Map of Sumas city

Sumas (SOO-mas) is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 1,307 as of the 2010 census. Sumas is located adjacent to the Canada–U.S. border and borders the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The Sumas-Huntingdon port of entry at the north end of State Route 9 operates 24 hours a day. Sumas shares Nooksack Valley School District with the cities of Nooksack and Everson. It is the northernmost settlement on Washington State Route 9.

Sumas city overview:
Name:	Sumas city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Washington
County:	Whatcom County
Elevation:	43 ft (13 m)
Total Area:	1.47 sq mi (3.81 km²)
Land Area:	1.47 sq mi (3.80 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km²)
Total Population:	1,307
Population Density:	1,045.67/sq mi (403.64/km²)
ZIP code:	98295
Area code:	360
FIPS code:	5368330
GNISfeature ID:	1512699

Online Interactive Map

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Sumas online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Sumas location map. Where is Sumas city?

Sumas location on the U.S. Map. Where is Sumas city. — Sumas location on the U.S. Map.

Sumas location on the Washington map. Where is Sumas city. — Location of Sumas in Washington.

History

The area was home to the Nooksack Indians in the millennia prior to the arrival of the first permanent settler Robert Johnson in 1872. It was called “Sumas” meaning “land without trees” or “big flat opening.” It is derived from a Cowichan tribe who also resided in the region.

Originally called “Sumas City,” the town was officially incorporated on June 18, 1891. A post office with that name has been in operation since 1897.

The town was a railroad hub and briefly supported the Mount Baker Gold Rush, with some gold mining operations still ongoing in the area such as at Lone Jack Mine. It as also known for a large rodeo in the early 20th Century, the “Sumas Roundup.”

The area around Sumas drains into the Fraser River in Canada, in a broad floodplain. Floods from the Nooksack and Fraser rivers have been recorded ever since the area was settled. Although not the largest flood to have occurred prior to 1990, the November 10 flood received notoriety as it caused millions of dollars in damage.

On November 15, 2021, another regional flood event resulted in catastrophic flooding in Sumas. Approximately 85 percent of homes in the city were damaged and hundreds of residents were rescued after a partial evacuation.