Home > Local > Counties > Clatsop County
Clatsop County
The Uniontown neighborhood in Astoria maintains a strong connection with its waterfront history and Finnish heritage. (Oregon State Archives Photo No. clatD0046)
Contact
County Seat: 820 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria 97103
Phone: 503-325-1000 (General); 503-325-8555 (Court Administrator)
Fax: 503-325-8325
E-mail: clerk@co.clatsop.or.us
Web: www.co.clatsop.or.us
About
Population (2011): 37,145
Established: June 22, 1844
Elev. at Astoria: 19'
Area: 843 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 41.9° July 60.1°
Assessed Value: $5,248,683,735
Real Market Value: $7,254,191,848
Annual Precipitation: 66.40"
Economy: Fishing, tourism and forest products
Related resources
History
Historical
Records Inventory
Scenic
Image
Economic
Information (from OBDD)
"County
Quick Facts" (from U.S.
Census Bureau)
County
Seat Map (from Yahoo!
Maps)
County
Map (from ODOT)
Incorporated cities
Astoria | Cannon Beach | Gearhart | Seaside | Warrenton
Points of interest
Astoria Column, Port of Astoria, Flavel Mansion Museum, Lewis and Clark Expedition Salt Cairn, Fort Clatsop, Fort Stevens, Columbia River Maritime Museum
History and general information
Clatsop County was created from the original Tuality District in 1844 and named for the Clatsop Tribe, one of the many Chinook tribes living in Oregon. The Journals of Lewis and Clark mention the tribe. Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark’s winter headquarters in 1805 and now a national memorial near the mouth of the Columbia River, also took the tribe’s name.
Astoria, Oregon’s oldest city, was established as a fur trading post in 1811 and named after John Jacob Astor. The first U.S. Post Office west of the Rocky Mountains was also established in Astoria in 1847. The first county courthouse was completed in 1855. The present courthouse was erected in 1904. Records show that the summer resort of Seaside was founded by Ben Holladay, pioneer Oregon railroad builder, in the early 1870s when he constructed the Seaside House, a famous luxury hotel for which the city was finally named. The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean at this spot.
County officials
Commissioners—Debra Birkby 2015, Peter Huhtala 2015, Scott Lee 2015, Sarah Nebeker 2017, Dirk Rohne 2017; Dist. Atty. Joshua Marquis 2015; Assess. Mike Robison; Clerk Maeve Grimes; Sheriff Thomas J. Bergin 2017; Surv. Steven Thornton; Treas. Mike Robison; County Manager Scott Somers