Editing Ferndale, Washington

{{Redirect|Ferndale, WA|the place in Western Australia|Ferndale, Western Australia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Ferndale, Washington
|settlement_type          = [[City government in Washington (state)|City]]
|image_skyline            = FerndaleMainSt.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Downtown Ferndale
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = CityOfFerndaleSeal.png
|image_map                = Whatcom_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Ferndale_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Ferndale, Washington
<!-- Location ----->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom]]
<!-- Government ----->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = March 19, 1907
<!-- Area ------>
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web|title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 18.49
|area_land_km2            = 18.20
|area_water_km2           = 0.27
|area_total_sq_mi         = 7.14
|area_land_sq_mi          = 7.03
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.11
<!-- Population ---->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
|population_total         = 15048
|population_density_km2   = 878.8
|population_density_sq_mi = 2276
|population_urban         = 
|population_metro         = 231919 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|204th]])
|population_density_metro_km2 = 42.25
|population_density_metro_sq_mi = 109.4
|population_est           = 15992
|pop_est_as_of            = 2023
|pop_est_footnotes        = <ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
|population_demonym       = Ferndaler,<br />Ferndalian<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/index.php?blog=12&title=ferndale_skate_park_lightning_rod_volunt&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 |title=Ferndale Skatepark lightning rod volunteer also manning anti-school bond campaign |access-date=October 18, 2008 |author=Sam Taylor |work=[[The Bellingham Herald]] |date=April 28, 2008 |df=mdy }}{{dead link|date=April 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = –8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = –7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 43
|coordinates              = {{coord|48|51|38|N|122|36|28|W|region:US-WA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 98248
|area_code                = [[Area code 360|360]], [[Area code 564|564]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 53-23620
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2410498<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410498}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.cityofferndale.org/|cityofferndale.org}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Ferndale''' is a city in [[Whatcom County, Washington|Whatcom County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 15,048 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Ferndale_city,_Washington?g=160XX00US05323620 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref> and according to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 15,992.<ref name="USCensusEst2023"/> Ferndale is the third largest city in Whatcom County and is situated near the [[Lummi Nation]] within the [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham metropolitan area]].

==History==
A Lummi settlement was historically located on a prairie on the east bank of the Ferndale area.<ref name="HistoryLink">{{cite web |last=Moles |first=Kathleen |date=July 20, 2014 |title=Ferndale — Thumbnail History |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/10806 |work=[[HistoryLink]] |access-date=October 22, 2023}}</ref> Early European settlers call the area near the Nooksack River the "lower crossing" to distinguish it from the principal river crossing at Everson. Billy Clark, a Texan who came to the Northwest during the Gold Rush, was the first European full-time resident of what eventually became the City of Ferndale. He lived here with his wife and family for over a decade.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012 |title=History of the City |url=https://ferndale.civicweb.net/document/11366/ |website=ferndale.civicweb.net |publisher=City of Ferndale, Washington}}</ref> First settled in 1872, Ferndale was given its name because of the ferns that once grew around the original school house.<ref name=majors>{{Cite book|last=Majors |first=Harry M. |title=Exploring Washington |publisher=Van Winkle Publishing Co |year=1975 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref> Ferndale was originally called Jam because the town was located next to a log jam on the [[Nooksack River]], but the original schoolteacher decided it needed a more picturesque name.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}  Ferndale was officially incorporated on March 19, 1907.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.14|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|7.03|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.11|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/> Downtown Ferndale is located near the river, along with Griffintown and a largely industrial area east of the Nooksack River. Northwest of these areas are suburban developments. Ferndale borders [[Hovander Homestead Park]] and [[Tennant Lake]] along its southeast boundary.

