Enter your search query in the box below.

Birch Bay Washington Map

Explore Birch Bay, Washington, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Birch Bay, Washington

How to Use This Birch Bay, Washington Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Birch Bay, Washington. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Washington or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Birch Bay.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Birch Bay
State	Washington (WA)
County	Whatcom County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles)

Latitude	48.917888
Longitude	-122.744622
Population	10,115
Density	228.3 /km²
Incorporated	N/A
ZIP Code	98230
Area Code	206, 253
County Seat	Bellingham
School District	Blaine School District

🌦 Goto Birch Bay Weather Page: Birch Bay, Washington — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Birch Bay, Washington

Birch Bay is a locality in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It has a population of 10,115. The population density is 228.3 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 reveals itself through the steady, rhythmic pulse of tides drawing back from the shoreline of Puget Sound. It lies 8.5 miles northwest of Ferndale, WA (from Ferndale, WA: bearing 305°T), and is situated 5.2 miles south of Blaine. Terrell Creek carves a quiet path toward the salt water, its movement mirroring the seasonal shifts that define the landscape. Beyond the immediate coastal reach, the distant, snow-dusted peaks of the Cascade Range anchor the horizon in a pale, jagged line. Inland, the calm waters of Heide Pond provide a reflective stillness that contrasts with the expansive, shifting energy of the nearby coast. Visitors often find solace within the protected acreage of Birch Bay, where the salt air mingles with the scent of wild grasses.

Birch Bay emerged as a place defined by the bounty of the shoreline and the steady labor of those drawn to the water. Early commerce relied heavily upon the harvest of the sea and the fertile soil that stretches toward the Lummi Flats. Today, the economy balances a seasonal influx of travelers with a local industry rooted in maritime services and small-scale trade. The rhythm of the work year follows the ebb and flow of the tides, reflecting a history of resilience built upon the natural offerings of the coast. Residents maintain a connection to the land that honors the practical, industrious legacy of the pioneers who first cultivated this edge of the map.

Birch Bay carries a cultural character shaped by the long, grey light of the Pacific Northwest and a profound appreciation for the outdoors. The shoreline remains the primary landmark, drawing people together for the annual Kite Festival that fills the sky with color against the muted clouds. Notable figures like the legendary singer-songwriter Lead Belly once spent time in the region, drawn perhaps by the singular quietude of the coast. Life here moves with a deliberate, unadorned pace that values the simple observation of a changing tide or the migration of birds toward Cha-Choo-Sen. This is a place where the community gathers to celebrate the turn of the seasons, finding unity in the shared experience of living between the forest and the sound.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Birch Bay (State Park) — 0.1 mi, 262° W
Whatcom County Parks & Recreation (Local Park) — 0.3 mi, 210° SW
Bay Horizon Park (Local Park) — 0.3 mi, 110° E
British Petroleum (State Conservation Area) — 1.0 mi, 180° S
Whatcom Wildlife Area Complex (State Conservation Area) — 1.5 mi, 188° S
Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve (Marine Protected Area) — 1.9 mi, 229° SW
Lister Chain & Forge Anchor (Public Artwork) — 3.3 mi, 048° NE
Eames Tidelands (State Resource Management Area) — 3.9 mi, 000° N
Iron Chink (Monument) — 4.7 mi, 334° NW
Peace Arch (State Park) — 5.6 mi, 355° N
Oregon Treaty Centennial Monument (Monument) — 5.8 mi, 355° N
Valley View Pottery Gallery (Gallery) — 8.5 mi, 125° SE
The Gallery at 3rd & Main (Gallery) — 8.5 mi, 125° SE
It's About Time Cultural Arts Center (Arts Centre) — 8.6 mi, 125° SE
William "Billy" Clark (Monument) — 8.7 mi, 125° SE
San Juan County/Cypress Island Marine Biological Preserve (Marine Protected Area) — 10.5 mi, 197° S
San Juan Islands National Monument (National Monument) — 11.0 mi, 184° S · 432k acres
San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 12.4 mi, 195° S · 1,368 acres
San Juan Islands Wilderness Area (Wilderness Area) — 12.4 mi, 195° S · 379 acres
Gude Erth Crafts (Gallery) — 13.3 mi, 171° S
Claire Thomas Theatre (Theatre) — 13.3 mi, 083° E
South Viewpoint (Viewpoint) — 13.4 mi, 288° W
Bebe Home (Attraction) — 15.2 mi, 292° W
Marine Life Center (Museum) — 15.9 mi, 134° SE
New Prospect Theatre (Theatre) — 16.5 mi, 133° SE
Old City Hall (Museum) — 16.5 mi, 134° SE
Make.Shift Art Space (Arts Centre) — 16.6 mi, 133° SE
Spark Museum of Electrical Invention (Museum) — 16.6 mi, 134° SE
Pickford Film Center (Cinema) — 16.6 mi, 134° SE
Orcas WILD (Museum) — 16.9 mi, 206° SW

Latest News: Birch Bay

Loading news…

World News

Loading news-world…

More World News