Skagit

Skagit commonly refers to a region in northwest Washington state, encompassing Skagit County, the Skagit River, and the Skagit Valley. The county seat is Mount Vernon, and major towns include Burlington and Sedro-Woolley. The name derives from the Skagit River, which runs through the area.

The Skagit River originates in the North Cascades and flows northwest to Puget Sound, creating a broad delta near the towns of La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Reservation. The Skagit Valley is renowned for agriculture, particularly bulb flowers in spring, and hosts the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The area includes Skagit Bay, part of Puget Sound, with extensive tidal marshes.

The Skagit people are a Coast Salish group indigenous to the region, traditionally occupying the Skagit River valley and adjacent coastal areas. They spoke a dialect of Lushootseed. Today, their descendants are linked with nearby tribes such as the Swinomish Indian Community and the Samish Indian Nation, among others. The Skagit language has few fluent speakers and is the focus of revitalization efforts.

The region has a mixed economy of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and tourism. Ecological importance centers on salmon habitat in the river and surrounding estuaries, with ongoing conservation and restoration projects. Skagit is used in various contexts—geographical, cultural, and historical—to describe this Northwest Washington landscape.