Washington State Route 526

On Sunday, February 9, 2020, we drove the Boeing Freeway, Washington State Route 526.

RCW 47.17.740
State route No. 526:

A state highway to be known as state route number 526 is established as follows:

Beginning at a junction with state route number 525 at Mukilteo, thence easterly to a junction with state route number 5 in the vicinity of its junction with state route number 527.

The USGS map calls this Nelsons Corner. I wonder how many people know that name. This is the junction of Highway 526 with SR 525, just another intersection in Mukilteo.


We go up the hill on the wide street and soon arrive at the junction with SR 525 Spur. Paine Field is directly ahead of us, so we must turn left to stay on Highway 526. The road used to go straight, before the US Air Force extended a runway in the early 1950s.


We curl around the end of the runway on a wide, tree-lined boulevard. Welcome to Everett. Some cars zip by, well above the speed limit, ready for the freeway ahead. To our left is the largest building in the world (by volume), the Boeing Everett Production Facility. Giant doors are covered with murals of the 777, 787, and the magnificent 747. As we turn back in line with the original road, named Casino, the speed limit jumps to 60 mph and off we go. (Highway 526 curves a bit to the north again and parallels a remaining stretch of Casino Road.) Before you'd expect it, there's a sign for north I-5.


Almost a mile later is the exit for south I-5, with another sign for north I-5, in case you missed that first exit. And then there's a stop light at the intersection with Everett Mall Blvd, which is technically part of the state highway system as if it's a ramp of I-5, but it's actually the means of getting to the north end of SR 99. The sign to the right says that Highway 526 is at an end, but that's not quite true.


Just across the intersection is the overpass above I-5 (Oh, there it is!). The start of the bridge is officially where Highway 526 ends and SR 527 begins. To the right is the second exit ramp for I-5 north, just so you know.

But the real question is: where's the casino?