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Lynden, Washington

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Lynden is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Bellingham, the county seat and principal city of the Bellingham Metropolitan Area. It is the second largest city in Whatcom County. The city is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Canada–U.S. border.

Lynden
Nooksack: Squahalish
City
Downtown Lynden
Downtown Lynden
Nickname(s): 
Gem City[1][2][3]
Queen of the Nooksack Valley[1][4][5]
Location of Lynden, Washington
Location of Lynden, Washington
Coordinates: 48°56′48″N 122°27′25″W / 48.94667°N 122.45694°W / 48.94667; -122.45694
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyWhatcom
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorScott Korthuis
Area
[6]
 • City
5.45 sq mi (14.10 km2)
 • Land5.43 sq mi (14.08 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
108 ft (33 m)
Population
 (2020)[7]
 • City
15,749
 • Estimate 
(2023)[8]
16,551
 • Density2,900/sq mi (1,100/km2)
 • Metro
231,919 (US: 204th)
 • Metro density109.4/sq mi (42.25/km2)
DemonymLyndenite
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98264
Area code360
FIPS code53-40805
GNIS feature ID1506392[9]
Websitewww.lyndenwa.org Edit this at Wikidata

The city is located along the Nooksack River and State Route 539. The population of Lynden was 15,749 at the 2020 census. The city is also home to the annual Northwest Washington Fair.

History

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Lynden was founded in 1870 by Phoebe Judson and her husband, Holden, on the lands of the indigenous Nooksack people, who referred to the area as Squahalish.[10] Judson named the settlement's post office in 1893 after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell. According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, Judson changed the spelling of "Linden" to be more visually appealing.[10] Lynden was officially incorporated as a city on March 16, 1891.[11] A statue of Judson at the intersection of Front and 6th Street was dedicated in 2017.[12]

The city lies in a broad valley formed by the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The valley's forests were logged in the 1870s by the first wave of American settlers and the clearing of log jams on the Nooksack River at the end of the decade opened more land to farming.[13][14] The first road connecting to Whatcom (now Bellingham) was completed in 1875 and railroads reached Lynden a decade later. The region's raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms emerged after World War I alongside the dairy and poultry industries.[13][14]

The region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid-20th century and the establishment of Calvinist churches and Dutch language schools.[10] The city began promoting its Dutch heritage in the 1980s, including the springtime Holland Days festival and a Sinterklaas celebration in December. Several building along Front Street were renovated with Dutch designs and businesses were renamed to match with "Dutch" names and products.[10][15] Lynden retained its Dutch churches—numbering 28 by 1995—and many businesses voluntarily closed their stores on Sundays.[15] By 2010, the city's population had grown to nearly 12,000 and only 30 percent of Lynden residents claimed Dutch ancestry.[16]

In 2005, a drug smuggling tunnel was discovered in Lynden, built by a band of Canadian smugglers in the basement of a residence 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lynden along the Canada–U.S. border. At the time, this was the only known drug tunnel along the border.[17]

The first time that a presumptive presidential nominee of a U.S. major political party came to Lynden during a general election year was in May 2016, when Donald Trump visited the city.[18] The rally was originally planned to take place at Boeing Field in Seattle, but was relocated to Lynden after the permits were allegedly denied.[19] The rally drew "thousands" of people and protestors outside of the venue; over $129,000 in extra policing and security costs were attributed to the event.[20]

Geography

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The Nooksack River runs along a short portion of the city's southern border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.18 square miles (13.42 km2), of which 5.17 square miles (13.39 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[21]

Climate

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Lynden has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) typical of the Pacific Northwest that is characterized by warm (but not hot) dry summers, and mild to chilly rainy winters. In Lynden's case, the climate is moderated by the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, with small temperature variations on average throughout the year, resulting in mild year-round temperatures, although winter months can get quite cool. Average high temperatures range from 44.6 °F (7.0 °C) in January to 73.6 °F (23.1 °C) in August. Lynden, on average, has very wet winters and dry summers, also representative of the region.

