Interstate 5 North - Whatcom County

Continuing north from Exit 242, Interstate 5 flanks the east end of Lake Samish on the nine mile approach to Bellingham. Speed limits are reduced to 60 mph to Exit 258.

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Interstate 5 lines the west side of Lookout Mountain adjacent to Lake Samish and East Lake Samish Drive.

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East Lake Samish Drive ends at North Lake Samish Drive, a continuation of the ring road system around the lake. North Lake Samish Drive climbs northward to a parclo interchange with Interstate 5 at Exit 246.

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Lookout Mountain stretches westward toward Lake Padden. Samish Way (former U.S. 99) continues North Lake Samish Drive west from Exit 246 to Lake Padden State Recreation Area and north into the Happy Valley area of Bellingham.

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Interstate 5 and parallel Old Samish Road parallel Chuckanut Creek in a valley north of Chuckanut Mountain. This is the most mountainous section of Interstate 5 within the Evergreen State.

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The first of seven Bellingham interchanges sees SR 11 return from Samish Bay via Old Fairhaven Parkway to end at the Exit 250 diamond interchange with Interstate 5. SR 11 begin its 21.28 mile route at Exit 231 in Burlington.

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Interstate 5 lowers into Happy Valley and meets the Exit 250 off-ramp to SR 11. SR 11 travels west along Old Fairhaven Parkway to Chuckanut Drive (former U.S. 99 Alternate) south on its climb to Chuckanut Village along Chuckanut Bay. Connelly Avenue ties in from 36th Street to the east. Interests to the Fairhaven Transportation Center should use SR 11 south to Fairhaven via Donovan Avenue west, 10th Street north, and Harris Avenue west.

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Samish Way (old U.S. 99) returns to Interstate 5 from Happy Valley to meet the freeway at the Exit 252 split diamond interchange. Exit 252 from northbound directly joins the parallel road before it crosses the freeway into a commercial district to the west. Samish Way becomes Maple Street west and Ellis Street north leading toward the city center. Use Bill McDonald Parkway west for Western Washington University.

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Interstate 5 stays east of the Bellingham city center between Exits 253 (Lakeway Drive) and 254 (Iowa Street).

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A parclo interchange joins Interstate 5 with Lakeway Drive via King Street south. Lakeway Drive to Holly Street west leads driver into downtown Bellingham. Exit 253 also serves interests to a visitors center and the Whatcom Museum.

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Exit 254 leaves Interstate 5 at the crossing of Whatcom Creek for Iowa Street at Moore Street. Iowa Street constitutes an east-west commercial arterial east to Woburn Street and west to the five point intersection with State Street southwest and James Street. State Street provides a second route into downtown Bellingham.

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Next in line for Interstate 5 north is the Exit 255 parclo interchange with SR 542 (Sunset Drive). SR 542 begins at Interstate 5 and travels 9.98 miles east to SR 9 at Nugents Corner west of the Nooksack Indian Reservation.

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Interstate 5 ascends from the Alabama Street overpass through the Bellingham street grid to a commercial area anchored by Sunset Square mall along Sunset Drive east.

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Northbound Interstate 5 at the Exit 255 off-ramp to SR 542 east and Sunset Drive west to Broadway and Bellingham Bay. SR 542 overall travels 57.23 miles between Bellingham and the Mount Baker Ski Area.

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Curving west, Interstate 5 crosses paths with Meridian Street (old U.S. 99 Alternate) south and SR 539 (Guide Meridian Road) north at Exit 256A. SR 539 begins and travels 15.16 miles north to Laurel, Lynden, and the Canadian border south of Aldergrove, British Columbia. The state highway provides a truck route to Trans Canada 1 for interests to Surrey and Vancouver. It also doubles as former U.S. 99 Alternate to its north end.

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Exit 256 consists of a two lane off-ramp to SR 539 north and Meridian Street south. Meridian Street ventures south to Cornwall Park and downtown from Interstate 5. Guide Meridian Road leads north to Whatcom Community College nearby.

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Exit 256 partitions into Exit 256A for Meridian Street and Exit 256B for Bellis Fair Mall Parkway, a ring road encircling Bellis Fair Mall. SR 539 north provides connections to the Sumas border crossing via SR 544 and 546 east.

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Northwest Avenue veers west from Elm Street north of downtown Bellingham to become Northwest Road at the modified diamond interchange with Interstate 5 (Exit 257).

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Bakerview Road travels east-west through northern Bellingham, meeting Interstate 5 north at a half diamond interchange (Exit 258) near Bellingham International Airport (BLI). Bakerview Road becomes Airport Drive west from Bennett Drive to Marine Drive. Marine Drive parallels Bellingham Bay west to Marietta and east to Bellingham Technical College.

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A wye interchange brings motorists onto Interstate 5 north from Maplewood Avenue (former U.S. 99). Pacific Highway continues old U.S. 99 alongside the freeway to Ferndale.

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Slater Road stems west from Northwest Drive to a diamond interchange with Interstate 5 at Exit 260. The rural highway continues west to Haxton Way south for the Lummi Indian Reservation and ferry to Lummi Island.

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Interstate 5 north at Exit 260 with Slater Road. Slater Road ends at Neptune Beach along the Strait of Georgia.

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Reassurance marker posted along Interstate 5 north after Exit 260. Pacific Highway remains visible to the right.

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Passing under West Smith Road within the city limits of Ferndale. Exit 262 serves the city's historic attractions, a visitor information center and a WTA Park & Ride facility.

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Main Street east and Axton Road west come together at the Exit 262 parclo interchange in Ferndale. Main Street merges with Hovander Road and crosses the Nooksack River into downtown.

