by Geon, Bryan
Public Transportation: C-TRAN, 360-695-0123, www.c-tran.com; extensive service near downtown Vancouver and in the western half of the city, with service to and from major destinations in East Vancouver and surrounding suburbs, and commuter bus service to downtown Portland and the Delta Park and Parkrose MAX stations
Camas
Boundaries: North: Unincorporated rural area (Clark County); West: Vancouver; South: Columbia River; East: Washougal; Area: 12.6 square miles; Population: 21,000
Founded in the 1880s as a paper mill town on the north shore of the Columbia River, Camas has evolved into a booming suburb and minor center for high-tech enterprise, with new facilities for such companies as WaferTech and Sharp Microelectronics. The city’s population has more than doubled in the last 10 years, with new residents lured by relatively low taxes, access to open space (and buildable lots), and good public schools. In 2014, Camas collectively patted itself on the back when Family Circle named it one of the top ten towns in the country to raise a family. The Georgia-Pacific paper mill is still the city’s primary landmark and one of its major employers; recently installed pollution control equipment has largely eliminated its once-legendary stench. Camas is a relatively easy 20-minute drive from Portland International Airport and its surrounding light-industrial area, but the commute to downtown Portland or Washington County can be grueling. Public transportation options from Camas are limited; some residents drive to transit centers in Vancouver or near the Portland Airport.
The city’s old-school, vibrant downtown area (www.downtowncamas.com) includes a range of services, specialty shops, and restaurants; the 1920s-era Liberty Theater has reopened. Many downtown businesses stay open late for an evening “art walk” on the first Friday of each month.
Camas
The neighborhoods near downtown Camas feature small bungalows and other traditional home styles, which blend into ranches and other postwar designs as one travels outward from the old center. Many otherwise attractive homes near the riverfront suffer from railroad noise and proximity to industrial uses. A few lovely older homes stand on the banks of the Washougal River, which passes through the eastern end of the city. The majority of the city’s housing stock is fairly new, however, and choices run the gamut from small condos and apartments to massive custom homes with views of Mount Hood and the Columbia River. The new subdivisions on Prune Hill, an extinct volcanic cone in the western part of the city, offer particularly expansive views; in addition to a collection of assorted luxury homes, Prune Hill also has streets of somewhat more modest newer homes. The median home price in Camas is among the highest in the Portland area, and is significantly higher than in most of Clark County—some 60% more than in Vancouver, for example.
Camas has its own highly regarded school district (www.camas.wednet.edu). A full third of the city’s population consists of children enrolled in public schools. Although the city has relatively few attractions of its own, it boasts a number of pleasant parks and offers easy access to the Columbia River Gorge and Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Lacamas Lake and its surrounding forested parklands and trails are especially popular.
The city’s website has a useful page for newcomers (cityofcamas.us/index.php/ourcommunity/newresident) that includes information on setting up utilities, arranging a garbage hauler, and similar practical details.
Website: www.cityofcamas.us
ZIP Code: 98607
Post Office: Camas Post Office, 440 NE 5th Ave
Police Station: Camas Police Department, 2100 NE 3rd Ave, 360-834-4151 (non-emergency), www.cityofcamas.us/police
Emergency Hospital: Southwest PeaceHealth Medical Center, 400 NE Mother Joseph Pl, Vancouver, 360-514-200, www.peacehealth.org/southwest
Library: Camas Public Library, 625 NE 4th Ave, 360-834-4692, www.cityofcamas.us/library/
Parks: 12 parks, including Lacamas Park, Crown Park, Forest Home Park; www.cityofcamas.us/parks/
Community Publications: Camas-Washougal Post-Record, www.camaspostrecord.com
Public Transportation: C-TRAN, 360-695-0123, www.c-tran.com; limited bus service to Vancouver, Washougal, and downtown Portland
Washougal
Boundaries: North: Unincorporated rural area (Clark County); West: Camas; South: Columbia River; East: Unincorporated rural area (Clark County); Area: 5 square miles; Population: 14,200
The easternmost significant community in the metropolitan area, Washougal, like Camas, is one of the fastest-growing communities in southwest Washington: the city’s population has tripled since 1990. Although it is separately incorporated and has its own police department, library, and school district (www.washougal.k12.wa.us), Washougal can best be understood as an eastern extension of Camas. The city has a tiny old downtown on B Street, with a few other commercial establishments on E Street. The original center of Washougal lay between the Columbia and Washougal rivers, and the bulk of the city’s older housing stock is here; many of the houses along the Washougal River have very pleasant settings. Newer houses with river views occupy the bluffs north of the Washougal River; quite a few of these houses are grand, custom-designed structures, and view lots on the hills are coveted. The area to the east of the city center—especially north of Evergreen Way and east of 32nd Street—has seen explosive residential growth in the last few years. Washougal is closer to Mount Hood than almost any other metro community, and on a clear late summer day residents can see crevasses on the mountain’s glaciers.
Washougal suffers from some of the same commuting headaches as Camas, but weekend recreational opportunities are abundant: Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Columbia River Gorge lie due east of the city. Much of the area along the Columbia is devoted to industrial uses, like the large port facility at the west end of town, but the three-mile Washougal Dike Trail leads east along the river from Steamboat Landing. Due to its proximity to the Gorge, Washougal is subject to occasional high winds and ice storms, and receives markedly more precipitation than Vancouver or Portland.
Washougal
Website: www.cityofwashougal.us
ZIP Code: 98671
Post Office: Washougal Post Office, 129 Pendleton Way
Police Station: Washougal Police Department, 1320 A St, 360-835-8701 (non-emergency)
Emergency Hospital: Southwest PeaceHealth Medical Center, 400 NE Mother Joseph Place, Vancouver, 360-514-2000, www.peacehealth.org/southwest
Library: Washougal Community Library, 1661 C St, 360-835-5393, www.fvrl.org
Parks: More than a dozen parks and recreational facilities, including Steamboat Landing and Hathaway Park
Community Publications: Camas-Washougal Post-Record, www.camaspostrecord.com
Public Transportation: C-TRAN, 360-695-0123, www.c-tran.com; one bus line with limited service to Camas and Fishers Landing (East Vancouver)
Unincorporated Clark County: Hazel Dell, Lake Shore, Orchards, Felida, Salmon Creek, and Brush Prairie
Along its northern fringe, the city of Vancouver transitions into several unincorporated communities, which in turn blend into one another in a band of urbanized area that extends seven or eight miles from east to west.
Immediately north of Vancouver, the community of Hazel Dell straddles Interstate 5; Hazel Dell Avenue, which runs parallel to the freeway a block or so to the west; and Highway 99, a frankly unattractive strip mall that parallels I-5 just to the east. The community was essentially rural into the 1940s, and a few large parcels, particularly east of Highway 99, still have a rustic feel. Most houses here, however, date from the 1950s to the present, and the housing mix here includes ranches, split-levels, and contemporary homes, many with lovingly landscaped yards. Most of the neighborhood is relatively flat, but a ridge offers some views of Portland and Mount St. Helens. A few developments of new homes and townhouses have cropped up in Hazel Dell, particularly in the northern half of the community. In general, the appearance of the neighborhood improves as one moves east or west from Interstate 5, so don’t be put off by initi
al impressions. The southwestern part of the neighborhood offers easy access to the eight-mile, mixed-use Burnt Bridge Trail. The western edge of Hazel Dell borders Vancouver Lake, and the northwestern quadrant of Hazel Dell is also known as Lake Shore, and is considered one of the more desirable parts of the community. (Despite what the name suggests, there are no waterfront homes here.)
