Darrington is a town in Snohomish County, Washington, set in the upper Sauk River Valley where the Cascade foothills rise toward the high peaks of the North Cascades. It lies along State Route 530, about 31 miles from Interstate 5 and the larger town of Arlington. The 2020 census counted 1,462 residents, making it one of the smallest incorporated places in Snohomish County. The town grew up around logging. In the early twentieth century, the Darrington area's population peaked at an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 during the heyday of the timber industry, before the economy contracted and the community settled into a smaller, steadier scale. That logging heritage is still woven into local identity, even as the town has become better known as a gateway to the mountains. Darrington sits at the doorstep of some of Washington's most celebrated backcountry. Whitehorse Mountain, a glaciated peak, rises dramatically above town, while Glacier Peak, Whitechuck Mountain, and Mount Pugh lie deeper in the surrounding Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The Sauk River and its tributaries run through the valley, and trails such as the Old Sauk Trail, an old pioneer route toward the Monte Cristo mines, and the North Fork Sauk Trail into the Glacier Peak Wilderness begin nearby. The 27-mile Whitehorse Trail follows an old railroad grade west toward Arlington. Community life centers on the local school district and on the annual Darrington Bluegrass Festival, a signature summer event that fills the meadow along the highway with campers and musicians. Darrington suits those seeking an authentic mountain town with world-class outdoor access, accepting the trade-off of a longer drive to the region's larger job centers.