Lynden, Washington

Lynden, Washington
Metropolitan City
Windmill on Front Street
Seal
Nickname(s): Gem City[1][2][3] Queen of the Nooksack Valley[1][4][5]
Motto: We Live our Lives a Quarter Mile at a Time
Location of Lynden, Washington
Coordinates: 48°56′48″N 122°27′25″W / 48.94667°N 122.45694°W / 48.94667; -122.45694Coordinates: 48°56′48″N 122°27′25″W / 48.94667°N 122.45694°W / 48.94667; -122.45694
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Whatcom
Government
• Mayor	Scott Korthuis
Area[6]
• Total	5.18 sq mi (13.42 km2)
• Land	5.17 sq mi (13.39 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population (2010)[7]
• Total	11,951
• Estimate (2015)[8]	13,517
• Density	2,311.6/sq mi (892.5/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	98264
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-40805
GNIS feature ID	1506392[9]
Demonym	Lyndenite
Highways	SR 539 SR 546
Website	City of Lynden

Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. Named and established in 1874 on the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich), the city of Lynden began as a pioneer settlement headed by Holden and Phoebe Judson.

Lynden is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Canada–US border, with Lynden-Aldergrove operation and port of entry hours between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. It is also located about 15 miles (24 km) north of Bellingham, and about 95 miles (153 km) north of Seattle. The population of Lynden is about 12,902 according to the United States Census Bureau. Residents of Lynden are known as "Lyndenites". Lynden is also home to the Northwest Washington Fair.

History

Lynden was begun in 1871 and established in 1874 by Holden and Phoebe Judson near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich). It was named by Phoebe Judson after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell, stating:

According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, she changed the spelling of "Linden" to be more visually appealing. The city was officially incorporated on March 16, 1891.

The city lies in a broad valley along the winding path of the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The surrounding area is filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms. Even though not founded by them, the region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid 1900s, spurring the growth of dairies. Today, Lynden pays homage to some of its Dutch heritage through locations such as buildings on Front Street, where some businesses have been made-over with a Dutch theme, complete with a windmill. Along that street, you'll find the Lynden Dutch Bakery, Dutch Mother's Restaurant, and numerous local businesses. Some local supermarkets contain Dutch food sections, but Dutch is spoken by very few of the city's residents today. In the last two decades, the population has nearly doubled in size, with Dutch being more predominate than other ethnic ancestry.(see 2010 census figures).

The Raspberry Festival is held the third weekend in July every year. The festival includes the Curt Maberry 3-on-3 basketball tournament, the Razz & Shine Car Show, The Raspberry Fun Run, tours of raspberry fields and wineries and the ever-popular Raspberry & Ice Cream All Day social and a rock wall. Other notable events are the Farmer's Day Parade, the Sinterklaas/Lighted Christmas Parade, the Antique Tractor Show, and many other events that can be seen in more detail at Lynden's website calendar.^[10]

The city is noted for its manicured lawns, Dutch architecture, and abundance of churches. In August, the Northwest Washington Fair lures over 200,000 people and allows Whatcom County residents to display their agricultural products, art, crafts, and wares. This regional fair is highly regarded as one of the best family friendly fairs in the state.

In 2005, Lynden gained renown for its infamous Lynden Drug Tunnel, built by a band of Canadian drug-smugglers in the basement of a residence 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lynden along the Canada–US border.

Lynden is one of the few cities in the world whose main entrance is between two cemeteries. At one time, Lynden held the world record for most churches per square mile and per capita, although that is unsubstantiated. That title currently goes to Wheaton, Ill. Due to the town's large population of those who attend or are members of Lynden's many churches, the town has had a long tradition of most businesses closing on Sunday.^[11] In recent years, businesses have started to open on Sundays, as in other communities, but the area remains mostly unchanged. A law prohibiting Sunday alcohol sales that was on the books for 41 years was repealed on October 20, 2008, due to changes in the population thinking concerning this matter as well.^[12]

In May 2016, the then-presumptive Republican Party nominee and eventual victor in the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump, held a campaign rally in Lynden at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds. This marked the first time that the presumptive presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States visited the city during campaign season.^[13]

Geography

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.^[6]

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census^[7] of 2010, 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

As of the census of 2000, 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 age 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.

Education

Lynden is home to the Lynden Lions, and The Lynden Christian Lyncs.

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) and also the private Lynden Christian Middle School. The two main high schools are Lynden High School and 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.^[17]

Sister city

Lynden has one sister city^[18]

• Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Notable people

• Phoebe Judson, the founder of Lynden
• Ricardo S. Martinez, United States District Court Judge, Western District of Washington^[19]
• Yelkanum Seclamatan, a Nooksack chief from the 1800s.
• Ty Taubenheim Major League Baseball Player^[20]
• Gordon Wright, an American historian

Surrounding communities

Adjacent places of Lynden, Washington
	White Rock, B.C.	Aldergrove, B.C.	Abbotsford, B.C.
	Blaine Custer		Sumas Nooksack Everson
		Lynden
	Ferndale	Bellingham	Deming

References

External links

• Official website

Municipalities and communities of Whatcom County, Washington, United States
County seat: Bellingham
Cities	Bellingham Blaine Everson Ferndale Lynden Nooksack Sumas
CDPs	Acme Birch Bay Custer Deming Geneva Glacier Kendall Maple Falls Marietta-Alderwood Peaceful Valley Point Roberts Sudden Valley
Indian reservations	Lummi Nooksack
Unincorporated communities	Beach Blue Canyon Cedarville Clipper Dewey Diablo Greenwood Laurel Lawrence Lummi Island Mountain View Newhalem Noon Saxon Van Wyck Van Zandt Wahl Welcome
Ghost towns	Goshen Park