Clatsop County is a county in Oregon, United States, on the northern Pacific coast where the Columbia River meets the ocean. It had a population of 41,072 at the 2020 census and covers 829 square miles (2,150 km2) of land centred near 46°01′N 123°43′W.
Astoria is the county seat, and its postal code is 97103. The county has 5 incorporated cities and more than a dozen unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and sits in the Pacific time zone. Its FIPS code is 41007.
Towns & Villages in Clatsop County
Clatsop County has 5 incorporated cities and roughly 20 unincorporated communities and populated places. In the table below, “Unincorp.” marks a place with no city government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astoria | City · seat | 10,181 | 97103 |
| Seaside | City | 7,160 | 97138 |
| Warrenton | City | 6,277 | 97146 |
| Gearhart | City | 1,811 | 97138 |
| Cannon Beach | City | 1,489 | 97110 |
| Hammond | Unincorp. | — | 97121 |
| Arch Cape | Unincorp. | — | 97102 |
| Tolovana Park | Unincorp. | — | 97145 |
| Knappa | Unincorp. | — | 97103 |
| Svensen | Unincorp. | — | 97103 |
| Olney | Unincorp. | — | 97103 |
| Jewell | Unincorp. | — | 97009 |
| Elsie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Stevens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brownsmead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clifton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Melville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Miles Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Navy Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunset Beach | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Surf Pines | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wauna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westport | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list carried two spellings of the same hamlet, “Jeffers Garden” and “Jeffers Gardens” — kept once, as Jeffers Garden. “Carnahan,” “Grand Rapids,” “Lukarilla,” “Mishawaka,” “Oklahoma Hill,” “River Point,” “Taylorville,” “Tideport,” “Tongue Point Village,” “Uniontown,” and “Vinemaple” could not be independently confirmed as current Clatsop County place names and are omitted here; see notes.md.
ZIP Codes
- 97103 — Astoria (also serves Knappa, Svensen and Olney)
- 97138 — Seaside (also serves Gearhart)
- 97146 — Warrenton
- 97110 — Cannon Beach
- 97121 — Hammond
- 97102 — Arch Cape
- 97145 — Tolovana Park
- 97009 — Jewell
Smaller communities such as Elsie, Fort Stevens and Brownsmead share a nearby town’s ZIP code rather than carrying their own.
Geography
Clatsop County occupies Oregon’s northwest corner, where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Northern Oregon Coast Range crosses the county’s interior; Saddle Mountain, at 3,283 feet (1,001 m), is the high point. The coastline runs from the Columbia’s south jetty at Fort Stevens south past Gearhart, Seaside, Tolovana Park and Cannon Beach. The Lewis and Clark, Necanicum, Nehalem and Youngs rivers drain the county toward the Pacific and the Columbia.
Clatsop County borders Pacific County, Washington and Wahkiakum County, Washington across the Columbia River to the north, Columbia County, Oregon to the east, Washington County, Oregon to the southeast, and Tillamook County, Oregon to the south.
Demographics
Clatsop County had 41,072 residents at the 2020 census. Astoria, the county seat, and Seaside are its two largest communities. Median household income runs below the Oregon median of $80,160, reflecting the county’s mix of tourism, fishing and timber-sector wages. Population density is roughly 50 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism anchors the coastal economy, drawing visitors to Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock, Seaside’s promenade and the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks around Fort Clatsop. Fishing and seafood processing remain active at the Port of Astoria, and forestry products are still shipped from county mills, though both industries employ a smaller share of the workforce than in past decades. Columbia Memorial Hospital and Clatsop Community College are among the county’s larger employers outside tourism.
History
Clatsop County was created in 1844, one of Oregon’s original counties, and is named for the Clatsop people who lived along this stretch of Pacific coast before European contact. The Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered here in 1805–06, building Fort Clatsop near the mouth of the Columbia. During World War II, Fort Stevens came under fire from the Japanese submarine I-25 on June 21, 1942, one of the few instances of a U.S. mainland military installation being shelled by an enemy force.
Getting There
U.S. Route 101 runs the length of the county along the coast, and U.S. Route 30 connects Astoria east to Portland along the Columbia River.
- Portland — 95 miles southeast
- Longview, Washington — 55 miles northeast
- Tillamook — 60 miles south
- Long Beach, Washington — 20 miles north
Astoria Regional Airport offers general aviation; the nearest commercial airport is Portland International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Clatsop County?
It is in Oregon’s northwest corner, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.
What is the population of Clatsop County?
41,072 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Clatsop County?
829 square miles (2,150 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Clatsop County?
Astoria.
How many towns are in Clatsop County?
Five incorporated cities — Astoria, Seaside, Warrenton, Gearhart and Cannon Beach — plus about twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Clatsop County?
Astoria’s is 97103; other cities include Seaside 97138, Warrenton 97146 and Cannon Beach 97110.
Where is Fort Clatsop?
It is a reconstructed Lewis and Clark Expedition winter camp near Astoria, now part of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oregon.