Located on Bellingham Bay with Mount Baker as its backdrop, Bellingham is the last major city before the Washington coastline meets the Canadian border. It’s 85 miles north of Seattle and 50 miles south of Vancouver, B.C.
Named a “Best Place To Play Year Round,” “Adventure Town USA” and “Best Place to Retire and Live,” Bellingham is best known for its outdoor recreation and world-class brews.
Bellingham has an active waterfront port that supports fishing, charter cruises, leisure boating, boatbuilding, shipping and marina operations. It’s also big with paddlers and is rated “Best Paddling Destination in the US” (Outside Magazine).
Squalicum Harbor is the second largest in Puget Sound, with 1,900 pleasure and commercial boats moored. From Bellingham’s ports, passenger ferries leave for cruises around Bellingham and Chuckanut Bays to the San Juan Islands, either for whale watching or beer, wine, history and/or sunset cruises.
Bellingham’s downtown area offers a mix of restaurants, art galleries, theaters, and specialty shops. Bellingham challenges the status quo with locally sourced entertainment, food and experiences. Explore a variety of pubs, wine bars, cafes and restaurants to find out just how delicious locally grown and made food is.
Bellingham is also home to Western Washington University. It is rated the #1 public, master’s granting university in the Pacific Northwest for 21 years in a row and ranked second in the West in 2019.
Head up to campus for a sweeping view across the bay to the San Juan Islands or head to WWU’s Sehome Hill Arboretum to explore.
