Whatcom County, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Whatcom County, Washington | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Washington |
|
 Washington's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | March 9, 1854 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bellingham |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
2,504 sq mi (6,485 km²) 2,120 sq mi (5,491 km²) 384 sq mi (995 km²), 15.34% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
166,814 78/sq mi (30/km²) |
| Website: www.co.whatcom.wa.us | |
Whatcom County (pronounced /ˈʍɑtkəm/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from a Nooksack word meaning "noisy water."[1] [2] As of 2000, the population was 166,814. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city. Whatcom County's northern border is the international boundary with the Canadian province of British Columbia; adjoining the county on the north are five of metropolitan Vancouver's suburbs, Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley and Abbotsford, with several shopping malls and other services in Bellingham and elsewhere in the county geared to cross-border shopping and recreation. The five crossing points are at Blaine (one at the Peace Arch, located on the Interstate 5 crossing, and the other a commercial and passenger crossing on the Pacific Highway at State Route 543), as well as at Lynden (SR 539), Sumas (SR 9), and Point Roberts (Tyee Drive).
Whatcom County was created on March 9, 1854.[3]
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,504 square miles (6,484 km²), of which, 2,120 square miles (5,490 km²) of it is land and 384 square miles (995 km²) of it (15.34%) is water, including Lake Whatcom, which empties into Bellingham Bay by way of Whatcom Creek. Physiographically Whatcom County is an extension of the Fraser Valley or "Lower Mainland" area of British Columbia, which is essentially the lowland delta plain of the Fraser River; at times in the past one of the Fraser's arms entered Bellingham Bay near Bellingham via what is now the mouth of the Nooksack River. A very small part of the county, Point Roberts, about 5 sq. mi., is an extension of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, which is bisected by the international boundary along the 49th Parallel. The highest point in the county is volcanic Mount Baker at 3285 meters (10,778 feet) above sea level.
[edit] Geographic features
- Cascade Mountains
- Chuckanut Mountains
- Eliza Island
- Lummi Island
- Mount Baker, highest point in Whatcom County
- Portage Island
- Bellingham Bay
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Okanogan County, Washington - east
- Skagit County, Washington - south
- San Juan County, Washington - southwest
Whatcom County also has land borders with two administrative units of British Columbia, Canada, which together comprise the region known as the Lower Mainland and a water border with a district on Vancouver Island:
- Greater Vancouver Regional District
- Fraser Valley Regional District
- Capital Regional District (water boundary only, across Strait of Georgia)
[edit] National protected areas
- Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (part)
- North Cascades National Park (part)
- Ross Lake National Recreation Area (part)
[edit] Agriculture
Whatcom County is the top producer of raspberries in the state. According to the Seattle Times, in 2004 Whatcom County growers produced 46 million pounds of raspberries, 85% of the state's crop. Given that the state itself is the #1 producer of raspberries in the country, with over 87.8% of the crop in 2002, this makes Whatcom County responsible for almost 75% of the nation's raspberry production.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 166,814 people, 64,446 households, and 41,116 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile (30/km²). There were 73,893 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.41% White, 0.69% Black or African American, 2.82% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.49% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. 5.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.5% were of German, 9.2% English, 8.2% Dutch, 7.9% Irish, 7.0% Norwegian and 6.6% United States or American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 64,446 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 14.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,005, and the median income for a family was $49,325. Males had a median income of $37,589 versus $26,193 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,025. About 7.80% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Census-recognized communities
Incorporated cities, in order of population (largest to smallest).
Other communities, in order of population (largest to smallest).
- Lummi Nation
- Birch Bay
- Sudden Valley
- Marietta-Alderwood
- Peaceful Valley
- Geneva
- Point Roberts
- Custer
- Maple Falls
- Acme
- Deming
- Kendall
- Glacier
[edit] Other communities
- Bakerview
- Blue Canyon
- Chuckanut
- Clearbrook
- Clipper
- Glenhaven
- Laurel
- Newhalem
- Pleasant Valley
- Saxon
- Snug Harbor
- Strandell
- Van Buren
- Welcome
- Wickersham
[edit] Former communities
[edit] External links
- Whatcom County official website
- Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the largest business and civic organization in Whatcom County
- Whatcom County Guide - Local, online business and community resource
- Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, the official tourism agency for Whatcom County
- Whatcom County Library System
[edit] References
- ^ Oakley, Janet (July 31, 2005). Whatcom County — Thumbnail History. HistoryLink.org.
- ^ Johnson, Annie (2004). Shifting Shorelines.
- ^ Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900. HistoryLink.org (March 6, 2003).
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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