View source for Bellingham, Washington

{{Short description|City in Washington, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Bellingham, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[City government in Washington (state)|City]]
| nickname           = City of Subdued Excitement<ref>{{cite web|title=Bellingham Herald |url=https://bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article286283945.html |accessdate=December 10, 2024}}</ref>
| image_skyline      = Aerial View of Bellingham, Washington.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Aerial view of Bellingham
| image_flag         = Flag of Bellingham, Washington.svg
| image_seal         = Seal of Bellingham, Washington.svg
| image_map          = Whatcom_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Bellingham_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom County]] and the state of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| pushpin_label = Bellingham
| pushpin_relief     = yes
<!-- Location ------>
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom]]
<!-- Government ---->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Kim Lund]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor Kim Lund Biography |url=https://cob.org/gov/mayor/bio |publisher=City of Bellingham |accessdate=January 5, 2024}}</ref>
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = December 28, 1903
| named_for          = [[Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet]]
<!-- Area ---->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=February 21, 2024}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 79.023
| area_land_km2      = 73.033
| area_water_km2     = 5.991
| area_total_sq_mi   = 30.511
| area_land_sq_mi    = 28.198
| area_water_sq_mi   = 2.313
<!-- Population ----->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
| population_total   = 91482
| population_density_km2 = 1286
| population_density_sq_mi = 3332
| population_rank    = US: 360th<br>WA: [[List of municipalities in Washington|12th]]
| population_urban   = 128979 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|259th]])
| population_density_urban_km2 = 993.4
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 2573
| population_metro   = 234,954<ref>https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whatcomcountywashington,bellinghamcitywashington/PST045224</ref> (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|204th]])
| population_density_metro_km2 = 42.25
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = 109.4
| population_est     = 95,860
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="Census-Estimate2024">{{cite web |date=May 2025 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 20,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2024 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2024/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2024-ANNRNK.xlsx  |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=November 3, 2025}}</ref>
| population_demonym = [[Bellinghamster]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Wohlfiel |first=Samantha |date=March 30, 2015 |title='Don't call me a Bellinghamster!' or identity in the upper left |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/politics-blog/article22284951.html |work=[[The Bellingham Herald]] |access-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref>
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = 
| demographics2_title1 = Bellingham (MSA)
| demographics2_info1 = $19.6 billion (2022)<ref>{{cite web |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Whatcom County, WA |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPALL53073 |work=[[Federal Reserve Economic Data]] |publisher=[[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] |accessdate=May 8, 2024}}</ref>
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = –8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = –7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 66
| coordinates        = {{coord|48|45|N|122|29|W|region:US-WA|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 98225, 98226, 98227, 98228, 98229
| area_codes          = [[Area code 360|360]], [[Area code 564|564]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-05280
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2409823<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409823}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://cob.org/|cob.org}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Bellingham''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɛ|l|ɪ|ŋ|h|æ|m}} {{respell|BEL|ing-ham}}) is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704084002/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=July 4, 2012}}</ref> It lies {{convert|21|mi|km}} south of the [[Canada–United States border]], between [[Vancouver]], British Columbia, {{convert|52|mi|km}} to the northwest and [[Seattle]] {{convert|90|mi|km}} to the south.

The population was 91,482 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data: Bellingham city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Bellingham_city,_Washington?g=160XX00US5305280 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 21, 2024}}</ref> and estimated to be 94,720 in 2023.<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web |date=April 2024 |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=June 17, 2024}}</ref> It is the site of [[Western Washington University]], [[Bellingham International Airport]], and the southern terminus of the [[Alaska Marine Highway]]. Bellingham is the northernmost city with a population of more than 90,000 people in the [[contiguous United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cob.org/visiting/about-visiting|title=About Bellingham - City of Bellingham - COB Home|date=February 13, 2015|website=City of Bellingham|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307183752/https://cob.org/visiting/about-visiting|archive-date=March 7, 2022|access-date=March 7, 2022}}</ref>

The area around [[Bellingham Bay]], named in 1792 by [[George Vancouver]], is the ancestral home of several [[Coast Salish]] groups. European settlement in modern-day Bellingham began in the 1850s and several coal mining towns grew in later years. The city of Bellingham was [[municipal incorporation|incorporated]] in 1903 through the consolidation of several settlements, among them [[Fairhaven, Bellingham, Washington|Fairhaven]]. Local industries shifted away from coal in the mid-20th century; the industrial areas on the [[Bellingham waterfront]] have undergone redevelopment into a mixed-use neighborhood since the 2000s.

==History==
{{missing information|events after 1907|date=January 2025}}
{{Main|History of Bellingham, Washington}}
[[File:Ship construction at the Pacific American Fisheries yard, Bellingham, Washington, September 1916 (COBB 231).jpeg|thumb|Boatbuilding at Pacific American Fisheries yard in Bellingham, 1916]]
[[File:B'ham Fairhaven 04.jpg|thumb|An old bank building, built in 1900 in the [[Fairhaven, Bellingham|Fairhaven Historic District]]]]

Bellingham has been inhabited by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous peoples]] for millennia. The city of Bellingham and its surrounding area is the intersection of the territories of many [[Coast Salish languages|Coast Salishan]] peoples. The [[Lummi people|Lummi]], [[Nooksack people|Nooksack]], [[Samish people|Samish]], and [[Nuwhaha]] in particular fished in Bellingham Bay and shared the hunting and gathering grounds in the nearby forests and prairies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 20, 2023 |title=About Us |url=https://nooksacktribe.org/about/ |access-date=July 20, 2023 |website=Nooksack Indian Tribe |language=en-US}}</ref> Indigenous people continue to live in and around Bellingham, particularly the Lummi, who have a [[Indian reservation|reservation]] directly west of the city.

The modern city of Bellingham, incorporated in 1903, consolidated four settlements: Bellingham, Whatcom, Fairhaven, and Sehome. It takes its name from [[Bellingham Bay]], named by [[George Vancouver]] in 1792, for [[Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet|Sir William Bellingham]].

The first European immigrants reached the area about 1852 when Henry Roeder and Russel Peabody set up a lumber mill at Whatcom, now the northern part of Bellingham. Lumber cutting and milling continues to the present in Whatcom county. At about the same time, [[Daniel J. Harris|Dan Harris]] arrived, claiming a homestead along Padden Creek, and after acquiring surrounding properties, platted the town of [[Fairhaven, Bellingham, Washington|Fairhaven]] in 1883. In 1858, the [[Fraser Canyon Gold Rush]] caused a short lived population growth that established the community.

Coal was mined in the Bellingham Bay area from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries starting when Henry Roeder's agents discovered coal south of Whatcom Creek, in an area called Sehome, now downtown Bellingham, in 1854. They sold the coal-bearing land to San Francisco investors who established the Bellingham Bay Coal Company, eventually a subsidiary of the [[Black Diamond Coal Mining Company]]. After a hundred years of extensive mining beneath present-day Bellingham, the last mine closed in 1955.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Southcott|first=Bonnie Hart|title=Mines faced disasters, financial woes|newspaper=The Bellingham Herald|date=October 20, 2003|access-date=March 10, 2008|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/special-pub/centennial/160479.shtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130110190456/http://www.bellinghamherald.com/special-pub/centennial/160479.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Stark |first=John |title=Beneath the city of Bellingham lie the memories of the mines |newspaper=The Bellingham Herald |date=March 2, 2008 |access-date=March 10, 2008 |url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/513/story/336698.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118041424/http://www.bellinghamherald.com/513/story/336698.html |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Burkhart|first=Brendan|title=Postcards and Dead Fish: The Capitalism and the Construction of Place, Bellingham, Washington, 1918–1927|journal=Occasional Papers|year=2003|access-date=March 10, 2008|url=http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/CPNWS/occasionalpapers/postcardsandfish/titlepage.htm}}. The coal mines are described in [http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/CPNWS/occasionalpapers/postcardsandfish/1%20intro%20templ.htm 1&nbsp;– "Introduction"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902125414/http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/cpnws/occasionalpapers/postcardsandfish/1%20intro%20templ.htm |date=September 2, 2006}} and [http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/CPNWS/occasionalpapers/postcardsandfish/5%20claiminng%20nat%20of%20place.htm 5&nbsp;– "Claiming the Nature of Place"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909175724/http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/cpnws/occasionalpapers/postcardsandfish/5%20claiminng%20nat%20of%20place.htm |date=September 9, 2006}}.</ref>

In the early 1890s, three railroad lines arrived, connecting the bay cities to a nationwide market of builders. In 1889, Pierre Cornwall and an association of investors formed the Bellingham Bay Improvement Company (BBIC). The BBIC invested in several diverse enterprises such as shipping, coal, mining, railroad construction, real estate sales and utilities. Even though their dreams of turning the cities by the bay into a Pacific Northwest metropolis never came to fruition, the BBIC made an immense contribution to the economic development of Bellingham.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=wa/wa0200/wa0227/data/hhdatapage.db&recNum=6&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A13%3A.%2Ftemp%2F%7Epp_O3rN%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Capp%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Cbbcards%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb|title=Library Of Congress Engineering Record|website=loc.gov|access-date=August 11, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704043822/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=wa%2Fwa0200%2Fwa0227%2Fdata%2Fhhdatapage.db&recNum=6&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A13%3A.%2Ftemp%2F~pp_O3rN%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Capp%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Cbbcards%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb|archive-date=July 4, 2014}}</ref>

BBIC was not the only outside firm with an interest in the bay area utilities. The General Electric Company of New York purchased the Fairhaven Line and [[New Whatcom]] street rail line in 1897. In 1898, the utility merged into the Northern Railway and Improvement Company which prompted the Electric Corporation of Boston to purchase a large block of shares.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=wa/wa0200/wa0227/data/hhdatapage.db&recNum=9&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A13%3A.%2Ftemp%2F%7Epp_O3rN%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Capp%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Cbbcards%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb|title=Library Of Congress|website=loc.gov|access-date=August 11, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704021754/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=wa%2Fwa0200%2Fwa0227%2Fdata%2Fhhdatapage.db&recNum=9&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A13%3A.%2Ftemp%2F~pp_O3rN%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Capp%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Cbbcards%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb|archive-date=July 4, 2014}}</ref>

In 1890, Fairhaven developers bought the tiny community of Bellingham. Whatcom and Sehome merged in 1891 to form New Whatcom (1903 act of the State legislature dropped "New" from the name.) At first, attempts to combine Fairhaven and Whatcom failed, and there was controversy over the name of the proposed new city. Whatcom citizens would not support a city named ''Fairhaven'', and Fairhaven residents would not support a city named ''Whatcom''. They eventually settled on the name ''Bellingham'', which remains today. Voting a second time for a final merger of Fairhaven and Whatcom into a single city, the resolution passed with 2163 votes for and 596 against.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vanderway |first=Richard |url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/510/story/228931.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729234432/http://www.bellinghamherald.com/510/story/228931.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |title=Brisk debate preceded consolidation in Whatcom communities &#124; Local History |publisher=The Bellingham Herald |access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref>

Bellingham was officially incorporated on December 28, 1903,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org/using-the-library/library-services|title=Library Services|newspaper=The Bellingham Daily Reveille|access-date=November 14, 2018}}</ref> as a result of the incremental consolidation of the four towns initially situated on the east of Bellingham Bay during the final decade of the 19th Century. Whatcom is today's "Old Town" area and was founded with Roeder's Mill in 1852.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellingham-subdued-excitement.com/history-of-bellingham.html|title=History of Bellingham|publisher=Bellingham-subdued-excitement.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413141411/http://www.bellingham-subdued-excitement.com/history-of-bellingham.html|archive-date=April 13, 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref> Sehome was an area of downtown founded with the Sehome Coal Mine in 1854. Bellingham was further south near Boulevard Park, founded in 1883 and purchased in 1890 by Fairhaven. [[Fairhaven, Washington|Fairhaven]] was a large commercial district with its own harbor, founded in 1883, by [[Daniel J. Harris|Dan Harris]], around his initial homestead on Padden Creek.

Bellingham was the site of the [[Bellingham riots]] against East Indian ([[Sikhism in the United States|Sikh]]) immigrant workers in 1907. A mob of 400–500 white men, predominantly members of the [[Asiatic Exclusion League]], with intentions to exclude [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|East Indian]] immigrants from the work force of the local lumber mills, attacked the homes of the South Asian Indians. The Indians were mostly [[Sikhs]] but were labeled as [[Hindu]]s by much of the media of the day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Englesberg |first=Paul |title=The 1907 Bellingham Riot and Anti-Asian Hostilities in the Pacific Northwest |year=2015 |website=ScholarWorks |url=https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cel_pubs/62 |access-date=January 11, 2021 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115190312/https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cel_pubs/62/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=News Coverage: 1907-2007 - Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project |website=depts.washington.edu  |url=https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bham_news.htm |access-date=January 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Tim |title=Dark Century: Observing the Anniversary of Anti-Sikh Riots |url=https://www.cascadiaweekly.com/pdfs/issues/200735.pdf#page=8 |newspaper=Cascadia Weekly |location=Bellingham, WA |publisher=Cascadia Newspaper Company |volume=2 |issue=35 |date=August 29, 2007 |pages=8, 10–11 |issn=1931-3292 |oclc=711684947 |access-date=January 11, 2021 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301065840/http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/pdfs/issues/200735.pdf#page=8 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Bellingham's proximity to the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] and to the [[Inside Passage]] to Alaska helped to retain some cannery operations. Pacific American Fisheries (P.A.F.), for example, shipped empty cans to Alaska, where they were packed with fish and shipped back.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

{{wide image|Bellingham 1909.jpg|1200 px|Bellingham {{circa}} 1909}}
{{wide image|Bellingham_Skyline.jpg|1200 px|Bellingham, 2010}}

==Geography==
The city is situated on [[Bellingham Bay]] which is protected by [[Lummi Island]], [[Portage Island]], and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the [[Strait of Georgia]]. It lies west of [[Mount Baker]] and [[Lake Whatcom]] (from which it gets its drinking water) and north of the [[Chuckanut Mountains]] and the [[Skagit Valley]]. [[Whatcom Creek]] runs through the center of the city. Bellingham is {{convert|18|mi|km}} south of the US-Canada border and {{convert|50|mi|km}} southeast of Vancouver.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|30.511|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which, {{convert|28.198|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|2.313|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/> The lowest elevations are at sea level along the waterfront. Alabama Hill is one of the higher points in the city at about {{convert|500|ft|m}}. Elevations of {{convert|800|ft|m}} are found near Yew Street Hill north of [[Lake Padden]] and near Galbraith Mountain. South and eastward of the city limits are taller foothills of the [[North Cascades]] mountains. [[Mount Baker]] is the largest peak in the local area, with a summit elevation of {{convert|10778|ft|m}} that is only {{convert|31|mi|km}} from Bellingham Bay. Mount Baker is visible from many parts of the city and western Whatcom County. Lake Whatcom forms part of the eastern boundary of the city, while many smaller lakes and wetland areas are found around the region.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

Situated at a latitude of 48.75 North, and thus north of the [[Twilight#Times of occurrence|48°34' parallel]], Bellingham is one of only a few cities in the continental United States that experience [[astronomical twilight]] for the entire night. The phenomenon occurs every year between June 14 and 28.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

Bellingham's neighborhoods are Alabama Hill, Barkley, Birchwood, Columbia, Cordata, Cornwall Park, Downtown Central Business District, Edgemoor, [[Fairhaven, Washington|Fairhaven]], Happy Valley, Irongate, King Mountain, Lettered Streets, Meridian, Puget, Roosevelt, Samish, Sehome, Silver Beach, South, South Hill, Sunnyland, Whatcom Falls, [[Western Washington University]] (WWU) (including the campus), and York.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Neighborhood Profiles Map|url=https://cob.org/services/planning/neighborhoods/profiles-map|access-date=March 15, 2021|website=City of Bellingham|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{climate chart
| Bellingham, Washington
| 34.0 | 46.3 | 4.49
| 34.5 | 48.9 | 2.85
| 37.5 | 52.8 | 3.36
| 41.6 | 57.7 | 2.77
| 47.0 | 63.9 | 2.23
| 51.8 | 67.8 | 1.61
| 55.0 | 72.7 | 0.88
| 54.7 | 73.1 | 1.13
| 49.6 | 68.1 | 2.01
| 43.2 | 58.9 | 3.85
| 37.9 | 51.0 | 5.20
| 34.1 | 45.5 | 4.33
| units=imperial
| float=right
| clear=none
| source=NOAA}}

Bellingham's climate is generally mild and typical of the [[Puget Sound region]]; classified as [[warm-summer Mediterranean]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csb'') or [[Oceanic climate|oceanic]] ([[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Do''). The city is strongly influenced by the [[Cascade Range]] and [[Olympic Mountains]]. The Cascades to the east block continental influence, while the Olympics provide a [[rain shadow]] effect that buffers Bellingham from much of the rainfall approaching from the southwest.

Bellingham receives an average annual rainfall of {{convert|34.84|in|mm}}, which is slightly less than nearby Seattle. November is typically the wettest month, with numerous frontal rainstorms. Still, precipitation is distributed throughout the rainy period extending from October through April.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/washington/bellingham.htm|title=Bellingham Weather - Washington - Average Temperatures and Rainfall|website=countrystudies.us}}</ref>

Bellingham has the lowest average sunshine amount of any city in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/top2/c475.html |title=Top 101 cities with the lowest average sunshine amount (population 50,000+) |publisher=City-data.com |access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref> Despite this, Bellingham has fewer overcast days on average than Seattle (SeaTac), Everett (Paine Field) and Olympia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://climate.washington.edu/cloudcover |title=OWSC: WA Cloud Cover |publisher=OWSC |access-date=February 13, 2019 |archive-date=October 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008041622/http://www.climate.washington.edu/cloudcover/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The hottest summer days rarely exceed {{convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on}} and the warmest temperature on record is {{convert|100|°F|°C|abbr=on}} on August 12, 2021. This is markedly cooler than the record high for Seattle ({{convert|108|°F|°C|abbr=on}}) and most other Washington locations. Drought is rare, although some summers are noticeably drier than others and some normally reliable wells have been known to run dry in August and September. Nevertheless, crops are more frequently ruined by too much rain rather than too little.

Bellingham's proximity to the Fraser River valley occasionally subjects it to a harsh winter weather pattern (termed a 'north-Easter') wherein an upper-level trough drives cold Arctic air from the Canadian interior southwesterly through the [[Fraser River]] Canyon. Such an event was recorded on November 28, 2006, when air temperatures of {{convert|12|°F|°C}} were accompanied by {{convert|30|to|48|mph|km/h}} winds. Wind chill values reached {{convert|-10|°F|°C}} according to [[NOAA]].<ref>Extensive historical weather data for Bellingham can be found at http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=61737&refer= {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114001143/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=61737&refer= |date=November 14, 2011 }} Weatherbase.com.</ref> Several days into this pattern, local ponds and smaller lakes freeze solidly enough to allow skating. These outflow winds also can collide with [[Gulf of Alaska]] moisture and create ice, snow, or heavy rains; the freezing rain can create a phenomenon referred to as a "silver thaw" that produces hazardous roads among other inconveniences.

Its reverse, the "[[Pineapple Express]]", refers to acutely mild autumn and winter spells &ndash; for most of such a spell, an unusually warm and steady wind comes out of the south. It will typically follow several days of Arctic northeast outflow winds, and it can melt significant snow accumulations quickly, pushing drainage systems to their limits.

{{Weather box
|location = Bellingham, Washington ([[Bellingham International Airport]]) 1991–2020,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1949–present
|collapsed = y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 65
|Feb record high F = 72
|Mar record high F = 76
|Apr record high F = 83
|May record high F = 90
|Jun record high F = 99
|Jul record high F = 96
|Aug record high F = 100
|Sep record high F = 89
|Oct record high F = 80
|Nov record high F = 73
|Dec record high F = 67
|year record high F= 100
|Jan avg record high F = 57.3
|Feb avg record high F = 58.3
|Mar avg record high F = 64.0
|Apr avg record high F = 70.9
|May avg record high F = 77.2
|Jun avg record high F = 80.8
|Jul avg record high F = 84.8
|Aug avg record high F = 84.3
|Sep avg record high F = 79.2
|Oct avg record high F = 69.5
|Nov avg record high F = 61.4
|Dec avg record high F = 56.9
|year avg record high F = 87.7
|Jan high F = 46.3
|Feb high F = 48.9
|Mar high F = 52.8
|Apr high F = 57.7
|May high F = 63.9
|Jun high F = 67.8
|Jul high F = 72.7
|Aug high F = 73.1
|Sep high F = 68.1
|Oct high F = 58.9
|Nov high F = 51.0
|Dec high F = 45.5
|year high F = 58.9
|Jan mean F = 40.2
|Feb mean F = 41.7
|Mar mean F = 45.1
|Apr mean F = 49.6
|May mean F = 55.5
|Jun mean F = 59.8
|Jul mean F = 63.9
|Aug mean F = 63.9
|Sep mean F = 58.4
|Oct mean F = 51.1
|Nov mean F = 44.5
|Dec mean F = 39.8
|year mean F = 51.2
|Jan low F = 34.0
|Feb low F = 34.5
|Mar low F = 37.5
|Apr low F = 41.6
|May low F = 47.0
|Jun low F = 51.8
|Jul low F = 55.0
|Aug low F = 54.7
|Sep low F = 49.6
|Oct low F = 43.2
|Nov low F = 37.9
|Dec low F = 34.1
|year low F = 43.4
|Jan avg record low F = 19.7
|Feb avg record low F = 22.9
|Mar avg record low F = 26.9
|Apr avg record low F = 32.1
|May avg record low F = 36.4
|Jun avg record low F = 43.0
|Jul avg record low F = 46.8
|Aug avg record low F = 45.9
|Sep avg record low F = 38.8
|Oct avg record low F = 30.8
|Nov avg record low F = 23.8
|Dec avg record low F = 20.6
|year avg record low F = 15.7
|Jan record low F = −2
|Feb record low F = −2
|Mar record low F = 10
|Apr record low F = 24
|May record low F = 25
|Jun record low F = 37
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 38
|Sep record low F = 28
|Oct record low F = 20
|Nov record low F = 3
|Dec record low F = −1
|year record low F= −2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.49
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.85
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.36
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.77
|May precipitation inch = 2.23
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.61
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.88
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.13
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.01
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.85
|Nov precipitation inch = 5.20
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.33
|year precipitation inch = 34.71
|Jan snow inch = 3.4
|Feb snow inch = 2.4
|Mar snow inch = 0.7
|Apr snow inch = trace
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.1
|Nov snow inch = 0.9
|Dec snow inch = 2.9
|year snow inch = 10.4
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 18.9
|Feb precipitation days = 15.8
|Mar precipitation days = 17.9
|Apr precipitation days = 15.5
|May precipitation days = 12.3
|Jun precipitation days = 10.2
|Jul precipitation days = 5.7
|Aug precipitation days = 6.2
|Sep precipitation days = 11.0
|Oct precipitation days = 16.1
|Nov precipitation days = 19.6
|Dec precipitation days = 19.3
|year precipitation days = 168.5
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 1.8
|Feb snow days = 1.4
|Mar snow days = 0.5
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.1
|Nov snow days = 0.4
|Dec snow days = 1.5
|year snow days = 5.8
|Jan sun = 62
|Feb sun = 84
|Mar sun = 124
|Apr sun = 180 
|May sun = 217
|Jun sun = 240
|Jul sun = 279
|Aug sun = 248
|Sep sun = 186
|Oct sun = 124
|Nov sun = 60
|Dec sun = 62
|source 1 = NOAA (snowfall 1981–2010)<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sew
|title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = November 9, 2016
|archive-date = July 3, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210703081035/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sew
|url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00024217&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = August 16, 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816041827/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00024217&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = August 16, 2023
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00024217.normals.txt
|title = WA Bellingham INTL AP
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816041920/ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00024217.normals.txt
|archive-date=2023-08-16
|url-status=dead
|access-date = September 8, 2015
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather-US<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/washington-usa/bellingham-climate#daylight_sunshine
|title = Monthly weather forecast and climate for Bellingham, WA
|publisher = [[Weather Atlas]]
|access-date = July 9, 2020}}</ref>
}}

====Note====
{{notelist}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 8135
|1900= 11062
|1910= 24298
|1920= 25585
|1930= 30823
|1940= 29314
|1950= 34112
|1960= 34688
|1970= 39375
|1980= 45794
|1990= 52179
|2000= 67171
|2010= 80885
|2020= 91482
|estyear=2024
|estimate=95860
|estref=<ref name="Census-Estimate2024"/>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 91,482 people, 39,236 households, and 18,252 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Bellingham%20city,%20Washington%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=February 21, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" 
|+'''Bellingham, Washington – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Bellingham city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US5305280&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Bellingham city, Washington|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5305280&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Bellingham city, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=160XX00US5305280&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|57,684
|65,907
|style='background: #ffffe6; |68,442
|85.88%
|81.48%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |74.81%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|622
|1,015
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,253
|0.93%
|1.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.37%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|899
|964
|style='background: #ffffe6; |812
|1.34%
|1.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.89%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,832
|4,086
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,425
|4.22%
|5.05%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.93%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|106
|201
|style='background: #ffffe6; |280
|0.16%
|0.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|176
|177
|style='background: #ffffe6; |537
|0.26%
|0.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.59%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|1,741
|2,870
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,257
|2.59%
|3.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.84%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|3,111
|5,665
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,476
|4.63%
|7.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.27%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''67,171'''
|'''80,885'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''91,482'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 80,885 people, 34,671 households, and 16,129 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2986.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 36,760 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1357.5|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 84.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.3% [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 1.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 5.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.3% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.8% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 4.3% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 7.0% of the population.

There were 34,671 households, of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.5% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.79.

The median age in the city was 31.3 years. 15.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 23.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

===2000 census===
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $32,530, and the median income for a family was $47,196. Males had a median income of $35,288 versus $25,971 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,483. About 9.4% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those aged 65 or over.

==Economy==
[[File:Workers at the smokehouse of the Whatcom Fish Products Co, Bellingham, Washington, September 1916 (COBB 68).jpeg|thumb|Workers with cut salmon on smoking trays at Whatcom Fish Products in Bellingham, 1916. Photo by [[John Nathan Cobb]].]]
As of 2024, the mean annual salary of a wage earner in Bellingham is $69,097,<ref>{{cite web |title=Occupational Employment and Wages in Bellingham—May 2024 |url=https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages_bellingham.htm |access-date=23 June 2025 |website=Bureau of Labor Statistics}}</ref> which is slightly above the Washington State average of $67,932.<ref>{{cite web|title=Occupational Employment Statistics|url=https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes_wa.htm#00-0000|website=Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=April 6, 2022}}</ref>

In the first quarter of 2017, Bellingham's median home sale was $382,763, compared to the Whatcom County median of $322,779.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gallagher|first1=Dave|title=You saved and saved, now it's time to buy a home in Bellingham. But can you afford it?|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article143857234.html|access-date=May 14, 2017|publisher=The Bellingham Herald|date=April 11, 2017}}</ref> Strong job and income growth, along with low inventory of homes for sale, have contributed to a median monthly rental payment in February 2017 of $1,526.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gallagher|first1=Dave|title=Ever wonder why rent continues to go up in Bellingham? Just look at the factors at play|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article142981649.html|access-date=May 14, 2017|publisher=The Bellingham Herald|date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

===Largest employers===
[[File:Two ships under construction on ways at the Pacific American Fisheries yard, Bellingham, Washington, September 1916 (COBB 233).jpeg|thumb|Boats being built at the Pacific American Fisheries yard in Bellingham, September 1916]]

According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cob.org/wp-content/uploads/2021-City-of-Bellingham-ACFR.pdf|title=City of Bellingham 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report|page=192|date=February 21, 2024}}</ref> the largest employers in the city are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! Type of Business
! # of Employees
! Percentage
|-
| 1
| [[PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center]]
| Health Care
| 3,116
| 2.79%
|-
| 2
| [[Lummi people|Lummi]]
| Corporation
| 2,083
| 1.87%
|-
| 3
| [[Western Washington University]]
| University
| 2,060
| 1.84%
|-
| 4
| [[Bellingham School District]] No. 501
| Education
| 1,423
| 1.27%
|-
| 5
| [[BP]] [[Cherry Point Refinery]]
| Oil and Gas
| 975
| 0.87%
|-
| 6
| City of Bellingham
| Government
| 936
| 0.84%
|-
| 7
| [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom County]]
| Government
| 918
| 0.82%
|-
| 8
| Matrix Service
| Petroleum
| 870
| 0.78%
|-
| 9
| [[Ferndale School District]] No. 502
| Education
| 847
| 0.76%
|-
| 10
| LTI, Inc.
| Transport of liquid- and dry-bulk commodities
| 557
| 0.50%
|-
|—
|'''Total employers'''
|—
|'''13,785'''
|'''12.34%'''
|}

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham, WA. 1978 (50933324551).jpg|thumb|Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham, 1978]]

===Events===
* The [[Ski to Sea]] race<ref>[http://www.bellingham.com/skitosea/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724142004/http://www.bellingham.com/skitosea/|date=July 24, 2011}}</ref> is a team relay race made up of seven legs: cross country skiing, downhill skiing (or snowboarding), running, road biking, canoeing (2 person), mountain biking, and kayaking. The racers begin at the [[Mount Baker Ski Area]] and make their way down to the finish line on Bellingham Bay. Organized by the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the event was first held in 1973 and traces its roots to the 1911 Mt. Baker Marathon.
* The Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellinghambaymarathon.org/ |title=Run the Bay... Bellingham Bay Marathon &#124; Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K |publisher=Bellinghambaymarathon.org |access-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> is held annually on the last Sunday in September, attracting approximately 2,500 runners and walkers each year. The Boston-qualifier marathon starts near Gooseberry Point on [[Lummi people|Lummi]] Nation and circumnavigates Bellingham Bay to finish in downtown Bellingham. The half marathon, 10K, and 5K races all start and end at Depot Market Square.
*The Whatcom Artist Studio Tour is an annual event featuring local artists working in a variety of media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://studiotour.net|title=Whatcom Artist Studio Tour|access-date=July 17, 2016}}</ref> On the first two weekends in October, artists open their studios up to the public.
*The Bellingham Highland Games & Scottish Festival is held every year at Ferndale's Hovander Park the first full weekend in June. The outdoor event celebrates Scottish culture and heritage, with two days of games, spectator sports, dancing, music and food.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bhga.org|title=Bellingham Scottish Highland Games|work=bhga.org|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref>
*[[LinuxFest Northwest]]<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 - LinuxFest Northwest 2016 |url=http://linuxfestnorthwest.org |access-date=September 28, 2015 |work=LinuxFest Northwest}}</ref> is a free conference dedicated to discussion and development of the [[Linux|Linux operating system]] and other [[open source software|open-source]] and [[free-software]] projects. It is a weekend event held at [[Bellingham Technical College]] in late April or early May which draws more than a thousand enthusiasts.
*The annual International Day of Peace is celebrated in Bellingham on September 21. The holiday was instituted by the United Nations as a 24-hour global cease-fire. The Bellingham-based Whatcom Peace & Justice Center publishes a calendar<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatcompjc.org/calendar.html|title=Calendar|work=Whatcom Peace & Justice Center|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906062959/http://www.whatcompjc.org/calendar.html|archive-date=September 6, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> of upcoming activist events with a theme of non-violence, community dissent, and worldwide peace.
*The [[Bellingham Festival of Music]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Homepage of the Bellingham Festival of Music |url=http://www.bellinghamfestival.org/ |access-date=September 28, 2015 |work=Bellingham Festival of Music}}</ref> is an annual celebration of orchestral and chamber concerts, held in July, hosting musicians from North American orchestral ensembles.
*Bellingham Pride is a gay pride parade and festival held in July each year to celebrate [[LGBT]] people and history. The parade passes through the downtown and ends in the public market area.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article88862962.html|title=See photos from 2016 Bellingham Pride Parade|work=The Bellingham Herald|access-date=July 14, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

===Beer===
Craft beer is a major emerging industry in Bellingham. As of 2020, there are at least 15 breweries within Bellingham city limits and three additional breweries in greater Whatcom County.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fralic|first=Brandon|date=June 30, 2020|title=Rounding Up Bellingham's Craft Beer Scene - 17 Must See Breweries|url=https://www.bellingham.org/insider-blogs/rounding-up-bellinghams-craft-brewery-scene/|access-date=September 26, 2020|website=bellingham.org/|language=en-US|archive-date=September 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930094921/https://www.bellingham.org/insider-blogs/rounding-up-bellinghams-craft-brewery-scene/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2022, these breweries combined won 23 medals at seven national and international brewery competitions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Year End Wrap-Up of Bellingham's Beer, Wine and Cocktail Scene |url=http://www.bellingham.org/year-end-wrap-up-of-bellingham%E2%80%99s-beer-wine-and-cocktail-scene |access-date=April 9, 2023 |website=bellingham.org}}</ref>

Most of Bellingham's breweries are located within a couple miles of each other in the downtown core. Some are in very close proximity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rounding Up Bellingham's Craft Beer Scene with Almost 20 Must-Visit Breweries |url=http://www.bellingham.org/itineraries/rounding-up-bellinghams-craft-beer-scene-with-almost-20-must-visit-breweries |access-date=April 9, 2023 |website=bellingham.org}}</ref>

===Downtown===
The Bellingham Farmers Market<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellinghamfarmers.org/|title=Bellingham Farmers Market Home|access-date=July 17, 2016}}</ref> is open on Saturdays from early April to late December. Originally opened in 1993, the Farmers Market now features more than 50 vendors, music and community events. The association also operates a weekly Wednesday market in nearby Fairhaven.

Wednesday nights in the summer see Downtown Sounds, a family-friendly concert series featuring food booths and a beer garden with local breweries held on Bay Street.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bikman|first1=Margaret|title=Downtown Sounds brings outdoor music to Bay Street|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/entertainment/article25030345.html|access-date=May 29, 2017|publisher=The Bellingham Herald|date=June 24, 2015}}</ref>

From May to September, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership runs the Commercial Street Night Market, with local food, artisan vendors, live music and performances.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wilde|first1=Lorraine|title=See the Real Bellingham At Commercial Street Night Market|url=http://www.bellingham.org/insider-blogs/commercial-street-night-market/|website=Bellingham.org|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>

===Local attractions===
[[File:Boulevard Park and Boardwalk and Bellingham Cruise Terminal.jpg|thumb|alt=The waterfront on the left side with multiple large ships and small sail boats in the water. Mountains are visible in the distance |The waterfront Boulevard Park, with the boardwalk just above, and the Fairhaven waterfront area in the distance. {{MV|Columbia}} is docked at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.]]

The [[Whatcom Museum of History and Art]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Johanson |first=Laura |title=Welcome to the Whatcom Museum |url=http://www.whatcommuseum.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929033104/http://www.whatcommuseum.org/ |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |access-date=September 28, 2015 |work=Whatcom Museum}}</ref> sponsors exhibits of painting, sculpture, local history, and is an active participant in the city's monthly Gallery Walks which are pedestrian tours of the historic buildings of the city, offering history and art lessons for [[Bellingham School District|local schools]] and adult groups, and historic cruises on Bellingham Bay.

The [[SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sparkmuseum.org/ |title=SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention in Bellingham, WA |publisher=Sparkmuseum.org |access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref> formerly known as the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, has a collection of rare artifacts from 1580 into the 1950s, providing educational resources about the history of electronics and radio broadcasting. The Spark Museum had founded KMRE FM [[KMRE-LP|KMRE-LP 102.3 FM]], a [[#FM radio|low-power FM radio station]] which broadcast a number of old shows popular many decades ago, as well as programming of general interest to the community. KMRE was housed at the museum in the beginning, but moved to The Bellingham National Bank Building, a few blocks from the museum because they needed more space. The station's license was cancelled on June 20, 2023.

Mindport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mindport.org/|title=MINDPORT EXHIBITS|work=mindport.org|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> was a privately funded arts and science museum until its closure in 2024.

[[File:Upper Whatcom Falls-110506.jpg|thumb|alt=A waterfall surrounded by forest|Upper Falls in [[Whatcom Falls Park]]]] [[Whatcom Falls Park]] is a {{convert|241|acre|ha|adj=on}} public park encompassing the Whatcom Creek gorge, running directly through the heart of the city. It has four sets of waterfalls and several miles of walking trails. Popular activities during warmer weather include swimming, fishing, and strolling along the numerous walking trails.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whatcom.kulshan.com/Washington/Whatcom_County/Bellingham/Lakeway-Electric/Outdoors/Whatcom_Falls_Park.htm|title=Whatcom County—Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham, WA|work=kulshan.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219094147/http://whatcom.kulshan.com/Washington/Whatcom_County/Bellingham/Lakeway-Electric/Outdoors/Whatcom_Falls_Park.htm|archive-date=December 19, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> On June 10, 1999, the [[Olympic pipeline explosion]] occurred in Whatcom Falls Park, killing three boys who were playing in the vicinity. Operated by Olympic Pipe Line Company, the pipeline that crossed Whatcom and Hanna Creeks leaked gasoline that turned the creeks pink, and then exploded into flames.

To the east of the city lies [[Lake Whatcom]], which provides the local public water supply and is the source of Whatcom Creek.

[[Bellis Fair Mall]], the city's main shopping mall, opened in 1988.

===Music scene===
Bellingham's location between two major cities, universities, record labels, and music magazines have all contributed to making Bellingham a desirable and recognized local music scene.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gooddeedseats.com/50-best-college-town-music-scenes/|title=The 50 Best College Town Music Scenes|website=GoodDeedSeats|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=November 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115083015/https://gooddeedseats.com/50-best-college-town-music-scenes/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The presence of a large university-age population has helped Bellingham become home to a number of regionally and nationally noted musical acts such as [[Death Cab for Cutie]], [[Odesza]], [[The Posies]], [[Crayon (band)|Crayon]], [[Idiot Pilot]], [[Mono Men]], [[No-Fi Soul Rebellion]], [[Sculptured]], [[Federation X]], The Trucks, [[Black Eyes & Neckties]], [[Black Breath (band)|Black Breath]], The High Mountain String Band, Shimmertraps, Dizzy Spins, and [[Shook Ones (band)|Shook Ones]]. Local independent record labels include [[Estrus Records]] and [[Clickpop Records]]. The city was also home to ''What's Up! Magazine'' which covered the local music scene for 22 years ending in March 2020, and Lemonade Magazine, devoted to music and entertainment of all kinds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whatsup-magazine.com/2020/12/good-bye/ |title=What's Up Magazine |access-date=January 15, 2009 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116024748/https://whatsup-magazine.com/2020/12/good-bye/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Bellingham is also the home of an active classical music scene which includes the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra),<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |website=Bellingham Symphony Orchestra |date=October 2, 2019 |url=https://www.bellinghamsymphony.org/about-us-home |access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> North Sound Youth Symphony, numerous community music groups and choirs, and the internationally recognized [[Bellingham Festival of Music]].

===Literary scene===
Bellingham is home to an active writers community at the local universities and independent of them. Western Washington University's English Department publishes the ''[[Bellingham Review]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwu.edu/bhreview|title=Bellingham Review|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> In 2011, the city hosted the first annual Chuckanut Writers Conference,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chuckanutwritersconference.com/|title=Chuckanut Writers Conference|work=chuckanutwritersconference.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-date=October 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025162503/http://chuckanutwritersconference.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> run by Whatcom Community College and Village Books,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagebooks.com |title=Building Community One Book at a Time &#124; Three Floors of New, Used and Bargain Books |publisher=Village Books |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref> a local bookstore. Clover, A Literary Rag, a publication of the Independent Writers' Studio, has produced nine volumes since 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kahn |first=Dean |date=May 26, 2015 |title=Whatcom Profiles: Literary 'Clover' journal coming up roses |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/living/magazine/article22907907.html |work=The Bellingham Herald |accessdate=December 11, 2023}}</ref> The city is home to writers including [[Steve Martini]] and [[George Dyson (science historian)|George Dyson]]. The [[Bellingham Public Library]] provides free library services at the Central Library, Barkley Branch and Fairhaven Branch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org/|title=Bellingham Public Library—City of Bellingham, WA|work=bellinghampubliclibrary.org|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref>

===Local theater===
[[File:Mount Baker Theatre.JPG|thumb|right|[[Mount Baker Theatre]]]]

Bellingham's theater culture is boosted by the performing arts department at Western Washington University. There are several theaters and productions in Bellingham:

* [[Bellingham Theatre Guild]], a non-profit community theater was founded in 1929. [[Hilary Swank]] performed here before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her career in acting.
* [[Mount Baker Theatre]] is the largest performing arts facility north of Seattle and is listed on the register of National Historic Places. The theater is an example of Moorish architecture, with several sections of the 1927 theater having been restored over the past two decades.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mountbakertheatre.com/Online/default.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808093242/http://www.mountbakertheatre.com/homepage.php|title=Mount Baker Theatre &#124; Home|archive-date=August 8, 2007|website=www.mountbakertheatre.com}}</ref>
* Upfront Theatre,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theupfront.com|title=Ryan Stiles' The Upfront Theatre -|work=theupfront.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-date=September 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930090242/http://theupfront.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> an improv comedy venue established by Bellingham resident [[Ryan Stiles]] of ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (American TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' fame.
* Northwest Ballet, a regional ballet company, performs classical ballets.
* iDiOM Theater, a non-profit regional theater: almost every show is new, locally written work.
* Firehouse Performing Arts Center, a Fairhaven firehouse converted into a dance classroom and theater.

===Activism===
The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center was founded in 2002 by local activists, and has been one of the most active such centers in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellinghampeace.org/press/02_12center.html |title=Whatcom Peace and Justice Center Opens in Downtown Bellingham |access-date=October 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009223453/http://www.bellinghampeace.org/press/02_12center.html |archive-date=October 9, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://oct27.org/node/341|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080301040051/http://oct27.org/node/341|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 1, 2008|title=Whatcom Peace & Justice Center—October 27<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=oct27.org|access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>

In October 2006, the Bellingham City Council passed a Troops Home! resolution, making Bellingham the first city in the state of Washington to pass the resolution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cob.org/web/COUNCIL.nsf/59da8dfbfadd3723882566730073373b/2e41ea3452babeb1882571f60082fd53?OpenDocument |title=Council Minutes for September 25, 2006 City of Bellingham, WA|work=cob.org|access-date=September 28, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001145929/http://www.cob.org/web/COUNCIL.nsf/59da8dfbfadd3723882566730073373b/2e41ea3452babeb1882571f60082fd53?OpenDocument |archive-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref> Two years later, the City Council passed a resolution urging elected representatives and the federal government to avoid war with Iran, becoming the first city in the state to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.citiesforprogress.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=726&Itemid=1 |title=Cities for Peace—IPS |publisher=Citiesforprogress.org |access-date=January 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902124807/http://www.citiesforprogress.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=726&Itemid=1 |archive-date=September 2, 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> In 2012, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling upon the federal government to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in the case of [[Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission|FEC v. Citizens United]] by declaring that U.S. Constitutional rights apply to natural persons and not to corporations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bellingham council approves anti-Citizens United resolution|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/06/05/2551154/bellingham-council-approves-anti.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118022012/http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/06/05/2551154/bellingham-council-approves-anti.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2013|access-date=November 17, 2012|newspaper=Bellingham Herald}}</ref> In 2014, coinciding with Columbus Day that celebrates the arrival of European explorers, the City Council officially established Coast Salish Day to celebrate the Native American peoples who continue to call the geographic region their home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/10/15/bellingham-unanimously-votes-recognize-coast-salish-day-157355|title=Bellingham Unanimously Votes to Recognize Coast Salish Day|work=Indian Country Today Media Network.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125060950/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/10/15/bellingham-unanimously-votes-recognize-coast-salish-day-157355|archive-date=November 25, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2015, the [[Seattle Arctic drilling protests]] spread to Bellingham when a protester chained herself to the [[anchor]] chain of a [[Royal Dutch Shell]] ship for 63 hours.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title= Arctic drilling update: Protester leaves Shell ship after hanging on since Friday; Student activist Chiara D'Angelo, who has been hanging off the anchor chain of an Arctic oil-drilling support ship since Friday night, has ended her protest |magazine=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date= May 25, 2015 |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0525/Arctic-drilling-update-Protester-leaves-Shell-ship-after-hanging-on-since-Friday |access-date=May 27, 2015}}</ref>

In May 2024, students at [[Western Washington University]] formed a [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses|pro-Palestine encampment]] outside of Old Main for two weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=One week into Western's pro-Palestine encampment |url=https://www.thefrontonline.com/article/2024/05/wwu-pro-palestine-encampment-update?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=One week into Western’s pro-Palestine encampment - The Front |language=en-US}}</ref> It disbanded on May 30 after negotiating with the university.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encampment resolution and reflections {{!}} President's Office {{!}} Western Washington University |url=https://president.wwu.edu/encampment-resolution-and-reflections |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=president.wwu.edu}}</ref>

===Future development===
[[File:Bellingham City Hall with a homeless camp around it. December 2020. (50693543996).jpg|thumb|Homeless encampment around Bellingham City Hall, 2020]]

Bellingham saw apartment vacancy hit 0.6% in 2016, and plans to use multi-family housing to accommodate more than 50% of the projected growth in housing units (16,525 units by 2036).<ref name="inside-shortage">{{cite news|last1=Hamann|first1=Emily|title=Inside Bellingham's housing shortage|url=http://bbjtoday.com/blog/inside-bellinghams-housing-shortage/33727/|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Business Journal|date=May 2, 2016}}</ref> According to Aaron Terrazas, senior economist at Zillow, "Given the area's pace of growth, it would require very aggressive building to keep rent affordability in check."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gallagher|first1=Dave|title=Ever wonder why rent continues to go up in Bellingham? Just look at the factors at play|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article142981649.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

The city has resisted expanding the Urban Growth Area for many years,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Way|first1=Rebekah|title=Pushing City Limits|url=https://theplanetmagazine.net/pushing-city-limits-99f37d65d281|publisher=The Planet Magazine|access-date=June 19, 2017|date=March 6, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and hopes to fit both multi-family and single-family growth within the city limits.<ref name="inside-shortage" /> Builders counter that even City planners acknowledge that the city is "largely built out" and that the remaining land is difficult or expensive to build on.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Twitchell|first1=Linda|title=Should cities expand boundaries to encourage affordable housing?|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article108265807.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=October 16, 2016}}</ref> Attempts to increase density, ease restrictions on 'accessory dwelling units',<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wohlfeil|first1=Samantha|title=Bellingham looks to tackle illegal housing after months of public input|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article120077083.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=December 11, 2016}}</ref> or even to develop land already zoned residential, are regularly met with fierce neighborhood opposition: Padden Trails was opposed by the Samish Neighborhood Association;<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Tim|title=Another Southside development proposal draws fire|url=http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/6540|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024195634/http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/6540|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2020|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Cascadia Weekly|date=December 7, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Carpenter|first1=Joseph|title=SNA position on Padden Trails|url=http://samishneighborhood.org/sna-position-on-padden-trails|website=Samish Neighborhood Association|access-date=June 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123073826/http://samishneighborhood.org/sna-position-on-padden-trails|archive-date=January 23, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> a dense development at the Sunnyland D.O.T. site was scaled-down;<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Tim|title=On the Spectrum|url=http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/17505|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Cascadia Weekly|date=August 20, 2014|archive-date=January 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123092441/http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/17505|url-status=dead}}</ref> Fairhaven neighbors led the effort to prevent the development of Fairhaven Highlands,<ref>{{cite web|title=Case Study: Solving problems with an opposition group.|url=http://masterplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/FairhavenHighlands_casestudy.pdf|access-date=June 19, 2017|archive-date=July 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731213549/http://masterplanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/FairhavenHighlands_casestudy.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> (now Chuckanut Ridge), which the City ended up purchasing for $8.2 million,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Servais|first1=John|title=City to buy Chuckanut Ridge for $8.2 million|url=http://nwcitizen.com/entry/city-to-buy-chuckanut-ridge-for-8.2-million|website=Northwest Citizen|access-date=June 19, 2017|date=August 16, 2011}}</ref> preventing more than 700 new housing units;<ref>{{cite web|title=Fairhaven's Hundred Acre Wood Wildlife Habitat or 1,464 Unit Planned Community|url=http://whatcomwatch.org/index.php/article/fairhavens-hundred-acre-wood-wildlife-habitat-or-1464-unit-planned-community/|website=Whatcom Watch|access-date=June 19, 2017|date=August 16, 2011}}</ref> neighborhood groups pressured the City Council to go against staff recommendation to rezone Squalicum Lofts for residential development.<ref>{{cite news|title=Allsop applies for industrial Squalicum Lofts project|url=http://bbjtoday.com/blog/allsop-applies-for-industrial-squalicum-lofts-project/1388/|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Business Journal|date=January 31, 2008}}</ref>

In 2017, the Bellingham City Council began acknowledging housing affordability as a critical issue,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mittendorf|first1=Robert|title=First-timers: It's getting harder to find affordable housing in Bellingham. Just look at what you're up against|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article152902544.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=May 27, 2017}}</ref> and hosted a town hall meeting on housing affordability and homelessness.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mittendorf|first1=Robert|title=They talked about 'income discrimination.' What does that mean?|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article156255959.html|access-date=June 19, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=June 14, 2017}}</ref>

===Waterfront redevelopment===
{{Main|Bellingham Waterfront}}
[[File:Bellingham, Washington, harbor, filled with logs, 1972.jpg|thumb|The harbor of Bellingham, Washington, filled with logs, 1972]]
The Bellingham waterfront has served as an industrial center for more than a century, starting with the arrival of Henry Roeder and Russell Peabody in the mid-1800s.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mittendorf|first1=Robert|title=See how Bellingham waterfront has changed since first European settlers|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article105036241.html|access-date=May 29, 2017|work=The Bellingham Herald|date=September 30, 2016}}</ref>

[[Georgia-Pacific]] (G-P) purchased the Puget Sound Pulp and Timber Company in 1963 and operated a pulp mill on the central downtown waterfront until 2001. In 1965, G-P built a [[Chloralkali process|chlor-alkali]] facility, which became a source of [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] contamination in the Whatcom Waterway and on the uplands of the site for decades. The documentary film, "Smells Like Money&nbsp;– The Story of Bellingham's Georgia Pacific Plant"<ref>{{cite AV media |people=David Albright, Brett Bonner, Colin Short |date=2006 |title=Smells Like Money: The Story of Bellingham's Georgia Pacific Plant |medium=DVD |publisher=[[Northwest Film School]] and [[Western Washington University]] |oclc=163579824}}</ref> tells the story of the site, which has since been purchased by the [[Port of Bellingham]] chiefly to create a marina in the {{convert|37|acre|ha|adj=on}} wastewater lagoon.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} The Port of Bellingham purchased the G-P site for $10 with the understanding that the port would assume liability for the contamination.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stark|first=John|date=January 21, 2005|title=Ceremony marks first step in creating city's new front door|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/107DAAD1F10C9773?p=NewsBank|journal=The Bellingham Herald |pages=Local, p. 1B|via=NewsBank}}</ref> The City of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham entered into several interlocal agreements in which the City agreed to pay for all infrastructure costs, and the Port would create a marina, clean up the site, and retain all zoning.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}}

The cleanup site (approximately {{convert|74|acre|ha|disp=}}) was divided into two areas: pulp and tissue mill area and the chlor-alkali area. Contaminated soils and building materials were removed in 2011 and 2013; the Department of Ecology finalized the Interim Cleanup Work Plan in January 2017,<ref name="gpwb-ecology">{{cite web|title=Georgia Pacific West Bellingham|url=https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=2279|website=State of Washington|publisher=Department of Ecology, State of Washington|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref> and that work was completed in April 2017 when 31 acres were capped with a protective barrier.<ref>{{cite web|title=It's a Wrap on the Cap: Port of Bellingham completes major cleanup milestone to redevelop Bellingham's Waterfront District|url=https://www.aspectconsulting.com/blog/2017/4/18/its-a-wrap-on-the-cap-port-of-bellingham-completes-major-cleanup-milestone-to-redevelop-bellinghams-waterfront-district|website=Aspect Consulting|date=April 18, 2017 |access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref> Work continues on evaluating cleanup alternatives for the entire chlor-alkali area of the site.<ref name="gpwb-ecology" />

The City and Port have entered into a partnership to redevelop the property, and in 2013 contracted with Harcourt Developments to develop {{convert|19|acre|ha|disp=}}.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hamann|first1=Emily|title=Harcourt lays out next stages of waterfront redevelopment|url=http://bbjtoday.com/blog/harcourt-lays-out-next-stages-of-waterfront-redevelopment/34561/|access-date=May 29, 2017|work=The Bellingham Business Journal|date=November 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107054328/http://bbjtoday.com/blog/harcourt-lays-out-next-stages-of-waterfront-redevelopment/34561/|archive-date=January 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Granary Building remodel will be completed in 2017; Harcourt has submitted plans for two waterfront condo buildings in 2018 and 2019; the city planned to construct two main roads through the side in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wohlfeil|first1=Samantha|title=Granary Building puts up fight; other waterfront projects in the works|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article122562484.html|access-date=May 29, 2017|date=December 23, 2016}}</ref>

==Sports==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Club
! Sport
! League
! Stadium
|-
| [[Bellingham Bells]]
| [[Baseball]]
| [[West Coast Collegiate Baseball League]]
| [[Joe Martin Stadium]]
|-
| [[Bellingham Slam]]
| [[Basketball]]
| [[International Basketball League]], West Conference
| [[Whatcom Pavilion]]
|-
| [[Bellingham Blazers (2012)|Bellingham Blazers]]
| [[Ice hockey]]
| USPHL
| [[Bellingham Sportsplex]]
|-
| [[Bellingham Roller Betties]]
| [[Roller derby]]
| [[WFTDA]]
| [[Whatcom Pavilion]]
|-
| [[Bellingham United FC]]
| [[Soccer]]
| [[Evergreen Premier League|EPLWA]]
| [[Civic Stadium (Bellingham, Washington)|Civic Stadium]]
|-
| [[Chuckanut Bay RFC|Chuckanut Bay Geoducks]]
| [[Rugby union]]
| Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union
| Bellingham Rugby & Polo Fields
|-
| Bellingham Jr. Blazers
| Youth ice hockey
| PCAHA & PNAHA
| [[Bellingham Sportsplex]]
|-
| [[Bellingham Figure Skating Club]]
| [[Figure skating]]
| [[USFSA]] Recreational and Competitive Club
| [[Bellingham Sportsplex]]
|-
| Bellingham United FC (indoor soccer)
| [[Indoor soccer]]
| [[Western Indoor Soccer League|WISL]]
| [[Bellingham Sportsplex]]
|}

Bellingham has been the home of several [[minor league]] sports teams that competed in regional competitions. The [[Northwest League]], a short-season baseball league, awarded an expansion franchise to the city in 1973. The team was known as the [[Bellingham Dodgers]] for four seasons until they became affiliated with the [[Seattle Mariners]] and were renamed to the [[Bellingham Mariners]].<ref name="CDN-Bells">{{cite news |last=Palmer |first=Hailey |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Bellingham Bells taking field for summer season |url=https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2022/jun/15/bellingham-bells-taking-field-for-summer-season/ |work=Cascadia Daily News |accessdate=April 6, 2025}}</ref> They were briefly renamed to the [[Bellingham Giants]] from 1995 to 1996 and relocated to [[Keizer, Oregon]], due to the lack of a suitable stadium.<ref>{{cite news |last=Derrick |first=Chris |date=June 12, 1997 |title=Ticket sales bubbling over for Salem-Keizer Volcanoes |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jun/12/tickets-sales-bubbling-over-for-salem-keizer/ |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |accessdate=April 6, 2025}}</ref> Future Hall of Famer [[Ken Griffey Jr.]] began his professional career with Bellingham Mariners in 1987.<ref>{{cite web | title=Griffey's career nearly ended after one season in Bellingham | website=Bellingham Herald | date=July 18, 2016 | url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/article90162677.html | access-date=March 2, 2024}}</ref> A collegiate baseball team, the [[Bellingham Bells]], were founded in 1999 and play in the [[West Coast League]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Benintendi |first=Connor J. |date=August 7, 2023 |title=Joe Martin: The man behind the stadium |url=https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2023/aug/07/joe-martin-the-man-behind-the-stadium/ |work=Cascadia Daily News |accessdate=April 6, 2025}}</ref>

The city's first minor league football team was the Bellingham Buttercups, who played for two seasons from 1930 to 1931. The [[Bellingham Bulldogs]] were established in 2008 and played for several years in various leagues until they suspended operations in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zeller-Singh |first=Nick |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Minor league football history in Whatcom County |url=https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/mar/19/minor-league-football-history-in-whatcom-county/ |work=Cascadia Daily News |accessdate=April 6, 2025}}</ref> The Whatcom County Vikings, named for the defunct [[Western Washington Vikings football|college football program]] at WWU, began play in 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last=Zeller-Singh |first=Nick |date=March 20, 2025 |title=New minor league football team comes to Whatcom County |url=https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/mar/20/new-minor-league-football-team-comes-to-whatcom-county/ |work=Cascadia Daily News |accessdate=April 6, 2025}}</ref>

Bellingham is located near the [[Mount Baker Ski Area]], which offers [[skiing]] and [[snowboarding]] in the winter and [[kayaking]] and [[cycling]] in the summer. The ski area claims a world record for seasonal snowfall, with {{convert|1140|in|mm}} recorded in the 1998–1999 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Climate-Watch, May 1999 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/1999/may/extremes0599.html |access-date=November 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111005218/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/extremes/1999/may/extremes0599.html |archive-date=November 11, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Western Washington University is home to [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division II National Women's [[Rowing (sport)|Rowing]] Champions. The Lady Vikings became Western's first NCAA champion team in 2005 and won again in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, and 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Washington crowned 2024 DII rowing champions |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/rowing/article/2024-06-01/western-washington-crowned-2024-dii-rowing-champions |publisher=[[NCAA]] |access-date=2024-11-15}}</ref> as well as winning two national championship titles at the [[National Collegiate Rowing Championship]]s in 1984 and 1996 before the NCAA began holding women's rowing championships in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Washington University – Athletics: Rowing – Women |url=https://wwuvikings.com/documents/2018/7/18//ROW.pdf?id=1996 |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=Western Washington University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> The 2011-2012 Western Men's Basketball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship. In 2016, the nationally ranked Western Women's Soccer Team won the NCAA Division II National Championship.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}} Western Washington University also operates a collegiate road cycling program that took top-5 positions nationwide at the 2006 nationals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwucycling.com/|title=wwucycling.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-date=September 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929152325/http://www.wwucycling.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Bellingham, Washington}}
The City of Bellingham has a non-partisan [[Mayor–council government#Strong-mayor form|strong-mayor, weak-council]] form of government. The directly elected mayor serves a four-year term.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cob.org/government/mayor/index.aspx |title=Office of the Mayor—City of Bellingham, WA |publisher=Cob.org |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=January 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116101754/http://www.cob.org/government/mayor/index.aspx |archive-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref> Six of the seven [[city council]] members are elected by [[Wards of the United States|ward]] for staggered four-year terms. The seventh council member is elected [[at-large]] every two years.<ref name="cob.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.cob.org/government/council/index.aspx |title=City Council—City of Bellingham, WA |publisher=Cob.org |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=January 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116101605/http://www.cob.org/government/council/index.aspx |archive-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref>

A municipal court judge is also elected for four-year terms.<ref>[http://www.cob.org/government/departments/js/index.aspx] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606011857/http://www.cob.org/government/departments/js/index.aspx|date=June 6, 2012}}</ref>

===Crime===
{{Infobox UCR
|city_name= Bellingham
|year= 2022
|violent_crime= 380
|homicide= 2
|rape= 22
|robbery= 135
|aggravated_assault= 221
|property_crime= 6,517
|arson= 20
|burglary= 804
|larceny_theft= 5,193
|motor_vehicle_theft= 500
|source_url= https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
|source_name= 2022 FBI UCR Data
|notes= 2022 population: 93,896
}}

The city maintains [[Bellingham Police Department]] and [[fire department]] and operates the countywide Medic One medical emergency response service through an agreement with Whatcom County.<ref name="cob.org"/> According to [[Uniform Crime Report]] statistics compiled by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) in 2022, there were 2&nbsp;murders, 380&nbsp;violent crimes and 6,517&nbsp;property crimes per 100,000&nbsp;residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 22&nbsp;forcible rapes, 135&nbsp;robberies and 221&nbsp;aggravated assaults, while 804&nbsp;burglaries, 5,193&nbsp;larceny-thefts, 500&nbsp;motor vehicle thefts and 20&nbsp;arson defined the property offenses.

==Education==
[[File:Old Main, Western Washington University.JPG|thumb|Old Main, [[Western Washington University]] in winter]]

[[Bellingham School District]] is the local school district for the vast majority of the municipality.<!--Census code for the Bellingham SD is UNI 00420--><ref name=CensusSDMap2020>{{cite map |author=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division |date=January 14, 2021 |title=2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Whatcom County, WA |scale=1:140,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st53_wa/schooldistrict_maps/c53073_whatcom/DC20SD_C53073.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=March 16, 2025}}</ref> There are four public high schools in Bellingham: [[Bellingham High School (Washington)|Bellingham High School]], [[Options High School (Washington)|Options High School]], [[Sehome High School]], and [[Squalicum High School]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bellinghamschools.org/schools/?sch=high |title=Our Schools |access-date=October 22, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228152543/http://www.bham.wednet.edu/schools/schools.htm |archive-date=February 28, 2009}}</ref> Bellingham has four public middle schools: Kulshan Middle School, Shuksan Middle School, Fairhaven Middle School, and Whatcom Middle School which was rebuilt after extensive fire damage in 2009.

A small portion of the city limits to the north is within the [[Meridian School District (Washington)|Meridian School District]].<!--UNI 05010--><ref name=CensusSDMap2020/>

Private schools in Bellingham include Whatcom Hills [[Waldorf education|Waldorf]] School (Prekindergarten through 8th grade), Whatcom Day Academy (Prekindergarten to 8th grade),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/29217|title=Whatcom Day Academy|date=March 19, 2015|work=privateschoolreview.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929055254/http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/29217|archive-date=September 29, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> St. Paul's Academy (Prekindergarten to 12th grade),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/29150|title=St. Paul's Academy|work=privateschoolreview.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082106/http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/29150|url-status=dead}}</ref> Assumption Catholic School (Prekindergarten to 8th grade),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/28712|title=Assumption Catholic School|work=privateschoolreview.com|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> and The Franklin Academy (Preschool to 8th grade).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://thefranklin.academy/about/qa/ |access-date=February 5, 2023 |website=The Franklin Academy |language=en-US}}</ref> [[File:Western_Washington_University_Looking_North.jpg|thumb|WWU Campus, looking north to downtown Bellingham]] [[Western Washington University]] is located in Bellingham.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visit |url=https://www.wwu.edu/visit |access-date=February 5, 2023 |website=Western Washington University |language=en}}</ref> It has more than 16,000 students. The [[Northwest Film School]] is a private, non-profit educational institution specializing in digital media production. It operates in a partnership with Western Washington University to offer a one-year certificate in Video Production.

Bellingham has two community colleges:
*[[Whatcom Community College]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatcom.ctc.edu/|title=Whatcom Community College : Home|work=ctc.edu|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129234439/http://www.whatcom.ctc.edu/|archive-date=November 29, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Bellingham Technical College]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.btc.ctc.edu/|title=Bellingham Technical College|work=ctc.edu|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629231157/http://www.btc.ctc.edu/|archive-date=June 29, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Lummi Nation School]] has a Bellingham postal address but it is away from the city limits in an [[unincorporated area]] on the [[Lummi Nation|Lummi]] reservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lummi-k12.org/|title=Home|publisher=[[Lummi Nation School]]|access-date=July 13, 2021|quote=2334 Lummi View Drive Bellingham WA, 98226|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724014730/http://lummi-k12.org/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Media==
===Newspapers===
''[[The Bellingham Herald]]'' is published daily in Bellingham. Other newspapers include ''[[Whatcom Watch]]'' and ''The Front'' (formerly ''Western Front''), which covers largely affairs of [[Western Washington University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westernfrontonline.net|title=The Western Front|access-date=September 28, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820024536/http://www.westernfrontonline.net/|archive-date=August 20, 2015}}</ref> In 2020, the ''[[Salish Current]]'' was founded as an online, nonprofit option for regional news.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-04 |title=Salish Current |url=https://findyournews.org/organization/salish-current/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Find Your News |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[The Bellingham Business Journal]]'', also known online as ''BBJ Today'', ceased publication in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bbjtoday.com/blog/the-bellingham-business-journal-to-discontinue-publishing/38250/|title = The Bellingham Business Journal to discontinue publishing &#124; BBJ Today|date = March 27, 2020}}</ref> ''[[Cascadia Daily News]]'' debuted on January 24, 2022, as a daily online publication and weekly print publication, replacing ''[[Cascadia Weekly]]'', which was available until 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dudley |first=Brier |date=August 13, 2021 |title=New local newspaper emerges in Bellingham |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/new-local-newspaper-emerges-in-bellingham/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 11, 2021 |title=Cascadia Weekly: Locally owned daily news publication coming to Bellingham |url=https://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/cascadia_newspaper_launches_daily_news_publication_in_bellingham |work=Cascadia Weekly |accessdate=December 11, 2021 |archive-date=November 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102134201/https://www.cascadiaweekly.com/cw/currents/cascadia_newspaper_launches_daily_news_publication_in_bellingham |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Television===
Bellingham and Whatcom County are part of the [[Media in Seattle#Television|Seattle]] television market. The area has had exceptionally early and strong penetration of [[cable television]] since the 1950s, and there have never been any local [[Broadcast relay station|translators]] of the major Seattle TV stations.

Stations in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, can be viewed over the air with suitable [[Television antenna|antennae]], but those in Seattle are too distant to receive in most locations in the county. Whatcom County residents can also receive CBC and CTV stations via cable service. [[KVOS-TV]], an affiliate of the Spanish-language network [[Univision]], is available in most parts of Bellingham with an antenna as well.

The City of Bellingham also operates BTV, a public access channel available on YouTube or Xfinity channel 10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BTV Bellingham |url=https://cob.org/services/education/btv |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=City of Bellingham |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About BTV Bellingham and FAQs |url=https://cob.org/services/education/btv/about-btv |access-date=February 6, 2023 |website=City of Bellingham |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Magazines===
* ''Bellingham on Tap'' is a monthly nightlife magazine featuring complete happy hour and bar special listings, reviews, events, local interest articles, and columns including sex advice, rants, and astrology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bellinghamontap.com|title=Bellingham on Tap—Bellingham Happy Hours and Specials|access-date=July 17, 2016|archive-date=July 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713004717/http://bellinghamontap.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''The Bellingham Blog'' (iLoveBellingham.com) is a community-focused digital magazine and blog. "Written by a local for the locals," it covers local lifestyle, arts and culture, small businesses, dining, and every day life in Bellingham and [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom County]].<ref>{{cite web |title=I Love Bellingham Blog |website=ilovebellingham.com|date=2025-12-03 |url=https://ilovebellingham.com/ |access-date=2025-12-09}}</ref>
* ''Bellingham Alive Magazine'' is a bi-monthly lifestyle magazine focusing on life in Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and Island counties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northsoundlife.com|title=Home—North Sound Life|work=North Sound Life|access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref>
* ''[[Frequency: The Snowboarder's Journal]]'' is an independent snowboarding magazine based in Bellingham, published quarterly.
* ''What's Up!'' is a monthly music magazine focused on local music. It covers live shows, band bios and new artist releases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/|title=What's Up! Magazine—Bellingham's Music Magazine since 1998|work=whatsup-magazine.com|access-date=September 28, 2015|archive-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927040143/http://www.whatsup-magazine.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Business Pulse'' has been covering Bellingham and Whatcom County business news and business profiles since 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businesspulse.com/magazine-archive |title=Business Pulse Magazine |publisher=Whatcom Business Association |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225131335/http://www.businesspulse.com/magazine-archive/ |archive-date=February 25, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Southside Living'' is mailed directly to residents of Bellingham's Chuckanut Drive, Edgemoor, Fairhaven, and South Hill neighborhoods.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jazzproject.org/southside-living-article-keeping-time-with-jud-sherwood/ |title=Southside Living |publisher=Best Version Media |access-date=February 23, 2017|date=April 8, 2016}}</ref>
* ''Trails Magazine'' is an independent backpacking and hiking magazine based in Bellingham and published quarterly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://trailsmag.net/pages/about-us|title=About Trails Magazine|website=Trails Magazine}}</ref>

===AM radio===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Frequency ([[kHz]])
! Call Sign
! [[kilowatt|kW]] (day)
! kW (night)
! Owner
|-
| 790
| [[KGMI]]
| 5
| 1
| Saga Communications
|-
| 1170
| [[KPUG]]
| 10
| 5
| Saga Communications
|}

===FM radio===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Frequency ([[mHz]])
! Call Sign
! kW
! Owner
|-
| 89.3
| [[KUGS]]
| 0.1
| [[Western Washington University]]
|-
| 91.7
| [[KZAZ (FM)|KZAZ]]
| 0.12
| [[Washington State University]]
|-
| 92.9
| [[KISM]]
| 50
| Saga Communications
|-
| 102.3
| [[KMRE-LP]]
| 0.1
| [[American Museum of Radio and Electricity]]
|-
| 104.1
| [[KAFE]]
| 60
| Saga Communications
|-
| 106.5
| [[KWPZ]]
| 63
| [[Crista Ministries]]
|}

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[File:Whatcom Transit Bus 01.jpg|thumb|alt=A green city bus pulls up to a stop|A local bus in the Fairhaven District, operated by the [[Whatcom Transportation Authority]]]]
[[File:MV_Columbia_at_Fairhaven.jpg|thumb|alt=One large ship and one small ship are docked at a port. There is a large expanse of water with another small ship approaching and mountains in the background.|M/V ''Columbia'' at [[Bellingham Cruise Terminal]]]]

Bellingham is bisected by [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] (I-5), which connects it to [[Seattle]], [[Vancouver]], and [[Portland, Oregon]]. The city also has three state highways: [[Washington State Route 11|State Route 11]], a scenic byway through the Chuckanut Mountains; [[Washington State Route 539|State Route 539]], which connects to [[Lynden, Washington|Lynden]] and the Canadian border; and [[Washington State Route 542|State Route 542]], which travels east to the Mount Baker Ski Area.<ref>{{cite map |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |year=2014 |title=Washington State Highways, 2014–2015 |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2006/06/13/TouristMapFront_withoutHillshade.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Department of Transportation]] |access-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221194441/https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2D10703F-9ADF-4A95-A14E-2A36FEAF1C20/0/Statewide2014NoHillshade.pdf |archive-date=February 21, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The city's streets were originally named in alphabetical order from the waterfront's never-built Army Street, increasing by one letter per block; several name changes in the early 20th century broke the naming scheme's order.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wohlfeil |first=Samantha |date=July 7, 2015 |title=Bellingham Council: Change Indian St. to Billy Frank Jr. St. |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article25373938.html |work=The Bellingham Herald |accessdate=January 22, 2025}}</ref>

The [[Bellingham International Airport]] offers scheduled commuter flights to and from Seattle and [[Friday Harbor, Washington]], and regularly scheduled jet service to various West Coast airports via [[Alaska Airlines]], [[Allegiant Air]], and [[San Juan Airlines]], and it was formerly served by [[Southwest Airlines]]. Alaska Airlines and Allegiant Air used to fly to Hawaii from Bellingham, serving Honolulu, Kahului, and Kona at various times, but this service ceased by 2019. The airport is home of the first Air and Marine Operations Center,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archives/legacy_amo_news/2004/082004/08202004.xml|title=ICE launches first northern border Air Marine Branch&nbsp;– CBP.gov<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=July 17, 2016}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> to assist the [[US Department of Homeland Security]] with border surveillance.

