The area where the Snohomish River meets Port Gardner Bay had been inhabited by settlers since 1861, but the town of Everett, Washington was officially conceived in 1890. Henry Hewitt, Charles Colby, and Colgate Hoyt founded the Everett Land Company to build the city, which was named for Colby's son. Everett was officially incorporated in 1893, the same year that the Great Northern Railroad reached the town.

The Port of Everett Marina is the second-largest marina on the west coast, and puts Everett on the map as a major commercial fishing port and shipping city. Naval Station Everett, the U.S. Navy's most modern facility, is located nearby and serves as the homeport of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Everett is also the home of Boeing's assembly plant for the 747, 767, 777, and 787. The plant is currently listed as the largest building in the world, with a volume of 116.5 million cubic feet.