Kelso, Washington
Kelso is a city of 12,684 people in Cowlitz County, Washington, founded in 1884.
Why visit Kelso
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 75 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Allen Street Bridge disaster, Regal Cinemas 12, R. A. Long High School and Lewis and Clark Bridge.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; February lows average 35°F.
Weather in Kelso
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kelso
Kelso is a city in and the county seat of Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,720. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 110,730. Kelso shares its long western border with Longview.
From the Wikipedia article Kelso, Washington (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Allen Street Bridge disaster
Bridge · 2.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks10
R. A. Long High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
High school in Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington
2903 Nichols Blvd., Longview
Lewis and Clark Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic bridge in Washington state and Oregon, USA
Longview Women's Clubhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Women's club building in Longview, Washingon
Nutty Narrows Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Bridge for squirrels in Longview, Washington, U.S.
Big Benjamin Steam Whistle
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Steam whistle originally used in Long-Bell lumber mill.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes75
Cafe Guse
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.7 mi
1208 Commerce Avenue, Longview
Mo-Fr 07:30-16:00; Sa 07:30-16:00
Red Lobster
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.9 mi
203 Three Rivers Drive
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.0 mi
104 Kelso Drive, Kelso
Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr 05:00-23:00; Sa 05:30-23:00; Su 05:30-22:00
Red Leaf Organic Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.5 mi
209 West Main Street, Kelso
Mo-Fr 05:30-20:00, Sa 06:09-20:00, Su 06:30-17:00
63 more on the map.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Cowlitz people, part of the Sahaptin and Salish people. About 6,000 Cowlitz were living in longhouses in villages along the Cowlitz River in 1855. The Cowlitz Tribe met with others at the Chehalis River Treaty Council in 1855 and declined to sign a treaty with the Washington Territory which would have required them to move away to a reservation. Many remained in the area until the tribe received federal recognition: its current headquarters is in nearby Longview.
Kelso was founded by Peter W. Crawford, a Scottish surveyor, who, in 1847, took up the first donation land claim on the lower Cowlitz River. Crawford platted a townsite which he named after his home town of Kelso, Scotland. The original plat was dated and filed in October 1884. It became incorporated in 1889.
In its early days, Kelso obtained the nickname "Little Chicago" as it became famous for its large number of taverns and brothels that catered to local loggers. On weekends, trainloads of loggers would come into town from the surrounding region looking for women, liquor, gambling and fights. The FBI finally forced the mayor to shut them down in the 1950s, with the last tavern/brothel closing in the mid-1960s. The economy continues to be based largely on wood products.
From the History section of Kelso, Washington on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship33
First Christian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Longview Community Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Longview Community Church-Saint Helen's Addition
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.9 mi
2200 Allen Street, Kelso
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.4 mi
900 11th Avenue
Shopping21
Gas and EV charging17
Schools, colleges and libraries39
Healthcare16
Kaiser Permanente Longview-Kelso Medical Office
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.2 mi
1230 7th Avenue, Longview
Map of Kelso
241 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 35°F | 6.5 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 35°F | 4.8 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 38°F | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 40°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 45°F | 3.1 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 50°F | 2.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 53°F | 0.6 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 53°F | 1.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 50°F | 2.3 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 44°F | 4.4 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 39°F | 7.2 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 35°F | 7.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Longview Hcn (3 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
Cowlitz County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 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)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southwest Washington Regional Airport (KLS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- St. Helens 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Battle Ground 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Felida 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Hazel Dell 32 mi south, about 52 min by car
- Five Corners 33 mi southeast, about 53 min by car
- Vancouver 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Bethany 38 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Hillsboro 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Portland 42 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Beaverton 44 mi south, about 1 h 15 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
- Main Post Office - Kelso Washington, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center, Konrad Roeder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nat Smith House Kelso 75001846 NRHP, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Catlin House Kelso 94001434 NRHP, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Christian Church, Longview, Washington., Akampfer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Longview Community Church 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lewis&ClarkBridgeSP, Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Squirrel Bridge 0002, Avi, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Longview Women's Clubhouse 03, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Former Longview Community Church-Saint Helen's Addition 04, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Parmelia sulcata 105805863, Chris Armstrong, CC0
- Cowlitz River and Hwy 432 bridge in Washington State, Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- River Cities Transit 42-22, Kenrobinette, CC BY 4.0
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