Birch Bay, Washington
Birch Bay is a community of 10,837 people in Whatcom County, Washington.
Why visit Birch Bay
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 17 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 10 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Semiahmoo Harbor Light, MV Plover, Peace Arch and Birch Bay State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 73°F; January lows average 34°F.
Weather in Birch Bay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Birch Bay
Birch Bay (Tsan-wuch, Say-wak) is a census-designated place (CDP) along the shore of the bay named Birch Bay in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The population was 8,413 at the 2010 census, a 69.6% increase over the 4,961 individuals in the 2000 census. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,115.
From the Wikipedia article Birch Bay, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Semiahmoo Harbor Light
Lighthouse · 5.1 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
Museums and landmarks2
MV Plover
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Historic ferry in Whatcom County, Washington, United States
Peace Arch
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.5 mi
Monument at the Canada-USA border
Parks, trails and playgrounds17
Birch Bay Waterslides
Sports field and stadium · 1.0 mi
4874 Birch Bay Lynden Road, Blaine
10:00-18:00
5 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes13
Woods Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 3.6 mi
8130 Birch Bay Square Street, Blaine
Mo-Fr 05:00-20:00; Sa-Su 06:00-20:00
1 more on the map.
History
Local indigenous communities named this place Say-wak, meaning "people saved from a flood by building a raft."
Captains of Spanish ships from Acapulco and San Blas (Spanish west coast ports in Mexico) were in this area in 1791 and 1792 and named it Puerto del Garzon in 1791 by captain Jose Maria Narvaez. It was then renamed Birch Bay in 1792 by Archibald Menzies, a member of the Vancouver Expedition. Vancouver's two ships used Birch Bay as an anchorage for several days. Menzies noted a number of species of birch and gave the name to the bay.
In the 2000s, the development of condominiums and vacation homes became more prominent in Birch Bay due to high demand from wealthier clientele in the United States and Canada. A proposal to incorporate the community as a city was announced in 2023 following earlier attempts and discussion. By 2020, Birch Bay had grown to approximately 10,000 people, making it larger than all but three cities in Whatcom County.
From the History section of Birch Bay, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay10
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Birch Bay
58 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 34°F | 6.2 in | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 35°F | 3.4 in | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 38°F | 4.2 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 64°F | 47°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 68°F | 52°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 73°F | 55°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 73°F | 55°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 67°F | 50°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 44°F | 4.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 38°F | 6.1 in | 0.4 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 34°F | 5.6 in | 3.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Blaine Hcn (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Whatcom County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2022-01-05: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Bellingham International Airport (BLI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Blaine 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Custer 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Ferndale 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Lynden 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Marietta-Alderwood 13 mi southeast, about 20 min by car
- Point Roberts 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Bellingham 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Everson 18 mi east, about 29 min by car
- Nooksack 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
- Anacortes 31 mi south, about 49 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- BirchBayThanksgivingMorningByJuliusReque, Julius Reque of Traveling12feet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peacearch-usside, Arnold C ( User:Buchanan-Hermit ), Attribution
- Plover1, Froggerlaura ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Semiahoo Harbor Light 1943, United States Coast Guard, Public domain
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