Marysville, Washington: What to Do, Where to Eat and When to Go

Driving From Seattle: 34 Miles of I-5 and Four Marysville Exits

From Pike Place Market it is about 34 miles and roughly 45 minutes north on I-5 to Marysville City Hall when traffic is light; plan on longer at weekday rush hour, when the Everett stretch backs up. Pick your exit by where you are going. Exit 199 is the downtown exit: 4th Street (SR-528) heads east into Old Town, Third Street and the Ebey Waterfront Trail, while Marine Drive NE heads west onto the Tulalip Reservation and the Hibulb Cultural Center. Exits 200 (88th Street NE) and 202 (116th Street NE) serve Quil Ceda Village, Tulalip Resort Casino and Seattle Premium Outlets, whose own directions use exit 202; the Holiday Inn Express is near 88th, and the Home2 Suites and La Quinta are off 116th. Exit 206, SR-531 at 172nd Street NE, is Smokey Point at the north end of town.

From the north, Bellingham is about 56 miles and an hour and 10 minutes down I-5, and Vancouver, British Columbia is about 110 miles. Northbound drivers get a clean break just past town at the Smokey Point Rest Area, and there is a southbound twin on the other side of the freeway.

Flying In: Paine Field Is 14 Miles Away, the Seattle Airport Is 48

The closest commercial airport is Paine Field in Everett, about 14 miles and 20 minutes south of downtown Marysville. Alaska Airlines flies nonstop from its small passenger terminal to Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego and San Francisco, and it has announced San Jose service starting April 14, 2027. Seattle Tacoma International Airport has far more flights but sits about 48 miles south, a drive of roughly an hour and five minutes without traffic and often much more with it.

Without a Car: Buses to Light Rail, and Amtrak on Either Side

Community Transit is the local bus system. Routes 201 and 202 run from the Smokey Point Transit Center to Lynnwood City Center Station, where you can catch Link light rail into Seattle, and Route 904 links Marysville and Lynnwood City Center as well. Route 222 runs between Marysville and Tulalip. The planned Swift Gold Line bus rapid transit route connecting Arlington, Marysville and Everett is projected to open in 2031. Amtrak Cascades trains do not stop in Marysville; the nearest stations are Everett Station, about 6.5 miles south, and Stanwood to the north. Once you are here, a car makes the parks, Tulalip and the day trips below far easier. Heading south afterward? Our Everett guide picks up where this one leaves off.

Jeff’s Texas Style BBQ: Post Oak From Austin and No Sauce on the Table

Owner Jeff Knoch had his first real Texas barbecue lunch in 1995 and built this State Avenue counter around what he learned there. He smokes over post oak brought in from Austin, cuts brisket, spare ribs, house made sausages, pulled pork and smoked turkey to order in front of you, and does not serve sauce. Fridays add smoked pork belly and Saturdays add beef ribs. The doors open at 11 AM and the day ends when the meat runs out, so come early. One warning before you drive: the restaurant’s site lists Tuesday through Sunday while its Google listing shows Thursday through Sunday, so check the current days first. It is at 9214 State Avenue, north of downtown.

Oosterwyk’s Dutch Bakery: A Royal Crest on Third Street

Gerard Oosterwyk learned to bake bread at 14 in the Netherlands, supplied bread to the Dutch royal family, and immigrated after a gas explosion destroyed his family’s bakery in 1951. His family bought the Marysville Home Bakery in 1954, sold it in 1970, and a few years later he reopened the building as Oosterwyk’s Dutch Bakery, royal crest on the sign. When he died in 2014 at 93, his daughter Marja took over. Look for cardamom braids, almond sticks and scratch made bread at 1513 Third Street. It is open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM, and closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Don’s Restaurant: The Downtown Diner That Never Closes

Don’s on Fourth Street calls itself a 24 hour diner and bar, and its Google listing shows it open around the clock all week. The menu is homestyle American breakfast, lunch and dinner, which in practice means breakfast at any hour and a booth when everything else in town is dark. It is the place to know about if you arrive late off I-5 or need breakfast before an early tee time.

Whitewall Brewing: Marysville’s First Craft Brewery, Up at Smokey Point

Whitewall calls itself Marysville’s first craft brewery, and its taproom at 14524 Smokey Point Boulevard is kid friendly and dog friendly. Expect core beers plus seasonals that sell out, guest ciders, root beer for kids, a short wine list and a rotating schedule of food trucks; you can also bring your own food. The taproom is closed Monday and Tuesday and opens at 2 PM Wednesday through Friday and 1 PM on weekends, closing at 6 PM on Sunday. For a beer closer to downtown, see 5 Rights Brewing in Things to Do below.