The string of communities to the east of Hazel Dell—Walnut Grove, Minnehaha, Five Corners, and Orchards—extend out past Interstate 205 into former farm- and timberlands. These areas have similar housing stock to Hazel Dell, but as you travel east and north the average home age declines precipitously. These communities have seen rapid development in recent years, and large subdivisions and chain stores have replaced the fruit tree groves that gave Orchards its name. Home prices were never astronomical in these neighborhoods, even at the height of the last housing bubble, and this inner ring of unincorporated suburbia is one of the most affordable parts of the Portland metropolitan area. Note that despite the abundance of new construction and shiny new commercial establishments, a few neighborhoods have a lingering crime problem.
Felida
Northwest of Hazel Dell and west of Interstate 5, the tidy Felida neighborhood—named for the original 19th-century postmaster’s cat (family Felidae)—has an abundance of newer homes on culs-de-sac. These communities have access to Vancouver Lake on the west and the Salmon Creek Greenway to the north; Lake Shore and Felida elementary schools have a good reputation, and many families are attracted to the area.
Just to the north and east, the Salmon Creek area groans under the weight of massive homes in expensive new subdivisions. Nearly all the construction in Salmon Creek is relatively new—in some cases brand-new—and generally upscale. The culs-de-sac along the north side of Salmon Creek’s eponymous creek feature large contemporary homes and McMansions, some of which have grown up incongruously around mobile home parks. Some custom homes on large lots cluster along the bluff above Salmon Creek Greenway, especially at the western end. In addition to the abundant single-family homes, there are some townhomes and apartment complexes. New commercial developments have opened to serve the area’s burgeoning affluent population.
Washington State University’s Vancouver campus is in Salmon Creek, and its academic presence adds some cultural spice to a community that would otherwise be a fairly standard, if pleasant, suburban community. Salmon Creek’s schools are widely considered among the best in the Vancouver School District. Interstate 205 splits off from Interstate 5 here, so Salmon Creek residents have their choice of southbound commuting options.
Salmon Creek
East of Salmon Creek, Brush Prairie still has a low population density and fairly rural ambiance, but new housing is going up along Highway 503. Given the growth of nearby Salmon Creek, Orchards, and Battle Ground, it seems likely that Brush Prairie is fated to experience increasing development in the future.
Vancouver School District (www.vansd.org) covers the western half of this area (i.e., Hazel Dell, Felida, and Salmon Creek); Orchards is part of Evergreen Public Schools (www.evergreenps.org), while Battle Ground Public Schools (www.battlegroundps.org) serve part of Brush Prairie; the remainder of Brush Prairie and some of the surrounding area is part of the Hockinson School District (www.hocksd.org). The city of Vancouver is widely suspected (or known) to covet this entire area, with the possible exception of Brush Prairie (which Battle Ground is slowly absorbing from the north). Most residents have been opposed to annexation in the past—the Clark County government already provides these communities with many of the services that incorporated areas enjoy—but circumstances could easily change.
Battle Ground
Boundaries: North: Unincorporated Clark County; West: Unincorporated Clark County; South: Brush Prairie (unincorporated Clark County); East: Unincorporated Clark County; Area: 3.6 square miles; Population: 18,250
Battle Ground spreads across a scenic plain west of the Cascade foothills. A battle was never fought here—but today you will fight a battle just to get from the city to anywhere else. Battle Ground is the fastest growing city in Clark County, but it is not adjacent to any major highways, let alone mass transit options, so it takes at least 15 minutes, and often longer, just to get to Interstate 5 or 205. The city’s population has quintupled since 1990, expanding by more than 20% in 1997 alone, and the road network simply has not kept up with the area’s exploding growth. (Road widening projects now under way should improve the traffic situation somewhat in the near future.) To exacerbate the situation, the city statistically has only one job per two households, so most workers have to commute elsewhere. However, if you can live with the commute, Battle Ground is one of the most affordable metro-area communities.. It is very popular with families, and half the city’s households include children under 18.
