Southwest Washington

Southwest Washington is a lush, forested region of Washington State. This part of the state is along north bank of the Columbia River, from where it carves a gorge through the Cascade Mountains, past the busy communities opposite of Portland, to its wide mouth at the Pacific Ocean.

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Mount St. Helens and Vancouver.

Mount St. Helens

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a United States national monument in southwest Washington State that was the site of a massive volcanic eruption on 18 May 1980.

Vancouver

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Vancouver is a city in southwest Washington State, immediately north of the border with Oregon. The city was established around Fort Vancouver, a fur trading outpost dating back to 1824, making this one of the oldest continuously-inhabited European communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Centralia

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Centralia is a city in southwestern Washington State. It is a great place to stop for food and supplies when traveling between Seattle and Portland, as it is almost exactly halfway between the two. It is a twin city with Chehalis to the south.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Kelso and Longview.

Kelso

Photo: Werewombat, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Kelso is a city in southwestern Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,720. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 110,730.

Longview

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Longview, the City of Trees, is a city in Southwest Washington State along the Columbia River, and across the Cowlitz River from Kelso. It was established in 1923 by R. A. Long, who intended it to become the "Chicago of the West".

Camas

Photo: smcdevitt, CC BY 2.0.

Camas is in southwest Washington state along the Columbia River on the eastern edge of the Portland metro area, across from Troutdale, Oregon. At this juncture the Columbia River is nearly a mile wide.

Chehalis

Photo: Senapa, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Chehalis is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located in the Chehalis valley and is split by Interstate 5 and State Route 6.

Washougal

Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain.

Washougal is a charming river community of 17000 people at the junction of the Washougal and Columbia Rivers in southwest Washington State. Visitors will find the cozy downtown a convenient launch for ample outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, kayaking, inner-tubing, mountain biking, motorsports, shooting-sports and more.

Stevenson

Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Stevenson is a city in southwest Washington, in the Columbia Gorge. It is the capital of Skamania County.

South Bend

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

South Bend is a city of 1,700 people on the Pacific Coast of southwestern Washington State, where the Willapa River makes its last bend before flowing into Willapa Bay. It is known for oyster production and natural scenery.

Woodland

Photo: Oldhippy1947, CC BY 3.0.

Woodland is a city in Clark and Cowlitz counties in Washington, United States. Most residents live within Cowlitz County, in which the majority of the city lies.

Raymond

Photo: Jmabel, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,882 at the 2010 census. The 2020 census showed the population of 3,081, an increase of 6.4%.

Ilwaco

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ilwaco is a city of about 1000 people in southwestern Washington State. It is on Baker Bay, at the mouth of the Wallacut and Chinook Rivers, behind Cape Disappointment.

Long Beach

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Long Beach is a beachfront city in southwestern Washington State. It is the largest city on the Long Beach Peninsula, claimed to be the longest continuous beach in the United States.

Mossyrock

Photo: Richard Bauer, CC BY 2.0.

Mossyrock is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 768 at the 2020 census.

Ridgefield

Photo: Jeffsilverstein, Public domain.

Ridgefield is a city in northern Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,319 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 15,359 in 2024.

Ocean Park

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ocean Park is a census-designated place in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,814 at the 2020 census. It is on the Long Beach Peninsula, north of Long Beach, Washington.

Naselle

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Naselle is a town of about 400 residents in southwest Washington State on the southwest corner of the Willapa Hills and just inland of the southeast corner of Willapa Bay, some 10 mi east of Long Beach.

Packwood

Photo: Wsiegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Packwood is a mountain town in the Cascades of southwest Washington State. It is close to both Mount Adams and the east side of Mount Rainier, and is the closest town to White Pass.

Seaview

Photo: Lumpytrout, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Seaview is an unincorporated community in Pacific County, Washington. It is located near Long Beach and had a population for its 98644 ZIP code at the 2010 census of 473 people.