St. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens is a city of 14,258 people in Columbia County, Oregon, founded in 1889.
Why visit St. Helens
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 37 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Columbia Theatre, Warrior Rock Light, Basalt Cobblestone Quarries District and Caples House Museum.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in St. Helens
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About St. Helens
St. Helens is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain Henry Montgomery Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845, as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens, roughly 39 miles (63 km) away in Washington. The city is about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Portland.
From the Wikipedia article St. Helens, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Columbia Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.1 mi
212 South 1st Street, Saint Helens
"depends on day and season"
Warrior Rock Light
Lighthouse · 1.5 mi
Lighthouse in Oregon, United States
Museums and landmarks6
Basalt Cobblestone Quarries District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Archaeological site in Washington state, USA
Caples House Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house museum in Columbia City, Oregon, USA
Cox–Williams House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Judge Columbia Lancaster House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Ridgefield, Washington, listed on the NRHP in Clark County, Washington
St. Helens Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
National Register of Historic Places # 84000137
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
Nob Hill Nature Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Park in Oregon, United States of America
Saint Helens Waterfront Park
Park · 1.0 mi
This site was an industrial area, is mostly paved with some gravel. Some areas are grassy due to non-maintenance. The area is a de facto...
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes37
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop
2274 Columbia Boulevard, Saint Helens
Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 05:00-22:00
Happy Garden Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi
35531 Firway Lane, Saint Helens
Tu-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa-Su 12:00-21:00
Javalation
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
399 Lower Columbia River Highway, Saint Helens
Mo-Fr 04:00-20:00, Sa 06:00-20:00, Su 07:00-19:00
Mister Goose
Restaurant · Sandwich · 1.2 mi
58499 Lower Columbia River Highway, Saint Helens
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Noi's Thai Kitchen
Restaurant · Thai · 0.4 mi
524 Milton Way, Saint Helens
Mo-Th 11:00-14:30,16:00-21:00; Fr 11:30-14:30,16:00-21:00; Sa...
Miyako Sushi & Teriyaki
Restaurant
1835 Columbia Boulevard, Saint Helens
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:30; Sa 12:00-20:00
Sunshine Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza
2124 Columbia Boulevard, St Helens
Mo-We 07:00-21:00; Th-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 07:30-21:00
El Tapatio
Restaurant · Mexican
2105 Columbia Boulevard, Saint Helens
Mo-Su 12:00-22:00
Kozy Korner
Diner · American · 0.9 mi
371 Columbia Boulevard, Saint Helens
Mo-Sa 07:00-21:00, Su 07:00-20:00
25 more on the map.
History
The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through and camped in the area that is now St. Helens on the night of November 5, 1805, while on their way to the Pacific Ocean. While there, the party encountered Native Americans and Clark observed "low rockey clifts".
St. Helens was established as a river port on the Columbia River in the 1840s. The original town was surveyed and platted by Scottish-born Peter Crawford. In 1853, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company tried to make the city their only stop on the Columbia River. Portland's merchants boycotted this effort, and the San Francisco steamship Peytona helped break the impasse. St. Helens was incorporated as a city in 1889. St. Helens and the adjacent town of Houlton merged in 1914. Houlton is now a part of the West St. Helens neighborhood.
From the History section of St. Helens, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Best Western: Oak Meadows Inn
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
585 South Columbia River Highway, Saint Helens
Churches and places of worship12
Christ Church Episcopal, Saint Helens
Church · Episcopal · 1.3 mi
35350 East Division Road, Saint Helens
Sunset Park Community Church
Church · Church Of God (Anderson, Indiana) · 0.4 mi
174 Sunset Boulevard, Saint Helens
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.0 mi
2755 Sykes Road, Saint Helens
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Healthcare4
Legacy Urgent Care Saint Helens
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
475 South Columbia River Highway, Saint Helens
Map of St. Helens
131 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 33°F | 7.0 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 33°F | 5.3 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 36°F | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 40°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 67°F | 46°F | 2.5 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 50°F | 1.8 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 55°F | 0.5 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 0.7 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 52°F | 1.7 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 45°F | 4.1 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 38°F | 6.8 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 33°F | 7.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Saint Helens Rfd (3 mi away), rain and snow from Warren 1 Sw, 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
Columbia County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-09-15: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-08-08: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2016-02-17: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2012-03-02: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southwest Washington Regional Airport (KLS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Vancouver 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Bethany 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Cedar Mill 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Oak Hills 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Portland 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Hillsboro 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Aloha 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Beaverton 26 mi south, about 42 min by car
- Cornelius 26 mi southwest, about 42 min by car
- Forest Grove 27 mi southwest, about 43 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
- TheOldeSchoolStHelens, Cacophony, CC BY 3.0
- Halloweentown Pumpkin, St. Helens, OR, Nicci Schu, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Helens City Hall - DPLA - 75bc228e5ae62c83c59bc77bba86188b, Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives, CC BY 4.0
- Basalt Cobblestone Quarries District 4 - Ridgefield Washington, Janice M. Peterson, Public domain
- Judge Columbia Lancaster House, TDavisPayne, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Caples House Museum - Columbia City Oregon, Tedder, CC BY 3.0
- Warrior rock lighthouse north view P2617, EncMstr, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Milton Creek in St Helens, DJ Cane, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ColumbiaCountyORSheriffsOffice, Cacophony, CC BY 3.0
- Cox-Williams House - St Helens Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Helens City Hall and Pumpkin, Nicci Schu, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Helens City Hall, Nicci Schu, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ColumbiaCountyORCourthouse, Cacophony, CC BY 3.0
- ColumbiaViewParkOR, Cacophony, CC BY 3.0
- Wapato Island from the air (14467733892), Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0
- Chinook salmon in trap near Sand Island (3387948532), OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons, No restrictions
- WarriorRockLighthouse, Editidiot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hibiscus flower on a rainy day (44463344994), Swallowtail Garden Seeds from Santa Rosa, California, United States, CC BY 2.0
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