//
Region in Washington, United States
Photo: Bala from Seattle, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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. Its stretch of coastline features extensive sandy beaches as well as sheltered wetlands, and its interior is covered in evergreen forest punctuated with prominent volcanic peaks.
By car
Interstate 5 (I-5) connects the region to Seattle and Portland.
By train
The Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight services stop in Kelso, Vancouver and Portland.
By bus
Bus services operate on limited schedules and routing but is doable between some of the major cities and towns:
By public transit
There are county operated buses serving the cities and towns of southwest Washington.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Portland · International · PDX
Loading places around the airport…
largest city in Cowlitz County
seat of Cowlitz County
last town on the way to Mount St Helens
Woodland is a city in southwest Washington State, along the Lewis River.
oldest permanent settlement in the Pacific Northwest, built around a fur trading post, and now the largest city in this region. (Not to be confused with Vancouver, BC, Canada.)
second largest city in Clark County
motorcycling destination at the entrance to the Columbia River Gorge
Ridgefield is a city in southwest Washington State.
seat of Pacific County, shellfishing center at the mouth of the Willipa
where the Columbia meets the Pacific, at (the poorly-named) Cape Disappointment
the longest beach in the contiguous U.S.
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 (16 km) east of Long Beach. Naselle sits on the Naselle River and is known for year-round sturgeon fishing.
Ocean Park is a town in southwest Washington State, on the Long Beach peninsula.
Oysterville is in Southwest Washington on the east side of the Long Beach Peninsula on the shallow and sheltered Willapa Bay.
Raymond is a city of 3,000 people in Southwest Washington.
seat of Skamania County, at the heart of the Columbia River Gorge
seat of Wahkiakum County
12 park sites located on a 40 mi stretch of the Pacific coast from Long Beach, Washington to Cannon Beach, Oregon, where the American explorers overwintered in 1804-1805.
site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in known United States history.
Articles and travel topics about Southwest Washington and United States.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the best time to visit Hawaii in 2026. Compare whale seasons, big-wave surf, dry shoulder months, hotel rates, and island microclimates.
9 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
7 min read
Travel tipsA practical guide to travelling with medication and refrigerated drugs like insulin and GLP-1s. Learn airline rules, customs papers, and cooling tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.