Whatcom

Formed March 9, 1854 (10^th county)

Whatcom County (201,740), Bellingham (80,885)

The 1950 courthouse was enlarged in 1972 and extensively remodeled in 1993.  The Modern building is on Grand Avenue at Central Avenue.  Interstate Highway 5 passes 13 blocks to the east of the site.  Galen W. Bentley is the original architect for what is now a red brick structure.  There was a classier courthouse from 1889 earlier.  The county was organized on March 9, 1854 from Island County as the 10^th county with Bellingham as the only county seat.  The county is named from the Native American word for “noisy waters.”  Bellingham is named for the bay which was named for Sir William Bellingham by explorer George Vancouver. 

Whatcom County government consists of a sheriff and 8 Commissioners.  Two Superior Court Judges and Two District Court Judges serve Whatcom County.  The county is on the northwest border with Canada.  Seattle, Washington is south and Vancouver, Canada is northwest of the county.  The county center is 21 miles East-Northeast of Bellingham nearer Welcome.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Okanogan, Chelan, Skagit, and San Juan counties. 

The area of the county is 2504 square miles.  It is 7 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 9 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 80.33 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 39 in the state.  Whatcom County has 56.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 originates in the county and travels south into Skagit County.  The county is shaped like a line.  Bellingham is located in the southwest corner of the county.  Bellingham is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 40.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Bellingham Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Sumas