A 150-foot concrete smokestack still stands over the old mill waterfront in Stanwood, WA. The city of 9,325 (OFM, 2026; 7,705 in the 2020 Census) lies near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River in northwest Snohomish County. HistoryLink calls it the commercial center for Camano Island and for the valley east of I-5. A riverfront park, busy ball fields, an Amtrak stop and quick access to Camano Island mark daily life here.
Two towns, one Stanwood
The first trading post at the river mouth went by Centerville. D. O. Pearson, who arrived in 1877 with a store and built a wharf for steamboats, took over the post office and renamed the town for his wife, Clara, using her maiden name, Stanwood, HistoryLink writes.
The railroad then split the town. In 1891 the line went in one mile east of the waterfront plat, and a second community grew up around the depot. Stanwood voted to incorporate on September 29, 1903, when 74 of the district’s 90 male voters approved it. East Stanwood was platted in 1906 and voted 88 to 22 to incorporate in 1922. The “Twin Cities” quarreled for decades over schools and business. In the end, HistoryLink says, the cost of building a sewage system made the case, and on March 8, 1960, voters approved consolidation.
The river moved too. As logjams were cleared, its main flow shifted into Port Susan through Hatt Slough. In its 2008 essay HistoryLink described the channel that once carried steamers as little more than a tidal slough.
Hamilton Landing and the smokestack
Small lumber mills ran on the Hamilton property from the 1880s to the 1960s. HistoryLink records that the Clough Lumber Company built the smokestack in 1927 to carry refuse smoke above the town. The city bought the 2-acre site in 2014, and it is now Hamilton Landing Park, near downtown on 98th Avenue NW. The city lists a public boat launch with access to the Stillaguamish River and Puget Sound, a kayak launch, scenic viewing areas, picnic tables and benches, a walking path, a bike rack, play elements and restrooms; the launch is open daily from dawn to dusk. The Port Susan Trail already links the Stanwood Park & Ride to Hamilton Landing by a wetland boardwalk, and the city plans to extend it into a larger loop to downtown and Heritage Park.
Where do people play in Stanwood?
Heritage Park, on 276th Street NW, is what the city calls a community sports and recreation hub, with baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse fields, a pump track, a skate park, a fenced dog park, paved walking trails and a wetland interpretive area. Church Creek Park, on 72nd Avenue NW, adds a youth baseball diamond, basketball and pickleball courts, nature trails and a reservable picnic shelter.
Summer ends at the fair. The city calendar listed the 2026 Stanwood-Camano Community Fair for July 31 through August 2 at the fairgrounds on Pioneer Highway, and organizers have set the 2027 fair for August 6–8. The fair bills itself as “the Best Li’l Fair in the West.”
How do people get around from Stanwood?
Stanwood Station has been an Amtrak Cascades stop since it opened on November 21, 2009, The Everett Herald reported. As of October 2026, Community Transit Route 240 runs to Smokey Point Transit Center in Arlington, Route 905 runs to Lynnwood City Center Station, and Route 907 runs from the Stanwood I-5 park and ride to Paine Field on weekday mornings, returning in the evening. Drive times are traffic-dependent.
Living here
A smokestack by the river, a depot a mile east, two towns that finally became one: Stanwood is still shaped by its delta. Whether you’re drawn to the older blocks near the waterfront, the neighborhoods east of the historic waterfront, or a home that puts Camano Island and Marysville within easy reach, Chase Hedin, Managing Broker, can help you compare your options. Start a conversation · What’s my home worth?