Burlington began as a logging camp, established by John P. Millett and William McKay, in 1882.

[11] In December 2013, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik determined that Burlington had systematically violated its duty to offer effective legal representation to defendants who couldn't afford an attorney.

[15] The highest point in the city is Burlington Hill, which rises 450 feet (140 m) above sea level to the north of downtown.

The city fire department placed a Christian cross atop the hill in the 1940s that would be lit for holidays; it was replaced by a permanently-lit and larger version in 1965 that was renovated in 2016.

A 1909 newspaper article describes how a dike broke upriver "and a mountain of water came rushing down the Skagit valley and quickly inundated [Burlington]".

regional shopping center in Burlington, 60 miles (97 km) north of Seattle.

Cascade Mall opened in the fall of 1989, at a time when the city of Burlington was credited by The Wall Street Journal as one of the fastest-growing and best investment opportunities among small towns in the United States.

[citation needed] The mall is situated near the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 20.

[21] The mall permanently closed on June 30, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though some stores on the outer perimeter were allowed to stay open.

[22] The city hosts the annual "Berry Dairy Days" festival in June, which celebrates Burlington's agricultural history.

[24] The centerpiece of Berry Dairy Days is a parade on Fairhaven Avenue, the center of downtown Burlington.