Overview

Introduction to Bellingham, Washington

Bellingham, Washington, in Whatcom county, is 80 miles N of Seattle, Washington.

Bellingham History

The name of this area was derived from the bay on which it is situated. George Vancouver, who landed here in June 1792, named the bay after Sir William Bellingham who worked for the Royal Navy as a controller of the storekeeper's account. The earliest white settlers arrived in 1854. In November 1903, the four towns around Bellingham Bay, Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and Fairhaven, were consolidated and incorporated as Bellingham.

Bellingham and nearby Attractions

  • Whatcom Falls Park
  • American Museum of Radio and Electricity
  • Bellingham Railway Museum
  • Larrabee State Park
  • Lake Whatcom

Things To Do In Bellingham

Those interested in outdoor recreation can visit the Whatcom Falls Park which encompasses the Whatcom Creek Gorge. It has many miles of walking trails and four sets of waterfalls. Visitors can enjoy fishing, swimming, and hiking. There are also several interesting museums in the area which are dedicated to various subjects such as local history, art, the railways, etc. Skiing is another activity which can be enjoyed at Mount Baker Ski Area.

Bellingham Transportation

Bellingham International Airport is nearby.

Bellingham Higher Education

Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, and Northwest Indian College provide higher education.

Demographics

People

Total Population87,071
Male Share of the Population49.4%
Female Share of the Population50.6%
Senior Citizens14.1%
Employed Population 16+44,493
Age of the Population31

Families

% of people married34.6%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher38.8%
Median Earnings25+$36,363
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$24,229
Median Earnings With High School Degree$28,994

Wealth

Median Family Income$73,975
% Above Poverty Level78.2%
% Below Poverty Level21.8%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time17 minutes
% Working from Home5.5%
% Walking and Biking to Work10.7%
% Using Public Transportation4.8%

Housing

People Living Alone34.3%
Median Gross Rent$999
Median House Value$347,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)26.6%
German18%
Irish12.9%
English11.1%
Norwegian5.5%
Italian3.8%
Swedish3.6%
Scottish3.4%
Dutch3.4%
French Except Basque2.6%
Polish2.2%
Russian1.1%
Danishn1.1%
Welsh1.1%
Ukrainian0.9%
Swiss0.7%
Czech0.6%
Canadian0.6%
Finnish0.5%
African0.5%
Croatian0.5%
Romanian0.4%
Hungarian0.4%
Portuguese0.4%
Austrian0.4%
West Indian0.3%
Greek0.3%
Lithuanian0.3%
South African0.2%
Iranian0.2%
Icelander0.2%
Arab0.2%
Egyptian0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Trinidad Tobago0.1%
Australian0.1%
US/American0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Serbian0.1%
Israeli0.1%
Slovak0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Latvian0.1%
+ Show More

Bellingham Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyWhatcom County
Standard Zip Codes98225, 98226, 98229
P.O. Box Zip Codes98227, 98228
Phone Area Codes360
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude48.73
Approximate Longitude-122.48

Bellingham Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationBELLINGHAM 3 SSW
Distance3.3 miles
Jan Temp35 to 46 F
Apr Temp42 to 58 F
Jul Temp54 to 73 F
Oct Temp45 to 59 F
Annual Precip34.8 inches
StationBELLINGHAM INTL AP
Distance3.5 miles
Jan Temp32 to 45 F
Apr Temp41 to 57 F
Jul Temp54 to 71 F
Oct Temp43 to 59 F
Annual Precip36.2 inches
StationCLEARBROOK
Distance15.9 miles
Jan Temp32 to 43 F
Apr Temp40 to 60 F
Jul Temp51 to 75 F
Oct Temp42 to 60 F
Annual Precip45.7 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Anacortes16,725$82,995
Everson2,641$63,000
Ferndale13,622$80,920
Lynden13,862$75,397
Nooksack1,678$66,131
Sumas1,757$56,313

Bellingham Public Libraries

Bellingham Public Library
210 CENTRAL AVE
Bellingham, Washington
(360) 778-7323
Whatcom County Library System
5205 NORTHWEST DRIVE
Bellingham, Washington
(360) 305-3600

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More Information for Librarians

Bellingham Hospitals

St. Joseph Hospital
(Non-profit)
2901 Squalicum Parkway
(360) 734-5400
Saint Joseph Hospital - South Campus
(Non-profit)
809 East Chestnut
(360) 734-5400
Peacehealth Saint Joseph Hospital
(Non-profit)
2901 Squalicum Parkway
(360) 734-5400

