The Port of Bellingham was formed in 1920 by a vote of the people of Whatcom County to ensure public ownership of our waterfront and to promote economic development.
The Port is an independent county-wide government overseen by three non-partisan elected Commissioners, who serve 4-year terms. There are more than 70 port districts in the state of Washington. Every port is different, but most share a focus on economic development and transportation.
The Port is a steward of the community’s waterfront and waterways. It is committed to cleaning up sites that were polluted by past industrial uses and preventing future contamination.
The Port is a leader in the efforts to remove contamination from Bellingham Bay. The Port looks for opportunities to redevelop waterfront property after it is clean again and works to develop new marine habitat as part of all in-the-water cleanup projects. Already Port waterway projects have developed new marine habitats. The Port of Bellingham is very diverse. It operates public terminals and facilities and it leases industrial and commercial property. These diverse operations include: Blaine Marina
Squalicum Marina
Bellingham International Airport
Bellingham Cruise Terminal
Bellingham Shipping Terminal
Bellwether on the BayTM
Fairhaven Transportation Center
Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park
Sumas Business Park
Airport Industrial Park
2006 Budget and Taxes
The Port’s budget includes $13.3 million earned in its lines of business. In addition, $5.9 million comes from property taxes and the Port also receives some state and federal support through grants.
The property tax rate for the Port portion of your bill has not increased since 1996. The Port receives about 3% of your property taxes.
Public enjoyment of the waterfront is a priority for the Port of Bellingham. The Port has a growing network of parks and trails for community enjoyment. The Port also has waterfront public meeting spaces available for the community to rent for their special events. In addition, the Port sponsors numerous waterfront festivals, concerts and activities.
Other Port Facts:
Slips in our harbors: 2,100
Airport passengers: 200,000 annually
Businesses on Port land: 200
Acres of Port land: 1,647 acres
Alaska Ferry Riders at Bellingham Cruise Terminal: 30,800 annually
Amtrak Train Riders at Fairhaven Station: 56,000 annually
People attended events in Port facilities: 65,000 annually
Buildings/structures the Port owns: 99
Number of Employees: 87
