Birch Bay Washington Map

About Birch Bay, Washington

Birch Bay is a locality in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It has a population of 10,837. The population density is 251.0 people per km². Birch Bay is located at 48.9179°N, 122.7446°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP code: 98230.

Birch Bay unfurls a long, low horizon where the Salish Sea whispers against a shoreline of pebbles and driftwood. It lies 16.0 miles north-west of Bellingham, WA (from Bellingham, WA: bearing 313°T), and is situated 8.5 miles north-west of Ferndale. The land here is a gentle sweep, a series of low hills that spill towards the water, their contours softened by the persistent, damp air. Douglas fir and western red cedar, their branches heavy with the moisture of the Pacific Northwest, stand sentinel, their dark green a deep counterpoint to the muted blues and greys of the sky and sea. The air itself carries a certain quietude, a damp coolness that clings to the skin and smells faintly of salt and pine. Even on a bright day, the light possesses a diffused quality, as if filtered through a fine mist, lending the landscape a serene, almost introspective character. The economic life of Birch Bay has long been tied to the bounty of the water and the land. For generations, fishing boats, their hulls weathered by salt and sun, have plied these waters, bringing in the day's catch. The shore itself is a testament to this connection, dotted with weathered docks and the occasional shed where nets are mended. Beyond the immediate coast, the land gives way to fertile ground, where small farms have historically flourished, their fields a patchwork of greens and browns. While the grander narratives of industrial booms might be absent, Birch Bay holds a distinct character, a place where the pace of life is measured by the tides and the changing seasons, where the quiet hum of everyday existence is punctuated by the cry of gulls and the rhythmic sigh of waves.

About This Birch Bay Map Page

This page provides an interactive Google map of Birch Bay, Washington with street, satellite and terrain views and integrated Street View imagery. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Birch Bay and Whatcom County.

Detailed location data for Birch Bay includes the ZIP code (98230), telephone area code (206, 253), county seat of Whatcom County (Bellingham), and school district assignment (Blaine School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Birch Bay is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.