The town grew substantially in the early 1920s, with new sawmills attracting more residents and businesses. The wagon road along the North Fork (now part of State Route 530) was improved. A local improvement club established a fire department, a municipal water supply, and electricity. Standard Oil built an auxiliary gas station in 1922 to serve the area, and a stagecoach service started at the same time. Darrington's first movie theater was built in 1923, a high school in 1925, along with a purpose-built jail that replaced a disused boxcar.