Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County
Whatcom County
County
	Whatcom County Courthouse in Bellingham
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Washington
	Washington's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 48°50′N 121°54′W / 48.83°N 121.9°W
Country	United States
State	Washington
Founded	March 9, 1854
Named for	Chief Whatcom
Seat	Bellingham
Largest city	Bellingham
Area
• Total	2,503 sq mi (6,480 km2)
• Land	2,107 sq mi (5,460 km2)
• Water	397 sq mi (1,030 km2) 16%
Population (2020)
• Total	226,847
• Estimate (2022)	230,677
• Density	103/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	https://www.whatcomcounty.us/

Whatcom County (/ˈwɒtkəm/, /ˈhwɒtkəm/) is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of British Columbia to the north, Okanogan County to the east, Skagit County to the south, San Juan County across Rosario Strait to the southwest, and the Strait of Georgia to the west. Its county seat and largest population center is the coastal city of Bellingham,^[1] comprising the Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and as of the 2020 census, the county's population was 226,847.^[2]

The county was created from Island County by the Washington Territorial Legislature in March 1854. It originally included the territory of present-day San Juan and Skagit Counties, which were later independently organized after additional settlement.^[3] Its name derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, also spelled [x̣ʷátqʷəm], perhaps meaning "noisy" or "noisy water" and referring to a waterfall.^[4]^[5]^[6] Whatcom County has a diversified economy with a significant agricultural base, including approximately 60% of the nation's annual production of raspberries.^[7]

^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
^ "Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.
^ Oakley, Janet (July 3, 2005). "Whatcom County — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.org.
^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 564. ISBN 9780806135984. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
^ Johnson, Annie (2004). "Shifting Shorelines".
^ Bellingham County website https://www.bellingham.org/agricultural December 1, 2021

[1] "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.

[QF-2] "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2023.

[3] "Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003.

[4] Oakley, Janet (July 3, 2005). "Whatcom County — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.org.

[bright-5] Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 564. ISBN 9780806135984. Retrieved January 29, 2023.

[6] Johnson, Annie (2004). "Shifting Shorelines".

[7] Bellingham County website https://www.bellingham.org/agricultural December 1, 2021

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