Northwest

The Blaine area

of Washington State

Whatcom County, Washington State

Blaine

City Page

Birch Bay

Map of Puget Sound is loading....... Blaine, WA is located at the northwest corner of Washington State at the border between British Columbia, Canada and Washington State. It is the border crossing the furthest west in the continental United States. The only exception to that statement is the Point Roberts, WA border crossing which can only be accessed through Canada.

Although Blaine is a border city with strong ties to its neighbor to the north it is also the north-most US port on the west coast. Fishing and yachting are strong components of the local economy.

Interstate-5 begins in Blaine, WA and travels southward to the Mexican Border through the States of Washington, Oregon, and California. Interstate-5 connects with BC Highway-99 and continues north to Vancouver, BC, Canada.

If you are headed north into Canada we have more information about crossing the border on our Border Crossing page.

In the map above Blaine is not shown but it is located north of Bellingham at the US / Canada border.

Birch Bay is a resort community located on Birch Bay south of Blaine, WA on the Strait of Georgia. This community is made up of private residences and condominiums. The bay’s claim to fame is sandy beaches and sandy tide flats that are great for walking and children.

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The City of Blaine has a visitors center located at 728 Peace Portal Drive in downtown Blaine.

Photo is from the City’s web site.

http://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/

Places to go and things to do

The Mt. Baker Scenic Byway offers a 60 mile trip to Mt. Baker Ski Area up the Nooksack River Valley. There are farms, a winery, old growth forests, and parks along the byway.

The Mt. Baker Scenic Byway

Whale Watching in the San Juan Islands

Experience the breath-taking San Juan Islands and see some whales, too. On these 70-90 mile cruises into the San Juan Islands, you will experience a seven hour long narrated scenic tour by qualified naturalists. There are always at least 2 on board. The San Juan Islands are home to extensive bird species like the Tufted Puffin, Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle, as well as Harbor Seals, Porpoises, Sea Lions, Minke & Gray Whales.

Whale Watching

The Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway (WA-11) (called SR-11 (State Route) )

This beautiful side trip begins at Interstate-5 Exit 250 (Fairhaven / Alaska Ferry). You drive west to the stop light at 12^th Street then turn left on Chuckanut Drive. The road then takes a curve to the left by Fairhaven Park and winds through some residential neighborhoods in South Bellingham before it breaks out on the side-hill of Chuckanut Mountain. From this point south you see the steep mountainside on the east side of the road and a steep drop-off down to the bay on the west side of the road with fantastic views of the San Juan Islands.

In the middle of the drive you will find a couple of restaurants clinging to the hill side and Larabee State Park. Larabee State Park has both camping and day use facilities. There are many scenic turnouts along this Byway’s 21 miles of sheer beauty. At the south end of the byway it drops off onto the flat lands of Skagit Valley until WA-11 again connects with Interstate-5 at Exit 231.

Visitor Information

Bellingham Whatcom County Chamber http://www.bellingham.com/

Bellingham ~ Whatcom County Visitors Bureau http://www.bellingham.org/

The Port of Bellingham

http://www.portofbellingham.com/

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