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Bellingham, Washington is a college town located on Bellingham Bay and Puget Sound within an hour north of the Seattle / Everett metropolitan area, within an hour south of Vancouver B.C., within an hour west of Mount Baker and the North Cascades National Park and within an hour east of the San Juan Islands.

Recent accolades include:

• 2^nd Place in the "15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life" according to AARP Magazine in 2003.
• ”Dream Town” Top 10 perfect places to “live big, play hard and work if you must.” Outside Magazine, 2001.
• ”50 Most Active Places to Live” Modern Maturity, 2000.
• Among top cities for Mountain Biking. Mountain Bike Magazine, 2001.
• One of the Top Cities in the Nation to Live and Retire, Modern Maturity, 2000.
• Best places for business investment among top small metropolitan areas: 14^th place in 2001, 19^th place in 2000. Forbes Magazine.

Acting as the county seat to Whatcom County, Bellingham's population numbered more than 67,000 according to Census 2000 data. Residents enjoy the remarkable recreational opportunities that abound in Whatcom County. All the water sports imaginable in a port city are available here, and the rugged Cascade Mountains tower just to the east. Bellingham is fifty miles from Mount Baker, almost 11,000 feet tall, and has one of the best ski resorts in Washington State. State Road 542 leads from the city to the mountain and is designated as a US Scenic Byway, following the powerful Nooksack River as it winds through steep gorges and dazzling waterfalls. Near the end of the road is a view of Mount Shuksan reflecting back into Mirror Lake, creating one of the area's most photographed scenes. These ice volcanoes along the glaciated ridges of the North Cascades lend themselves to mountain climbing, hiking and hunting through the jagged landscape. The western portion of Whatcom County ends in the beautiful Cascade National Forest and Parklands area.

As well as being located on the coast of Puget Sound, which offers some of the finest salt-water fishing around, Bellingham is bordered by Lake Samish, as well as Lake Whatcom, surrounded by miles of hiking trails. Bellingham received the title of "Trail Town USA" by the National Park Service for the astounding amount of hiking and biking trails through and near the city. Residents can sea-kayak along the San Juan Islands or go bird-watching in one of the fifteen designated bird sighting areas through Whatcom County. Each year, Bellingham's diverse and splendid environment is celebrated with the Ski to Sea Race, an 85-mile race that includes skiing down Mt Baker, paddling along the Nooksack River, jogging, biking and ends with sea-kayaking in Bellingham Bay.

Recreation is not all that Bellingham offers. Both a cultural and educational center for the region, five different museums preserve the seaport's history. The Bellingham Theatre Guild and the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra provide top-notch entertainment.

Bellingham's Squalicum Harbor remains a bustling and vibrant port. Close to two thousand pleasure and commercial boats moor here. The shipbuilding industry and salmon canneries thrive in Bellingham. From this port, ferries take passengers on whale-watching cruises, tours to Vancouver and the San Juan Islands. Downtown Bellingham is a shopper's delight. Antique stores, fine arts and crafts shops abound, and the city boasts several malls where the finest retail trade names are found. Dining opportunities will astound even the most selective connoisseur. Bellingham chefs have turned seafood into a culinary art.

Bellingham, Washington is rich in many ways. Splendid scenery surrounds it on every side, from the glistening Bay to the towering mountains. Bellingham is a fine site to locate a business or build a family, or visit repeatedly and still not experience it all.

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