Climate data for Lynden, WA
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 59.0
(15.0) 		64.0
(17.8) 		63.0
(17.2) 		75.0
(23.9) 		86.0
(30.0) 		106.0
(41.1) 		88.0
(31.1) 		88.0
(31.1) 		84.0
(28.9) 		74.0
(23.3) 		63.0
(17.2) 		57.0
(13.9) 		106.0
(41.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 44.6
(7.0) 		48.1
(8.9) 		52.6
(11.4) 		58.0
(14.4) 		63.9
(17.7) 		68.7
(20.4) 		73.2
(22.9) 		73.6
(23.1) 		68.3
(20.2) 		58.2
(14.6) 		49.1
(9.5) 		43.3
(6.3) 		58.5
(14.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.2
(4.0) 		41.2
(5.1) 		45.0
(7.2) 		49.5
(9.7) 		55.1
(12.8) 		59.9
(15.5) 		63.4
(17.4) 		63.4
(17.4) 		58.3
(14.6) 		50.5
(10.3) 		43.3
(6.3) 		38.1
(3.4) 		50.6
(10.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 33.7
(0.9) 		34.3
(1.3) 		37.3
(2.9) 		40.9
(4.9) 		46.2
(7.9) 		51.0
(10.6) 		53.6
(12.0) 		53.1
(11.7) 		48.2
(9.0) 		42.7
(5.9) 		37.5
(3.1) 		32.9
(0.5) 		42.6
(5.9)
Record low °F (°C) 10.0
(−12.2) 		12.0
(−11.1) 		19.0
(−7.2) 		28.0
(−2.2) 		37.0
(2.8) 		39.0
(3.9) 		41.0
(5.0) 		44.0
(6.7) 		39.0
(3.9) 		21.0
(−6.1) 		7.0
(−13.9) 		7.0
(−13.9) 		7.0
(−13.9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.5
(140) 		3.4
(86) 		3.8
(97) 		3.1
(79) 		2.9
(74) 		2.2
(56) 		1.4
(36) 		1.4
(36) 		2.2
(56) 		4.2
(110) 		6.4
(160) 		5.0
(130) 		41.5
(1,060)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.7
(6.9) 		1.8
(4.6) 		0.6
(1.5) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.9
(2.3) 		2.8
(7.1) 		8.9
(22.65)
Average precipitation days 18 14 17 15 23 11 6 6 9 15 20 18 172
Average snowy days 1.6 1.1 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 1.4 5
[citation needed]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890560—
1900365−34.8%
19101,148214.5%
19201,2448.4%
19301,56425.7%
19401,6968.4%
19502,16127.4%
19602,54217.6%
19702,80810.5%
19804,02243.2%
19905,70941.9%
20009,02058.0%
201011,95132.5%
202015,749[8]31.8%
2023 (est.)16,551[8]5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[22][failed verification]

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census,[7] there were 11,951 people, 4,594 households, and 3,248 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,311.6 inhabitants per square mile (892.5/km2). There were 4,812 housing units at an average density of 930.8 per square mile (359.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 0.7% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.

There were 4,594 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

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As of the 2000 census, there were 9,020 people, 3,426 households, and 2,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,208.8 people per square mile (853.6/km2). There were 3,592 housing units at an average density of 879.6 per square mile (339.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.07% White, 0.27% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 2.51% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73% of the population.

There were 3,426 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,767, and the median income for a family was $50,449. Males had a median income of $39,597 versus $23,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,639. About 4.1% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

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The Lynden Heritage Museum was established in 1976 by George Young and has over 20,000 items and rotating exhibits.[23][24] It was originally known as the Lynden Pioneer Museum until the museum was renamed in 2023 to reflect its mission to cover more than just the "pioneer era" of the city's history.[25]

Events

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The Northwest Raspberry Festival is held annually during the third weekend in July. The festival includes a street fair, basketball tournament, car show, fun run, rock climbing wall, tours of raspberry fields and wineries, and a day-long ice cream social.[26] Other annual events in Lynden include the Farmer's Day Parade in July and the Sinterklaas/Lighted Christmas Parade in December.[27]

In August, the annual Northwest Washington Fair draws over 200,000 people and serves as the regional fair for Whatcom County. It includes agricultural display, art and crafts, live entertainment, and vendors.[28][29] The fair was founded in 1909.[10]

Performing arts and music

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The Claire Theatre in downtown Lynden was established in 1987 and hosts multiple community theater performances each year. The Lynden Music Festival hosts musical performances at events throughout the year. Performances are often hosted in local businesses and churches.[citation needed]

Religion

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The city is noted for its abundance of churches. At one time, Lynden claimed to hold the world record for most churches per square mile and per capita, although that is unsubstantiated.[citation needed] Due to the town's large population of those who attend or are members of Lynden's many churches,[citation needed] the town has had a long tradition of most businesses closing on Sunday.[30] In recent years, businesses have started to open on Sundays, as in other communities; a law of 41 years prohibiting Sunday alcohol sales was repealed on October 20, 2008, due to a shift in public opinion.[31]

Education

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There are three public elementary schools in Lynden: Isom Elementary, Bernice Vossbeck, and Fisher Elementary. There is also the private Lynden Christian Elementary. There is one public middle school (Lynden Middle School), which moved to a new building in 2018, and also the private Lynden Christian Middle School. The two main high schools are Lynden High School and the private Lynden Christian High School. There are also several much smaller private schools in the area such as Cornerstone Christian School, Covenant Christian School, and Ebenezer Christian School.[citation needed]

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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Lynden is served by two state highways: State Route 539, which travels north to the Canadian border and south to Bellingham; and State Route 546, which travels east towards Sumas.[32] The Whatcom Transportation Authority provides bus service between Lynden and Cordata Station in Bellingham.[33][34] The city is also connected via a short branch of the BNSF Railway system, traveling east to a junction with the Sumas Subdivision.[35]

The city is home to Lynden Municipal Airport (Jansen Field), located between Benson and Depot roads, with private residences connected to the taxiways.[36] The Port of Bellingham proposed a takeover of the airport in the early 1980s to support local cropdusting operations, but abandoned their plans due to its proximity to the town, which disqualified it from receiving federal matching funds for improvements.[37]

