Broadway (Everett)

Broadway (Everett) is a primary east–west arterial street in the city of Everett, Washington. It serves as a major commercial corridor and a vital transportation link between the city's historic waterfront on Port Gardner Bay and its eastern residential and retail districts. The thoroughfare is anchored by significant civic institutions like the Everett Station transit hub and passes through key neighborhoods including the Everett Community College campus area.

History

The route's origins trace to the late 19th century platting of Everett by eastern investors, including Charles L. Colby and Henry Hewitt Jr., who envisioned a grand avenue connecting the industrial Port Gardner Bay waterfront to the burgeoning city's interior. Early development was spurred by the arrival of the Great Northern Railway and the establishment of the Everett Pulp and Paper Company. Throughout the 20th century, Broadway evolved alongside the city's fortunes, witnessing the construction of landmarks like the Everett Theatre and the expansion of Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. The late 1990s construction of the multimodal Everett Station further cemented its role as a central civic axis, with subsequent streetscape improvements funded by the Washington State Department of Transportation enhancing its urban character.

Route description

Broadway begins at a signalized intersection with West Marine View Drive overlooking the industrial facilities of Port Gardner Bay and the Naval Station Everett. It proceeds eastward, climbing a gentle grade through a dense grid of historic commercial buildings and multi-story apartments. The roadway passes the main campus of Everett Community College and the sprawling Providence Regional Medical Center Everett complex. After crossing the Interstate 5 corridor via an overpass, the character shifts to a more suburban commercial strip, flanked by big-box retailers and shopping centers. It terminates at a major intersection with Everett Mall Way, providing direct access to the Everett Mall and connecting to State Route 527 toward Mill Creek.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Everett, Snohomish County. {| class="wikitable" |- ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- | 0.0 | 0.0 | West Marine View Drive / Port Gardner Bay | Western terminus |- | 0.2 | 0.32 | Hewitt Avenue | Historic core intersection |- | 0.7 | 1.1 | Wetmore Avenue | Access to Everett Theatre |- | 1.1 | 1.8 | I-5 – Seattle, Vancouver | Interchange; exit 192 on I-5 |- | 1.3 | 2.1 | US 2 east (Sunset Boulevard) – Snohomish | Eastern terminus of US 2 concurrency |- | 1.5 | 2.4 | Everett Mall Way / State Route 527 north – Everett Mall, Mill Creek | Eastern terminus; roadway continues as 112th Street SE |}

Public transportation

Broadway is a major transit corridor served extensively by Community Transit, the county's public transportation authority. Multiple local and commuter bus routes, including the high-frequency Swift Bus Rapid Transit Blue Line, travel its length, connecting to the central transfer point at Everett Station. This multimodal hub, located just south of Broadway, provides connections to Amtrak Cascades and Empire Builder trains, Sounder commuter rail services to King Street Station in Seattle, and intercity buses operated by Greyhound Lines. Paratransit services for the area are coordinated by Snohomish County via contracts with providers like Hopelink.

Points of interest

Notable sites along Broadway include the historic Everett Theatre, one of the state's oldest operating vaudeville and movie palaces, and the modern Everett Station transportation hub. The street provides access to the main campus of Everett Community College and the extensive medical facilities of Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. Other landmarks include the Everett Public Library main branch, the Snohomish County Courthouse campus, and the commercial districts surrounding the Everett Mall. The western terminus offers views of Port Gardner Bay, Jetty Island, and the aircraft carriers homeported at Naval Station Everett. Category:Transportation in Everett, Washington Category:Roads in Snohomish County, Washington