Bellingham Public Schools

Alderwood Elementary School
3400 Hollywood Ave
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6404
Primary
Total Enrollment 244
Bellingham Family Partnership Program
1408 18th St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 725-6000
Other
Bellingham High School
2020 Cornwall Ave
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6575
High
Total Enrollment 1070
Bellingham Re-engagement Program
1306 Dupont St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 725-6000
High
Total Enrollment 22
Birchwood Elementary School
3200 Pinewood Ave
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6446
Primary
Total Enrollment 295
Columbia Elementary School
2508 Utter St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6413
Primary
Total Enrollment 276
Fairhaven Middle School
110 Park Ridge Rd
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6450
Middle
Total Enrollment 623
Happy Valley Elementary School
1041 24th St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6420
Primary
Total Enrollment 412
Home Port Learning Center
707 Astor St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-2627
High
Total Enrollment 11
Larrabee Elementary School
1409 18th St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6424
Lowell Elementary School - Bellingham
935 14th St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6430
Primary
Total Enrollment 313
Options High School
2015 Franklin St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 647-6871
High
Total Enrollment 96
Parkview Elementary School
3033 Coolidge Dr
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6433
Primary
Total Enrollment 297
Sehome High School
2700 Bill Mcdonald Pkwy
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6481
High
Total Enrollment 1142
Shuksan Middle School
2717 Alderwood Ave
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6454
Middle
Total Enrollment 608
Whatcom Co Detention Ctr
311 Grand Ave 6th Fl
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6707
High
Total Enrollment 14
Whatcom Middle School
810 Halleck St
ZIP: 98225
(360) 676-6460
Middle
Total Enrollment 601
Cordata Elementary School
4420 Aldrich Rd
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-6466
Primary
Total Enrollment 362
Harmony Elementary
5060 Sand Road
ZIP: 98226
(360) 383-2050
Primary
Total Enrollment 371
Lummi High School
2334 Lummi Shore Road
ZIP: 98226
(360) 758-3148
High
Lummi Tribal School System
2334 Lummi View Dr
ZIP: 98226
(360) 758-3147
Primary
Meridian High School
194 W Laurel Road
ZIP: 98226
(360) 398-8111
High
Total Enrollment 500
Meridian Special Programs
214 W Laurel Road
ZIP: 98226
(206) 398-7111
Other
Total Enrollment 28
Northern Heights Elementary Schl
4000 Magrath Rd
ZIP: 98226
(360) 738-8145
Primary
Total Enrollment 439
Roosevelt Elementary School
2900 Yew St
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-6440
Primary
Total Enrollment 420
Silver Beach Elementary School
4101 Academy St
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-6443
Primary
Total Enrollment 427
Squalicum High School
3773 E Mcleod Rd
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-6471
High
Total Enrollment 1375
Sunnyland Elementary School
2800 James St
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-6446
Primary
Total Enrollment 303
Visions (seamar Youth Center)
1603 E Illinois St
ZIP: 98226
(360) 676-2787
Other
Total Enrollment 26
Carl Cozier Elementary School
1330 Lincoln St
ZIP: 98229
(360) 676-6410
Primary
Total Enrollment 271
Geneva Elementary School
1401 Geneva St
ZIP: 98229
(360) 676-6416
Primary
Total Enrollment 431
Kulshan Middle School
1250 Kenoyer Dr
ZIP: 98229
(360) 676-4886
Middle
Total Enrollment 601
Wade King Elementary School
2155 Yew Street Rd
ZIP: 98229
(360) 676-6424
Primary
Total Enrollment 452

Bellingham Private Schools

Assumption Catholic School
2116 Cornwall Ave
ZIP: 98225
Elementary
Total Enrollment 203
Blossom Childcare & Learning Center
2945 Douglas Ave
ZIP: 98225
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
Cedar Tree Montessori
2114 Broadway
ZIP: 98225
Elementary
Total Enrollment 43
Explorations Academy
1701 Ellis St #215
ZIP: 98225
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 29
Gardenview Montessori
3242 Firwood Ave
ZIP: 98225
Elementary
Total Enrollment 6
Home Port Learning Center
707 Astor St
ZIP: 98225
Secondary
Total Enrollment 18
St Paul's Academy
3000 Northwest Ave
ZIP: 98225
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 260
Baker View Christian School
5353 Waschke Rd
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 47
Bellingham Christian School
1600 E Sunset Dr
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 181
Bridgeway Christian Academy
858 W Smith Rd
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 25
Lynden Christian School Evergreen Campus
567 E Kellogg Rd
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 92
Whatcom Day Academy
5217 Northwest Dr
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 64
Whatcom Hills Waldorf School
941 Austin St
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 142
Wheels Of Life
2738 Orleans St
ZIP: 98226
Elementary
Total Enrollment 17
Bellingham Cooperative School
Po Box 957
ZIP: 98227
Elementary
Total Enrollment 1
Montessori At Samish Woods
1027 Samish Way
ZIP: 98229
Elementary
Total Enrollment 64
Sources :
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