Interstate 5 South - Skagit County

Interstate 5 leaves the Lake Samish area and Whatcom County. The freeway travels 24.98 miles through Skagit County, serving the county seat of Mt. Vernon in 15 miles.

08/30/06

Lake Samish Road heads south from Nulle Road and W Lake Samish Drive in Whatcom County to meet Interstate 5 at a diamond interchange (Exit 240) near Alger.

08/30/06

Lake Samish Road continues east from Exit 240 to Old SR 99 (former U.S. 99) and Alger Cain Lake Road at Alger. Alger Cain Lake Road winds northward to Glenhaven and Lake Whatcom.

08/30/06

The second southbound rest area on Interstate 5 lies on the plateau east of Chuckanut Mountain and west of Friday Creek. A companion northbound area is located at the same location.

08/30/06

Advancing south, I-5 connects with Bow Hill Road at a diamond interchange (Exit 236) in one mile. Bow Hill Road links the freeway with the rural communities of Bow, Edison Station, and Edison to the west.

08/30/06

Bow Hill Road lowers onto Jarman Prairie near Belfast to the east, meeting old U.S. 99 opposite from Prairie Road. Bow Hill Road was once a part of SR 237 west of Edison Station. All 9.07 miles of that state route, between SR 11 and SR 20, were decommissioned in 1991.¹

08/30/06

A southbound side weigh station facility follows the entrance ramp from Bow Hill Road.

08/30/06

Interstate 5 lowers to Butler Flat ahead of Exit 232 with Cook Road.

08/30/06

Cook Road travels between SR 11 (Chuckanut Drive) near Allen and SR 9/20 (North Cascade Highway) at Ferry Street in Sedro-Woolley. A diamond interchange joins the rural highway with Interstate 5 at Exit 232.

08/30/06

WSDOT often posts reassurance shields for U.S. and state routes within a green box sign. Occasionally Interstate shields receive the same practice, as is the case with this I-5 marker south of Cook Road.

08/30/06

SR 11 angles southeast from Edison Station and Allen to end at Exit 231. SR 11 was once a part of U.S. 99 Alternate leading northwest to Bellingham.

08/30/06

Southbound at the folded-cloverleaf interchange with SR 11 (Chuckanut Drive) north and Burlington Boulevard (old U.S. 99) south on Interstate 5. Old U.S. 99 parallels Interstate 5 closely from Cook Road southward to SR 20 (Avon Avenue) at the Burlington city center.

08/30/06

The second Burlington exit joins I-5 with SR 20 (Avon Cutoff / North Cascades Highway). Leading west to the Swinomish Indian Reservation and south across Deception Pass onto Whidbey Island, SR 20 provides the first route to Island County.
SR 20 travels 436.13 miles across the state from U.S. 101 at Discovery Bay to U.S. 2 at Newport near the Idaho state line.

08/30/06

A folded diamond interchange links I-5 south and SR 20 (Avon Cutoff) at Exit 230. Avoiding Downtown, SR 20 followsa Rio Vista Avenue east, Burlington Boulevard (Old U.S. 99) north, and Avon Avenue east to North Cascades Highway. East from Burlington, SR 20 continues to Sedro-Woolley, Lyman, Hamilton, Concrete and North Cascades National Park.

08/30/06

Goldenrod Road accompanies Interstate 5 south across Gages Slough to the diamond interchange (Exit 229) with George Hopper Road. Old U.S. 99 remains to the east along Burlington Boulevard, serving Cascade Mall.

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George Hopper Road mainly serves an assortment of businesses including car dealerships and big box retail. The road arcs eastward from Old U.S. 99 to an industrial area as Port Drive.

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SR 538 (College Way) begins at the first of three exits for Mount Vernon in one half mile. 3.61 miles in length, SR 538 leads east from Exit 227 to Skagit Valley College and SR 9 at Baker Heights.

08/30/06

Crossing the Skagit River on a steel truss bridge, Interstate 5 leaves Burlington and enters the county seat of Mount Vernon.

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College Way leads east from Interstate 5 (Exit 227) as SR 538 along a commercial arterial to Skagit College. Freeway Drive lines the west side of Interstate 5, hosting a variety of businesses north and south of College Way.

08/30/06

Constructed in the mid-1950s, Interstate 5 maintains just four lanes with a jersey barrier median through the Mt. Vernon city center. 2nd Street (former U.S. 99) passes over the freeway in this scene.

08/30/06

Exit 226 joins Interstate 5 with the westbound beginning of SR 536 (Kincaid Street) and Broad Street east adjacent to the Mt. Vernon city center. The state route totals 5.38 miles from Mount Vernon to SR 20 near Fredonia.Skagit Station provides multimodel transportation options at the corner of Exit 226 and Kincaid Street.

08/30/06

Anderson Road serves the industrial south side of Mount Vernon via the Exit 225 diamond interchange of Interstate 5.

08/30/06

Blackburn Road passes over Interstate 5 in this scene from the Little Mountain area to the east to 2nd Street and Old Highway 99 South Road.

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Motorists bound for Anderson Road depart Interstate 5 south at Exit 225. Anderson Road simply connects the four lane freeway with parallel Old U.S. 99 to the west and Blodgett Road to the east.

08/30/06

SR 534 west and Pioneer Highway (former SR 530) north come together at a diamond interchange (Exit 221) near Conway in one mile. Old U.S. 99 comprises one of the frontage roads south from a half diamond interchange (Exit 224) with I-5 north.

08/30/06

SR 534 travels 5.08 miles east to SR 9 at Lake McMurray. Fir Island Road stems west from Pioneer Highway and Conway to Best Road north for interests to La Conner.

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Kinking southeastward again, Interstate 5 travels 27 miles to Everett and 54 miles to Seattle.

08/30/06

Starbird Road meets Interstate 5 at a rural diamond interchange in southern Skagit County. The east-west road becomes Milltown Road west to Pioneer Highway (former SR 530) at Milltown.

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Exit 218 leaves Interstate 5 south for Starbird Road east and Milltown Road west. Pacific Highway (Old U.S. 99) stems south from Starbird Road and follows the southbound side of I-5 into Snohomish County.

08/30/06

Interstate 5 exits Skagit County for 39.89 miles within Snohomish County.

08/30/06