Lynden

Lynden is a city of almost 15,000 people (2018) in the North Cascades region of Washington State.

History
Lynden was begun in 1871 and established in 1874 by Holden and Phoebe Judson near the site of the Nooksack Indian village Squahalish (Nooksack: Sqwehálich). It was named by Phoebe Judson after the riverside town in Hohenlinden, a poem by Thomas Campbell, stating:

"On Linden, when the sun was low, all bloodless lay the untrodden snow; and dark as winter was the flow of Iser rolling rapidly."

According to her book, A Pioneer's Search for an Ideal Home, she changed the spelling to "Lynden" to be more visually appealing. Lynden was incorporated as a town on March 16, 1891.

The town lies in a broad valley along the winding path of the Nooksack River, which empties into nearby Bellingham Bay. The surrounding area is filled with dairy, raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry farms. Even though not founded by them, the region saw significant Dutch immigration in the early and mid-1900s, spurring the growth of dairies. Today, Lynden pays homage to some of its Dutch heritage through locations such as buildings on Front Street, where some businesses have been made-over with a Dutch theme, complete with a windmill. Along that street, you'll find the Lynden Dutch Bakery, Dutch Mother's Restaurant, and numerous local businesses. Some local supermarkets contain Dutch food sections, but Dutch is spoken by very few of the town's residents today. The population has grown substantially, with Dutch being more predominate than other ethnic ancestry.

Climate
Lynden has perhaps some of the coolest weather in Western Washington, due to its far north location.

The winter temperatures commonly range between the upper 20s (about -3°C) to mid 40s (nearly 10°C). During a cold outbreak however, bitter and dry winds whip from the Fraser River north of the border, dropping temperatures to the teens(below -10°C). As a result, snow can be worse in this area compared to the rest of the Western Washington lowlands, though occurrence is on average only 2 or 3 annually.

Summer temperatures are cool with temperatures ranging from the lower 50s F (10°C) to the lower 70s (around 20°C).

By car
From Interstate 5, take the Exit 270 towards eastbound Birch Bay Lynden Road or Exit 256 towards northbound Meridian St (Washington Route 539), both of which will take you straight towards Lynden.

Travelers from Canada can cross the border into the US from Aldergrove checkpoint, in which they can go straight for 5 miles towards the city center.

By plane
Lynden has a small municipal airport (38W) that can be used for private aircraft. Commercial flights may land at Bellingham and Seattle in the United States, as well as Vancouver in Canada.

By taxi
These taxi companies serve Lynden and the rest of Whatcom and Skagit Counties. As the number of taxi cars are scarce while serving two counties, it is advised that you call ahead in case you need one.

By rideshare
Uber and Lyft reaches out to passengers from both Whatcom and Skagit County, including from Oak Harbor and Camano & Whidbey Islands.

By car
Highway WA-539 travels north and south, connecting with the Canadian border to the north and Bellingham to the south.

Border crossing




By foot
The downtown area is compact enough to be explored on foot.

By public transport

 * Route 26 travels between Bellingham and Lynden. Within Lynden, the route makes a counterclockwise loop around the city. The bus runs every 90 minutes on all days. The bus runs from 6:30AM to dusk on weekdays and 8AM to dusk on weekends.

See
Lynden has a strong Dutch immigrant heritage which is reflected in many of the festivals, buildings, shops and eating establishments. The downtown area begins from 9th St to 1st St, at around Grover and Front St.

Do
Just like the Netherlands, Lynden is notorious for its farm and dairy produce, some of which you can pick up by yourself.

Buy
Be aware that most, if not all, shops and restaurants in the downtown corridor close on Sunday. Your best bet for finding what you need to buy on that day would be a Safeway or Food Pavilion grocery store at Guide Meridian Road.

Sleep
There are few hotels in Lynden. Visitors can stay at Bellingham, 30 minutes away south of the town.

Go next

 * Langley, Canada is 5 miles north across the border
 * Bellingham is 20 miles south of Lynden.
 * From Interstate 5 at Bellingham, head north towards Vancouver, Canada or south towards Mount Vernon, Everett, and Seattle.