Blackfish at Tulalip: Salmon Roasted on Ironwood Sticks Over Alder

The splurge dinner is just across I-5 at Tulalip Resort Casino, on the Tulalip Reservation. Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill and Bar roasts its signature Heritage Salmon over alder wood coals on hand carved ironwood sticks, and the menu adds oysters shucked to order, Dungeness crab mac and cheese and crab cakes. It serves dinner from 5 PM Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and until 11 PM on Friday and Saturday; it is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Kayak Point: A 300 Foot Pier and Four Disc Golf Courses on Port Susan

Kayak Point Regional County Park is about 13.6 miles northwest of downtown, roughly 26 minutes by car, with about 3,300 feet of Port Susan shoreline, a pier that runs 300 feet out over the water for fishing and crabbing, a boat launch, ten yurts and 30 partial utility campsites. Parking permits come from a card only machine at the entrance, and the Discover Pass is not accepted. Before you go, know that a day use improvement project runs through fall 2026, with the southern day use area and the playground closed. Nearby, the Kayak Point Disc Golf Resort runs four 18 hole courses, two of which UDisc ranks among the top 100 in the world.

Arlington and the Centennial Trail: 30 Miles of Rail Trail Along SR-9

Downtown Arlington is about 14 miles and 20 minutes north. Browse the old rowboats and pianos at Arlington Pickers on Olympic Avenue (read The Story of Arlington Pickers), and on summer Wednesday afternoons the Arlington Farmers Market sets up downtown. The Centennial Trail is a 10 foot wide, 30 mile rail trail that follows the SR-9 corridor from Snohomish through Lake Stevens and Arlington to the Skagit County line; the Lake Stevens trailhead is about 9 miles and 17 minutes from Marysville City Hall. Our writer’s ride report, Taking a Ride on the Centennial Trail, covers what to bring.

Snohomish and Everett: Antique Row to the South, the Big City Next Door

Everett is about 6.5 miles and 11 minutes south, close enough for dinner on the waterfront; start with our Everett guide. Historic Snohomish, with its antique shops and riverfront, is about 14 miles and 22 minutes southeast; see our Snohomish guide. For the rest of the county, from the Mountain Loop Highway to the Mukilteo ferry, browse the Snohomish County page.

Skagit Valley Tulips: About 40 Minutes North Every April

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival runs through April, and the RoozenGaarde display garden near Mount Vernon is about 31.5 miles and 42 minutes north of Marysville on I-5. Marysville makes a practical base if Skagit lodging is booked. Plan the trip with our Skagit Valley Tulip Festival guide and the Mount Vernon guide.

Best Time to Visit Marysville: Strawberry Week in June

Summer is Marysville’s season. The Strawberry Festival takes over the third week of June, the farmers market runs on Wednesdays from June into August, the city’s Fourth of July show lights up Ebey Waterfront Park, and July and August bring free Sounds of Summer concerts at Comeford Park and Movies in the Park at Jennings Park. December is the other good month, when Merrysville for the Holidays brings lights, a parade and Santa downtown. The Ebey Waterfront Trail and Battle Creek Golf Course are open year round, so a rainy shoulder season weekend still works for a walk and a round.

Check the Hours Before You Go

Several of the best stops keep short hours. The Marysville History Museum opens only Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons. The Hibulb Cultural Center is closed Mondays. Jeff’s Texas Style BBQ closes when the brisket is gone, Oosterwyk’s is closed Sunday through Tuesday, and both Whitewall and Blackfish are closed Monday and Tuesday. At Kayak Point, construction closes part of the day use area through fall 2026. One day covers Marysville itself; add a night if you want Kayak Point, Arlington or the Skagit tulips.

Where Marysville Ends and the Tulalip Reservation Begins

The Point Elliott Treaty, signed in January 1855 at what is now Mukilteo, established the Tulalip Indian Reservation immediately west of present day Marysville. Tulalip Resort Casino, Seattle Premium Outlets and the Hibulb Cultural Center are on reservation land with Tulalip addresses, and the outlets sit in Quil Ceda Village, a municipality the Tulalip Tribes established that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved in 2001. You will cross back and forth without noticing a line on the map, but you are a guest of a sovereign tribal nation when you do. Guests must be 21 to enter the casino floor. Find more nearby trips on our Northwest Washington region page.