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Exit 262 leaves Interstate 5 north for Axton Road east to SR 539 near Laurel and Main Street west to the Ferndale city center. Main Street becomes Mountain View Road west to Mountain View and Lake Terrell.

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Portal Way (old U.S. 99) heads north from Beckler Avenue to a parclo interchange with Interstate 5 at Exit 263.

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A pair of steel through truss bridges carries drivers across the Nooksack River along Interstate 5. The northbound span opened in 1955 as a part of U.S. 99 (Pacific Highway). A wider southbound bridge was completed in 1971.

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Exit 263 immediately departs Interstate 5 north of the Nooksack River. Portal Way (former U.S. 99) parallels the freeway north to Custer and Blaine.

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12 miles out from Blaine and 44 miles southeast of Vancouver, British Columbia on Interstate 5 north.

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One mile south of Exit 266 with the northbound beginning of SR 548 (Grandview Road) on Interstate 5 north. SR 548 loops west to Birch Bay on its 13.85 mile course to Blaine.

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Connections with Old U.S. 99 / Portal Way north provide access to Custer via SR 548 west from Exit 266. The state route follows Grandview Road west to Blaine Road north to Birch Bay. Grandview Road otherwise ends near Birch Bay State Park to the west and at a rural residential area beyond Enterprise Road to the east.

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The four mile stretch of Interstate 5 east of Custer sees rest area facilities along both roadways. There is no direct connection to Custer, but Old U.S. 99 / Portal Way south from the Exit 270 area provides a second access route.

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Birch Bay-Lynden Road crosses paths with Interstate 5 at the Exit 270 diamond interchange. The road connects the two communities for which it is named.

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Exit 270 departs Interstate 5 north. Birch Bay-Lynden Road ends at Harborview Road south of Cottonwood Beach and north of Birch Bay. Eastward the highway ends at SR 539 / former U.S. 99 Alternate (Guide Meridian Road) opposite Kok Road.

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One of the final northbound shields posted for Interstate 5. Loomis Trail Road passes over the freeway in the background.

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The final three interchanges of Interstate 5 lie within the city of Blaine. First is the wye interchange (Exit 274) to Peace Portal Drive (old U.S. 99) after the Dakota Creek bridge.

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Portal Way becomes Peace Portal Drive upon entering the city limits of Blaine. The parallel road becomes a part of SR 538 at Blaine Road, carrying the state route north to its end at Exit 276. SR 538 (Blaine Road) south to Drayton Harbor Road leads drivers around Drayton Harbor to Semiahmoo Parkway north onto Semiahmoo Spit. Semiahmoo lies at Tongue Point on Semiahmoo Bay.

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SR 548 branches 1.09 miles north from Interstate 5 at the succeeding exit to the Canadian border crossing with B.C. Highway 15.

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All trucks and buses (commercial traffic) bound for Canada are required to use SR 543 north from Exit 275.

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Point Roberts joins Vancouver on this final Interstate 5 distance sign. Point Roberts is unusual in that it is an American community only accessible by land from Canada. B.C. 99 north to B.C. 17 south provides the most direct route to the peninsular town.

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For travels into Canada, follow Interstate 5 north to British Columbia 99 or SR 543 north to British Columbia 15. B.C. 99 continues the Interstate 5 freeway to Delta and Richmond. B.C. 15 follows a surface route north to Trans Canada 1 near Surrey.

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Hughes Avenue passes over Interstate 5 one mile south of the freeway end at the Canadian customs facility.

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A second sign advises motorists of the connections to Canada from Blaine. B.C. 15 north to Trans Canada 1 provides a route to Vancouver from Surrey and New Westminster to the east. B.C. 99 winds westward through Richmond to Vancouver International Airport, ending a freeway south of the Fraser River.

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A wye interchange provides access to SR 543 north only from Interstate 5 north. All trucks bound for Canada must depart the freeway here.
SR 543 intersects H Street before entering an inverted diamond interchange with D Street ahead of the customs facility. H Street leads east to SR 539 near its border crossing and west to the Blaine city center.

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SR 548 (Peace Portal Drive) returns to Interstate 5 from downtown Blaine to end at the Exit 276 diamond interchange. U.S. 99 originally followed Peace Portal Drive to D Street and its turn into Peace Arch State Park.

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One mile south of the customs and immigration station of Interstate 5 north to British Columbia 99 north.

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All motorists not destined to Canada must leave Interstate 5 at Exit 276. Drivers that do not depart via Exit 276 default into the customs station beyond Peace Arch State Park.

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Travelers must slow to 35 mph as Interstate 5 passes below the H Street overpass.

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Interstate 5 north reaches Exit 276 to SR 548 (Peace Portal Drive) south and D Street east to SR 543 and Lincoln Park.

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Motorists bound for Canada see another sign bridge advising of the pending Customs and Immigration Station. Nexus Lane permit holders may use the newly formed right lane. This border crossing is much less well-traveled than the one that carries Interstate 5 south into Mexico.

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Peace Arch State Park contains the famous Peace Arch, which marks the boundary between the United States and Canada. It is jointly maintained by the two countries. Access to the park from Interstate 5 north is via the Exit 276 off-ramp to 2nd Street north. A walking path leads from the parking lot to the arch, which is located in the median between the two sets of lanes on Interstate 5 / British Columbia 99. The park that contains the Peace Arch is closed between dusk and dawn.

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The end of Exit 276 with SR 548 beginning to the left, 2nd Street heading to Peace Arch State Park to the north, and D Street leading east.

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