Cowlitz County

Cowlitz County is an administrative division in southwestern Washington with multiple departments managing services like public safety, emergency response, property assessment, and elections. Various agencies handle building permits, planning, public works, and emergency communications across the region.

The region gained importance through the Monticello Convention of 1852, which played a key role in establishing Washington Territory. This event was a defining moment in the development of the Pacific Northwest.

The County Museum displays collections showing how residents lived and worked across different times in this region. These exhibits reveal the changes that shaped the area's development.

The county sits in a convenient location between several natural attractions and can be explored from central points. Visitors should plan their routes carefully since distances to popular destinations vary across the region.

The area is known as the Land of Six Rivers, offering visitors unusual closeness to mountains, ocean coast, and urban centers all within reach. This geographic diversity makes the region a rare example of vastly different landscapes within a short distance.

Location: Washington

Inception: 1854

Capital city: Kelso

Shares border with: Lewis County, Clark County, Skamania County, Wahkiakum County, Columbia County

Website: https://co.cowlitz.wa.us

GPS coordinates: 46.19000,-122.68000

Latest update: December 20, 2025 14:55