Oregon has the only two-sided state flag in the US 🦫Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US at 1,943 feet deep 🏔Oregon beaches are 100% publicly owned by law — no private beach access 🌊Oregon has no statewide sales tax 💰The world's largest living organism is in Oregon — a honey fungus spanning 2.4 miles in Malheur National Forest 🍄Portland has the world's smallest park: Mill Ends Park, just 2 feet in diameter 🌳Oregon grows 99% of the US hazelnut crop 🌰Portland's Powell's Books is one of the world's largest independent bookstores 📚Nike was founded in Oregon in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman 👟Multnomah Falls drops 620 feet — one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the US 💧Oregon was the first state to vote entirely by mail 📬Oregon City (1844) was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains 🏙Oregon has 40+ covered bridges — more than any other western state 🌉The Oregon Dunes are the largest coastal sand dune system in North America 🏜Smith Rock State Park is considered the birthplace of American sport climbing 🧗Oregon's state nut is the hazelnut 🌰Oregon is the #1 US producer of Christmas trees 🎄Crater Lake gets an average of 533 inches of snow per year ❄Silver Falls State Park's Trail of Ten Falls passes 10 waterfalls in just 7.2 miles 🏞Oregon's Sea Lion Caves near Florence is the only mainland year-round wild sea lion habitat in the US 🦭The Columbia River Gorge has 77 named waterfalls 💦Oregon has 300+ craft breweries — among the most per capita in the US 🍺Astoria (1811) is the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains ⚓Mt. Hood is climbed by 10,000+ people every year 🏔The Willamette Valley produces world-class Pinot Noir wine 🍷Tillamook County Creamery makes 167,000 pounds of cheese per day 🧀Oregon's state bird is the Western Meadowlark 🐦Portland was named by a coin flip between settlers from Portland ME and Boston MA 🪙Oregon's Painted Hills have layers of red, tan and black from 35 million years of volcanic history 🎨The Pacific Crest Trail runs 430 miles through Oregon 🥾Oregon's state mushroom is the Pacific Golden Chanterelle 🍄The Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon are nicknamed 'Oregon's Alps' 🏔Oregon's state tree is the Douglas Fir — the most common lumber tree in North America 🌲Mt. Hood is Oregon's highest peak at 11,249 feet 🗻The Oregon Trail carried 400,000+ settlers from Missouri to Oregon in the 1840s–60s 🐂Oregon's Crater Lake is so clear you can see 100+ feet into the water 🔵The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood was hand-built by craftsmen in 1937 as a WPA project 🏛Oregon's Columbia River Gorge is a National Scenic Area 80 miles long 🌄The Rogue River runs entirely within Oregon for 215 miles 🚣Oregon's state fish is the Chinook Salmon 🐟Portland's International Rose Test Garden has over 10,000 rose bushes 🌹Oregon's bottle bill (1971) was the first container deposit law in the US ♻Oregon's Astoria Column has a 164-step spiral staircase with panoramic views 🌀Crater Lake was formed 7,700 years ago when Mt. Mazama collapsed 🌋Oregon has 14 national forests covering millions of acres 🌲The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland runs February through October 🎭Oregon has more than 100 state parks 🏕Bonneville Dam (1938) on the Columbia River was one of the first great New Deal hydropower projects ⚡Oregon's Pendleton Round-Up (est. 1910) is one of the top 5 rodeos in the US 🤠Oregon's state flower is the Oregon Grape 🌿Portland's Hawthorne Bridge (1910) is the oldest operating vertical-lift bridge in the US 🌉Intel employs over 20,000 people in Hillsboro, Oregon 💻The John Day Fossil Beds contain 50+ million years of continuous fossils 🦴Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge hosts over 320 bird species 🦅Oregon's Harney County is bigger than Maryland and Delaware combined 🗺The Willamette Meteorite (1902) is the largest meteorite ever found in the US ☄Oregon's state motto: 'She Flies with Her Own Wings' 🦅Eugene's Prefontaine Memorial Trail honors Steve Prefontaine, who held 7 American track records 🏃Oregon's McKenzie River near Eugene is rated one of the top trout streams in the West 🎣Oregon Caves in Josephine County are still being formed by moving water today 🕳The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport has a massive open-ocean exhibit 🦈Oregon's state insect is the Oregon Swallowtail butterfly 🦋Portland's MAX light rail (opened 1986) is one of the longest light rail systems in the US 🚇Oregon's Forest Park in Portland is one of the largest urban forests in the US, at over 5,000 acres 🌳The Columbia River produces more hydropower than any other river in North America ⚡Oregon's Pacific Flyway is a major migratory route for birds from Alaska to Baja California 🦆Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden is the largest authentic Suzhou-style garden outside China 🏯Oregon's state rock is the thunder egg — a type of geode found in volcanic ash beds ⚡🥚Oregon has more than 600 lakes over 10 acres in size 🏞Silver Falls is Oregon's largest state park at 9,000+ acres 🌲Oregon's Sea Lion Caves are accessible by elevator carved into the cliff ⬇The