Longview (Washington)

Longview is a city in Washington State. It is nicknamed the "City of Trees" and was established in 1923 by R. A. Long, who intended it to become the "Chicago of the West".

Get in

By car
  • Interstate 5: Longview is located just off of I-5 and is accessed from Exits #36B (SR-432 Talley Way) & 39 (Allen St/SR-4) through Kelso along Allen St.
  • & Crosses the Columbia River on the Lewis & Clark Bridge from US Hwy 30 in Rainier, OR and into town as Oregon Way. From its intersection with Tennant Way the same road goes into downtown as 15th Ave. Drivers can circumvent the town along Industrial Way (SR-432) to reach SR-4 or I-5 without going through town.
  • 1st Ave & Westside Highway runs alongside the Cowlitz River and up to US Hwy 12 south Napavine through Castle Rock. It parallels along the westside of I-5 between Longview and US Hwy 12. From US Hwy 12 go south on Military Rd which becomes SR-411.
  • Talley Way Goes from Exit 36B of I-5 to 3rd Ave and aound town as Industrial Ave to SR-4 west of town. To go into town go past 3rd Ave and continue onto Tennant Way (follow signs) which ends at 15th Ave/Oregon Way, just south of town.
  • Ocean Beach Highway : Goes through town from I-5 as Allen St which becomes Catlin St once it reaches Washington Way. Going west from Washington Way the road becomes Ocean Beach Hwy (SR-4) which connects Longview/Kelso to the coast (Long Beach & Astoria) along the Washington side of the Columbia River.
  • Washington Way Local boulevard that connects Ocean Beach Hwy (SR-4)/Catlin in West Kelso into downtown Longview.

By train

By bus

The 🌍 Longview Transit Center on S 12th Ave & Hemlock, serves as central bus station for River Cities Transit and other regional bus & shuttle companies serving southwest Washington:

  • River Cities Transit, ☏ +1 360 442-5663. Local city buses around Longview proper and to neighboring Kelso. Take the #45 bus to the Kelso station where Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses stop. (updated Sep 2020)
  • Columbia County Rider (CC Rider) Rt #5, (stops) Kelso/Longview Amtrak Station, Longview Transit Center, St John Medical Center, ☏ +1 503-366-8503. Connections to St Helens via Rainier and Gable along US Hwy 30. