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Bellingham, Washington

 
Bellingham, Washington

 
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Bellingham, Washington
 
 
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Bellingham, pronounced /beh-ling-HAM/, is the largest city in and the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 of Whatcom County
Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from a Nooksack language word meaning "noisy water." As of 2000, the population was 166,814....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
, and the eleventh largest city in the state. It is situated on Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay

Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific Ocean of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi, Portage Island, and Lummi Island....
, which is protected by Lummi Island
Lummi Island

Lummi Island, one of the San Juan Islands, lies at the southwest corner of Whatcom County, Washington, USA, between the mainland part of the county and offshore San Juan County, Washington....
, Portage Island
Portage Island

Portage Island is an island in the western part of Bellingham Bay in Whatcom County, Washington, USA. It is separated from the Lummi Peninsula by Portage Bay and from the central part of Lummi Island by Hale Passage, in Whatcom County, Washington....
, and the Lummi Peninsula
Lummi

The Lummi are a Native Americans in the United States tribe of the Coast Salish ethnolinguistic group in western Washington state in the United States....
, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait , is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada....
. It lies west of Mount Baker
Mount Baker

Mount Baker, or Koma Kulshan, is an active volcano ice andesite stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanoes and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States....
 and Lake Whatcom
Lake Whatcom

Lake Whatcom is a lake located near Bellingham, Washington, United States, forming part of the city's eastern border, and is about 14 miles long....
 (from which it gets its drinking water) and north of the Chuckanut Mountains
Chuckanut Mountains

The Chuckanut Mountains are located on the northern Washington state coast of Puget Sound, just south of Bellingham, Washington. Being a part of the Cascade Mountain Range, they are the only place where the Cascades come west down to meet the sea....
 and Skagit Valley
Skagit Valley

The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington, USA. Its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities which include the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, Washington, as well as Sedro-Woolley, Washington, Concrete, Washington, Lyman, Washington-Hamilton, Washington, and Burling...
. Whatcom Creek runs through the center of the city.

The Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 estimated that Bellingham's population was 75,150 in 2006.






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Bellingham, pronounced /beh-ling-HAM/, is the largest city in and the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 of Whatcom County
Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from a Nooksack language word meaning "noisy water." As of 2000, the population was 166,814....
 in the U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
, and the eleventh largest city in the state. It is situated on Bellingham Bay
Bellingham Bay

Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific Ocean of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi, Portage Island, and Lummi Island....
, which is protected by Lummi Island
Lummi Island

Lummi Island, one of the San Juan Islands, lies at the southwest corner of Whatcom County, Washington, USA, between the mainland part of the county and offshore San Juan County, Washington....
, Portage Island
Portage Island

Portage Island is an island in the western part of Bellingham Bay in Whatcom County, Washington, USA. It is separated from the Lummi Peninsula by Portage Bay and from the central part of Lummi Island by Hale Passage, in Whatcom County, Washington....
, and the Lummi Peninsula
Lummi

The Lummi are a Native Americans in the United States tribe of the Coast Salish ethnolinguistic group in western Washington state in the United States....
, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait , is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada....
. It lies west of Mount Baker
Mount Baker

Mount Baker, or Koma Kulshan, is an active volcano ice andesite stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanoes and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States....
 and Lake Whatcom
Lake Whatcom

Lake Whatcom is a lake located near Bellingham, Washington, United States, forming part of the city's eastern border, and is about 14 miles long....
 (from which it gets its drinking water) and north of the Chuckanut Mountains
Chuckanut Mountains

The Chuckanut Mountains are located on the northern Washington state coast of Puget Sound, just south of Bellingham, Washington. Being a part of the Cascade Mountain Range, they are the only place where the Cascades come west down to meet the sea....
 and Skagit Valley
Skagit Valley

The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington, USA. Its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities which include the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, Washington, as well as Sedro-Woolley, Washington, Concrete, Washington, Lyman, Washington-Hamilton, Washington, and Burling...
. Whatcom Creek runs through the center of the city.

The Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
 estimated that Bellingham's population was 75,150 in 2006. The boundaries of the city encompass the former towns of Fairhaven
Fairhaven, Washington

Fairhaven, Washington was founded in the late 1880s and is now part of the Bellingham, Washington, Washington, USA. It is on the south side of Bellingham, and borders Bellingham Bay on the west and Western Washington University on the northeast....
 (now home to the southern ferry terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska....
 System), New Whatcom, and others. Nearly half of all residents of Whatcom County live within Bellingham.

History

The name of Bellingham is derived from the bay on which the city is situated. George Vancouver
George Vancouver

Captain George Vancouver Royal Navy was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his Vancouver Expedition, including the shores of the modern day Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon....
, who visited the area in June 1792, named the bay for Sir William Bellingham
Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet

Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet was an Irish people British people politician and the "controller of the storekeepers' accounts" for the Royal Navy....
, the controller of the storekeeper's account of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
.

The first white settlers reached the area in 1854. In 1858, the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush

The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River, a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton, British Columbia....
 caused thousands of miners, storekeepers, and scalawags to head north from California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
. Whatcom grew overnight from a small northwest mill town to a bustling seaport, the basetown for the Whatcom Trail
Whatcom Trail

The Whatcom Trail was an overland trail from the Puget Sound area of Washington Territory during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858. Named for the then-chief of the Nooksack people on Bellingham Bay, where the trail began at Fairhaven , the route used went via a route known as the Columbia Valley, which is a lowland route connecting the mi...
, which led to the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon

The Fraser Canyon is a stretch of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley....
 goldfields, used in open defiance of colonial Governor James Douglas
James Douglas (Governor)

Sir James Douglas, Order of the Bath, was a company fur-trader and a British British Empire in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia....
's edict that all entry to the gold colony be made via Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy....
.

Coal mining
Coal mining

Coal mining is the extraction or removal of coal from the earth by mining. When coal is used for fuel in power generation it is referred to as steaming or thermal coal....
 occurred in the Bellingham area from the mid 19th–mid 20th centuries. Coal was originally discovered by Henry Roeder off the northeastern shore of Bellingham Bay. In 1854, a group of San Francisco investors established Bellingham Bay Coal Company. The mine extended to hundreds of miles of tunnels as deep as 1200'. It ran southwest to Bellingham Bay, on both sides of Squalicum Creek, an area of about one square mile. It employed some 250 miners digging over 200,000 tons of coal annually, at its peak in the 1920s. It was closed in 1955.

In the early 1890s, three railroad lines arrived, connecting the bay cities to a nationwide market of builders. The foothills around Bellingham were clearcut after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, California and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 A.M....
 to help provide the lumber for the rebuilding of San Francisco. In time, lumber and shingle mills sprang up all over the county to accommodate the byproduct of their work.

In 1889, 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 Bellingham into a Pacific Northwest metropolis never came to fruition, the BBIC made an immense contribution to the economic development of Bellingham..

BBIC was not the only outside firm with an interest in Bellingham utilities. The General Electric Company of New York purchased Bellingham's 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. Bellingham was officially incorporated on November 4 1903. It was the result of the consolidation of four towns initially situated around Bellingham Bay: Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and Fairhaven.

Bellingham's proximity to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound, connecting both to the Pacific Ocean....
 and to the Inside Passage
Inside Passage

The Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle and coastal British Columbia is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands....
 to Alaska helped keep some cannery operations here. P.A.F., for example, shipped empty cans to Alaska, where they were packed with fish and shipped back for storage.

Economy

The mean annual salary of a wage earner in Bellingham is $37,990, which is below the Washington State average of $44,710.

Adjusted for inflation, wages in Bellingham and Whatcom County have been declining for more than 30 years as service-oriented jobs gain prominence in the local economy, and goods production (mining, construction and manufacturing) decline as a share of total employment. Service oriented jobs now constitute at least 77% of all non-agricultural employment in Whatcom County.

Between 1989 and 1999 median household income grew 41% in Whatcom County while housing costs grew 108% over the same period. In each year 1998–2000 the average wage in Whatcom County was not enough to afford a two-bedroom rental unit.

For the year 2005, the median price of all homes sold in Whatcom County was $259,000 while the median price of homes sold in the Bellingham area was $269,000. This compares with a statewide median home price of $260,900.

Geography

The city is located at (48.750178, -122.474975). According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of 31.7 square miles (82.2 km²), of which, 25.6 square miles (66.4 km²) of it is land and 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) of it (19.19%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 67,171 people, 27,999 households, and 13,999 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was 2,619.3 people per square mile (1,011.5/km²). There were 29,474 housing units at an average density of 1,149.3/sq mi (443.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.88% White, 0.98% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, 1.48% Native American, 4.25% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 2.16% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 3.08% from two or more races. 4.63% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 27,999 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average familyunder the age of 18, 23.8% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

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
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 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 age 65 or over.

Weather

Bellingham's climate is generally mild. The average yearly high and low temperatures are 57 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit (14 and 5 °C), respectively. Although the rainy season can last as long as eight months or more, it is usually about six months long, leaving Bellingham with a picturesque late spring and mild, pleasant summer. Although Bellingham receives an average annual rainfall of 34.8 inches (884 mm), many long weeks of short and cloudy days are commonplace in winter.

Western Whatcom County has a damp marine climate. Successful local farmers plan for the possibility of substantial rain every day of the year and take advantage of the dry days when they occur. It may not rain every day, but it is never a good assumption that it will not rain somewhere in Whatcom County on any given day. Drought is almost unknown, although some summers are considerably 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 than too little.

Bellingham's location and geography occasionally subject it to an unusual and harsh weather pattern known locally as a "Nor'Easter," (pronounced "Northeaster" by old-timers.) Effectively, an 'inverted' jet stream can drive down cold sub-Arctic air from the Canadian interior, usually through the Fraser River
Fraser River

The Fraser River is the longest river in British Columbia, Canada, rising near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for 1,375 km , into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Vancouver, British Columbia....
 Canyon. This cold air mass can collide with a Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska

The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found....
 cold front and create high winds, road ice, snow, or heavy rains. A "Silver Thaw" can result and wind chill equivalents can slide well under . Such an event was recorded on November 28 2006. Outside air temperatures of 12 °F (-11 °C) were accompanied by 30 to 48 mph (48 to 77 km/h) winds with humidity as high as 61%. Wind chill equivalents reached -10 °F (-23 °C) according to NOAA. On 1 Feb 1989, the high temperature for the day was 8 °F and the average northeast wind approached hurricane force at 39 mph average with gusts to 64 mph. Oldtimers also like to talk about January of 1950 when the minimum temperature was in the single digits for almost the entire month , but the weather records are incomplete that far back.

Another weather phenomenon, known as the "Chinook wind
Chinook wind

Chinook winds, often just called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest....
," happens in the autumn. For most of a day, an unusually warm and steady wind comes out of the south. It is essentially a reverse "Nor'Easter." Some film of a "Nor'Easter and a "Chinook" can be seen at this link: Chinook winds are at their most dramatic in December or January when they follow several days of north east wind. A Chinook wind following a northeast wind can melt eight foot snow drifts overnight, pushing drainage systems to their limits.

Education

Bellingham is home to several educational institutions, including Whatcom Community College
Whatcom Community College

Whatcom Community College is a community college located in Bellingham, Washington, the county seat of Whatcom County. WCC, a public associate degree-granting college, has course and program offers in the liberal arts, professional/technical, basic education and personal/professional enrichment....
; Bellingham Technical College
Bellingham Technical College

Bellingham Technical College is located in the Pacific Northwest town of Bellingham, Washington in Washington State. Just a a mile northwest of downtown Bellingham, the campus resides about 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver....
; Northwest Indian College
Northwest Indian College

Northwest Indian College, run by the Lummi tribe of Native Americans in the United States, is located in Bellingham, Washington.Founded in 1979 as the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, the school became Lummi Community College in 1983.The college also has outreach campuses in Nespelem WA, Auburn WA, Lapwai ID, Tulalip WA, La Conner WA, Ki...
; a satellite campus of Trinity Western University
Trinity Western University

Trinity Western University is a Private university, Christian liberal arts university located in Langley, British Columbia , British Columbia, Canada....
; and (with over fifteen thousand students) Western Washington University
Western Washington University

Western Washington University is one of six public university, university of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, Washington and offers bachelor degree and master degree degrees....
, which includes, among others Fairhaven College
Fairhaven College

Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies is an interdisciplinary liberal arts college at Western Washington University. Instead of working towards pre-defined majors, Fairhaven students are responsible to shape their own interdisciplinary concentration or major, combining independent study, internships, and Western Washington Universit...
; Huxley College; and the Woodring College of Education.

There are three high schools in the city: Bellingham High School
Bellingham High School

Bellingham High School is a public high school in the Bellingham School District located in Bellingham, Washington....
, Sehome High School
Sehome High School

Sehome High School, the home of the Mariners, is a public school and a part of the Bellingham School District in Washington, United States. Sehome High serves students mainly from the southern end of the City of Bellingham, Washington....
 and Squalicum High School
Squalicum High School

Squalicum High School is a public school in Bellingham, WA, and is part of the Bellingham School District. The school serves the northeast population of Bellingham, including the area surrounding Lake Whatcom....
.

For-profit school
For-Profit School

For-profit schools are educational institutions that are run by private, profit-seeking companies or organizations.There are two major types of for-profit schools....
s include Evergreen Team Concepts and Lean Leadership Institute.

Government

Bellingham has a non-partisan strong-mayor, weak-council form of government. The directly elected mayor serves a four-year term. Six of the seven city council
City council

A city council is a form of local government, usually covering a city or other urban area, such as a town. The system of government has roots back at least to the Roman Empire....
 members are elected by ward
Wards of the United States

In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes....
 for staggered four-year terms. The seventh council member is elected at-large
At-Large

At-Large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership....
 every two years.

A municipal court judge is also elected for four year terms.

The city maintains its own municipal police
Police

Police are agents or agencies, usually of the executive , empowered to enforce the law and to ensure public and social order through the legitimized use of force....
 and fire department
Fire department

A fire department is a public sector or private sector organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district....
 and operates countywide Medic One
Medic One

Medic One is an emergency medical service program founded in Seattle, Washington in 1968, based on the concept that bringing an advanced life support system to the victims of myocardial infarction, as pre-hospital intervention, would improve their chance of survival....
 service through an agreement with Whatcom County.

Local culture


Events

  • The Ski to Sea Race - This longstanding Bellingham tradition, owned and organized by the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, was first held in 1973, but is traceable to the 1911 Mt. Baker Marathon. It 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
    Mount Baker Ski Area

    The Mount Baker Ski Area is a ski resort located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The ski area is specifically located on the Shuksan Arm, which connects the Mount Baker stratovolcano with the Mount Shuksan, at the end of Washington State Route 542....
     and make their way down to the finish line on Bellingham Bay
    Bellingham Bay

    Bellingham Bay is a bay located on the northern Pacific Ocean of Washington state in the United States. It is separated from the Strait of Georgia on the west by the Lummi, Portage Island, and Lummi Island....
    . The Race attracts participants from all over the world. In 2005, the Ski to Sea Race was featured nationally on the "Fox Sports Northwest" network, reaching 3.2 million households. The event brings thousands of people from around the Pacific Northwest, and many from around the world, to Bellingham and Whatcom County, and generates over $5 million for the local economy.


  • LinuxFest Northwest
    Linuxfest Northwest

    LinuxFest Northwest is an annual technology conference and expo held in Bellingham, Washington. It is a Saturday and Sunday weekend event held in late April....
     is held at Bellingham Technical College
    Bellingham Technical College

    Bellingham Technical College is located in the Pacific Northwest town of Bellingham, Washington in Washington State. Just a a mile northwest of downtown Bellingham, the campus resides about 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver....
     during the last weekend in April. It is dedicated to discussion and development of the Linux
    Linux

    Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
     operating system
    Operating system

    An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
     and other open source
    Open source

    Open source is an approach to design, development, and distribution offering practical accessibility to a product's source . Some consider open source as one of various possible design approaches, while others consider it a critical Strategy element of their business operations....
     and free software
    Free software

    Free Software or software libre is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things and to prevent consumer-facing hardware...
     projects. It is free to the public and draws nearly a thousand computer professionals and enthusiasts from across the northwestern U.S. and western Canada. First held in 2000, it has grown to become one of the largest Linux events in the U.S.


  • The Bellingham-based Whatcom Peace & Justice Center
    Whatcom Peace & Justice Center

    The WPJC was created in 2002 by citizens of Bellingham, Washington as a non-profit 503 tax-exempt organization, with the mission of promoting the concepts of Peace & Social Justice in the local community....
     publishes a calendar of upcoming activist events with a theme of non-violence, community dissent, and worldwide Peace.


  • The Bellingham Festival of Music
    Bellingham Festival of Music

    The Bellingham Festival of Music is a classical music festival held annually in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, United States, over several weeks during the summer....
      is an annual celebration of orchestral and chamber concerts, held in July, hosting world-class musicians from North America’s top orchestral ensembles.


  • Bellingham Pride is a parade and festival held in July each year to celebrate LGBT
    LGBT

    LGBT is an acronym and initialism referring collectively to Lesbian,Gay, Bisexuality, and Transgender people. In use since the 1990s, the term ?LGBT? is an adaptation of the initialism ?LGBT? which itself started replacing the phrase ?gay community? which many within LGBT communities felt did not represent accurately all those to which it...
     people and their friends. The parade takes place on a midsummer weekend, passing through the heart of downtown and ending in the public market area.


Local attractions

Popular locations for both residents and visitors include:
  • Whatcom Museum of History and Art
    Whatcom Museum of History and Art

    The Whatcom Museum of History and Art was originally built in 1892 as the city hall for the former town of New Whatcom, before it was joined with surrounding towns to form Bellingham, Washington....
     - Sponsors art, natural and local history exhibits, fund-raising events, gallery walks, walking tours of the historic buildings of the city, history and art lessons for local schools
    Bellingham School District

    Bellingham School District No. 501 is a public school district in Whatcom County, Washington, Washington, United States and serves the city of Bellingham, Washington....
     and adult groups, and historic cruises on Bellingham Bay.
  • American Museum of Radio and Electricity
    American Museum of Radio and Electricity

    The American Museum of Radio and Electricity is an interactive museum located in Bellingham, Washington which offers educational experiences for audiences of all ages through galleries and public programs that illustrate the development and use of electricity, radio and the related inventions that changed the course of human history....
     - Features a collection of artifacts from 1580 into the 1950s.
  • Bellingham Farmers Market - Saturdays from April through Christmas. First opened in 1993, now features more than 50 vendors, music and other events. There is a tradition that "on opening day a cabbage is thrown by a city official to a long standing vendor." The association also operates a Wednesday market in nearby Fairhaven.
  • Whatcom Falls Park
    Whatcom Falls Park

    Whatcom Falls Park is a park in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, USA. The falls are on Whatcom Creek, which leads from Lake Whatcom to Bellingham Bay....
     - A park encompassing the Whatcom Creek gorge. The park, with its four sets of waterfalls and several miles of walking trails, is a hub of outdoor activity connecting and defining several different neighborhoods in the city. Noted activities include swimming, fishing (The park has a fishing pond for kids less than 12 years), walking trails.
  • Bellingham Railway Museum
    Bellingham Railway Museum

    The Bellingham Railway Museum in Bellingham, Washington, USA, displays a pictorial and text history of railroad traffic in Bellingham and Whatcom County/Skagit County, as well as a large electric model railroad, an exhibit of railroad lanterns, and a freight train simulator....
     - Has displays on the history of railroading in Whatcom County, as well as model trains, and a freight-train simulator.
  • Mindport - A privately funded arts and science museum.
  • Mount Baker Ski Area
    Mount Baker Ski Area

    The Mount Baker Ski Area is a ski resort located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The ski area is specifically located on the Shuksan Arm, which connects the Mount Baker stratovolcano with the Mount Shuksan, at the end of Washington State Route 542....
     - Home to many of the world's first snowboarding champions, it holds the world record for the greatest amount of snowfall in one season (winter 1998–1999).
  • Whale watching
  • Washington State Route 11 also known as Chuckanut Drive
  • Larrabee State Park
    Larrabee State Park

    Larrabee State Park is a state park in Washington, located six miles south of the city of Bellingham, Washington. It was the first state park to be created in Washington....
  • Lake Padden
    Lake Padden

    Lake Padden is a lake located in Bellingham, Washington, United States. It is very popular during the spring and summer. Picnics are popular and there are plenty of tables scattered though the park....
    , popular for swimming, fishing and golfing.
  • Lake Samish
    Lake Samish

    Lake Samish is a lake south of Bellingham, Washington.Visible to the West of Interstate 5 when travelling between Alger, Washington and Bellingham, Lake Samish is heavily used for recreation in the summer months by local residents....
  • Lake Whatcom
    Lake Whatcom

    Lake Whatcom is a lake located near Bellingham, Washington, United States, forming part of the city's eastern border, and is about 14 miles long....
  • North Lookout Mountain
    North Lookout Mountain

    North Lookout Mountain, known locally as Galbraith Mountain or simply Galby, is a 1,785-foot mountain located 5 miles southeast of downtown Bellingham, Washington in Whatcom County....
    , known locally as Galbraith Mountain


Transportation

The Bellingham International Airport
Bellingham International Airport

Bellingham International Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of Bellingham, Washington, in Whatcom County, Washington, Washington, United States....
 offers regularly scheduled commuter flights to and from Seattle and Friday Harbor, Washington
Friday Harbor, Washington

Friday Harbor is a town in San Juan County, Washington, Washington, United States. The population was 2,082 at the 2007 Census Bureau estimate. Located on San Juan Island, it is the major commercial center of the San Juan Islands archipelago....
, and regularly scheduled jet service to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
; Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, Nevada, United States. A 2006 estimate indicated that the city's population had increased to 214,853, but ranked Reno as the third largest city in the state following Las Vegas, Nevada, and Henderson, Nevada....
; San francisco; Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona

Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, in the U.S. state of Arizona and is a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area....
 and seasonal service to Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, California, approximately 111 miles east of Los Angeles, California and 136 miles northeast of San Diego, California....
. The airport is home of the first Air and Marine Operations Center, to assist the US Department of Homeland Security with border surveillance.

Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak Cascades

The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada....
 provides Bellingham with regularly scheduled passenger rail service to Seattle and Vancouver
Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
, British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, Canada. Whatcom Transportation Authority offers regular scheduled bus service throughout the Bellingham area, including service to Mt. Vernon.

Music scene

Supported by the presence of a large university-age population, Bellingham has been home to a number of regionally and nationally noted musical groups such as: Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie is a Grammy nominated American indie rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Benjamin Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nicholas Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
, The Posies
The Posies

The Posies are an United States alternative rock group. The band was formed in 1987 in Bellingham, Washington by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow....
, Crayon
Crayon (band)

Crayon was an indiepop band that formed in 1990 in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, which is about 90 miles north from Seattle. A bit more punk rock than twee, Crayon were obviously influenced by bands like Beat Happening and The Modern Lovers....
, Idiot Pilot
Idiot Pilot

Idiot Pilot is an alternative rock/electronica duo from Bellingham, Washington, United States consisting of Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson ....
, Vaughn Trapp, Mono Men
Mono Men

The Mono Men were an American garage punk band, based in Bellingham, Washington. The band rose up from the ashes of another Washington band, The Roofdogs....
, The Contra, Federation X
Federation X

Federation X is a rock band, originally formed in Bellingham, Washington, though now shares members between Bellingham and New York, New York. Founded by Ben Wildenhaus , Bill Badgley , and Beau Boyd in 1998....
, Feed & Seed, Outpatient, Human Infest, Mysterious Chocolate, The Trucks
The Trucks

The Trucks was an electronic rock band originally formed in Bellingham, Washington. It was founded in 2003, to fill a lack of female bands for a festival, by Kristin Allen-Zito, Faith Reichel, and Marissa Moore, and later added Lindy McIntyre on drums....
, Shook Ones
Shook Ones

Shook Ones is a melodic hardcore band from Bellingham, Washington that have since relocated to Seattle, Washington. The band has done several tours of the United States and a three-week tour of Europe....
, Ash-Burned, Megatron, Yogoman Burning Band, David Weiss
David Weiss

David Weiss may refer to:* David Weiss , Swiss mulit-media artist* David Weiss , author of Naked Came I* David S. Weiss, American comedy writer, radio sidekick for Dennis Miller...
 , Black Breath, The Pale Pacific
The Pale Pacific

The Pale Pacific is an indie rock/powerpop band based in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, currently on the SideCho label. Members include frontman Gabe Archer on lead vocals, keyboard, and guitar, Gabe's cousin Cameron "Cam" Nicklaus on guitar, Justin Harcus on bass, and Greg Swinehart on drums and background vocals....
,Pink Lincoln, the Love Lights, Karate Kitchen, Dragline, Crossfox, the Growers, the Russians, 76 Charger, 10 Killing Hands, Racetrack, Kiss Goodbye, Our Fallen Heroes, Haf-Sac, Cast of Characters, Strait A StudentsVoodoo Grace Notes, and Below Average Productions all originate from the area.

Local independent record labels include Estrus Records
Estrus Records

Estrus Records is an independent record label from Bellingham, Washington that makes Surf music, Garage rock and trash rock music.They have released such bands as Soledad Brothers , The Drags, The Mummies, Impala, Man or Astro-man?, the Makers, Gas Huffer, The Mooney Suzuki, The Cherry Valence, Midnight Evils, Mono Men, Federation X, The Tr...
, Clickpop Records
Clickpop Records

Clickpop Records is an independent record label in Bellingham, Washington that releases music predominantly from the Pacific Northwest, and then attempts to bring these artists to national or international attention....
, Murder Mountain Records, Soapbox Records, New Regard Media and Boogie Man Records.

The town is also home to What's Up! Magazine - a music magazine devoted to the local music scene for over 10 years.

Film scene

Bellingham also has a burgeoning independent film community, which is supported by the Whatcom Film Association, a local group of film appreciators with over 1500 members and the Northwest Film School, a hands-on filmmaking program. While not as large-scale or well-financed as some of Seattle's independent film efforts, Bellingham's annual NW Projections Film Festival has grown substantially in attendance since its creation in 1999. Several award-winning short films originated in Bellingham, as well as a handful of feature films.

Literary references

Robert James Waller
Robert James Waller

Robert James Waller is an United States author also known for his work as a photographer and musician. Several of his books have been on the New York Times New York Times bestseller list including 1992's The Bridges of Madison County which was the top best-seller in 1993....
’s 1992 best-selling novel, The Bridges of Madison County
The Bridges of Madison County

The Bridges of Madison County is a 1992 in literature best-selling novel by Robert James Waller which tells the story of a lonely Italian war bride who engages in an adulterous affair with a National Geographic photographer from Bellingham, Washington who has come to Madison County, Iowa in order to create a photo essay on the covered bri...
, began with the story of a National Geographic photographer from Bellingham, but Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, film producer and composer. He is known for his tough guy, anti-hero acting roles in Action films and western films, particularly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s....
’s film adaptation omitted this starting point.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard

Annie Dillard is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, best known for her narrative nonfiction. She has also published poetry, essays, literary criticism, autobiography, and fiction....
 wrote a historical fiction, The Living
The Living (novel)

The Living is American author Annie Dillard's first novel, a historical fiction account of European settlers and a group of Lummi natives in late 1800s Washington published in 1992....
, set in the American Northwest in the late 19th century and focusing on the settlement at Whatcom on Bellingham Bay.

Local theater

Bellingham is home to a rich theater culture which is further boosted by the performing arts department at Western Washington University. There are several notable theaters and productions in Bellingham:

  • Bellingham Theatre Guild
    Bellingham Theatre Guild

    The Bellingham Theatre Guild is a community theater located in Bellingham, Washington. Founded in 1929, the guild has been housed in it's current location - the old Congregational Church converted for live theater use - since 1944....
     - This non-profit community theater is nearly 80 years old. Hilary Swank performed here before moving to LA to pursue her career in acting.
  • Historic Mount Baker Theater - This beautifully restored theater built in 1927 features a fine example of Moorish architecture and is the largest performing arts facility north of Seattle. The theater is listed on the register of National Historic Places..
  • Upfront Theatre, an improv comedy venue established by Bellingham resident Ryan Stiles
    Ryan Stiles

    Ryan Lee Stiles is an Emmy Award-nominated United States-Canada actor, comedian, Television director, and voice actor whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy....
     from Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame.
  • iDiOM Theater
  • Firehouse Performing Arts Center, a Fairhaven firehouse converted into a dance classroom and theatre, features audience seating descending from the ceiling in a counterweight system and a radiant-heated wood floor. Performances include theatre, music, and dance.
  • The high schools of Bellingham School District perform a combined musical production every several years.


Activism


Bellingham is home to the longest-running Peace vigil in the US. Started by Howard and Rosemary Harris more than 46 years ago, it has seen more than 4 generations. On the corner of Magnolia Street and Cornwall, in front of the Federal Building, every Friday starting at 4pm and lasting until usually about 5pm.

International Day of Peace has been observed for the last four years by hundreds of participants. The event commemorates the United Nations' observance of September 21st as a day for international peace and cease-fire. Participants hold a rally at Maritime Heritage Park, and then marched to an event at First Congregational Church.

The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center
Whatcom Peace & Justice Center

The WPJC was created in 2002 by citizens of Bellingham, Washington as a non-profit 503 tax-exempt organization, with the mission of promoting the concepts of Peace & Social Justice in the local community....
 was founded in 2002 by local activists, and has been one of the most active such centers in the nation.

Bellingham has a strong chapter of Code Pink
Code Pink

Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that started in the leadup to the 2003 Iraq War. They describe themselves as a "grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities." Wearing their signature pink co...
, Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Peace

Veterans For Peace is an United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war....
, and also a chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War
Iraq Veterans Against the War

Iraq Veterans Against the War is an advocacy group of American active duty military personnel, Iraq War veterans, War in Afghanistan veterans, and other veterans who have served since 9/11 who are opposed to the U.S....
, Chapter #32.

City Councilman Terry Bornemann has been a staple of the local activist community, and sponsored the October, 2006 Troops Home! resolution, making Bellingham the first city in the state of Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 to pass the resolution.

In July of 2008, the Bellingham City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging elected representatives and the federal government to avoid war with Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, becoming the first city in the state to do so.

Future development

In March 2005, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Kiplinger's Personal Finance is a magazine that has been continuously published, on a monthly basis, from 1947 to the present day. It was the nation's first personal finance magazine, and prides itself on delivering "sound, unbiased advice in clear, concise language"....
 named Bellingham one of the top retirement cities in the nation. Purchase price of homes has risen, but rent has remained relatively stable. Many of the condominiums recently built as a result of the demand for affordable housing have subsequently become rental units.

Bellingham has seen a resurgence of real-estate development as house prices climb, caused in part by new residents moving in to the community. In order to accommodate this growth, new properties have sprung up all over the city, including the Downtown, Fairhaven, Happy Valley, Cordata, and Barkley neighborhoods. The city has reiterated their commitment to developing a wide range of housing options for all income categories, while retaining the integrity of existing communities. Annexation
Annexation

Annexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities....
 of surrounding farmland and county wilderness has been kept to a minimum due to public concern for environmental preservation, but several controversies have risen over the city's decisions to counteract the loss of land by allowing taller buildings in the city core, major new development on previously undeveloped land, and a lack of parks and open spaces in some of the more recently developed areas.

Waterfront redevelopment

The Bellingham waterfront has served as an industrial center for the past century, most notably the area encompassing the former Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific

File:GeorgiaPacificHDQ.jpgGeorgia-Pacific LLC. is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of Tissue paper, Wood pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals....
 mill. 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 Chlor-Alkali facility, which became a source of mercury contamination in the Whatcom Waterway and on the uplands of the site for decades. The documentary film, "Smells Like Money - The Story of Bellingham's Georgia Pacific Plant" tells the story of the site, which has since been purchased by the Port of Bellingham
Port of Bellingham

The Port of Bellingham is a government agency in Bellingham, Washington, Whatcom County, Washington, United States which operates two large marinas, port facilities and the ....
 chiefly to create a marina in the 37 acre wastewater lagoon. The Port of Bellingham purchased the G-P site for $10 with the understanding they would assume liability for the contamination. 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.

The City and Port have entered into a partnership to redevelop the property, which has been unofficially renamed New Whatcom after the township of which the area was originally a part. A general plan for the city's waterfront was developed by the Waterfront Futures Group, and the new Waterfront Advisory Group has been convening to develop a more detailed plan focused on this particular site. The draft plan includes "a new city neighborhood with homes, shops, offices and light industry, as well as parks and promenades, a healthy shoreline habitat along Bellingham Bay..."

Some citizen groups have opposed the Port's plan, most notably the Bellingham Bay Foundation (formed in 2005). During the summer of 2006, the Bellingham Bay Foundation formed People for a Healthy Bay over a concern that many of the areas slated for development contained high mercury levels (as high as 12,500ppm in the soil under the former Chlor-Alkali facility). People for a Healthy Bay launched an initiative that would have required the City of Bellingham to advocate for removal of mercury to the highest practical level. The City successfully sued to keep the initiative off the ballot.

The Washington State Department of Ecology is currently reviewing public comment for the Port's cleanup documents of the Whatcom Waterway.

Ecology will host a second public comment period for the Cleanup Action Plan, at which time the specifics of the cleanup will be discussed and decided. The City of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham will develop a Master Plan and implement tax-increment financing for the City's portion of funding of infrastructure. Infrastructure alone is expected to cost roughly $200 million. Whatcom County has declined participation in the financing, citing unmet gaps in funding, a lack of benefit to the County, and the need for County taxes to go toward emergency, jail, and mental health services.

Sports

Club Sport League Stadium Logo
Bellingham Bells
Bellingham Bells

The Bellingham Bells are a baseball team in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Based in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, United States, the Bells were previously part of the Pacific International League until the league folded....
 Baseball
Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score run by hitting a thrown Baseball with a baseball bat and touching a series of four markers called base arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team take turns hitting against...
 West Coast Collegiate Baseball League Joe Martin Field 
Bellingham Slam
Bellingham Slam

The Bellingham Slam is a professional basketball team that plays in the International Basketball League. In the past they played in the American Basketball Association ....
 Basketball
Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a basketball through a 10 feet  high hoop under organized rules....
 International Basketball League
International Basketball League

The International Basketball League was a short lived professional basketball league in the United States. The IBL was headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland....
, West Conference		 Whatcom Pavilion
Whatcom Pavilion

The Whatcom Pavilion is a 1,100 seat multi-purpose arena located in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, United States on the campus of Whatcom Community College....
 
Bellingham Roller Betties Roller derby
Roller derby

Roller derby is an United States-invented contact sport?and historically, a form of sports entertainment?based on formation roller skating around an oval track....
 WFTDA Bellingham Sportsplex
Bellingham Sportsplex

The Bellingham Sportsplex is a multi-use sports facility located in Bellingham, Washington. The Sportsplex contains two Sod fields, primarily used for indoor soccer, and an ice rink, used by local amateur ice hockey teams, figure skating lessons and performances, and most importantly home games for the Western Washington University hockey tea...
Bellingham Bulldogs Football
Football

File:Football4.pngFootball is the word given to a number of similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a Goal ....
 Evergreen Football League (EFL) Civic Field
Chuckanut Bay Geoducks
Chuckanut Bay RFC

The Chuckanut Bay Geoducks is a member of the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union and the Fraser Valley Rugby Union located in British Columbia, Canada....
 Rugby Union
Rugby union

Rugby union is a competitive outdoor contact sport, played with an oval ball, by two teams of 15 players. It is one of the two main codes of rugby football, the other being rugby league....
 Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union Bellingham Rugby & Polo Fields


The people of Bellingham pursue a diverse range of amateur sports, with skiing
Skiing

Snow skiing is a group of sports using skis as primary equipment. Skis are used in conjunction with ski boots that connect to the ski with use of a ski bindings....
 and snowboarding
Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is either partially or fully covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding....
 at the Mount Baker Ski Area
Mount Baker Ski Area

The Mount Baker Ski Area is a ski resort located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The ski area is specifically located on the Shuksan Arm, which connects the Mount Baker stratovolcano with the Mount Shuksan, at the end of Washington State Route 542....
 popular in the winter and kayaking
Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle....
 and cycling
Cycling

Cycling is the use of bicycles, or - less commonly - unicycles, tricycles, Quadracycle s and other similar wheeled human powered vehicles as a means of transport, a form of recreation or a sport....
 in the summer. Mt. Baker claims an unofficial world record for seasonal snowfall, with recorded in the 1998–1999 season.

Western Washington University
Western Washington University

Western Washington University is one of six public university, university of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, Washington and offers bachelor degree and master degree degrees....
, located in Bellingham, is home to NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
 Division II National Women's Rowing Champions. Although always nationally ranked, the Lady Vikings, in 2005, became Western's very first NCAA champion team and won again in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Western Washington University also operates a successful collegiate road cycling program that took top-5 positions nationwide at the 2006 nationals.

Future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. began his professional career with the Bellingham Mariners. He played in the Northwest League on the team based in Bellingham.

Media


Newspapers

The Bellingham Herald
The Bellingham Herald

The Bellingham Herald is the only daily newspaper published in Bellingham, Washington, Washington, in the United States. It is currently owned by The McClatchy Company....
 is published daily in Bellingham. Other newspapers include The Cascadia Weekly, The Western Front, Whatcom Watch, the Whatcom Independent, the AS Review, and The Bellingham Business Journal.

Television

Bellingham and Whatcom County are part of the Seattle television market.

  • KVOS
    KVOS-TV

    KVOS-TV is an Independent station television station licensed in Bellingham, Washington. The station's terrestrial television transmissions are on digital channel 35....
     is an independent television station licensed in Bellingham. The station broadcasts on channel 12. KVOS also enjoys significant viewership from neighboring Metro Vancouver and Victoria
    Victoria, British Columbia

    Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy....
    .
  • KBCB is a ShopNBC telelvision station licensed in Bellingham. The station broadcasts on channel 24.
  • Bellingham TV Channel 10 (BTV10).


Magazines

  • Frequency The Snowboarder's Journal
    Frequency The Snowboarder's Journal

    Frequency: The Snowboarder's Journal is published quarterly by Funny Feelings , four coffee-table magazines and a DVD are produced yearly in limited editions featuring mountain travel, interviews, and pictorials....
     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.


AM radio

Frequency (kHz) Call Sign kW (day) kW (night) Owner
790 KGMI
KGMI

KGMI is a radio station located and licensed in Bellingham, Washington, broadcasting on 790 AM. KGMI is run by the Cascade Radio Group, owned by Saga Communications....
 5 1 Saga Communications
Saga Communications

Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and trades on the New York Stock Exchange , primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations ....
930 KBAI
KBAI

KBAI is a 1 kW radio station broadcasting a progressive Talk radio format. Licensed to Bellingham, Washington. The station serves the Whatcom County area....
 1 0.5 Saga Communications
1170 KPUG
KPUG

KPUG AM 1170 is a sports radio station located and licensed in Bellingham, Washington, transmitting from an antenna located off Sunset Drive. KPUG is operated by the Cascade Radio Group, owned by Saga Communications....
 10 5 Saga Communications


FM radio

Frequency (mHz) Call Sign kW
Kw

kw or KW may refer to:* Kenworth* Kuwait* kW, kilowatt* Kw, the self-ionization of water* kw, the Cornish language * KW, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada...
 Owner
89.3 KUGS
KUGS

KUGS is a college radio radio station in Bellingham, Washington located at 89.3 MHz FM. KUGS was founded on January 29, 1974 as a 10 watt radio station....
 0.1 Western Washington University
Western Washington University

Western Washington University is one of six public university, university of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, Washington and offers bachelor degree and master degree degrees....
91.7 KZAZ
KZAZ

KZAZ may refer to:* KZAZ , a public radio station part of Northwest Public Radio.* KZAZ-TV, the early call letters of KMSB-TV in Tucson, Arizona....
 0.12 Washington State University
Washington State University

Washington State University is an American public school research university in Pullman, Washington, Washington. WSU is the state's largest Land-grant university university and offers more than 200 fields of study....
92.9 KISM
KISM

KISM, broadcasting on 92.9 FM broadcasting, is a 50 kW radio station located and licensed in Bellingham, Washington. The station broadcasts from Mount Constitution on Orcas Island....
 50 Saga Communications
102.3 KMRE-LP
KMRE-LP

KMRE-LP is a radio station broadcasting historical, educational, cultural and local programming. The station is licensed to, and broadcast from the American Museum of Radio and Electricity in Bellingham, Washington....
 0.1 American Museum of Radio and Electricity
American Museum of Radio and Electricity

The American Museum of Radio and Electricity is an interactive museum located in Bellingham, Washington which offers educational experiences for audiences of all ages through galleries and public programs that illustrate the development and use of electricity, radio and the related inventions that changed the course of human history....
104.3 KAFE
KAFE

KAFE is a 60 kW radio station located and licensed in Bellingham, Washington, transmitting from Mount Constitution on Orcas Island. KAFE is run by the Cascade Radio Group, owned by Saga Communications....
 60 Saga Communications


Notable people

  • Hilary Swank
    Hilary Swank

    Hilary Ann Swank is an United States actress. Her Hollywood film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , where she played Julie Pierce, the first female prot?g? of the sensei Mr....
     - actress


  • Ryan Stiles
    Ryan Stiles

    Ryan Lee Stiles is an Emmy Award-nominated United States-Canada actor, comedian, Television director, and voice actor whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy....
     - actor/comedian


Sister cities

Bellingham maintains sister city
Town twinning

Town twinning, also known as sister cities, is a concept whereby towns or city in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links between their inhabitants....
 relationships with four Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim

The Pacific Rim refers to the countries and cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. There are many economic centers around the Pacific Rim, such as Auckland, Busan, Brisbane, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Lima, Los Angeles, California, Manila, Melbourne, Panama City, Portland, Oregon, San Diego, California, San Francisco, Cali...
 port cities. A fifth, Cheongju
Cheongju

Cheongju is the capital Administrative divisions of South Korea of Chungcheongbuk-do , South Korea. The city is divided into two wards , Heungdeok-gu and Sangdang-gu ....
, South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
 will officially be recognized when Bellingham's mayor and sister city delegation visit Cheongju in September, 2008.

  • Tateyama, Chiba
    Tateyama, Chiba

    is a cities of Japan located at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It lies at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, on the more easterly side....
    , Japan
    Japan

    Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
     - Since 1958
  • Port Stephens, New South Wales
    New South Wales

    New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
    , Australia
    Australia

    Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
     - Since 1982
  • Nakhodka
    Nakhodka

    Nakhodka is a seaport types of inhabited localities in Russia in Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city had 148,826 inhabitants as of the Russian Census , down from 160,056 recorded in the Soviet Census ....
    , Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
     - Since 1989
  • Punta Arenas, Chile
    Chile

    Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....
     - Since 1996


Bellingham Sister Cities Association is very active in promoting Bellingham's sister city relationships and is very well supported by the community. The relationship with Tateyama, the oldest relationship celebrating its 50th year in 2008, 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 Ski to Sea race, or at minimum has representation in the Ski to Sea parade.

Further reading


Historical


External links