Why visit Ilwaco
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cape Disappointment Light, North Head Light, Colbert House and Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 66°F; February lows average 35°F.
Weather in Ilwaco
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ilwaco
Ilwaco is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,087 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1890, the city was home to the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company along the Long Beach Peninsula, with its core economy based on logging and timber rafting. The city is located on the southern edge of the Long Beach Peninsula, on Baker Bay on the north side of the Columbia River where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
From the Wikipedia article Ilwaco, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Cape Disappointment Light
Lighthouse · 2.3 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
North Head Light
Lighthouse · 2.1 mi
Lighthouse in Washington, United States
Waikiki Beach
Beach · 2.1 mi
Beach in Cape Disappointment, Washington, United States
Museums and landmarks3
Colbert House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Ilwaco, Washington, USA
World Kite Museum
Museum · 2.9 mi
Museum in Long Beach, Washington, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes7
Barbe-Queen Kitchen
Restaurant · Polynesian, Barbecue · 0.4 mi
116 Spruce Street East, Ilwaco
We,Sa 12:00-17:00; Th 12:00-15:00,16:00-19:00; Fr...
Olde Towne Trading Post
Cafe · Breakfast, Sandwich · 0.4 mi
108 1st Avenue North, Ilwaco
Roots
Cafe · Juice, Coffee, Sandwich, Smoothie, Salad · 0.4 mi
111 1st Avenue North
History
Ilwaco, initially given the name Unity, was first settled by Henry Feister in 1851, and was named for the Lower Chinook leader Elwahko Jim, whose indigenous name was [ʔɪlwəkʷo], the son in law of Chief Comcomly. Ilwaco was officially incorporated on December 16, 1890. A narrow gauge railway, Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company, ran for over thirty years. Similarly to the nearby city of Astoria, Oregon, and the surrounding communities, Ilwaco historically had a significant population of Finnish immigrants.
The railroad ran north up First Street in Ilwaco. A published photo shows the railroad's Ilwaco facilities, including a gallows turntable and elevated watering trough, were located on the southwest corner of the intersection of First and Spruce streets. The depot was built nearby on Spruce Street. A siding was built for the Ilwaco Mill and Lumber Company. A published photo shows the passenger depot on the west side of First Street, at a point 14.8 miles (23.8 km) from the Ilwaco Depot to Nahcotta. The train ran out on the dock in Ilwaco. Floating logs were stored behind log booms on the west side of the Ilwaco dock. At some point after 1890, First Street had been covered with wooden planks, and remained so until 1916, when it was paved over. By 1915, a published photo shows more businesses along First Street.
From the History section of Ilwaco, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Shopping10
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Ocean Beach Early Childhood Center
School · 3.0 mi
305 Fifth Street Se, Long Beach
Healthcare3
Map of Ilwaco
48 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 36°F | 12.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 35°F | 7.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 37°F | 8.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 40°F | 6.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 59°F | 45°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 62°F | 49°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 65°F | 52°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 66°F | 52°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 48°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 42°F | 8.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 38°F | 11.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 36°F | 12.2 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Long Beach Exp Stn Hcn (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Pacific County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2024-04-28: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2022-03-29: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-04-08: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-23: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Astoria Regional Airport (AST) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Warrenton 11 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Astoria 13 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Gearhart 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Seaside 23 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Cannon Beach 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Bayside Gardens 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Clatskanie 42 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Cosmopolis 46 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Aberdeen 47 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Longview 52 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ilwaco, Washington - panoramio, Sam Beebe/Ecotrust, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colbert House - Ilwaco Washington, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- North Head Light, bench, 2011, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2022-02-13, Cape Disappointment Lighhouse, 02, trekkyandy, CC BY-SA 2.0
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