Located in the northwest corner of Washington State near the Nooksack River, Ferndale was officially incorporated on March 19, 1907. Once called Jam because of its location next to a logjam on the river, the city was renamed Ferndale by the schoolteacher who admired ferns that once grew around the original schoolhouse.
Today, Ferndale is a vibrant community of 16,330 people located on the Interstate 5 corridor, approximately 6 miles north of Bellingham and 13 miles south of the Canadian Border. There are many nearby attractions including Mount Baker, the San Juan Islands, numerous lakes, and the Nooksack River. Ferndale also enjoys a close proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia.
The best way to experience Ferndale is to visit. Explore our historic Pioneer Village, dine in our downtown or take a scenic walk down our Riverwalk Park. For more trip ideas, email Communications and Community Relations Officer by clicking here.
Looking for resources in the City of Ferndale and/or surrounding areas? The Whatcom Resource Information Cooperative (WRIC) has created an easy access portal to local support services for community members, through a dependable and up-to-date searchable database of resources, organizations, and agencies. Click here to access this online portal.
The City of Ferndale is always looking for new and inventive ways to reach out to our community beyond the limitations of social media and this website. To bolster these efforts, the City Council approved a pilot program for a citywide newsletter, Living by the Nooksack, to be distributed quarterly through mailed utility bills. This newsletter is used to inform the public about city programs, upcoming projects and local history.
To read the most current City Newsletter and see past issues, please click here. Extra copies of the most current newsletter are available at City Hall and the Ferndale Visitor Information Center located inside Pioneer Pavilion at 2007 Cherry Street.
If you’ve got feedback on this newsletter or ideas for future articles, please contact Communications and Community Relations Officer Megan Juenemann by clicking here or calling (360) 685-2353.