Why you'd want to live in Kelso

Kelso is the county seat of Cowlitz County. It is located in southwestern Washington on Interstate 5 at the confluence of the Cowlitz, Coweeman and Columbia Rivers. Kelso is 48 miles north of Portland, 125 miles south of Seattle, and 80 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. There are 12,000 residents in Kelso and 85,000 people in Cowlitz County. The secondary market area for Kelso businesses includes approximately 20,000 residents of adjacent counties (Wahkiakum and south Lewis Counties in Washington, and Columbia County in Oregon). More people in Kelso work in direct production services and fewer work in management and technical areas than is the state norm. The business and tourist travelers on Interstate 5 and the tourists traveling to the ocean on State Route 4 provide an additional market for Kelso businesses. The average traffic volume on I-5 in Kelso during 2003 was 42,733 cars per day. The retail sales volume within the Kelso community was $240 million 400 thousand during 2003. Kelso is very accessible with a freeway (I-5) through the east portion of the city, an Amtrak station in downtown, Burlington Northern freight service, a municipal airport in South Kelso, and navigable water access via the Columbia River. In addition to I- 5, Kelso is located at the junction of State Highways 4, 411, 432 and 433. via https://www.kelso.gov/your-government/about-kelso