===Climate===
Ferndale experiences a mild climate, with no average monthly temperatures above {{convert|71.6|°F|°C|abbr=on}}. Although Ferndale has slightly higher average wind speeds for much of the year, average temperatures, cloud cover and rainfall are similar to other lowland communities in western Whatcom County, such as Bellingham and Lynden. Ferndale averages slightly less snow than Lynden.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/967~991~973/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Ferndale-Bellingham-and-Lynden|title=Comparison of the Average Weather in Ferndale, Bellingham, and Lynden - Weather Spark|website=weatherspark.com|access-date=July 20, 2020}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=March 2020}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 691
|1920= 759
|1930= 752
|1940= 717
|1950= 979
|1960= 1442
|1970= 2164
|1980= 3855
|1990= 5398
|2000= 8758
|2010= 11415
|2020= 15048
|estyear=2023
|estimate=15992
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=August 21, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=August 21, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Ferndale, Washington – Racial Composition'''<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ferndale city, Washington|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Ferndale%20city,%20Washington&t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2}}</ref><br>(NH = Non-Hispanic)<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|10,285
|68.3%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|158
|1.0%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|286
|1.9%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|1,002
|6.7%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|96
|0.6%
|-
|[[Some Other Race]] (NH)
|80
|0.5%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|912
|6.1%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|2,229
|14.8%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''15,048'''
|'''100.0%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 15,048 people, 5,385 households, 3,911 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Ferndale%20city,%20Washington%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=August 21, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|2141.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 5,553 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 71.6% (10,780) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.1% (164) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.5% (376) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 6.8% (1,019) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.6% (97) [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 7.0% (1,058) from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|some other races]] and 10.3% (1,554) from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 14.8% (2,229) of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Ferndale city, Washington |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/ferndale-city-washington/160-5323620/ |access-date=August 21, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 11,415 people, 4,210 households, and 3,025 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1726.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 4,428 housing units at an average density of {{convert|669.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 83.1% (9,490) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.0% (117) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.6% (292) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.6% (416) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% (26) [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 5.2% (599) from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 4.2% (475) from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 12.0% (1,374) of the population.

There were 4,210 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.20.

The median age in the city was 34.2 years. 29.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

As of 2010 the median household income in the city was $52,831, and the median income for a family was $64,638. Males had a median income of $47,917 versus $37,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,837. About 13.3% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==Economy==
Originally, Ferndale's economy was based on timber, and shortly after, agriculture of the surrounding land. Dairy processing was a significant employer for the town, and the old Carnation dairy plant has since been converted to offices. The construction of the [[Ferndale Refinery]] west of town in the 1950s caused a population boom in the town. The [[Cherry Point Refinery]] was constructed to the northwest in the 1970s. A shoe manufacturing plant for [[Brooks Sports]], capable of producing 500,000 pairs of shoes annually, resides in the city.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wahba|first=Phil|date=February 1, 2018|title=A Kindred Sole|url=<!--print edition-->|journal=Fortune|type=Print edition|pages=30|issn=0015-8259}}</ref> On April 22, 2020, [[Alcoa]] announced plans to close the Intalco aluminum smelter, located five miles away, laying off 700 workers.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Alcoa to close Intalco Works smelter near Ferndale, lays off around 700 employees|url=https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/business/article242210711.html|last=Gallagher|first=Dave|date=April 22, 2020|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref> The city also serves as a bedroom community for [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham]].

<gallery class="center" widths="180px">
Image:FerndaleGrain.JPG|Grain storage and rail line
Image:Ferndale, WA - rail bridge over the Nooksack - pano.jpg|Rail bridge over the [[Nooksack River]]
</gallery>

==Transportation==
The main highway serving Ferndale is [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]]. The town is also bisected by the [[BNSF Railway]], which provides freight service and carries [[Amtrak Cascades|Amtrak ''Cascades'']] passenger trains.

==Education==
The majority of the city is served by the [[Ferndale School District]]<!--UNI 02850-->. A small piece in the south extends into the [[Bellingham School District]]<!--UNI 00420-->.<ref name=CensusSDMap2020>{{cite map |author=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division |date=January 14, 2021 |title=2020 Census – School District Reference Map: Whatcom County, WA |scale=1:140,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st53_wa/schooldistrict_maps/c53073_whatcom/DC20SD_C53073.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=March 16, 2025}}</ref>

==Sister city==
Ferndale has the following [[Town twinning|sister city]] relationship:

* {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Minamibōsō, Chiba|Minamibōsō]], [[Chiba Prefecture]], Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ltgov.wa.gov/washington-sister-cities|title=Washington Sister Cities|website=Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib|access-date=July 20, 2020}}</ref>

==Notable people==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
* [[Jesse Brand]] – Nashville songwriter, musician, and actor
* [[Dennis Erickson]] – Retired college football and [[NFL]] head coach 
* [[Sky Hopinka]] - Filmmaker, MacArthur grant recipient, poet
* [[Michael Koenen]] – Former punter for the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
* [[Wendy B. Lawrence]] – Former NASA astronaut.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usna.com/events-and-programs---dga19-bio-lawrence |title=Events and Programs - DGA19 Bio Lawrence - www.usna.com |website=www.usna.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517222618/https://www.usna.com/events-and-programs---dga19-bio-lawrence |archive-date=May 17, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Jake Locker]] – Former NFL quarterback for the [[Tennessee Titans]]
* [[Daran Norris]] – actor, most notably for role on the television series ''[[Veronica Mars]]''
* [[Doug Pederson]] – Former NFL quarterback, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=y}}
* [https://www.cityofferndale.org/ City of Ferndale – Official Website]
{{Whatcom County, Washington}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Whatcom County, Washington]]