Spring 2003: AARP The Magazine lists Bellingham second among 15 “Dream towns” for baby boomers looking to settle down. Citing the city’s “natural charm, affordable neighborhoods and recreational opportunities,” the May/June issue rated Bellingham second only to the Fort Collins/Loveland area of Colorado.  

May 2003: Men’s Journal calls Bellingham one of the 50 Best Small Cities in which to Live. 

September 2001: Outside Magazine calls Bellingham one of its 10 “Dream Towns,” noting its close access to shorelines, rivers, the San Juan Islands, Mt Baker and the Cascade Mountains. 

May 2008: Prevention.com ranks Bellingham the 2nd Best Walking Town in Washington. 

August 2006: Outside Magazine ranks Bellingham as the Best Paddling town in the USA for it's back-door access to kayaking through the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound, as well as it’s a launching pad to Canada’s Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.  

2006: Bellingham was awarded a Silver rating by League of American Cyclists. Only eight other cities nationwide received an equal or higher honor.  

2005: Skiing Magazine ranked Mt. Baker Ski Area 18th on a list of nation-wide ski areas, and number one in the state of Washington, based on a survey of ski professionals. 

September 2004: National Geographic Adventure Magazine names Bellingham in the top ten “Adventure Towns” in the nation. 

November 2002: Golf Digest rated Bellingham the seventh best “golf city” in the nation. With 16 public golf courses, the Bellingham Mt Baker Region has more golf courses per capita than any other county in the Pacific Northwest.  

June 1996: The American Hiking Society and the National Park Service designated Bellingham as a “Trail Town USA.” Bellingham is one of only 30 cities nationwide and the only city in Washington and Oregon, to be so honored. 

May 2006: Bellingham was among 11 cities with the cleanest air nationwide in a study by the American Lung Association (sixth year in a row). 

April 2006: Forbes.com ranked Bellingham number 2 on its list of the Greenest Cities in the U.S. The ALA based their ranking on statistics for ozone and small particle pollution in each area of the study.