Bellingham (/ˈbɛlɪŋhæm/ US dict: bĕl′·ĭng·hăm) is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the State of Washington. It is the thirteenth-largest city in the state, with 80,885 residents at the 2010 Census, or sixth-largest by metropolitan area after Seattle-Tacoma, the northern side of the Portland metropolitan area, Spokane metro area, the Tri-Cities, and Yakima .