Cowlitz

Formed April 21, 1854 (13^th county)

Cowlitz County (110,740), Kelso (12,715), Longview (37,820)

The Modern tan brick courthouse facility was erected in 1975 and expanded in 1985.  The structure is on 1^st Avenue at Lincoln Street.  First Avenue is Washington State Highway 411.  The 1923 courthouse continues to serve as the Administration Building.  Newhall, Crook & Associates designed the current courthouse.  Monticello (1854), Freeport (1856), Kalama (1872), and Kelso (1923) have all served as the county seat.  The county was established on April 21, 1854 as the 13^th county.  Cowlitz County is named for a Native American word meaning “seeker.”  The county seat was named for Kelso, Scotland. 

Cowlitz County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four Superior Court Judges and One District Court Judge serve Cowlitz County.  Cowlitz County is on the southwest border with Oregon.  The Columbia River forms its southwest border.  Seattle, Washington is northeast and Portland, Oregon is south of the county.  The county center is 14.6 miles East-Northeast of Kelso.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lewis, Skamania, and Clark counties and Oregon and Wahkiakum County. 

The area of the county is 1139 square miles.  It is 28 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 12 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 97.2 persons per square mile making it 12 out of 39 in the state.  Cowlitz County has 56.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 passes north to south through the county from Lewis County to Clark County.  The county resembles a pig’s head lying on its nose.  Kelso is located near the western border of the county.  Longview is west of Kelso on the border.  Kelso is the county seat and Longview is the largest city.  Kelso is 11.5% of the county population while Longview is 34.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KOW-LITZ.  The county seat is pronounced KEL-SOE.  This county is in the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area.