Founded in 1853, with a current population of 69,260, Bellingham is the county seat of Whatcom County. Located on Bellingham Bay with Mt. Baker as its backdrop, Bellingham is the last major city before the Washington coastline meets the Canadian border. Bellingham is 85 miles north of Seattle and an hour south of Vancouver, B.C. Transportation links connect the community to the nearby San Juan Islands and Victoria on Vancouver Island. 

Today, Bellingham has an active waterfront port that supports fishing, cold storage, boat building, shipping, paper processing and marina operations. 

Squalicum Harbor is the second largest in Puget Sound, with 1,900 pleasure and commercial boats moored. From Bellingham's ports, passenger ferries leave for whale watch cruises, tours to Victoria on Vancouver Island and cruises to the San Juan Islands. 

The downtown area has a mixture of restaurants, art galleries and specialty shops. The cultural district includes a respected Museum of Art and History. Originally built in 1892 as City Hall, the museum's imposing brick building is the centerpiece of a four-building campus, including a children's museum. 

Bellingham is home to Western Washington University on Sehome Hill, from which you have a sweeping view across the bay to the San Juan Islands. Visitors bound for Alaska depart on the Alaska ferry from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal located in what was once the city of Fairhaven.

Steven Michael Vroom spent part of September photographing the sights and sounds of Bellingham. We hope you enjoy the three photo galleries of this unique little city at the edge of Washington State.