Regional Office

1313 Officers Row
Vancouver, WA 98661
T: 360-696-7838
F: 360-696-7844

About Southwest Washington

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Columbia River to the south and the Cascade Mountain Range to the east, Southwest Washington offers a diverse range of rich natural resources. The region is home to such natural wonders as the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which still shows signs of the major eruption in 1980, and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a massive river canyon that cuts through the Cascades.

Known for its pioneer heritage, Southwest Washington is where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark concluded their exploration of the American West in 1805. Lewis noted that this area was the most desirable location for a settlement west of the Rocky Mountains, and today, century-old small towns and attractions such as the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site attest to the region’s frontier history. Southwest Washington, in fact, holds the distinction of having the two oldest counties in Washington state: what is now Clark County and Lewis County, established in 1844 and 1845.

Employment in Southwest Washington has traditionally been based on natural resource-driven industries, such as forestry, fishing and shellfish farming. But the region also thrives on emerging fields; it includes part of the “Silicon Forest,” an area known for its concentration of high-tech companies, such as semiconductor supporting industries and electronics manufacturing. Clark County alone is home to 340 high technology companies. The region has also embraced opportunities for manufacturing, training, installing, and distributing clean energy resources.

For both its natural beauty and the economic benefits of hydropower and commerce, the Columbia River is a defining feature of Southwest Washington. The Columbia River is one of the nation’s leading international trade gateways, responsible for $20 billion in annual trade. It is the top wheat and barley export gateway in the nation and the third largest grain export gateway in the world. The Ports of Vancouver and Longview are also hubs on the West Coast for the import of wind turbine components. The Columbia River Channel Improvement Project began 21 years ago to boost this vital trade corridor and preserve the waterways. The project, finally completed in 2010, deepened the canal, enabling more ships to use the waterways for commerce.  One year later the area has seen $900 million in new investment.