Skamania

Formed March 9, 1854 (9^th county)

Skamania County (11,066), Stevenson (1,465)

The Modern concrete and glass building was constructed in 1949.  The facility is on a hill near the intersection of Vancouver and Russell avenues.  Washington State Highway 14 is one block south of the location.  Donald J. Stewart is the courthouse architect.  There was a 1903 courthouse previously.  The county was established on March 9, 1854 from Clark County as the 9^th county.  Stevenson has always been the county seat.  The county name is a Native American word meaning “swift water.”  Stevenson was named for settler George H. Stevenson. 

Skamania County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One Superior Court Judge serves Skamania and Klickitat counties and One District Court Judge serves Skamania County.  Skamania County is on the southern border with Oregon.  The Columbia River forms its southern border.  Seattle, Washington is northwest and Portland, Oregon is southwest of the county.  The county center is 27.3 miles North of Stevenson nearer Stabler.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lewis, Yakima, and Klickitat counties and Oregon and Clark and Cowlitz counties. 

The area of the county is 1684 square miles.  It is 24 out of 39 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 39 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.57 persons per square mile making it 35 out of 39 in the state.  Skamania County has 21.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like a fat letter C with the bottom leg sloped toward the southwest.  Stevenson is located on the southern border of the county.  Stevenson is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SKA-MAEN-YA.  This county is in the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton Metropolitan Statistical Area.