Anacortes, WA Area Guide

The city takes its name from Anne Curtis Bowman, wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman, who arrived in 1877 and helped establish the settlement that would officially incorporate in 1891. Walking through downtown today, visitors still encounter early-twentieth-century commercial architecture along Commercial Avenue that reflects the town's ambitions during its late-1800s growth period. The Anacortes Museum, housed in the historic Carnegie Library building at 8th Street and M Avenue, offers free admission and an extensive archive of photographs, oral histories, and artifacts chronicling the city's fishing, canning, and lumber industries. The adjacent Maritime Heritage Center and the W.T. Preston, a historic National Landmark sternwheel steamboat docked at 703 R Avenue, trace Anacortes's deep connection to the sea and the working waterfront.

Anacortes has a dining scene built around Pacific Northwest seafood traditions, with fresh Dungeness crab, Pacific salmon, and local oysters showing up on menus across town. The waterfront area draws casual spots focused on fish and chips and chowder, while downtown Commercial Avenue supports a mix of American diner fare, pizza, and Italian-style pasta. Mexican restaurants and taqueria-style spots serving chile-seasoned meats, rice, beans, and fresh salsas round out the everyday options. The Saturday Anacortes Farmers Market, which has run continuously since 1989 from May through October with additional winter markets, is a reliable source for locally grown produce, baked goods, and prepared foods.

Anacortes is served by State Route 20, which runs east through Skagit County toward Burlington and the I-5 corridor, connecting residents to the broader Puget Sound region. The Washington State Ferries terminal at the western edge of the city provides service to Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan islands, making Anacortes a practical base for island commuters and visitors alike. A Skagit County-operated ferry connects Anacortes to Guemes Island just across Guemes Channel. Within the city, the Anacortes Community Forest Lands trail network includes over 50 miles of paths accessible for hiking and, in some areas, mountain biking. The Guemes Channel Trail and Tommy Thompson Parkway trail provide paved off-road routes along the waterfront. Skagit Transit operates regional bus service connecting Anacortes to Mount Vernon and other Skagit County communities. The city also runs a municipal fiber broadband network, Access Anacortes, which began serving residents in 2019.

The Anacortes Community Forest Lands cover more than 2,950 acres within the city and include over 50 miles of multi-use trails winding through forest, wetlands, lakes, and meadows. Heart Lake, Cranberry Lake, and Whistle Lake are all part of this network, offering fishing, swimming, and paddling access. Mount Erie Park, within the forest lands, rises to a 1,273-foot peak and is popular for rock climbing on its south and west faces, as well as for panoramic views of the San Juan Islands and the Cascade Range. Washington Park, a 220-acre city park at the northwestern tip of Fidalgo Island, offers camping, a boat launch, and sweeping views of the San Juan Islands and Cypress Island. Cap Sante Park at the city's eastern edge features a hilltop viewpoint trail overlooking the marina and Fidalgo Bay. Deception Pass State Park, located at the southern end of Fidalgo Island roughly a 15-minute drive from downtown, spans 3,854 acres across nine islands and consistently ranks as the most-visited state park in Washington, drawing more than three million visitors annually.

According to BestPlaces data, Anacortes has an overall cost of living index of 117.7, placing it about 17.7 percent above the national average and approximately 3.4 percent below the Washington state average. Housing costs are notably higher than the national norm, with a typical home value around $684,400. Average rent for a two-bedroom unit runs approximately $1,580 per month, which is above the national average but below the Washington state average. Studio apartments average around $1,060 per month and one-bedroom units around $1,250 per month. The local economy includes petroleum refining as its largest industry, along with yacht construction, shipbuilding, and tourism. Washington State has no personal income tax.

Downtown Anacortes centers on Commercial Avenue, a walkable commercial corridor lined with locally owned shops, galleries, and service businesses that give the street a distinctly independent character. The stretch is particularly active during the Anacortes Arts Festival each August, when vendors and artisans set up booths along closed-off blocks. The Anacortes Farmers Market, operating Saturdays from May through October and on select winter weekends, is the city's main open-air market for local produce, crafts, and specialty foods. For larger-scale retail needs, residents typically make the roughly 20-mile trip south to Burlington, which has big-box retailers and chain stores along its commercial corridors. Locally, marine supply and boating outfitters serve the city's active boating population along the waterfront.

Anacortes combines island living with genuine outdoor access, from the 2,950-acre Community Forest Lands and 50-plus miles of trails on Fidalgo Island to easy ferry connections to the San Juan Islands and the doorstep proximity of Deception Pass State Park, Washington's most-visited state park.