Bellingham [key], city (2020 pop. 91,482), seat of Whatcom co., NW Wash., a port of entry on Bellingham Bay, one of the best harbors on the U.S. Pacific coast, near Canada; inc. 1904. It is an important shipping point for lumber, pulp, paper, and canned and frozen fruit. There is shipbuilding and diverse manufacturing (machinery, electrical equipment, concrete and wood products, food and beverages, and aircraft and vehicle parts). Settled in 1852 as Whatcom, it merged with three adjoining towns to form Bellingham in 1903. Western Washington Univ., Bellingham Technical School, and Whatcom Museum of History and Art are in the city, which has many notable scenic parks. The Lummi reservation is nearby. Moran State Park is on Orcas Island in Bellingham Bay.
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