County · code 53073
Whatcom CountyWashington
Whatcom County is a county in Washington, with its seat in Bellingham. It was created in 1854 from Island County.
- Founded1854
- County seatBellingham
- Land area2,108 sq mi + 397 sq mi water
- Population226,847 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped99,774 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Whatcom on the map of Washington
Washington has 39 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1854 from Island County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
When Whatcom County was created in 1854, it included the disputed San Juan Islands claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. Over the following decades, Whatcom County lost territory to new counties: San Juan County was created from it in 1873, and Skagit County in 1883. Whatcom continued as a Washington county when Washington was admitted to the Union in 1889.
- 1854Whatcom County created Whatcom created by Washington Territory from Island. Whatcom included the disputed San Juan Islands which were claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1854, 1st sess., p. 475
- 1858Gained territory Whatcom gained from Island; Overlap Area 1 between Walla Walla and Whatcom settled in favor of Whatcom. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1857, 5th sess., p. 53
- 1867Gained territory Whatcom gained from Island. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1866-1867, 14th sess., p. 44
- 1873Lost territory Whatcom lost to creation of San Juan. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1873, 4th biennial sess., pp. 461-463
- 1889Became part of Washington Whatcom continued as a Washington county when the state of Washington admitted to the Union and Washington Territory eliminated. · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889], p. 676; U.S. Stat. pres. proc., vol. 26[1889], p. 10; Van Zandt, 155-156
Show all 10 changes
- 1854Whatcom County created Whatcom created by Washington Territory from Island. Whatcom included the disputed San Juan Islands which were claimed by both the United States and Great Britain. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1854, 1st sess., p. 475
- 1854Changed Eastern end of Whatcom was overlapped by creation of Walla Walla (see Overlap Area 1). · Wash. Terr. Laws 1854, 1st sess., pp. 472-473
- 1858Gained territory Whatcom gained from Island; Overlap Area 1 between Walla Walla and Whatcom settled in favor of Whatcom. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1857, 5th sess., p. 53
- 1859Boundary clarified Whatcom partly redefined to correct an omission in the boundary description of 14 January 1858.no change· Wash. Terr. Laws 1858, 6th sess., p. 60
- 1867Gained territory Whatcom gained from Island. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1866-1867, 14th sess., p. 44
- 1869Boundary clarified Whatcom redefined (no change).no change· Wash. Terr. Laws 1869, 2nd biennial sess., sec. 1/p. 291
- 1873Lost territory Whatcom lost to creation of San Juan. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1873, 4th biennial sess., pp. 461-463
- 1877Boundary clarified Whatcom boundary with Island redefined (no change).with Islandno change· Wash. Terr. Laws 1877, 6th biennial sess., pp. 425-426
- 1883Lost territory Whatcom lost to creation of Skagit. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1883, 9th biennial sess., pp. 97-100
- 1889Became part of Washington Whatcom continued as a Washington county when the state of Washington admitted to the Union and Washington Territory eliminated. · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889], p. 676; U.S. Stat. pres. proc., vol. 26[1889], p. 10; Van Zandt, 155-156
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Whatcom
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 99,774 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Whatcom County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Whatcom by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Whatcom County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Whatcom County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Whatcom County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Whatcom County
- When was Whatcom County founded?
- Whatcom County was founded in 1854, formed from Island County.
- What is the county seat of Whatcom County?
- The county seat of Whatcom County is Bellingham.
- Is there an online parcel map for Whatcom County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 99,774 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Whatcom County's boundary or name changed?
- Whatcom County was created in 1854 from Island County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Island County, Walla Walla County and San Juan County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Whatcom County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby