Lynden is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is located north of Bellingham and approximately south of the Canada–US border.
The city is located along the Nooksack River and State Route 539. The population of Lynden was at the 2020 United States Census. Lynden is also home to the annual Northwest Washington Fair.
History
Lynden was founded in the 1870s by Phoebe Judson and her husband, Holden, near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish. Judson named it after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell. According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, Judson changed the spelling of "Linden" to be more visually appealing. Lynden was officially incorporated as a city on March 16, 1891. A statue of Judson now sits at the intersection of Front and 6th Street, near the Lynden Chamber of Commerce.
The city lies in a broad valley formed by the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The surrounding area is filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms. The region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid-1900s, spurring the growth of dairies. The city pays homage to its Dutch heritage through the design of buildings on Front Street and local businesses with "Dutch" names and products. In the early 21st century, the population nearly doubled in size, with Dutch being more predominant than other ethnic ancestry.
In 2005, a drug smuggling tunnel was discovered in Lynden, built by a band of Canadian smugglers in the basement of a residence north of Lynden along the Canada–US border. At the time, this was the only known drug tunnel along the US-Canada border.
The first time that a presumptive presidential nominee of a U.S. major political party came to Lynden during a general election year was in May 2016, when Donald Trump visited the city.
Geography
The Nooksack River runs along a short portion of the city's southern border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
Lynden has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) typical of the Pacific Northwest that is characterized by warm (but not hot) dry summers, and mild to chilly rainy winters. In Lynden's case, the climate is moderated by the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, with small temperature variations on average throughout the year, resulting in mild year-round temperatures, although winter months can get quite cool. Average high temperatures range from in January to in August. Lynden, on average, has very wet winters and dry summers, also representative of the region.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,951 people, 4,594 households, and 3,248 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,812 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 0.7% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.
There were 4,594 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11.
The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,020 people, 3,426 households, and 2,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,208.8 people per square mile (853.6/km2). There were 3,592 housing units at an average density of 879.6 per square mile (339.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.07% White, 0.27% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 2.51% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.73% of the population.