Relocation Information

Welcome to Blaine...
Uniquely located in the northwest corner of Washington state at the Canadian border. Blaine sits between two of the most popular cities in the pacific northwest, Vancouver, British Columbia just 35 miles to our north and Seattle, Washington, 110 miles to our south. The City of Blaine is situated on the banks of Drayton Harbor and the foothill of the cascade mountain range with easy access to the Mt. Baker Wilderness and Mt. Baker Ski area just 25 miles to the east.

Topography
The City of Blaine contains 3.3 square miles of land sitting along the broad sweep of Drayton Harbor, with 2 full service marinas; Semiahmoo Marina on the south side and Blaine Marina sitting on the north side of Drayton Harbor. Drayton Harbor provides 8.7 miles of shoreline within the city limits - a haven for multiple species of shorebirds and marine life. From downtown Blaine, Drayton Harbor sweeps around in an almost full circle to Semiahmoo Spit, which features miles of saltwater shoreline, perfect for clamming, crabbing and fishing. Blaine is the gateway to the San Juan Islands and is rich in maritime history.

The Setting
Blaine offers a mix of housing opportunities ranging from low income and quaint nineteenth century homes to luxury waterfront homes in the gated community of Semiahmoo with the Arnold Palmer designed Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club. Semiahmoo is also home to Semiahmoo Resort, a seaside hotel featuring a luxurious spa and the number one and number three rated golf courses in Washington state; Loomis Trail Golf Club and Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club.

The average home price is $300,000. The harbor reflects the diversity of the town with a mix of recreational boating to commercial fishing boats. On the east side of Blaine there is a more rural residential setting with mostly 5 acres or more of homes, mini farms and an industrial development section. Sitting just south of Blaine is the resort community of Birch Bay. To the north of Blaine sits the international border between Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. There are 2 border crossings in Blaine, The Peace Arch Crossing also know as the Douglas Crossing and the Truck Crossing known as the Pacific Crossing. To cross the border in to Canada you must go through customs and have proper identification. For information on what is required crossing the border, please visit our Border Crossing Information page.

QUICK LINKS:
Blaine Real Estate Agents & Companies
Blaine Border Crossing Information
Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County - "The POSITIVE Place For Kids!" Proudly serving over 6,100 boys and girls in Whatcom County.

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Climate
Mean High Temperature: 62 Degrees
Mean Low Temperature: 40 Degrees
Annual Rainfall: 36 inches/year

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Parks
Blaine has several parks for your outdoor enjoyment. The largest and most prominent is Peace Arch State Park which straddles the boundary between the United States and Canada. The park contains a 67 foot high Peace Arch monument that was dedicated in 1921. The arch commemorates the lasting peace between the two nations. The Peace Arch is surrounded by a 40 acre waterfront park overlooking Semiahmoo Bay. The park provides grassy manicured lawns with flower gardens and offers a playground with picnic areas. Free parking is available. Other parks within the City of Blaine are:

Blaine Marina Park - 200 Marine Drive
Located on Marine Drive this 7 acre waterfront park sits between Blaine Marina and Semiahmoo Bay. Perfect for kid's playing and enjoying this waterfront park. The parks also provides picnic shelters, trails and is a bird watchers paradise with a viewing scope to view waterfowl and nearby White Rock across the border in Canada.

Lincoln Park - 1700 H Street
A large wooded hillside park with hiking and bike trails.

Salishan Park - Alder Street & Blaine Ave.
Offers a playground and picnic area.

Montfort Park - Dodd Street & Railroad
A wooded waterfront park offering hiking & biking trails with a picnic area.

Skallman Park - On Yew Ave, south of the Blaine Airport
A park with a small pond and picnic area.

Syre Park - Drayton Harbor Road
A water view park with biking trails and picnic area.

Blaine Skateboard Park - 3rd & G Streets (behind the Blaine Library)
The skate park offers thrill-seekers various ramps for skates, roller blades and bikes.

Street-End Parks
These street-end parks all provide sweeping water views of Blaine Marina and Semiahmoo: Clark & Peace Portal, Martin & Peace Portal and H and Peace Portal home to "The Vigil" Sculpture.

QUICK LINKS:
Peace Arch State Park
Whatcom County Parks & Recreation
Semiahmoo County Park

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Schools
All of Blaine's schools have consistently received national recognition for excellence. Some of the school district support programs include technology resources, learning assistance programs, special education, math championships, education for the homeless and drug & alcohol counseling. The Blaine School District serves the City of Blaine and surrounding areas including the unincorporated community of Birch Bay and has approximately 2,000 students.

QUICK LINK:
Blaine School District

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Cultural Arts
Blaine offers a surprising menu of visual and performing arts. The Pacific Arts Association sponsors a full concert and performance season at the Blaine Performing Arts Theater, which is also the venue for various school performances. The Blaine Community Theater presents performances year round and the Blaine Library hosts speakers and events each month.

Blaine is home to the Annual Peace Arch Sculpture Exhibition offering Art in the Park from May through September. The Blaine Jazz Festival is another annual event every July with performance from students and faculty. The week long festival provides several free outdoor performances.

QUICK LINK:
Pacific Arts Association
Blaine Jazz Festival
Peace Arch International Sculpture Exhibit

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Healthcare
St. Joseph Hospital is a regional full-service, acute-care facility with 253 beds. In 2003 it opened a new award-winning cardiovascular center. The hospital has a medical staff of over 300 physicians.
QUICK LINK:
St. Joseph's Hospital
Madrona Medical Group

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Transportation
Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) provides bus transportation throughout Whatcom County including Blaine. Other forms of transportation are:
Bellingham Airporter
Airporter Shuttle
Greyhound Lines
Amtrak
Bellingham International Airport
Alaska Marine Highway System (Fairhaven)
Lummi Island Ferry
Hesselgrave Bus Charters & Tours

In White Rock, British Columbia:
SkyTrain - Rapid Transit
Greater Vancouver Transit Authority (TransLink)

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Top Employers in Whatcom County
Western Washington University
St. Joseph Hospital
City of Bellingham
Haggen, Inc (Grocery Store)
Intalco
Brown & Cole Stores
T-Mobile
BP Cherry Point
Olympic Health Management
Walmart
Bellingham Technical College
Whatcom Community College
Alpha Technologies
Madrona Medical Group
Phillips 66 Refinery
Port of Bellingham

Labor Market Information: www.workforceexplorer.com

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Real Estate
Attractive homes, reasonably priced housing and multimillion-dollar homes can be found in Blaine. The following are top real estate companies to help you find and purchase an affordable home, or find the ideal rental property for your relocation to Blaine and the surrounding areas!
View All Real Estate Members.

The Setting

Climate

Parks

Schools

Churches

Cultural Arts

Healthcare

Transportation

Demographics...
A Quick Look

Top Employers

Real Estate Info

How To Get A WA State Driver's License