French
DeutschBlaine, "The Peace Arch City", is the most northwestern town in the contiguous 48 states. It is at the Washington state side of the major land border crossing between Northwest Washington and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on Semiahmoo Bay. This article also includes Birch Bay, about 5 mi (8.0 km) to the south.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Blaine was settled by Europeans in the mid-1800s and named after James G. Blaine, secretary of state and presidential candidate. It was incorporated as a city in 1890. Its population was estimated to be 5,400 in 2018.
Blaine is a border town and the northern terminus of Interstate 5 which becomes BC-99 as one crosses into Canada. A great deal of Blaine's economy is based on legal trade across the Canadian border and Blaine also has a long history of smuggling.
Blaine has two large marinas with hundreds of boats. Salmon, crab, and other seafood are widely available.
- 1 Blaine Welcome Center, 546 Peace Portal Dr (In Skye Hill Station next to Starbucks), ☏ +1 360-332-4544. M-Sa 11AM-4PM, Su 1-PM.
Get in
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By car
[edit | edit source]Blaine is the northern terminus of Interstate 5.
It has two primary ports of entry into Canada, across from Surrey, BC:
- 1 Surrey - Blaine (Peach Arch Crossing) (BC-99 – Interstate 5). 24/7. Open to passenger vehicles, but not commercial trucks and buses.
- 2 Pacific Highway - Blaine (Pacific Highway) (Truck Crossing) (BC-15 - WA-543). 24/7. Open to all vehicles.
See the Get in – By car section of the Northwest Washington article for details.
By plane
[edit | edit source]The nearest commercial airport is Bellingham International Airport (BLI IATA).
Vancouver International Airport (YVR IATA), while across the border in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, offers a much wider range of destinations.
By bus
[edit | edit source]- 3 Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA), ☏ +1 360-676-7433. Operates public transit bus service in Whatcom County including Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, and Sumas. Also operates bus route 80X traveling north from Burlington and Mount Vernon in Skagit County to Bellingham.
- Route 75 operates from Monday to Saturday between Blaine and Bellingham via Ferndale.
Get around
[edit | edit source]By taxi
[edit | edit source]- Red Cab Taxi, ☏ +1 360-332-1960.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Peace Arch State Park (Go north on 2nd Street until the loop at A Street.), ☏ +1 360 332-8221, [email protected]. 8AM-dusk. A grand white arch in a grassy lawn marks the US-Canada international border. On either side of the park are frequently lines of cars crawling slowly through the border checkpoint lines. You can enter the park from either the US or Canadian side, and walk all around it, but you must leave by the side you entered, or else formally pass through the border checkpoint. Free.
Do
[edit | edit source]There are many biking & walking trails, including along Boundary Bay. Blaine is a major birdwatching area. There is a casino in Blaine, a library, and various small businesses.
- 1 Birch Bay Waterslides, 4874 Birchbay Lynden Rd, ☏ +1 360 371-7500.
- 2 Birch Bay State Park, 5105 Helweg Rd, ☏ +1 360 371-2800. Summer 6AM-dusk, winter 8AM-dusk.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Duty Free Americas, 20 12th St (Exit 275 on SR 543), ☏ +1 360 332-5223, [email protected]. 24 hr. However, online orders only available for pickup 8AM-10PM.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- 1 Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, 685 Peace Portal Dr, ☏ +1 360-656-5958.
- 2 Bordertown Mexican Grill, 538 Peace Portal Dr, ☏ +1 360-441-7661. M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-7PM.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- 1 The Wheelhouse Bar and Grill, 746 Peace Portal Dr, ☏ +1 360-332-3512. Sports bar with billiards and pull-tabs. Full menu including sandwiches, burgers, and pizza.
- 2 Beach Cat Brewing, 7876 Birch Bay Dr, #101 (I-5 Exit 270), ☏ +1 360-366-8065, [email protected].
Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 Semiahmoo Resort, 9565 Semiahmoo Pkwy, ☏ +1 360-318-2000, toll-free: +1-855-917-3767 (reservations), [email protected]. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 2 WorldMark Birch Bay, 4810 Beachcomber Dr, ☏ +1 360-371-0880. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 10AM. One and two bedroom suites with kitchens by a rocky beach. It has a partially covered outdoor pool, hot tub, and game room.
- 3 Birch Bay RV Campground, 8418 Harborview Rd, ☏ +1 360-371-7432 (ranger station), toll-free: +1-888-481-6348 (reservations).
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]Go north to Canada's West Coast gem Vancouver, or head south to Seattle for a great time on the Sound.
| Routes through Blaine |
Vancouver ← Surrey ← becomes  ←  (cars) ← | N  S | → Ferndale → Seattle |
Vancouver via  ← Surrey ← becomes  ← (cars / trucks / buses) ← | N  S | → ENDS at  |