Skagit County, one removed from the Canadian border in Northwest Washington, rises from sea level in the west to the summit of the Cascades in the east. Its principal cities on
Interstate 5 are
Mount Vernon, the county seat, and
Burlington.
Anacortes on Fidalgo Island is the gateway to Alaska for a variety of shippers and the ferry terminus for trips to the
San Juan Islands and
Vancouver Island.
The northern part of the North Cascades Loop is Highway 20, starting at Anacortes and passing through Sedro-Woolley before crossing the Cascades into Eastern Washington.
