3985 Bennett Dr
Bellingham, WA 98225

The Bellingham, Washington metro area had a population of over 216,000 people in 2016. Bellingham is 88 miles north of Seattle and 54 miles south of Vancouver, Canada on Interstate 5. The Bellingham Airport is the 3rd largest airport in the State of Washington and is serviced by Alaska and Allegiant Airlines. 65% of the airport customers come from Canada as the Canadian border is only 23 miles away. Bellingham's climate is generally mild and typical of the Puget Sound region. The year-long average daily high and low temperatures are 59 and 44.1 °F (15.0 and 6.7 °C), respectively. Bellingham has a marine oceanic climate that is strongly influenced by the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains. The Cascades to the east retain the temperate marine climate, while the Olympics provide a rain shadow effect that buffers Bellingham from much of the rainfall approaching from the southwest. Bellingham typically has mild pleasant summers. The largest employers in Bellingham are PeaceHealth and Western Washington University. Western Washington University is located in Bellingham and has more than 16,000 students. In 2014, Bellingham's downtown was named #8 on Livability.com's Best Downtowns list. Whatcom Falls Park is a 241-acre (0.98 km2) large 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, and is a hub of outdoor activity connecting and defining several different neighborhoods of Bellingham. About 30 mi (50 km) east of Bellingham the Mount Baker Ski Area is home to many of the world's first snowboarding champions. The Whatcom Museum of History and Art[67] sponsors exhibits of painting, sculpture, local history, and is an active participant in the city's monthly Gallery Walks The Bellingham Railway Museum is where one may find educational displays explaining the history of railroading in Whatcom County, as well as model trains, and a freight-train simulator. South of the city of Bellingham one may travel along Chuckanut Drive (Washington State Route 11), a route which offers cliffside views of the sea, the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains, the hills and forests of the Chuckanut mountains, and several small picturesque bays along the edge of the Salish Sea. Several miles from Bellingham in the southern part of Whatcom County there are many places enjoyed by vacationers and enthusiasts of outdoor recreation, including: Larrabee State Park (popular for hiking), Lake Padden (popular for swimming, fishing and golfing), and Lake Samish. To the east of the city lies Lake Whatcom, a beautiful natural resource which provides the local public water supply and is the source of Whatcom Creek. Between Lake Whatcom and Lake Padden is North Lookout Mountain, known locally as Galbraith Mountain, which is renowned for its many fine mountain bike trails. In the waters of the Georgia Strait and Puget Sound it is possible to go whale watching. Several pods of orcas (killer whales) are known to travel from the open Pacific Ocean into the area, and families of these huge aquatic creatures can be seen swimming and hunting near the local bays and islands.