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Ferndale is a city in
Whatcom County Whatcom County (, ) is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of the Canadian province of British Columbia to t ...
, Washington, United States. The population was 15,048 at the 2020 census. and according to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,992. Ferndale is the third largest city in Whatcom County and is situated near the
Lummi Nation The Lummi Nation ( ; Lummi dialect, Lummi: ' or '';'' officially known as the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation) is a Federally recognised tribe, federally-recognized tribe of primarily Lummi people. The Lummi Nation also includes some N ...
within the Bellingham metropolitan area.


History

A Lummi settlement was historically located on a prairie on the east bank of the Ferndale area. Early European settlers call the area near the Nooksack River the "lower crossing" to distinguish it from the principal river crossing at Everson. Billy Clark, a Texan who came to the Northwest during the Gold Rush, was the first European full-time resident of what eventually became the City of Ferndale. He lived here with his wife and family for over a decade. First settled in 1872, Ferndale was given its name because of the ferns that once grew around the original school house. Ferndale was originally called Jam because the town was located next to a log jam on the
Nooksack River The Nooksack River is a river in western Whatcom County of the northwestern U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, draining Nooksack Valley, extensive valley systems within the North Cascades around Mount Shuksan, Mount Baker and the Twin ...
, but the original schoolteacher decided it needed a more picturesque name. Ferndale was officially incorporated on March 19, 1907.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Downtown Ferndale is located near the river, along with Griffintown and a largely industrial area east of the Nooksack River. Northwest of these areas are suburban developments. Ferndale borders Hovander Homestead Park and Tennant Lake along its southeast boundary.


Climate

Ferndale experiences a mild climate, with no average monthly temperatures above . Although Ferndale has slightly higher average wind speeds for much of the year, average temperatures, cloud cover and rainfall are similar to other lowland communities in western Whatcom County, such as Bellingham and Lynden. Ferndale averages slightly less snow than Lynden.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 15,048 people, 5,385 households, 3,911 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 5,553 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 71.6% (10,780)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.1% (164)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 2.5% (376) Native American, 6.8% (1,019) Asian, 0.6% (97)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 7.0% (1,058) from some other races and 10.3% (1,554) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% (2,229) of the population.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 11,415 people, 4,210 households, and 3,025 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,428 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.1% (9,490)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.0% (117)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 2.6% (292) Native American, 3.6% (416) Asian, 0.2% (26)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 5.2% (599) from other races, and 4.2% (475) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.0% (1,374) of the population. There were 4,210 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age in the city was 34.2 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. As of 2010 the median household income in the city was $52,831, and the median income for a family was $64,638. Males had a median income of $47,917 versus $37,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,837. About 13.3% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Originally, Ferndale's economy was based on timber, and shortly after, agriculture of the surrounding land. Dairy processing was a significant employer for the town, and the old Carnation dairy plant has since been converted to offices. The construction of the Ferndale Refinery west of town in the 1950s caused a population boom in the town. The Cherry Point Refinery was constructed to the northwest in the 1970s. A shoe manufacturing plant for Brooks Sports, capable of producing 500,000 pairs of shoes annually, resides in the city. On April 22, 2020,
Alcoa Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for "Aluminum Company of America") is an American industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary alu ...
announced plans to close the Intalco aluminum smelter, located five miles away, laying off 700 workers. The city also serves as a bedroom community for Bellingham. Image:FerndaleGrain.JPG, Grain storage and rail line Image:Ferndale, WA - rail bridge over the Nooksack - pano.jpg, Rail bridge over the
Nooksack River The Nooksack River is a river in western Whatcom County of the northwestern U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, draining Nooksack Valley, extensive valley systems within the North Cascades around Mount Shuksan, Mount Baker and the Twin ...


Transportation

The main highway serving Ferndale is
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...
. The town is also bisected by the
BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
, which provides freight service and carries Amtrak ''Cascades'' passenger trains.


Education

The majority of the city is served by the Ferndale School District. A small piece in the south extends into the Bellingham School District.


Sister city

Ferndale has the following
sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...
relationship: *
Minamibōsō is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 37,143 in 17,175 households and a population density of 160 persons per km2. The total area of the city is , making it the fifth largest c ...
,
Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...
, Japan.


Notable people

* Jesse Brand – Nashville songwriter, musician, and actor *
Dennis Erickson Dennis Brian Erickson (born March 24, 1947) is an American football coach who most recently served as the head coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) league. He was also the head coach at the University of ...
– Retired college football and NFL head coach * Sky Hopinka - Filmmaker, MacArthur grant recipient, poet * Michael Koenen – Former punter for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
* Wendy B. Lawrence – Former NASA astronaut. * Jake Locker – Former NFL quarterback for the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
*
Daran Norris Daran Morrison Nordland (born November 1, 1964), known professionally as Daran Norris, is an American actor. He has appeared or voiced characters in more than 400 films, video games, and television programs, including: Gordy in '' Ned's Declassif ...
– actor, most notably for role on the television series ''
Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen neo-noir Mystery fiction, mystery Drama (film and television), drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional city, fictional town of Ne ...
'' * Doug Pederson – Former NFL quarterback, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars


References


External links


City of Ferndale – Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Whatcom County, Washington