Astoria

Astoria is a port settlement in Oregon where the Columbia River enters the Pacific Ocean. Victorian houses line the hillside streets above the waterfront, while piers, warehouses and fishing equipment occupy the river edge below.

The Pacific Fur Company established the settlement in 1811 as the first permanent American presence on the Pacific Coast. Later decades brought salmon fishing and timber industries that defined its economy through the early twentieth century.

Finnish, Swedish and Chinese immigrants shaped local traditions through fishing, maritime trades and seasonal festivals that residents still observe. The waterfront community maintains a working harbor atmosphere where fishing crews, cannery workers and boat builders continue daily routines rooted in generations of seafaring heritage.

The settlement sits on the southern bank of the Columbia River near where it meets the ocean, connected to Washington State by a long bridge. Downtown streets run along the waterfront and up the hillside, with most historical buildings and piers clustered in a walkable area.

The downtown district rests entirely on wooden pilings driven into the riverbank mud to create a stable foundation. Beneath the streets and buildings, this network of timber supports elevates the entire commercial core above the soft ground.