Blaine, Washington
| Blaine, Washington | ||
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| City | ||
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| Nickname(s): The Peace Arch City | ||
| Motto: Blaine is Where America Begins | ||
 Location in the state of Washington and Whatcom County |
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| Coordinates: 48°59′17″N 122°44′37″W / 48.98806°N 122.74361°WCoordinates: 48°59′17″N 122°44′37″W / 48.98806°N 122.74361°W | ||
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Washington
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| County | Whatcom | |
| Incorporated | May 20, 1890 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Harry Robinson | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.83 km2 (8.43 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 14.58 km2 (5.63 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 7.25 km2 (2.80 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 16 m (53 ft) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 4,684 | |
| • Estimate (2015) | 5,056 | |
| • Density | 321.2/km2 (832.0/sq mi) | |
| Demonym: Blaineite | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | |
| ZIP codes | 98230 (home delivery) and 98231 (post office boxes) | |
| Area code | 360 | |
| FIPS code | 53-06505 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409860 | |
| Highways |
 I‑5 SR 543 SR 548
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| Website | cityofblaine.com | |
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canada–US border. Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument. The population was 4,684 at the 2010 census. Since Blaine is located right on the border with Canada, it is the northernmost city on Interstate 5, while the southernmost city is San Ysidro.
The area was first settled in the mid-19th century by pioneers who established the town as a seaport for the west coast logging and fishing industries, and as a jumping off point for prospectors heading to British Columbia's gold fields. Blaine was officially incorporated on May 20, 1890, and was named after James G. Blaine (1830−1893), who was a U.S. senator from the state of Maine, Secretary of State, and, in 1884, the unsuccessful Republican presidential candidate. The city has a "turn-of-the-century" theme, marked by remodeled buildings and signs resembling designs that existed during the late 19th century and early 20th century.
The world's largest salmon cannery was operated by the Alaska Packers' Association for decades in Blaine; the cannery site has been converted to a waterfront destination resort on Semiahmoo Spit. Several saw mills once operated on Blaine's waterfront, and much of the lumber was transported from its wharves and docks to help rebuild San Francisco following the 1906 fire there. The forests were soon logged, but Blaine's fishing industry remained strong and robust into the second half of the 20th century. Into the 1970s Blaine was home to hundreds of commercial purse seiners and gillnetters plying the waters offshore of British Columbia, between Washington State and southeast Alaska. Blaine's two large marinas are still home to hundreds of recreational sailboats and yachts, and a small fleet of determined local fishers provide visitors with dockside sale of fresh salmon, crab and oysters. Nature lovers have always appreciated Blaine's coastal location, its accessible bike and walking trails, and view of mountains and water. Birdwatchers across the continent have discovered the area's high content of migratory birds and waterfowl: Blaine's Drayton Harbor, Semiahmoo Spit and Boundary Bay are ranked as Important Birding Areas by the Audubon Society.
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Wikipedia