Notable people

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Sister city

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Lynden has one sister city relationship with the municipal governments of the City of Langley and Township of Langley in British Columbia. Both communities, located across the Canada–U.S. border from Lynden, signed agreements with Lynden in 1986 ahead of Expo 86 in Vancouver.[45][46]

References

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  1. ^ a b Judson, Phoebe Goodell (1984) [1925]. A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home: A Book of Personal Memoirs. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. p. 308. ISBN 0-8032-2563-6.
  2. ^ The "Gem City" of Twenty Years Ago Archived September 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Lynden Tribune Archived 2008-05-13 at archive.today
  4. ^ The Blaine Journal Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ USGenWeb Project – Lynden: The Queen of the Nooksack Valley Archived July 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Lynden city, Washington". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  10. ^ Dougherty, Phil (July 4, 2017). "Lynden incorporates on March 16, 1891". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Bratt, Calvin (March 1, 2017). "Phoebe Judson statue to be dedicated". Lynden Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Twitchell, Linda (September 21, 1981). "Lynden's beginnings...The Dutch tilled fields cleared by earlier generation". The Bellingham Herald. p. A1. Retrieved November 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b Sabbatini, Mark (July 3, 1991). "Lynden retains a hometown flavor". The Bellingham Herald. p. E3. Retrieved November 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Duncan, Don (August 20, 1995). "Lynden: Neatness, windmills and nicely-mowed lawns". The Seattle Times. p. K1. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  15. ^ "City of Lynden Comprehensive Plan". City of Lynden. February 6, 2017. pp. 11–12. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  16. ^ McClary, Daryl C. (November 29, 2006). "Federal agents shut down a drug-smuggling tunnel on the U.S.-Canadian border and arrest three men on July 20, 2005". HistoryLink. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "Trump in Lynden: Scornful of doubters and confident in November victory". The Seattle Times. May 7, 2016.
  18. ^ Brunner, Jim (May 6, 2016). "Trump rally lands in Lynden after he couldn't get Boeing Field". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  19. ^ Wohlfeil, Samantha (May 31, 2016). "Trump's rally in Lynden cost taxpayers $155,000 and counting". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  20. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  21. ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  22. ^ Smith, Alyse (May 17, 2024). "Destination Lynden: Delicious pastries, fairy tale parks, unique restaurants and shops". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  23. ^ Twitchell, Linda (September 21, 1981). "Lynden museum opened in 1976". The Bellingham Herald. p. A6. Retrieved November 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Helm, Bill (May 3, 2023). "Lynden Heritage Museum 'bridges the gap'". Lynden Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  25. ^ Smith, Alyse (July 19, 2024). "Your guide to the Northwest Raspberry Festival in Lynden, this weekend only". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  26. ^ Kempe, Ysabelle (July 19, 2021). "After a year away, Lynden Farmers Day Parade returns in full force — almost". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Newcomb, Tim (August 20, 2014). "Fair attendance dips with sour weather". November 6, 2024.
  28. ^ Rasbach, David (April 30, 2020). "Whatcom's Northwest Washington Fair is latest summertime victim of coronavirus pandemic". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  29. ^ Nelson, Robert T. (October 8, 2000). "Change comes to Lynden". The Seattle Times. p. G1. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  30. ^ Taylor, Sam (October 21, 2008). "Lynden repeals Sunday liquor ban". The Seattle Times.
  31. ^ "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 546/SR 9: SR 546/SR 539 Jct to SR 9 to Canadian Border" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 26, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  32. ^ "Route 26 - WTA Schedules". Whatcom Transportation Authority.
  33. ^ "All WTA routes free during Lynden fair week". Lynden Tribune. August 8, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  34. ^ "Statewide Rail Capacity and System Needs Study: Task 1.1.A – Washington State's Freight Rail System" (PDF). Washington State Transportation Commission. May 2006. p. 12. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  35. ^ "Lynden Municipal Airport: Airport Layout Plan and Narriative Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. September 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  36. ^ Connors, Mike (March 3, 1984). "Port cools on Lynden airport takeover". The Bellingham Herald. p. B1. Retrieved May 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Feinberg, Scott; Johnson, Scott (February 3, 2020). "Catherine Burns: The Vanishing of an Oscar-Nominated Actress". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  38. ^ Zeigler, Mark (November 4, 2018). "The hidden gem: Point Loma Nazarene has an NBA prospect in Daulton Hommes". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  39. ^ Daly, Matthew (June 16, 2004). "Martinez named state's first Hispanic federal judge". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  40. ^ "Lynden Auto Race Driver Killed". The Bellingham Herald. September 2, 1936. p. 7. Retrieved November 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ Dougherty, Phil (April 6, 2020). "Yelkanum Seclamatan aka "Lynden Jim" (?-1911)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  42. ^ Gosner, Ed (May 10, 2007). "On Board with Ty Taubenheim". MILB.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  43. ^ Manuel, Diane (January 12, 2000). "Gordon Wright, authority on European history, dead at 87". Stanford News Service. Stanford University. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  44. ^ "Cities seeking sister status". The Langley Advance. April 23, 1986. p. 1A. Retrieved November 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Washington's Sister Cities Relationships". Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Washington. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
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