Skagit County Genealogy

Skagit County was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County, and its genealogy records stretch back to the early days of settlement in the Skagit Valley. Birth returns, marriage certificates, death records, and land indexes are held by the Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch and are largely free to search through the Washington State Digital Archives. The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society in Burlington supports local researchers with special collections, and the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner holds archival materials that complement the government records. This guide covers the key sources for Skagit County ancestor research and how to access them.

Skagit County Vital Records and Archives

Skagit County was organized November 28, 1883, from Whatcom County and named for the Skagit Indian tribe. The county seat is Mount Vernon. The county auditor has birth and death records from 1891 to 1907, marriage records from 1884, and land records from 1872. The county clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1870. All of these historical records are maintained by the Washington State Archives Northwest Regional Branch in Bellingham.

The Northwest Regional Branch can be reached at (360) 650-3125 or email nwbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The branch is at 808 25th Street in Bellingham and is open Wednesdays through Fridays by appointment. There is no fee to view public archival documents; fees apply for copies and research services by archives staff. The branch holds original county auditor registers, court case files, probate records, and land records for Skagit County.

The Skagit County Courthouse is at 700 South 2nd Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. The auditor's office handles current land recording and marriage license issuance. For birth and death records after July 1907, contact the Washington State Department of Health.

Skagit County Genealogy Records Online

The Washington State Digital Archives has digitized and indexed three major Skagit County collections. All three are free to access online and include scanned images of the original documents. Records were transcribed and proofread by Emmalie Eckhart of the Washington State Archives.

The Skagit County Auditor Birth Records, 1874-1908 contain 3,432 records. The collection includes birth returns, birth certificates, delayed birth certificate applications, and affidavits of correction. Delayed births were generally submitted in the 1940s for unrecorded births during the territorial period, so this collection can reach back well before the official 1891 start date. Search by parents' names for the best results. The mother's last name is her maiden name.

Lead-in: The Skagit County birth records database at the Digital Archives holds 3,432 indexed and imaged entries dating from the territorial period through 1908.

The collection includes delayed birth applications filed in the 1940s for unrecorded territorial-era births, extending the useful date range well beyond 1891.

The Skagit County Auditor Marriage Records, 1884-2000 are available as a searchable index with images. The interface lets you filter by groom or bride name, year range, and Soundex for spelling variants. Marriage records going back to 1884 are rare among Washington counties, giving Skagit County researchers an earlier starting point than most. The county auditor also holds land records from 1872, which can supplement marriage research by confirming settlement dates and property transfers.

Lead-in: The Skagit County marriage records database covers over a century of marriages from 1884 through 2000, one of the earlier start dates for county marriage records in Washington.

Marriage records in this collection are indexed with images and searchable by both parties' names with year range filters and Soundex support.

Death records from 1891 to 1908 are also available through the Digital Archives. These cover deaths filed with the county auditor during the pre-state registration period. The Washington State Library holds the Skagit County Auditor register of deaths on microfilm covering 1891-1910, available through interlibrary loan, which overlaps slightly with the Digital Archives holdings.

Skagit Valley Genealogical Society

The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society was founded in January 1987 in Mount Vernon. It is a nonprofit organization open to all persons interested in genealogical and historical research in Skagit County. The society promotes interest in genealogy through education and research, locates and preserves public and private genealogical records, and publishes genealogical and historical information for the county.

The society's genealogy collection is held in the Burlington Public Library at 820 E. Washington Ave., Burlington, WA 98233. All books and records are reference only and cannot be checked out. Special collections include Skagit County histories, local family histories, local cemetery and funeral home records, and early census, territorial, and vital records. The service area covers Anacortes, Burlington, Conway, La Conner, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, Shelter Bay, Concrete, and Marblemount.

Note: The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society's reference library in Burlington is the primary local repository for published family histories and special Skagit County genealogy collections not available elsewhere.

Skagit County Historical Resources

The Skagit County Historical Society operates the Skagit County Historical Museum and maintains a library at 501 S Fourth, PO Box 818, La Conner, WA 98257. The museum's collections include photographs, artifacts, and archival materials documenting Skagit County history from 1883 to the present. Published histories include Skagit County Grows Up and Skagit Memories. Researchers can access the museum library for information on early settlers, logging, agriculture, and other aspects of county life.

The FamilySearch wiki for Skagit County lists additional research resources including the History of the Puget Sound Country and links to vital records and land indexes. The wiki notes that the county clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1870, and the auditor holds marriage records from 1884 and land records from 1872. The wiki also identifies eight funeral homes in the county that may hold death records not found in government collections.

Lead-in: The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society maintains a research library in Burlington with Skagit County family histories, cemetery records, and special genealogy collections not available in the state archives.

The society's Burlington library holds local family histories and published genealogical works that complement the government records held by the state archives and the auditor's office.

Probate, Court, and Land Records

The Skagit County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records going back to 1870. That is an earlier date than many Washington counties, which means researchers with Skagit County ancestors from the territorial period have a solid base to work from. Probate records are particularly useful because they name heirs, list property, and document family relationships. The Northwest Regional Branch in Bellingham holds the older case files for the county.

Land records from 1872 are held by the county auditor. Early land entries can help you confirm when a family arrived in Skagit County and how homesteads and farm parcels passed from one generation to the next. The Digital Archives holds online indexes for Skagit County land records, and the FamilySearch wiki notes specific land record series available for online search.

Naturalization records for Skagit County are also held at the Northwest Regional Branch. If your ancestors immigrated to the Skagit Valley, these filings may include birthplace, date of arrival, and witness names that expand your family history beyond what vital records provide.

Cities in Skagit County

Skagit County covers a broad stretch of northwest Washington from Puget Sound east to the Cascades. The county includes farms, river delta communities, and the city of Mount Vernon.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Skagit County. Records for families near the county edges may appear in multiple county archives, so checking these neighbors is worth doing.