The North Cascades can be divided into two distinct subregions due to the Cascade Mountains which run north to south across the middle of the region - '''Northwest Cascades''' and '''North Central Cascades'''
The Cascades are a mountain range that stretches some 700 miles (1100 km) from British Columbia through central Washington into Oregon. By causing moist Pacific air to drop rain and dry out as it blows into the continent, the Cascades divide Washington state into a wet west and an arid east. The Cascades are tall -- several are above 10,000' (3000m) high, including Mount Baker in this region. Because their valleys are low and the mountains quite steep, many mountains in the Cascades are visually quite striking.
To the west from the Cascades to the coast are lowlands. Interstate Highway 5 ('''I-5''') runs north from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia. In Snohomish county, cities like Everett and Snohomish are in the outer reaches of Seattle's influence. The Skagit Valley is fertile farmland, overflowing with tulips in the spring. Just off I-5, Anacortes is the gateway to the San Juan Islands. Further north, Bellingham is the last US city before the Canadian border.
The '''North Cascades''' region is made up of '''Chelan'''[http://www.co.chelan.wa.us/], '''Kittitas'''[http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/], '''Okanogan'''[http://www.okanogancounty.org/], '''Skagit'''[http://www.skagitcounty.net/], and '''Whatcom'''[http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/] counties. The term "North Cascades" sometimes means the mountain chain as far south as Mount Rainier. The Cascades continue south into the Southwest Washington region.
Interstate 5 and the '''Peace Arch''' [http://www.borderlineups.com/peace.htm ] crossing is the main land port-of-entry to this region of Washington from Canada. However this is only one of five land crossing points between the Lower Mainland region of BC and the Northwest Cascades region of Washington. See the ''Get in ? by car'' section of '''Northwest Cascades''' region article for details.