CogKnoSys

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Physical

Kelso, Washington

Kelso is the county seat of Cowlitz County, Washington, a city on the Cowlitz River that shares its western border with Longview.

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The idea

Kelso is a city in Washington and the county seat of Cowlitz County. Most of the city sits on the east side of the Cowlitz River near the Columbia River, across from its twin city of Longview on the west bank. Interstate 5 runs through Kelso, about 48 miles north of Portland, Oregon.

The earliest known people in the area were the Cowlitz, who lived in longhouse villages along the Cowlitz River. From the late 19th century into the early 20th century, Kelso was the center of commercial smelt fishing on the Cowlitz River, and its Chamber of Commerce later called it the Smelt Capital of the World. A skatepark opened in Kelso in 1966, the year after the world's first, Surf City, opened in Tucson, Arizona, and it closed two years later.

On January 3, 1923, the wooden Allen Street Bridge collapsed into the rushing Cowlitz River, and 17 people were listed as killed. When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, Kelso received large amounts of volcanic ash. Parts of the city, including a golf course, are built on ash dredged from the Cowlitz River.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 3

Kelso is named after a home town in which country?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • Cowlitz River — The river through the city; most of Kelso lies on its east bank.
  • West Kelso — A small part of the city on the west side of the river.
  • Logging-town past — In its early days Kelso was nicknamed "Little Chicago" for its many taverns, which served local loggers.
  • Tam O' Shanter Park — A 38-acre park along the Coweeman River, home of the yearly Kelso Hilander Festival with Scottish Highland games.
  • Transportation Center — The Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center, where Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses stop.

Connection

how it relates

Under Lower Columbia Cities and Towns

In place

  1. Cowlitz Riverstrength 80 of 100

    Kelso grew up along the Cowlitz River, and most of the city lies on its east bank.

  2. Mount St. Helensstrength 60 of 100

    Kelso lies near Mount St. Helens and received large amounts of ash from its 1980 eruption.

Related

  1. Cowlitz Indian Tribestrength 60 of 100

    The Cowlitz people were the earliest known inhabitants of the Kelso area.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
Peter W. Crawford, a Scottish surveyor, took up the first donation land claim here in 1847 and named the townsite after his home town of Kelso, Scotland; the city was incorporated in 1889.
Now
At the 2020 census, Kelso had 12,720 people. As of 2024, the collapse of the Allen Street Bridge is recognized as the deadliest bridge disaster in the state.
Next
Kelso will likely keep working to protect Cowlitz River smelt, which were listed as threatened in 2010 after their numbers declined.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

Kelso, Washington

Kelso is the county seat of Cowlitz County, Washington, a city on the Cowlitz River that shares its western border with Longview.

See it on the map

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

Kelso is a city in Washington and the county seat of Cowlitz County. Most of the city sits on the east side of the Cowlitz River near the Columbia River, across from its twin city of Longview on the west bank. Interstate 5 runs through Kelso, about 48 miles north of Portland, Oregon.

The earliest known people in the area were the Cowlitz, who lived in longhouse villages along the Cowlitz River. From the late 19th century into the early 20th century, Kelso was the center of commercial smelt fishing on the Cowlitz River, and its Chamber of Commerce later called it the Smelt Capital of the World. A skatepark opened in Kelso in 1966, the year after the world's first, Surf City, opened in Tucson, Arizona, and it closed two years later.

On January 3, 1923, the wooden Allen Street Bridge collapsed into the rushing Cowlitz River, and 17 people were listed as killed. When Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, Kelso received large amounts of volcanic ash. Parts of the city, including a golf course, are built on ash dredged from the Cowlitz River.

Check yourself

3 quick questions, instant feedback.