Lynden, Washington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lynden
City
From top: view of Downtown Lynden from Front Street, view of Waples Mercantile Building, United States Postal Service
Nickname(s):  Gem City Queen of the Nooksack Valley
Location of Lynden, Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Whatcom
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
Area
• Total	5.45 sq mi (14.10 km2)
• Land	5.43 sq mi (14.08 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	11,951
• Estimate  (2019)	15,223
• Density	2,800.92/sq mi (1,081.54/km2)
Demonym(s)	Lyndenite
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98264
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-40805
GNIS feature ID	1506392

Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Bellingham and approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Canada–US border. The city was established in 1874 near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich).

The city is located along the Nooksack River and State Route 539. The population of Lynden is about 14,259 according to the United States Census Bureau. Lynden is also home to the annual 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:

On Linden, when the sun was low,
All bloodless lay the untrodden snow;
And dark as winter was the flow
Of Iser rolling rapidly.

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

The town 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 town'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.

The town 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., the town has had a long tradition of most businesses closing on Sunday. 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.

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.

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.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census 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.

Sister city

Lynden has one sister city

• Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Surrounding communities

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

Education

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 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.

Transportation

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. The city is home to Lynden Municipal Airport (Jansen Field), located between Benson and Depot roads, with private residences connected to the taxiways. Lynden is also connected via a short branch of the BNSF Railway system, traveling east to a junction with the Sumas Subdivision.

The Whatcom Transportation Authority provides bus service on Route 26 between Lynden and Cordata Station in Bellingham.

Notable people

• Phoebe Judson, the founder of Lynden
• Ricardo S. Martinez, United States District Court Judge, Western District of Washington
• Yelkanum Seclamatan, a Nooksack chief from the 1800s.
• Ty Taubenheim Major League Baseball Player
• Gordon Wright, an American historian
• Daulton Hommes, basketball player for the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League

See also

In Spanish: Lynden (Washington) para niños