The [[Whatcom Transportation Authority]] (WTA) is the county's [[public transit]] agency and operates fixed bus service within Bellingham and its neighboring cities. The agency has several hubs, including the downtown station, the Western Washington University campus, and Cordata Station near Bellis Fair Mall, which is served by [[BoltBus]] intercity express buses to Seattle and Vancouver.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stritzel McCarthy |first=Cheryl |date=May 3, 2016 |title=Bellingham retirees doing just fine without a car |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/living/seniors-aging/article71250127.html |work=The Bellingham Herald |access-date=April 25, 2019 }}</ref> Several corridors have frequent service that is branded as "GO Lines", with service every 15 minutes.<ref>{{cite map |title=WTA Map: Bellingham |url=http://www.ridewta.com/Documents/Maps/Bellingham.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ridewta.com/Documents/Maps/Bellingham.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Whatcom Transportation Authority]] |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref> WTA also offers intercity service to [[Mount Vernon, Washington|Mount Vernon]], connecting with [[Skagit Transit]] for onward service to [[Everett, Washington|Everett]].<ref>{{cite web |title=County Connector |url=http://www.ridewta.com/types-of-service/fixed-route/county-connector |publisher=Whatcom Transportation Authority |access-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424233512/http://www.ridewta.com/types-of-service/fixed-route/county-connector |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The city's main train station, [[Fairhaven Station]], is served by scheduled [[Amtrak Cascades|Amtrak ''Cascades'']] service to Vancouver and Seattle twice a day. Amtrak also operates one [[Amtrak Thruway|Thruway]] bus trip to supplement its train service on the corridor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Dave |date=January 4, 2019 |title=Landslide near White Rock forces Amtrak to suspend service |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/business/article223946365.html |work=The Bellingham Herald |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 2, 2018 |title=Amtrak Cascades Schedule |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Amtrak-Cascades-Schedule-010218.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Amtrak-Cascades-Schedule-010218.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Amtrak]] |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref> The [[Bellingham Cruise Terminal]] is adjacent to the Amtrak station and serves as the southern terminus of the [[Alaska Marine Highway]], a state-run [[ferry]] for passengers and vehicles. The ferries provide service to [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]], [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]], [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]], and [[Haines, Alaska|Haines]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Alaska Marine Highway System |url=https://www.portofbellingham.com/201/Alaska-Marine-Highway-System |publisher=[[Port of Bellingham]] |access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref> The terminal is also served by San Juan Cruises, which provides seasonal passenger ferry service to the [[San Juan Islands]] and Friday Harbor.

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Bellingham, Washington}}

{{Div col}}
* [[AeTopus]] (Bryan Tewell Hughes) – electronic music composer and producer
* [[Bob Arbogast]] – radio-television host and voice actor
* [[Jon Auer]] – vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, founding member of [[the Posies]]
* [[Steve Baker (motorcyclist)|Steve Baker]] – professional motorcycle racer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=21&lpos=0px&letter=B&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0 |title=Steve Baker at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame |publisher=motorcyclemuseum.org |access-date=November 29, 2018 }}</ref>
* [[Carlos Becerra (actor)|Carlos Becerra]] – TV presenter<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article164286852.html|title=Bellingham man loves classic cars, has his own TV show to prove it|work=The Bellingham Herald|access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/carspotting-on-discovery-guys-in-their-20s-make-huge-sums-restoring-classic-muscle-cars/|title=Carspotting on Discovery: Guys in their 20s make huge sums restoring classic muscle cars|website=Monsters and Critics|date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Billy Burke (actor)|Billy Burke]] – television and film actor
* [[Misha Collins]] – actor, ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]''
* [[Brett Cooper (commentator)|Brett Cooper]] - political commentator and actress
* [[Ramsey Denison]] – documentary filmmaker, editor
* [[J. J. Donovan]] – Washington state businessman and politician
* [[Raymond Evans (USCG)|Raymond Evans]] - [[United States Coast Guard|USCG]] and Recipient of the [[Navy Cross]]
* [[Ben Gibbard]] – lead singer for Death Cab for Cutie
* [[Ryan Hietala]] – professional golfer
* [[Yolanda Hughes-Heying]] – IFBB professional bodybuilder
* [[Paul Jessup (athlete)|Paul Jessup]] – world record holder for discus<ref>{{cite web | title = Paul Jessup | publisher = Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/je/paul-jessup-1.html | access-date = February 28, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421065821/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/je/paul-jessup-1.html | archive-date = April 21, 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
* [[Oscar Jimenez (soccer, born 1989)|Oscar Jimenez]] – soccer player for [[Louisville City FC]]
* [[Anna Leader]] – poet and novelist
* [[Jake Locker]] – quarterback for [[Washington Huskies football|University of Washington]] and NFL's [[Tennessee Titans]]
* [[Dana Lyons]] – folk and alternative rock musician, author, environmentalist
* [[Cuddles Marshall]] – major league baseball player for the New York Yankees and St. Louis Browns
* [[Philip McCracken]] – artist, sculptor, activist
* [[Jason McGerr]] – drummer for Death Cab for Cutie
* [[Finn McKenty]] - American Internet Personality, Music & Entertainment Journalist
* [[Tommy Noonan]] – Actor, He played in ''[[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]]''
* [[Stephen Oswald]] – former pilot and NASA astronaut
* [[Doug Pederson]] – former [[head coach]] of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] of the [[National Football League]]
* [[Alfred Pettibone]] (1835–1914) – Washington state pioneer, one of the first residents of Bellingham
* [[Jeff Ragsdale]] – author, activist, national game show champion
* [[Taylor Rapp]] – NFL safety for the [[Buffalo Bills]]
* [[Roger Repoz]] – major league baseball player
* [[Charles Roehl]] (1857–1927) – Bellingham pioneer and businessman
* [[William Roehl]] (1890–1968) – Bellingham pioneer and businessman
* [[Jim Sterk]] - former athletic director for [[University of Missouri|Missouri]]
* [[Ryan Stiles]] – comedian on [[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (American TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Bryan |first=Saint |date=March 24, 2006 |title=Ryan Stiles, back home again |url=http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/northwest/eveningmagazine/stories/NW_032306EMryanstilesKC.547e80d4.html |work=Evening Magazine |publisher=KING 5 News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526023650/http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/northwest/eveningmagazine/stories/NW_032306EMryanstilesKC.547e80d4.html |archive-date=May 26, 2008 |accessdate=June 24, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Ken Stringfellow]] – vocalist, guitarist, founding member of [[the Posies]]
* [[Hilary Swank]] – actress
* [[Al Swift]], former member of the [[United States House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barone |first1=Michael |author-link1=Michael Barone (pundit) |last2=Ujifusa |first2=Grant |title=[[The Almanac of American Politics|The Almanac of American Politics 1988]]|year=1987 |page=1253}}</ref>
* [[Phoebe Wahl]] – artist and author<ref>{{cite news |last=Bikman |first=Margaret |date=August 5, 2015 |title=Artist profile: Author Phoebe Wahl comes home to roost |url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/entertainment/article29588032.html |work=The Bellingham Herald |accessdate=June 24, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Don Warren]] - NFL tight end and executive
* [[Ben Weber (actor)|Ben Weber]] – film and television actor
* [[Christopher Wise]] – author
{{Div col end}}

==Sister cities==
Bellingham maintains [[sister city]] relationships with five [[Pacific Rim]] port cities and Vaasa, Finland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bellingham Sister Cities |publisher=Bellingham Sister Cities Association |url=http://www.bsca.org/ |access-date=June 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704132126/http://www.bsca.org/ |archive-date=July 4, 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Online Directory: Washington, USA |publisher=Sister Cities International |url=http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/WA |access-date=June 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705082856/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/USA/WA |archive-date=July 5, 2008 |url-status=dead  |date=August 8, 1930 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="background:#ffffef; float:left;"
|-
! City
! State / Prefecture / Region
! Country
! Year
|-
| [[Tateyama, Chiba|Tateyama]]
| {{flag|Chiba}}
| {{flagu|Japan}}
| 1958
|-
| [[Port Stephens Council|Port Stephens]]
| {{flag|New South Wales}}
| {{flagu|Australia}}
| 1982
|-
| [[Nakhodka]]
| {{flag|Primorsky Krai}}
| {{flagu|Russia}}
| 1989
|-
| [[Punta Arenas]]
| {{flag|Magallanes}}
| {{flagu|Chile}}
| 1996
|-
| [[Cheongju]]
| [[Chungcheongbuk-do]]
| {{flagu|South Korea}}
| 2008
|-
| [[Vaasa]]
| [[File:Pohjanmaan maakunnan vaakuna.svg|22px]] [[Ostrobothnia (administrative region)|Ostrobothnia]]
| {{flagu|Finland}}
| 2009
|-
| [[Tsetserleg (city)|Tsetserleg]]
| {{flag|Arkhangai}}
| {{flagu|Mongolia}}
| 2011
|}
{{clear}}
Tateyama and Port Stephens are also sister cities with each other.

Bellingham Sister Cities Association promotes Bellingham's sister city relationships. The relationship with Tateyama is the most active and includes regular events such as an annual city hall staff exchange and community cultural visits. Tateyama frequently fields a team for the annual Ski to Sea race, or at minimum has representation in the Ski to Sea parade.

==See also==
* [[Fairhaven, Bellingham, Washington|Fairhaven]]
* [[New Whatcom]]
* [[Olympic pipeline explosion]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Bellingham|volume=3}}
* {{Cite book|last=MacGibbon |first=Elma |year=1904 |chapter=Chapter XV: Bellingham and Everett |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/leavesofknowledg00macg/page/124/mode/2up |title=Leaves of Knowledge |url=https://archive.org/details/leavesofknowledg00macg |publisher=Shaw & Borden |oclc=61326250}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=y}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Cite web|title=Bellingham, Washington|url=https://www.c-span.org/series/?citiesTour&city=8531|publisher=[[C-SPAN]] Cities Tour|date=January 2014}}

{{Bellingham}}
{{Geographic location
|Northwest = [[Ferndale, Washington|Ferndale]]
|North     = [[Laurel, Washington|Laurel]]
|Northeast = [[Dewey, Whatcom County, Washington|Dewey]]
|East      = [[Geneva, Washington|Geneva]]
|West      = [[Lummi Indian Reservation]]
|Center    = Bellingham
|Southwest = [[Bellingham Bay]]
|South     = [[Chuckanut Mountains]]
|Southeast = [[Lake Whatcom]]
}}
{{Whatcom County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}
{{Washington (state) county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bellingham, Washington| ]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Washington Territory]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Whatcom County, Washington]]
[[Category:County seats in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1854]]