1792History
The Vancouver Expedition, led by British explorer George Vancouver, visited the area on May 30, 1792, and landed at modern-day Mukilteo the following day.
1841History
An American expedition led by Charles Wilkes in 1841 renamed the headland "Point Elliott" for Samuel Elliott, a midshipman.
1853History
After its 1853 establishment, the Washington territorial government looked to negotiate treaties with the local tribes of the Puget Sound region to secure land for settlement.
1855History
The Treaty of Point Elliott was signed in Mukilteo in 1855, opening the region to American settlement.
1860Government
The two men established a store and saloon on the southwest side of Point Elliott, which was renamed to Mukilteo in 1860 by Fowler, using an anglicized name of the Lushootseed c...
1861Government
A new town was founded at Mukilteo and served as the provisional county seat of Snohomish County in early 1861.
1873Infrastructure
Mukilteo was platted in anticipation of the railroad and was on the shortlist of towns considered for the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway, but lost out to Tacoma in 1873.
1891Architecture
=== Early 20th century ===
The Seattle and Montana Railroad (later part of the Great Northern Railway) was completed in 1891, connecting Mukilteo with Everett, Edmonds, and Sea...
1906Architecture
The iconic Mukilteo Lighthouse was built in 1906 by the federal Lighthouse Service to serve the increased maritime traffic in the area.
1911History
Passenger ferry service between Mukilteo and Whidbey Island began in 1911 and was followed by the introduction of automobile ferry service in 1919.
1914Infrastructure
The town also gained a highway connection in 1914 with the completion of a road to Everett, later named Mukilteo Boulevard by the 1920s.
1920Government
The Mukilteo district, founded in 1920, serves most of the city and part of south Everett; the Alderwood district extends into Edmonds and Lynnwood.
1930Disaster
Until the closure of the lumber mill in 1930, Mukilteo was a company town that relied on the Crown Lumber Company to assist in civic endeavors, including its parks, fire departm...
1938Disaster
On August 30, 1938, the vacant lumber mill was destroyed in a fire during dismantling work.
1947Government
Mukilteo was incorporated as a city in 1947 and saw new suburban development, which accelerated after the opening of the nearby Boeing Everett Factory in the late 1960s.
1952Culture
The site was originally owned by the Port Gamble Lumber Company and was sold to Standard Oil in 1952 as part of a plan to build an oil refinery at Picnic Point.
1963Government
Mukilteo's original library opened on October 19, 1963, replacing an earlier bookmobile that was run by one of Sno-Isle's predecessors until the city was incorporated.
1965Disaster
It was established in 1965 and features a parade, fireworks, a fishing derby, and fun runs.
1967Economy
The area experienced additional population and commercial growth after the opening of Boeing's Paine Field factory for passenger jetliners in 1967, which was connected to Mukilt...
1969Architecture
The Boeing Freeway was opened in 1969, linking southern Mukilteo and the Boeing plant to a junction with Interstate 5 near the newly built Everett Mall.
1970Architecture
The Big Gulch Wastewater Plant near Harbour Pointe was opened in 1970 and now serves as the main outflow from Mukilteo and the rest of the water district.
1978Architecture
Development of Harbour Pointe began in 1978 and its first phase was completed in 1989 with the opening of the neighborhood's golf course.
1980Government
Mukilteo completed its first major annexation in November 1980, adding 2,500 people living on 2 square miles (5.2 km2) to the south along State Route 525.
1983History
A public marina was proposed for the development's Chenault Beach section in 1983, but was rejected due to concerns from fisheries officials over potential impacts on Indian fis...
1989Military
During the early 1950s, the loading dock was expanded with ten large storage tanks that were used to store jet fuel for military planes until 1989.
1991Government
The annexation of the large Harbour Pointe community was completed in 1991 and doubled the city's size to 6.6 square miles (17.09 km2).
1992Military
The city hall was formerly housed at the Rosehill Community Center in Old Town and was temporarily moved to a leased Harbour Pointe warehouse in 1992 to accommodate more employees.
1993Education
Kamiak High School was built in the Harbour Pointe area and opened in 1993 to serve Mukilteo, which had outgrown Mariner High School, and featured a technology-oriented curriculum.
1994History
It closed on December 31, 1994, due to budget cuts and the defeat of a city levy to fund its operations.
1996Disaster
Mukilteo is also traversed from northwest to southeast by the Southern Whidbey Island Fault, a shallow earthquake fault zone discovered in 1996.
1998Government
It was opened on July 27, 1998, after the city's voters approved an annexation into the library system with a $2.8 million bond in 1996.
1999Culture
Coast Guard to the city government was signed in 1999 after a decade of partial use as a museum by the local historical society.
2000History
The full build-out of Harbour Pointe increased the city's population to over 18,000 by 2000, a 1,164 percent increase from 1980.
2001Architecture
The changeover was made on August 19, 2001, with the Coast Guard retaining use of the working lights and the city government planning rehabilitation work to support the building...
2003History
The adjacent Mukilteo State Park was transferred to the city government in February 2003, following an offer from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to donate ...
2005Government
He was elected in 2005 and served two terms until losing in 2013; Marine then returned to the office in 2021 and won re-election in 2025.
2006Architecture
The cleanup was completed in late 2006 after several delays due to the discovery of Indian artifacts that triggered an archaeological investigation.
2007Economy
The city government formerly operated its own sewage treatment plant and the wastewater system until contracting in the 1990s with the Olympus Terrace Sewer District, which was ...
2008Architecture
The new city park, named Mukilteo Lighthouse Park, underwent $6.6 million in renovations that were completed in 2008 to add a playground and other park amenities.
2009History
towns to live in by Money magazine in 2009, based on quality of life criteria.
2010Government
An advisory vote on whether to annex the entire urban growth area (with a population of 11,000 people) was rejected by city voters in 2010.
2011History
Mukilteo rose to ninth place in the magazine's 2011 list, becoming the only West Coast city in the top 10.
2012Culture
At the federal level, Mukilteo has been part of the 2nd congressional district since 2012 and is represented by Democrat Rick Larsen.
2014History
Management of the city government was also delegated to a full-time city administrator until the position was eliminated in 2014.
2015Architecture
The existing pier was demolished in 2015 to make way for the new ferry terminal, which opened on December 29, 2020.
2016Crime
On July 30, 2016, a mass shooting occurred at a house party in the Chennault Beach neighborhood of Mukilteo, around midnight.
2017History
The Puget Sound Regional Council estimated that the city had a total of 10,557 jobs as of 2017, with the largest share in the manufacturing and services sectors.
2018Crime
The Mukilteo shooting—along with other high-profile mass shootings during the 2010s—was cited as the inspiration for an assault weapons restriction that was rejected by the stat...
2019Government
A proposal to create the position of city manager and change to a council–manager form of government was rejected by voters in the November 2019 elections.
2020Culture
A research station for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (part of NOAA) on the tank farm site was closed in 2020 and planned to be demolished in 2020 until the onset of the...
2021Architecture
Mukilteo has several telecommunications companies that provide telephone, cable television, and Internet service; they include Xfinity and Ziply Fiber, the latter of which built...
2022Civil Rights
A project to build a new facility by 2022 was cancelled in March 2021 after NOAA received no bids below $40 million, which had been appropriated by the U.S.
2024History
As of 2024, the combined sales tax rate in Mukilteo is 10.6 percent, tied for the highest in Washington.
2025Government
The city annexed an 84-acre (34 ha) section of land south of Paine Field between Mukilteo Speedway and Beverly Park Road on July 16, 2025, citing its close proximity to city ser...