Battle Ground
As one would expect, most homes in Battle Ground are relatively new; some are quite large, but there are also unostentatious developments of basic single-family homes and townhomes. A few old landmark homes remain from the town’s early years, including the Henry Heisen House from the 1890s, Burdoin House from 1903, and the Rieck House, a 1920s bungalow. Supermarkets and other commercial services cluster along Main Street, especially near the intersection with Highway 503, but the majority of the city is residential. Battle Ground’s main disadvantage—its relative isolation—is also one of its chief attractions. Fields and woodland surround the city, and recreational opportunities abound in the Cascade foothills, in places such as Battle Ground Lake State Park and Lucia Falls Park, Moulton Falls Park, and the Bells Mountain Trail on the East Fork of the Lewis River. The city’s Battle Ground Public Schools district (www.battlegroundps.org) also serves several surrounding rural communities. Although growth has slowed from the heady days of the 1990s and 2000s, Battle Ground’s population is expected to keep expanding steadily in the next decade.
Website: www.cityofbg.org
ZIP Code: 98604
Post Office: Battle Ground Post Office, 418 W Main St
Police Station: Battle Ground Police Department, 507 SW 1st St, 360-342-5200 (non-emergency)
Emergency Hospital: Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, 2211 NE 139th St, Vancouver, 360-487-1000, www.legacyhealth.org
Library: Battle Ground Community Library, 1207 SE 8th Way, 360-687-2322, www.fvrl.org
Parks: 18 parks and trails, including Kiwanis Park and Fairgrounds Park; www.cityofbg.org
Community Publications: The Reflector, www.thereflector.com
Public Transportation: C-TRAN, 360-695-0123, www.c-tran.com; two bus lines with service to Vancouver, Delta Park (North Portland) and Yacolt
Ridgefield, La Center, and Woodland
These three small cities are (for the time being) separated from one another, and from the sprawl emanating from Vancouver, by miles of woods and fields. Ridgefield (www.ci.ridgefield.wa.us) is one of the fastest-growing cities in Washington; fittingly, it was the birthplace of U-Haul, and quite a few of that company’s trucks were used in the last few years to furnish the subdivisions that sprouted up in the fields along Pioneer Street. Ridgefield’s tiny Old Town by the river has a few shops and cafés; radiating east and southeast from the town center and on the slopes behind, you can see everything from modest ranch houses and mobile home parks to brand new “Northwest Craftsman-style” homes. Houses on higher ground have good views west to the low Tualatin Mountains in Oregon. Working farms, and even a winery, hem in the town on three sides, and it’s possible to pick up rural acreage here; to the west, narrow Lake River and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge separate Ridgefield from the mainstream of the Columbia River. Ridgefield still has a small-town feel, especially near the old center, but it’s hard to ignore the new residential and commercial development. Ridgefield has its own school district (www.ridge.k12.wa.us).
La Center (www.ci.lacenter.wa.us) huddles on a hillside above the East Fork of the Lewis River; seen from a distance, the compact city center very fain
tly resembles a Northwest version of a Tuscan hill town. Unlike a Tuscan hill town, the town center has three card rooms offering poker and blackjack, but these establishments do not dominate the city. Houses are a variety of ages and styles, although there are few prewar homes left; some new construction is occurring around La Center, although noticeably less than in Ridgefield. The small La Center School District (www.lcsd.k12.wa.us) is well-funded and has an excellent reputation. The Cowlitz Tribe has proposed building a huge new casino complex near La Center, just off of Interstate 5, but plans have been tied up in court for years.
La Center
The small city of Woodland (www.ci.woodland.wa.us) lies along Interstate 5 about 20 miles north of Vancouver, and thus at the approximate northern limit of what most people would consider possible commuting distance from Portland. (Most of the city actually lies within Cowlitz County.) Houses here range from modest ranches to large custom homes on the banks of the Lewis River. While Woodland doesn’t have many attractions, barring the lovely Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens (www.lilacgardens.com), it is the gateway to the southern slopes of Mount St. Helens. Woodland has its own school district (www.woodlandschools.org).
