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Monroe, Washington

Monroe, Washington
City
Location of Monroe, Washington
Location of Monroe, Washington
Coordinates: 47°51′28″N 121°59′18″W / 47.85778°N 121.98833°W / 47.85778; -121.98833Coordinates: 47°51′28″N 121°59′18″W / 47.85778°N 121.98833°W / 47.85778; -121.98833
Country United States
State Washington
County Snohomish
Area
 • Total 6.11 sq mi (15.82 km2)
 • Land 6.05 sq mi (15.67 km2)
 • Water 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation 72 ft (22 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 17,304
 • Estimate (2015) 18,090
 • Density 2,860.2/sq mi (1,104.3/km2)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 98272
Area code 360
FIPS code 53-46685
GNIS feature ID 1523319
Website www.ci.monroe.wa.us

Monroe is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 17,304 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,090 at 2015 Estimate from Office of Financial Management.

The history of Monroe is intertwined with that of the Great Northern Railway which pushed over the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass and worked its way down the Skykomish River Valley.

Prior to that time the main settlement in the area had been located about one mile west of where the downtown eventually grew up and was known as Park Place. However, the city's merchants relocated when the railroad survey was completed to have better access to the new transportation corridor. The new development was originally known as Tye City, but became Monroe when Park Place's main store, the one containing the U.S. Post Office, relocated and took up the name "Monroe at Park Place" in honor of James Monroe, the nation's fifth president. Because the U.S. Postal Department would not allow any new post offices to use double names, the post office, and eventually the town, became known simply as "Monroe."

By 1893 the city had become an important stop on the rail line and was best known for the GN Greenhouses, which grew flowers for the passengers to purchase. That same year, Snohomish County built the County Poor Farm where today's Evergreen State Fairgrounds are located; the city's first hospital was built where Valley General Hospital stands today. 1894 saw the construction of the first high bridge over the Skykomish River and 1896 the construction of the first church. In 1899 the grammar school was relocated from its old site in Park Place to a new site in Monroe and the town's newspaper, The Monroe Monitor, began publication on January 14 of the same year. On September 16, 1901 a fire destroyed the only complete block of business in the city. The city was shaken by that, but quickly built back up. Nowadays, the town of Monroe has a population of 17,286 residents, with thriving small businesses. On the old area of Park Place is Park Place Middle School, there for its dedication. The town of Monroe contains a small little library, and the Monte Cristo Railroad crosses through it. Monroe is 30 miles northeast from the largest city in the state, Seattle.


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