Stanwood, WA, is a quiet community located at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River, near Port Susan and Skagit Bay. With a population of 8,800, it sits 50 miles north of Seattle and offers a peaceful alternative to city life. The town features a mix of historic downtown bungalows and cottages from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as newer homes in master-planned subdivisions with large yards and multicar garages. Stanwood’s downtown area is active, with a variety of dining options including pizza, pasta, sushi, and barbecue, as well as breweries, coffee shops, and dessert bars. Shopping includes art galleries, antique shops, boutique clothing stores, major grocery chains, and big box hardware stores. The city is home to eight parks, with Heritage Park being the largest, offering skate and dog parks. Hamilton Landing Park provides boat launch and fishing access. Nearby Camano Island, accessible via Highway 532, features Camano Island State Park and Cama Beach State Park, both popular for their trails, campgrounds, and beaches. Stanwood hosts annual events like the Stanwood-Camano Community Fair, Movies in the Park, Summer Concert Series, and Ghoul’s Night Out. The Stanwood-Camano School District has a new state-of-the-art high school building. Residents can commute via Interstate 5, Community Transit buses, or Amtrak to Seattle and Vancouver. Summers are mild, with temperatures in the high 70s, and winters see lows in the 30s, with annual rainfall between 30 and 40 inches. Crime rates in Stanwood have remained consistent over the past five years, comparing favorably to the national average.
