.
Hop on a whale watching boat at Skyline Marina.
Skyline is a neighborhood in Anacortes about 80 minutes north of Seattle.
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Whale watching and forest hikes
Whale-watching boats head out to the San Juan Islands, but from Anaco Beach , locals may be able to spot a distant orca pod or other wildlife like Elsie Mae, the resident elephant seal. Between the Anacortes Yacht Club, Anchor Cove Marina and Skyline Marina, the city is big on sailing; Washington Park has a boat launch and over 200 acres of forested trails. Hikers can explore the nearly 3,000 acres of trails within Anacortes’ Community Forest Lands. The cliffs of Mount Erie offer about 400 different rock-climbing routes overlooking hemlock and fir trees. The cross-country Northern Tier bicycling route stretches from Anacortes to Maine. Deception Pass State Park, full of old-growth forests, campgrounds and arched bridges over the flowing saltwater, is 9 miles south. Anacortes has clean air, dry summers and rainy winters, though the area gets half as much rain as Seattle.
Skyline offers whale watching tours, as well as sea kayak excursinons.
Skyline locals have plenty of nature trails and parks to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors.
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Homes with sunset views
The median single-family home price in Anacortes is $775,000, higher than the national median. Sprawling, seven-figure homes have sunset views, while smaller homes constructed between 1910 and 1950 sell in the $300,000s. Homeowners in Skyline can dock their boats at Skyline Marina. The Pacific Northwest experiences occasional earthquake tremors, but Lang says that earthquake preparedness is generally not top of mind for homeowners. “An earthquake is long overdue, but earthquake insurance is extremely expensive,” she says.
A gorgeous Skyline seven-figure modern home overlooking the bay and just steps from Tugboat Park.
A row of older Craftsman homes in a quiet residential street in the heart of the Skyline neighborhood.
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The Anacortes Arts Festival and other city-wide events
The Anacortes Arts Festival has been held downtown since 1962. About 80,000 people gather over the first weekend in August to browse local art vendors and listen to live entertainment. At the end of September, Anacortes hosts Oyster Run, the biggest motorcycle rally in the Pacific Northwest. The Anacortes Museum and the Maritime Heritage Center showcase local history and how it’s intertwined with the area’s bodies of water.
Skyline residents attend Oyster run to see high performance motorcycles on display.
Learn more about the history of Anacortes at Maritime Heritage Center.
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Taking the Washington State Ferry
Those traveling by foot, bike or car can board the Washington State Ferries departing from the Anacortes Ferry Terminal to visit the four main San Juan Islands. Travelers can make reservations; fares depend on the size of the vehicle. Skagit Transit buses take passengers around the city, with connections to the rest of the county. Emergency care is available within Anacortes at Island Health, a hospital rated five stars by Medicare. State Route 20 stretches along the coastline, connecting Anacortes to eastward cities like Burlington and Sedro-Woolley. Fifty miles north, flights out of Bellingham International Airport go to the San Juan Islands and cities along the West Coast.
Fidalgo Island’s shopping and dining scene
Anacortes offers a mix of small businesses and chain establishments, ranging from hardware stores to bookstores to seafood restaurants. Shopping and dining options are concentrated along Q and Commercial Avenues. The Anacortes Farmers Market congregates downtown on Saturdays from May to October. Local vendors sell various goods, including cheese, produce, flowers and art.
Union Tavern in downtown Anacortes, is a Skyline neighborhood favorite for drinks and more.
Skyline residents attend Anacortes Farmers Market every Saturday in the summer months.
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Highly rated Anacortes School District
Students don’t have long commutes to other towns; public schools are concentrated in the eastern part of the city. Anacortes School District is rated A-minus on Niche, and all elementary schools are rated A-minus as well. The varsity boys’ swim team at Anacortes High is notably competitive, winning the Northwest Conference Invitational in 2025.
Anacortes High in Skyline is rated A minus in Niche, and is a highly sought school in the area.
Island View Elementary welcomes Skyline children as they begin their academic life.
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Crime rates in Skagit County
Violent crime rates have remained lower than the state and national rates, according to Skagit County statistics. Property crime rates have decreased since 2005; as of 2023, they fall between the state and national rates. The CAP Index crime score within Anacortes is low overall, but increases to 6 around the nexus of Q, R and T Avenues.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
