Fairhaven Neighborhood, Bellingham WA
Fairhaven is the historic brick village at the south end of Bellingham WA, where blocks built around 1890 now form a National Register district listed in 1977. Most of its 901 homes are condos, townhomes and apartments, and only 141 are single-family houses. The train, the Alaska ferry, the trail and the bookstore are all a walk from the village.
Last updated: October 2026
On a Saturday on Harris Avenue in Fairhaven, Bellingham WA, people roll suitcases out of the train station and down the hill toward a ferry bound for Alaska. Somebody else is just buying a book. Both are normal here.
Fairhaven is the brick village at the south end of town. It is small, it is mostly condos and townhomes, and it is busy in summer. The train, the ferry, the trail and the bookstore are all a walk from your front door. So is everyone else.
Thinking about a condo near the village or one of Fairhaven's few houses? Contact our Bellingham team to talk it through.
On this page:
- What is it like to live in Fairhaven?
- Where is Fairhaven, and how do residents get around?
- Which trails, parks and waterfront spots are close to Fairhaven?
- How did Fairhaven become a historic district?
- What kinds of homes are in Fairhaven?
- What should buyers know before buying in Fairhaven?
- Frequently asked questions about Fairhaven
- Which neighborhoods are near Fairhaven?
- Sources
What is it like to live in Fairhaven?
Walk down Harris toward the water and the street turns into a transit map. Fairhaven Station, at 401 Harris Avenue, handles Amtrak Cascades trains, Greyhound and WTA buses.4 Next door, at 355 Harris, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal is the southern end of the Alaska Marine Highway. Cars line up there to board a ferry for the Inside Passage. You can watch this from a bench with a coffee and feel well traveled without going anywhere.
Back up the hill, life is smaller. Village Books sits at 1200 11th Street, looking over the Village Green. Chuck and Dee Robinson opened it in June 1980. It is the closest thing the village has to a town hall, except people are nicer to each other there.
Where is Fairhaven, and how do residents get around?
Old Fairhaven Parkway, State Route 11, meets I-5 at Exit 250. That makes the freeway quick in either direction. WTA buses run from Fairhaven Station to downtown. Cyclists take the South Bay Trail north along the water instead, which is slower and much better.
Which trails, parks and waterfront spots are close to Fairhaven?
- The Interurban Trail follows an old electric rail line 6.6 miles from 10th Street and Donovan Avenue to Larrabee State Park, through Arroyo Park. It is mostly wooded, with looks at Chuckanut Bay and the San Juan Islands when the trees allow it.
- Marine Park is a 1.9-acre Port of Bellingham park on Fairhaven's waterfront near the cruise terminal.5 Pebbly beach. Picnic shelter. Room to launch a kayak.
- Fairhaven Park is just outside Fairhaven, in the South neighborhood, at 107 Chuckanut Drive North. It has a spray park, a playground, tennis and pickleball courts, a labyrinth and trails along Padden Creek.
- Taylor Dock and the South Bay Trail start from 10th and Mill and run north over the water to Boulevard Park and on to downtown.
How did Fairhaven become a historic district?
Fairhaven was its own town first. Around 1890, speculators bet it would be the end of a transcontinental railroad. They built ornate brick blocks to match the bet. The railroad went elsewhere. The buildings stayed. In 1903 Fairhaven joined the other bay towns to form the City of Bellingham.
What the boom left behind is now the Fairhaven Historic District, roughly bounded by 10th and 13th Streets and Columbia and Larrabee Avenues. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1977.1 A failed real estate gamble became the prettiest part of town. Agents find this encouraging.
What kinds of homes are in Fairhaven?
Fairhaven covers about 204 acres, and it packs in more than visitors expect. The city counts 901 homes here. About 74% are multifamily units. Only 141 are single-family houses.2 Around the village you get condos over shops, townhomes and apartment buildings. A few blocks out, older detached homes and newer infill take over.
Condo buyers should read the HOA documents like a mystery novel, especially in buildings with shops on the ground floor. Planning exterior work on an older building near the historic core? Talk to the city's planning department before anyone sketches anything.
What should buyers know before buying in Fairhaven?
