The Snohomish River's floodplain provides the setting for this city of 10,000, positioned where the river begins its final meander toward Puget Sound. Elevation sits just above sea level in the Snohomish Valley, about 30 miles north of Seattle. Pacific Northwest maritime climate creates mild, wet winters averaging in the low 40s and dry summers reaching the mid-70s. The Cascade foothills rise immediately to the east, visible from most parts of town. Historic downtown Snohomish preserves late 19th-century architecture along the river's edge, while residential areas occupy higher ground less prone to flooding.
