Shirley McFearin

Port of Bellingham

The Port of Bellingham is a countywide independent special purpose government located in Whatcom County overseen by three nonpartisan elected commissioners. It was created by a countywide vote in 1920. From a beginning focused mainly on increasing shipping on the Bellingham waterfront, the port has expanded into a multi-purpose government with operations in Bellingham, Blaine and Sumas. The port supports economic development throughout Whatcom County. An independent county-wide government, the port operates all of Whatcom County's transportation terminals, the two major marinas and a deep-draft marine terminal. The port also manages over 1,600 acres of public land with about 250 local business tenants. Port and tenant operations provide over 4,000 jobs in Whatcom County. One of the largest port operations is the Bellingham International Airport that annually serves about 500,000 passengers per year and offers numerous non-stop destinations with service provided by Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Airlines and Horizon Airlines. The port's marinas in Bellingham and Blaine provide moorage for 2,000 recreational and commercial boats and hundreds of people work for the numerous marine trades businesses that operate on port real estate. The port also operates the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, serving the Alaska State Ferry, private passenger ferries and charter vessels. Located nearby, the port's Fairhaven Transportation Station serves passengers on Amtrak and Greyhound.