Glacier Ranger Station · National Register of Historic Places
Glacier’s story
122 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1904Glacier is settled
GlacierWA
339 people live in this town, settled in 1904.
Glacier Ranger Station · Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
339
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$545K
Census ACS
Median age
36.8
years
Jobs based here
55
A commuter town
Is Glacier a good place to live?
Glacier’s peak summer temperature is 74°F, below both Washington’s towns (77°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Among 286 Washington towns, just 7 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Glacier. 38% of the land in Glacier is conserved, against 4% in Washington’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Glacier Ranger Station and Winchester Mountain Lookout is on the National Register of Historic Places. Glacier has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
339 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Mount Baker and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Glacier. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi MountainMount Baker
14 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year12 mi Ski areaMt Baker47 runs · 1,475 ft vertical
38 mi LandmarkPeace Arch
31 mi National Recreation AreaRoss Lake National Recreation Area1.2M visitors a year
27 mi TheatreMount Baker TheatreSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Baker: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5 · North Cascades National Park: Daniel Hershman, CC BY 2.0 · Peace Arch: Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Ross Lake National Recreation Area: Original uploader was MattAshman at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Mount Baker Theatre: Benjamin Cody, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Glacier: who provides what
Glacier is unincorporated, so Whatcom County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGlacier Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWhatcom CountyWhatcom County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWhatcom County AuditorWhatcom County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2016
ZIP code9824498244 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Glacier.
Outdoors
Glacier has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
Only 9 of the 273 Washington towns we compare have a higher density of trails than Glacier. 6.4 miles of trail.
37.6%conserved
37.6%
conserved · 406 of 1,078 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 3.8 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Glacier faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
For Glacier, the risk rating from FEMA is 91 of 100. Expected losses in Glacier break down as 71% from avalanches and 23% from inland flooding. One declared disaster, in 2003, has brought federal aid to Glacier households.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Glacier has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Only 5% of working residents stay in Glacier for work; the rest commute out. The average commute for Glacier comes to 35 minutes. Half commute less than 27 miles. The top destinations are Bellingham (23%), Ferndale (5%) and Seattle (4%).
5%work in town
| Glacier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.2% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Glacier5%
Bellingham23%
Ferndale5%
Seattle4%
Deming4%
27 mi
median commute distance
55
jobs based in Glacier
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Washington overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 11% of residents (21% statewide). The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 35%, against 40% across Washington.
36.8median age · WA 38.3
GlacierWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
32%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school26%
Some college23%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s35%
Graduate0%
Women and men · all residents
35% women, 65% men
About 185 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.3 points). Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Glacier | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.2% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 29.5% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 31.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.6% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.2% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.3% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.3% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 35.2% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
42″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–41°
Spring37–55°
Summer49–71°
Fall40–56°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Glacier stands out in Washington and nationally: a larger share of its adults have been diagnosed with depression
70% of Glacier adults had a checkup this year. Among adults locally, 30% sleep under 7 hours.
| Glacier | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Glacier | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 13.6% | 10.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.2% | 9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 5.1% |
Peacehealth United General Medical Center
31.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The median home in Glacier sells for about $505K
In Glacier, 82% of households live in a home they own.
$505Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Glacier
16pages on Glacier
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Glacier; the nearest are
Whatcom Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bellingham26.4 mi$5,115 in-state tuitionWestern Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bellingham27.3 mi$9,582 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Glacier residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Glacier for work
Where Glacier’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
55jobs based in Glacier
5%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Glacier
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Glacier, WA a good place to live?
Glacier has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.