1862Economy
In 1862, Puget Mill Company acquired 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) in the newly-formed county, including the thickly-forested plateau where modern-day Mountlake Terrace sits and the a...
1900History
The land was logged by 1900 and was later subdivided into 10-acre (4.0 ha) chicken ranches, which were sold to farmers.
1901Government
Ballinger purchased Lake McAleer in 1901 and renamed it to Lake Ballinger for his father, later leaving the area to become Seattle mayor.
1910Architecture
An interurban railway between Everett and Seattle opened in 1910, improving access from the farms to various markets.
1927Architecture
The Nile Shrine of Seattle purchased 135 acres (55 ha) on the east side of the lake in 1927, building a clubhouse and later a private golf course.
1939Infrastructure
Many of these small farms failed during the Great Depression and were affected by the closure of the interurban in 1939, following the completion of Highway 99.
1949Government
Mountlake Terrace was founded in 1949 by real estate developers on the site of a disused airfield, intending to provide low-cost housing for veterans.
1950Government
Mountlake Terrace's population increased by 50 percent within its first five years of incorporating and doubled between 1950 and 1960.
1953Disaster
Patrick McMahan, a local firefighter, began organizing an incorporation campaign in 1953 after waiting a day for the sheriff to respond to an attempted burglary at his home.
1954Government
Within five years, the community had grown to over 5,000 people and was incorporated as a city in 1954 to provide municipal services.
1955Government
In 1955, the city annexed 150 acres (61 ha), bringing its population to over 5,400, opened its own post office, and established a police department with five full-time personnel.
1958Culture
In 1958, the city government signed agreements with the sewer districts of Edmonds and Ronald (now part of Shoreline) to form a "Little Metro" and share treatment facilities.
1960Education
The Edmonds School District built several schools for the growing city, including Mountlake Terrace High School, which opened in September 1960.
1961Architecture
The city passed a bond issue in 1961 to fund construction of a permanent city hall, which opened in October 1962 with 17,800 square feet (1,650 m2) of space for the city governm...
1964Architecture
In 1964, Mountlake Terrace approved a bond issue solely for parks, which was later used to construct the Recreation Pavilion in 1968.
1965Architecture
An industrial park was developed at the northwest corner of the city, which was connected by Interstate 5 after it opened in 1965.
1968Architecture
The main community center in the Mountlake Terrace is the Recreation Pavilion, which opened on November 26, 1968, and includes several swimming pools, a lazy river, racquetball ...
1970Economy
=== Late 20th century ===
The completion of the Boeing Everett Factory spurred continued population growth in the region, with Mountlake Terrace nearly doubling to over 16,000 r...
1976Education
The former city-operated library had opened in 1976 at a closed elementary school that was also leased to a private school, but was determined to be too small to serve the commu...
1978Government
The Arts Advisory Commission and Friends of the Arts sponsors an annual juried art show, named Arts of the Terrace, which was founded in 1978.
1979Architecture
The city government had hoped to develop a standalone town center, but local businesses were unable to compete with the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, which opened in 1979 and drew...
1981Culture
Fluke moved its headquarters in Everett in 1981 and was later replaced by Blue Cross, which moved from Seattle and became the largest employer in the city.
1985Government
The city's public library has been managed by the regional Sno-Isle Libraries system since it was annexed in 1985.
1988Architecture
The library building, located adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park, was opened on July 29, 1988, at a cost of $1.6 million (equivalent to $3.65 million in 2024 dollars).
1989Architecture
The site was later revived in the late 1980s as Gateway Place, an office and retail complex that began construction in 1989.
1990History
Mountlake Terrace originally had several small shopping centers that declined due to the local economy and a pair of arsons in 1990.
1991Education
Mountlake Terrace rebuilt its high school in 1991 and opened a variety of recreational facilities by the end of the decade, including an indoor ice-skating rink and a section of...
1993Government
The festival was established in 1993 by the city government ahead of a 40th anniversary celebration and is run by volunteers with support from the city.
1994Architecture
The city's lone movie theater was built for Regal Cinemas in 1994 and re-branded as a Cinebarre in 2009.
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the 2000 census, there were 20,362 people, 7,962 households, and 5,016 families living in the city.
2003History
The facility was renovated in 2003 and has been the subject of replacement or expansion plans that were not realized.
2005Disaster
Other municipal services are provided from regional entities, including firefighting and emergency medical services from South County Fire, which inherited a contract signed by ...
2007Architecture
The town center plan, which was adopted in 2007, allowed for building heights of up to seven stories, encouraged architectural variety, and required smaller setbacks from sidewa...
2008Architecture
An extension of Link light rail along Interstate 5, including a station at Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, was approved by voters in 2008 and opened in 2024.
2009Architecture
Mountlake Terrace station, a major bus hub, opened in 2009 and is also served by Link light rail service, which began in 2024.
2010Architecture
The first major project to use the new town center plan, a five-story apartment building with shops, was approved in 2010 and opened in 2013 as Arbor Village.
2012History
The city had 1,404 registered businesses with 6,993 total jobs, according to 2012 estimates by the U.S.
2013History
The city government's former golf course was converted into Ballinger Park in 2013, located on 42 acres (17 ha) on the north end of Lake Ballinger.
2016Economy
Mountlake Terrace's businesses had $223 million in total taxable retail sales in 2016, growing by 46 percent over a five-year period.
2017Economy
The city government had an annual operating budget of $29 million in 2017 that is largely funded by property, sales, and utility taxes.
2018History
== Economy ==
As of 2018, Mountlake Terrace has an estimated workforce population of 12,251 people, of which 11,753 are employed.
2019Architecture
The light rail extension triggered an update to the town center in 2019 that would allow for building heights of 12 stories and encouraging walkable development with smaller blo...
2020Education
A strip of land along Interstate 5 near the transit center, including the former Evergreen Elementary School, is being redeveloped into a three-building housing complex with 600...
2021Architecture
The new city hall opened in September 2021 and cost $12.5 million to construct.
2022Culture
The city had previously been part of the 2nd congressional district until 2022.
2023History
Jeff Niten has served as the city manager of Mountlake Terrace since his appointment in April 2023.
2024History
The homes were initially priced at a minimum of $4,999 (equivalent to $52,000 in 2024 dollars) and sold quickly, requiring expansion beyond the initial subdivision.