Facts About Bellingham
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In November 1903, the four towns around Bellingham Bay, Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, and Fairhaven, were consolidated and incorporated as Bellingham.
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The name of this area was derived from the bay on which it is situated. George Vancouver, who landed here in June 1792, named the bay after Sir William Bellingham who worked for the Royal Navy as a controller of the storekeeper’s account.
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The city has a total area of 28.90 square miles, of which, 27.08 square miles is land and 1.82 square miles is water.
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The site was settled in 1852 when Captain Henry Roeder built a sawmill at the lower Whatcom Falls.
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Bellingham is twinned with the following sister cities: Vaasa, Finland; Tateyama, Chiba, Japan; Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia; Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai, Russia; Punta, Arenas Magallanes, Chile; Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea & Tsetserleg, Arkhangai Mongolia.
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Bellingham is located at 48°45’34″N 122°29’18″W (48.7595500, -122.4882200).
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People born in Bellingham, including musician and record producer Daniel Anderson, actor, musician Billy Burke, Explorer of Antarctica Gerald Ketchum.
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The estimated population of Bellingham is 88,764, as of 2019.
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The lowest elevations are at sea level along the waterfront. Alabama Hill is one of the higher points in the city at about 500 feet (150 m).
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The mean annual salary of a wage earner in Bellingham is $46,114, which is below the Washington State average of $57,480.