original Oregon Territory (1848) included modern Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Montana 🗺Oregon's Willamette Valley is the #1 US producer of grass seed 🌾Oregonians consume more coffee per capita than almost any other US state ☕Portland has over 500 food carts — one of the most vibrant food cart cultures in the country 🌮Oregon's Crater Lake has a small island called Wizard Island formed by a cinder cone 🌋The Umpqua River is considered one of the oldest river systems in the Cascade Range 🏔Oregon's Newberry Volcanic National Monument contains one of North America's largest calderas 🌋Oregon's state fossil is Metasequoia (dawn redwood) 🌲The Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon is one of the driest places in the Pacific Northwest ☀Steens Mountain in SE Oregon rises 9,773 feet above the desert floor 🏔Portland's Saturday Market (est. 1974) is the largest continuously operating outdoor arts market in the US 🎨Oregon's Tillamook Air Museum houses one of the world's largest wooden structures 🛩The Pacific Ring of Fire runs through Oregon — several volcanoes are still considered active 🌋Oregon's Mt. Jefferson is the 2nd highest peak in the state at 10,495 feet 🗻Oregon has more designated Wild and Scenic Rivers than any other state 🚣Oregon is one of only 5 states with no general sales tax 💵The Astoria-Megler Bridge (1966) crossing the Columbia River is 4.1 miles long 🌉Oregon banned self-serve gas for 72 years — since 2023, drivers statewide may pump their own ⛽Oregon's Fort Clatsop near Astoria is where Lewis and Clark spent winter 1805–1806 ⛺Oregon's 1000 Friends (est. 1975) pioneered land-use planning to protect farmland from sprawl 🌾Oregon has 13 National Wildlife Refuges 🦅Portland's Union Station has been an active train station since 1896 🚂Oregon's Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902 — Oregon's only national park 🏞Oregon is one of the top US producers of peppermint oil 🌿The Fremont Bridge in Portland (1973) has the longest tied-arch span in the US at 1,255 feet 🌉Oregon's 'Open Beaches Act' (1967) ensures all Oregon beaches are publicly accessible 🏖Oregon's Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland was built by 65 craftspeople from Suzhou, China 🪷Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859 — Valentine's Day 💘The beaver is Oregon's state animal, which is why it's called the Beaver State 🦫Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach rises 235 feet from the sand 🪨Hells Canyon on the Oregon–Idaho border is North America's deepest river gorge 🏞Oregon has the only two-sided state flag in the US 🦫Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US at 1,943 feet deep 🏔Oregon beaches are 100% publicly owned by law — no private beach access 🌊Oregon has no statewide sales tax 💰The world's largest living organism is in Oregon — a honey fungus spanning 2.4 miles in Malheur National Forest 🍄Portland has the world's smallest park: Mill Ends Park, just 2 feet in diameter 🌳Oregon grows 99% of the US hazelnut crop 🌰Portland's Powell's Books is one of the world's largest independent bookstores 📚Nike was founded in Oregon in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman 👟Multnomah Falls drops 620 feet — one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the US 💧Oregon was the first state to vote entirely by mail 📬Oregon City (1844) was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains 🏙Oregon has 40+ covered bridges — more than any other western state 🌉The Oregon Dunes are the largest coastal sand dune system in North America 🏜Smith Rock State Park is considered the birthplace of American sport climbing 🧗Oregon's state nut is the hazelnut 🌰Oregon is the #1 US producer of Christmas trees 🎄Crater Lake gets an average of 533 inches of snow per year ❄Silver Falls State Park's Trail of Ten Falls passes 10 waterfalls in just 7.2 miles 🏞Oregon's Sea Lion Caves near Florence is the only mainland year-round wild sea lion habitat in the US 🦭The Columbia River Gorge has 77 named waterfalls 💦Oregon has 300+ craft breweries — among the most per capita in the US 🍺Astoria (1811) is the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains ⚓Mt. Hood is climbed by 10,000+ people every year 🏔The Willamette Valley produces world-class Pinot Noir wine 🍷Tillamook County Creamery makes 167,000 pounds of cheese per day 🧀Oregon's state bird is the Western Meadowlark 🐦Portland was named by a coin flip between settlers from Portland ME and Boston MA 🪙Oregon's Painted Hills have layers of red, tan and black from 35 million years of volcanic history 🎨The Pacific Crest Trail runs 430 miles through Oregon 🥾Oregon's state mushroom is the Pacific Golden Chanterelle 🍄The Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon are nicknamed 'Oregon's Alps' 🏔Oregon's state tree is the Douglas Fir — the most common lumber tree in North America 🌲Mt. Hood is Oregon's highest peak at 11,249 feet 🗻The Oregon Trail carried 400,000+ settlers from Missouri to Oregon in the 1840s–60s 🐂Oregon's Crater Lake is so clear you can see 100+ feet into the water 🔵The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood was hand-built by craftsmen in 1937 as a WPA project 🏛Oregon's Columbia River Gorge is a National Scenic Area 80 miles long 🌄The Rogue River runs entirely within Oregon for 215 miles 🚣Oregon's state fish is the Chinook Salmon 🐟Portland's International Rose Test Garden has over 10,000 rose bushes 🌹Oregon's bottle bill (1971) was the first container deposit law in the US ♻Oregon's Astoria Column has a 164-step spiral staircase with panoramic views 🌀Crater Lake was formed 7,700 years ago when Mt. Mazama collapsed 🌋Oregon has 14 national forests covering millions of acres 🌲The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland runs February through October 🎭Oregon has more than 100 state parks 🏕Bonneville Dam (1938) on the Columbia River was one of the first great New Deal hydropower projects ⚡Oregon's Pendleton Round-Up (est. 1910) is one of the top 5 rodeos in the US 🤠Oregon's state flower is the Oregon Grape 🌿Portland's Hawthorne Bridge (1910) is the oldest operating vertical-lift bridge in the US 🌉Intel employs over 20,000 people in Hillsboro, Oregon 💻The John Day Fossil Beds contain 50+ million years of continuous fossils 🦴Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge hosts over 320 bird species 🦅Oregon's Harney County is bigger than Maryland and Delaware combined 🗺The Willamette Meteorite (1902) is the largest meteorite ever found in the US ☄Oregon's state motto: 'She Flies with Her Own Wings' 🦅Eugene's Prefontaine Memorial Trail honors Steve Prefontaine, who held 7 American track records 🏃Oregon's McKenzie River near Eugene is rated one of the top trout streams in the West 🎣Oregon Caves in Josephine County are still being formed by moving water today 🕳The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport has a massive open-ocean exhibit 🦈Oregon's state insect is the Oregon Swallowtail butterfly 🦋Portland's MAX light rail (opened 1986) is one of the longest light rail systems in the US 🚇Oregon's Forest Park in Portland is one of the largest urban forests in the US, at over 5,000 acres 🌳The Columbia River produces more hydropower than any other river in North America ⚡Oregon's Pacific Flyway is a major migratory route for birds from Alaska to Baja California 🦆Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden is the largest authentic Suzhou-style garden outside China 🏯Oregon's state rock is the thunder egg — a type of geode found in volcanic ash beds ⚡🥚Oregon has more than 600 lakes over 10 acres in size 🏞Silver Falls is Oregon's largest state park at 9,000+ acres 🌲Oregon's Sea Lion Caves are accessible by elevator carved into the cliff ⬇The original Oregon Territory (1848) included modern Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Montana 🗺Oregon's Willamette Valley is the #1 US producer of grass seed 🌾Oregonians consume more coffee per capita than almost any other US state ☕Portland has over 500 food carts — one of the most vibrant food cart cultures in the country 🌮Oregon's Crater Lake has a small island called Wizard Island formed by a cinder cone 🌋The Umpqua River is considered one of the oldest river systems in the Cascade Range 🏔Oregon's Newberry Volcanic National Monument contains one of North America's largest calderas 🌋Oregon's state fossil is Metasequoia (dawn redwood) 🌲The Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon is one of the driest places in the Pacific Northwest ☀Steens Mountain in SE Oregon rises 9,773 feet above the desert floor 🏔Portland's Saturday Market (est. 1974) is the largest continuously operating outdoor arts market in the US 🎨Oregon's Tillamook Air Museum houses one of the world's largest wooden structures 🛩The Pacific Ring of Fire runs through Oregon — several volcanoes are still considered active 🌋Oregon's Mt. Jefferson is the 2nd highest peak in the state at 10,495 feet 🗻Oregon has more designated Wild and Scenic Rivers than any other state 🚣Oregon is one of only 5 states with no general sales tax 💵The Astoria-Megler Bridge (1966) crossing the Columbia River is 4.1 miles long 🌉Oregon banned self-serve gas for 72 years — since 2023, drivers statewide may pump their own ⛽Oregon's Fort Clatsop near Astoria is where Lewis and Clark spent winter 1805–1806 ⛺Oregon's 1000 Friends (est. 1975) pioneered land-use planning to protect farmland from sprawl 🌾Oregon has 13 National Wildlife Refuges 🦅Portland's Union Station has been an active train station since 1896 🚂Oregon's Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902 — Oregon's only national park 🏞Oregon is one of the top US producers of peppermint oil 🌿The Fremont Bridge in Portland (1973) has the longest tied-arch span in the US at 1,255 feet 🌉Oregon's 'Open Beaches Act' (1967) ensures all Oregon beaches are publicly accessible 🏖Oregon's Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland was built by 65 craftspeople from Suzhou, China 🪷Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859 — Valentine's Day 💘The beaver is Oregon's state animal, which is why it's called the Beaver State 🦫Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach rises 235 feet from the sand 🪨Hells Canyon on the Oregon–Idaho border is North America's deepest river gorge 🏞
⚠️ Oregon Travel Alerts — Road Closures & Wildfire Safety

🚧 Road Conditions

  • TripCheck.com — ODOT closures, cameras & chain rules
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🔥 Wildfire Safety

📢 Alerts & Updates

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Basalt cliffs, roaring waterfalls and wind-swept river canyons.

Waterfalls, windsurfing, and orchard country — a spectacular river canyon on the Oregon–Washington border.

🏙 23 cities🏛 6 counties👥 38,186 residents (2020)

About the Columbia River Gorge Region

A National Scenic Area carved by the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border. Hood River is the outdoor hub; the area is famous for windsurfing, waterfalls, fruit orchards, and dramatic canyon views.

Counties

Hood River County, Wasco County, Sherman County, Gilliam County, Morrow County, Wheeler County

Highlights

Living in Columbia River Gorge

Hood River is the main population center — a lively small city with a strong outdoor and craft-beverage culture and views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. The Dalles is a historic trading post and growing tech hub (Google data center) with more affordable housing. East of the Cascades, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, and Wheeler counties are sparsely populated wheat-farming and ranching communities with very low costs of living.

Visiting Columbia River Gorge

The Historic Columbia River Highway offers spectacular driving with multiple waterfall pullouts. Multnomah Falls (Oregon's tallest, 620 ft) draws over 2 million visitors annually. Hood River is the world capital of kiteboarding and windsurfing, with Mt. Hood skiing an hour south. The Fruit Loop driving tour passes apple, pear, and cherry orchards in spring bloom. Maupin is the hub for Deschutes River whitewater rafting.

Top Cities in Columbia River Gorge

All Cities in Columbia River Gorge (23 total)

CityCountyPopulation (2020)
The DallesWasco16,010
Hood RiverHood River8,313
BoardmanMorrow3,828
IrrigonMorrow2,011
Cascade LocksHood River1,379
HeppnerMorrow1,187
CondonGilliam711
DufurWasco632
ArlingtonGilliam628
MosierWasco468
FossilWheeler447
MaupinWasco427
WascoSherman417
MoroSherman367
IoneMorrow337
RufusSherman268
LexingtonMorrow238
Grass ValleySherman149
SprayWheeler139
MitchellWheeler138
AntelopeWasco37
ShanikoWasco30
LonerockGilliam25

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