Ferndale, Washington, United States

🇺🇸 Ferndale is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is the third largest city in Whatcom County and located near the Lummi Nation.

History 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, 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 city has a total area of 6.69 square miles (17.33 km²), of which, 6.61 square miles (17.12 km²) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km²) 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 south-east boundary.

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 north-west 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 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.

Transport The main highway serving Ferndale is Interstate 5. The town is also bisected by the BNSF Railway, which provides freight service and carries Amtrak Cascades passenger trains.