Trade-offs and who it suits
Fairhaven is small and mostly condos. If you want a yard, you are competing for a short list of 141 houses. Visitors are part of daily life. Taylor Dock is one of the most popular spots in Whatcom County, and the village shares its streets with Amtrak, Greyhound, WTA and ferry traffic. In July you will share your sidewalk with someone holding a map upside down.
Who it suits: buyers who want to walk to shops, trails and the train, and who are fine with a condo or townhome and a busy summer.
Market snapshot and homes for sale
Housing and population (City of Bellingham housing and population model, as of November 2025):
- Estimated population: 1,646
- Total housing units: 901 on about 204 acres
- Single-family homes (including ADUs): 141 (16%)
- Middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, townhomes and similar): 92 (10%)
- Multifamily units: 668 (74%)
These are modeled counts, built by the city from county assessor records and state household data, so read Fairhaven's 1,646 residents as an estimate rather than a census.
Prices and listings (Realtor.com, Fairhaven neighborhood market page, as of October 2026):3
- Median listing price: $571,500
- Active listings: 9
- Median days on market: 65
That is an asking-price figure, not a sale price, and nine listings is a small sample. One penthouse can move the median.
Businesses and Shopping
Village Books, at 1200 11th Street, anchors the Village Green. The store opened in June 1980, which in bookstore years is roughly geological.
Schools
The district's attendance-area maps put all of Fairhaven in the Lowell Elementary (914 15th Street), Fairhaven Middle School (110 Park Ridge Road) and Sehome High School (2700 Bill McDonald Parkway) zones. We tested 905 Harris Avenue, 1006 Harris Avenue and 425 Donovan Avenue. All three map to those schools. One caveat for Fairhaven buyers: in September 2026 the superintendent recommended closing Columbia and Carl Cozier elementary schools, with new attendance boundaries starting August 2027 if the school board approves, and the district's boundary maps as of October 2026 did not show those changes.6 Run a Harris Avenue condo or a house a few blocks out through the district's online boundary lookup before you write an offer.
Frequently asked questions about Fairhaven
How much do homes cost in Fairhaven?
Realtor.com put Fairhaven's median listing price at $571,500 as of October 2026, with 9 active listings and a median of 65 days on market. That is an asking price, not a sale price, and the sample is small. Most of what sells here is condos and townhomes, since only 141 of the neighborhood's 901 homes are single-family houses.
Is Fairhaven walkable?
Yes, for errands and for travel. Village Books, the Village Green and Fairhaven Station at 401 Harris Avenue are all in the neighborhood. The Interurban Trail starts at 10th Street and Donovan Avenue, and Taylor Dock links north to Boulevard Park and downtown.
Can I take a train or ferry from Fairhaven?
Yes, both leave from Harris Avenue. Amtrak Cascades and Greyhound stop at Fairhaven Station, 401 Harris Avenue, and WTA buses run from there to downtown. Next door at 355 Harris, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal is the southern end of the Alaska Marine Highway.
When was Fairhaven's historic district listed?
The Fairhaven Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1977. It is roughly bounded by 10th and 13th Streets and Columbia and Larrabee Avenues. Its ornate blocks went up around 1890, when speculators expected Fairhaven to become the end of a transcontinental railroad.
What schools serve Fairhaven addresses?
On the district's maps as of October 2026, all of Fairhaven falls in the Lowell Elementary, Fairhaven Middle and Sehome High attendance areas. A proposal to close Columbia and Carl Cozier elementary schools could shift boundaries from August 2027. Check any address with the district's online boundary lookup before you write an offer.
Is Fairhaven Park in the Fairhaven neighborhood?
No. The city places Fairhaven Park, at 107 Chuckanut Drive North, in the South neighborhood, just outside Fairhaven. It has a spray park, a playground and trails along Padden Creek. Inside Fairhaven, the waterfront option is Marine Park, a 1.9-acre Port of Bellingham park near the cruise terminal.
Which neighborhoods are near Fairhaven?
North along the water, South Hill trades village bustle for bay views and older homes. Happy Valley, toward WWU, is quieter and more residential. South along the bluffs, Edgemoor has bigger lots and fewer suitcases. For the rest of the city, browse our Bellingham neighborhood guides.
Thinking about a move to Fairhaven? Start with our team at Bellingham Real Estate Agents.