Everett Genealogy Records Search
Everett genealogy research runs through Snohomish County, where the city has served as the county seat since its founding in the 1890s. Snohomish County holds birth, marriage, death, court, land, and probate records dating back to 1861 for some record types. Whether you are tracing a family that arrived in Everett during the early lumber and rail era or looking for more recent vital records, this guide points you to the main collections available online and through county and state archives.
Everett Overview
Snohomish County Genealogy Records
Snohomish County was created from Island and King counties on January 14, 1861, and Everett is the county seat. The county auditor holds birth and death records from 1891 to 1907 and marriage records from 1891. The county clerk has divorce, probate, and court records. Known beginning dates for government county records include birth in 1882, marriage in 1880, death in 1889, court in 1878, land in 1879, and probate in 1880.
The Snohomish County FamilySearch Wiki notes that for birth records, the county birth register index from 1891 to 1907 and birth returns from 1891 to 1906 are available at FamilySearch. Marriage records from 1867 to 1999 and 2004 to 2005 are at the Washington State Archives with index and images. Death records from 1891 to 1907 are at Washington State Archives as well.
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in Snohomish County, which means the record set is relatively intact going back to county formation. That makes Everett a particularly good place to research families from the 1860s through early statehood and beyond.
Note: Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907, with general compliance by 1917. Records from 1907 to 1917 may have gaps as compliance was not universal immediately after the law took effect.
Snohomish County Records at the Washington State Digital Archives
The Washington State Digital Archives at digitalarchives.wa.gov holds key Snohomish County collections that are searchable for free by name, year, and Soundex.
The Snohomish County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907 collection contains 4,593 records. These are birth returns and affidavits of births filed with the county auditor. Search by parents' names for the best results. The mother's last name will be her maiden name. The collection was transcribed and proofread by Emmalie Eckhart at Washington State Archives. Snohomish County was once part of Island County; the county seat is Everett. Contact the Northwest Regional Branch at (360) 650-3125 or nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov with questions about this collection.
For marriage records, the FamilySearch wiki notes that the 1867-1999 and 2004-2005 Snohomish County Auditor Marriage Records are at Washington State Archives with index and images. These cover most of the period from county formation to the modern era.
The Washington State Library guide at washstatelib.libguides.com identifies the Snohomish County Superior Court Clerk as the keeper of divorce decrees, and the Snohomish County Auditor as the office that records real estate documents, maps, and surveys.
Everett City Records and the City Clerk
The City of Everett website at everettwa.gov connects researchers to the City Clerk, who maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records. Everett was founded in 1891 and incorporated in 1893. The clerk's office holds historical municipal records from incorporation to the present and processes public records requests under RCW 42.56.
Municipal records are not vital records but can add detail to a family story. City council minutes and local ordinances sometimes reference individual residents, property owners, or businesses. If you are tracing a family that owned land in Everett in the 1890s or 1900s, city records can complement what you find in county archives.
The Washington State Library Snohomish County guide also highlights several local historical organizations in the area. These include the Everett Museum of History, Everett Public Library, Historic Everett, the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society, and the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society. Local societies often maintain obituary files, cemetery indexes, and family history files that are not part of the official government record system.
Everett Genealogy Resources Online
The Snohomish County genealogy collections at the Digital Archives include birth returns and marriage records for the Everett area going back to the late 19th century. These are among the most-used resources for Everett family history.
The Digital Archives interface is free and searchable by name and year. Records go back to the founding era of Snohomish County, making it practical to search for Everett-area families from the 1880s and 1890s.
The City of Everett website provides access to the City Clerk's office and connects researchers to municipal records from the city's incorporation in 1893 forward.
The city clerk handles public records requests for municipal documents and can direct researchers to the appropriate county office for vital records and court filings.
The Snohomish County collections at the Digital Archives include additional genealogy records that extend coverage beyond the standard birth and marriage datasets.
These collections were digitized from original county records and microfilm holdings at the Northwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives.
Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch
The Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch in Bellingham serves Snohomish County and holds extensive county records. The branch is at 808 25th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, phone (360) 650-3125. In-person research is by appointment only, Wednesdays through Fridays, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Phone and email requests are accepted Mondays and Tuesdays as well.
The Northwest Regional Branch holds birth and death records from January 1891 to July 1907, marriage records, court records including naturalization records and civil and criminal case files, land records including general indices, deeds and patents, county commissioner's proceedings, and school district records including school censuses. There is no charge to view public archival documents, but fees apply for copies.
For Snohomish County researchers, the Washington Rural Heritage at washingtonruralheritage.org has digitized images from local museums and collections across the county. The University of Washington Digital Collections also includes the Everett Massacre of 1916 Collection, noted in the Washington State Library guide, which may be of interest to researchers tracing labor or community history in Everett.
Vital records after July 1, 1907 are handled at the state level. The Washington Genealogy guide at washingtongenealogy.com/vital notes that for Snohomish County records before that date, researchers should contact the local health department. For marriage records from January 1, 1968 forward, contact the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics at 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501.
Snohomish County Genealogy Records
Everett is the county seat of Snohomish County, and all genealogy records for the city flow through the county system. The Snohomish County page has a full breakdown of archives, collections, and research resources.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Everett and file genealogy records through Snohomish County or adjacent county systems.