Whatcom County, Washington
County seat: Bellingham · Population 236,392 (2025) · 2,108 sq mi
Whatcom County is the 9th most populous of Washington's 39 counties, with 236,392 people (2025 estimate). Its county seat is Bellingham. The map shows its 7 cities and towns and the 3 neighboring counties.
Whatcom County facts
- County seat
- Bellingham
- Population (2025 estimate)
- 236,392 +4.2% since 2020
- Land area
- 2,108 sq mi 12th largest of 39
- Water area
- 397 sq mi
- Population density
- 112 per sq mi
- Established
- 1854
- Largest city
- Bellingham 96,395
- Median household income
- $81,784
- Cities and towns
- 7 plus 12 CDPs
- ZIP codes
- 18
- Time zone
- Pacific
- FIPS code
- 53073
Cities and towns in Whatcom County
Whatcom County has 7 incorporated cities, towns and villages. Populations count the people living inside Whatcom County; cities that cross a county line also list the other counties.
| Name | Type | Population 2025 | Also in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham (county seat) | City | 96,395 | |
| Ferndale | City | 17,559 | |
| Lynden | City | 16,881 | |
| Blaine | City | 6,475 | |
| Everson | City | 3,254 | |
| Nooksack | City | 1,833 | |
| Sumas | City | 1,672 |
Unincorporated communities (CDPs)
Census-designated places are communities without their own city government; the county provides their services.
| Community | Population | Also in |
|---|---|---|
| Birch Bay | 10,837 | |
| Sudden Valley | 6,084 | |
| Marietta-Alderwood | 3,754 | |
| Peaceful Valley | 2,858 | |
| Geneva | 2,073 | |
| Point Roberts | 1,288 | |
| Kendall | 657 | |
| Deming | 568 | |
| Custer | 477 | |
| Glacier | 339 | |
| Acme | 223 | |
| Maple Falls | 209 |
ZIP codes in Whatcom County
18 ZIP codes reach into Whatcom County. ZIP codes ignore county lines, so some also cover a neighboring county.
- 98220
- 98225
- 98226
- 98229 also Skagit County
- 98230
- 98237 also Skagit County
- 98240
- 98244
- 98247
- 98248
- 98262
- 98264
- 98266
- 98276
- 98281
- 98283 also Skagit County
- 98284 also Skagit County
- 98295
Population of Whatcom County, 2020–2025
Whatcom County grew by 9,547 people (+4.2%) between April 2020 and July 2025: 273 more deaths than births and a net gain of 9,458 people from migration.
| Year (July 1) | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 227,452 |
| 2021 | 226,760 |
| 2022 | 230,641 |
| 2023 | 232,620 |
| 2024 | 234,601 |
| 2025 | 236,392 |
Neighboring counties
- Skagit County south · 132,975 people
- Okanogan County east · 45,230 people
- San Juan County west · 18,577 people
Printable Whatcom County map
The PDF is a vector file with real text: it prints sharp on Letter paper and you can search it for a town. The PNG is 2400 pixels wide for slides and documents. Both are free to use with a credit to WhichCounty.
- PDF (Letter) (168 KB)
- PNG (2400 px) (109 KB)
Paste this code to embed the map on your site:
Sources
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files (1:500,000).
- Population: Census Bureau county and city estimates, Vintage 2025. CDP populations: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
- Places and ZIP codes: Census Bureau 2026 Gazetteer and 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area relationship files.
- County seat, founding year and name origin: Wikidata (CC0), checked against state sources.
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