It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, covering most of Skagit County.

Between the 2000 and 2020 census, Mount Vernon grew by 34.3%, and is a prominent location in Northwestern Washington, connected to neighboring communities via Interstate 5 and Amtrak (with Skagit Station).

Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley first settled on the banks of the Skagit River, where the city of Mount Vernon now lies, in 1870.

The community grew quickly following the loggers, and hotels and saloons opened up along the Skagit River next to English & Clothiers' store.

Mail carriers instead had to paddle canoes down-stream to nearby Skagit City which enjoyed a brief period of prosperity thanks to this obstacle.

In November 1884, Mount Vernon's future was secured when it was chosen for the new Skagit County seat, taking the designation from La Conner.

This deal fell through after the railroad was acquired by Northern Pacific Railway who chose to lay tracks further east through Sedro-Woolley in 1896.

[7] The railroad's arrival caused great commotion in Mount Vernon, bringing hundreds of new businesses and residents.

Due to the area's stable economy, Mount Vernon never boomed in the 1890s like many other speculative settlements in the region, all vying for a railroad terminus.

Another great fire in 1900 wiped out all of Mount Vernon's original structures including English & Clothiers' store and the Ruby Hotel.

The line opened on August 31, 1912, with passenger trips to Bellingham every two hours during the day and freight operating at night.

Plagued by a weakening economy, the onset of America's entrance into World War I in 1917, and numerous infrastructure failures that led to line closures for months at a time, extension of the interurban was put off indefinitely.

After a series of accidents and bridge wash outs, passenger service on the money-losing line was permanently suspended in June 1930.

The Historic Lincoln Theatre on First Street in downtown Mount Vernon was originally built in 1926 as a vaudeville and silent movie house.

The Lincoln is one of only 98 theaters in the United States that still possesses its original Wurlitzer theatre organ, which is often played prior to a show.

[11] The city's public library was relocated to a new multi-use community center that opened in September 2024 at a cost of $56 million.

The Mount Vernon Library Commons includes meeting spaces, a community center with a commercial kitchen, and a three-story parking garage with 275 stalls.

Other sources classify it as belonging in the marine west coast climate (Köppen Cfb) zone, with cool, wet winters and warm, distinctly drier summers.

Since this city was founded, the downtown area of Mount Vernon bordering the Skagit River has been plagued by flooding, especially during times of heavy rain.

Historically, each time the water rose above a certain level, citizens had to work together to build a sandbag wall stretching six city blocks and as high as 5 feet (1.5 m).

[16] After adequate flood control is in place, a Citizens' Advisory Committee plans to enhance the city's use of the revetment, which is currently used mostly for parking and a seasonal farmer's market.

[20] Mount Vernon's main transportation hub is Skagit Station, built in 2004, which is served by Amtrak and bus operators.

The station offers stops for Skagit Transit buses,[22] Greyhound bus, Amtrak Cascades rail and local taxis.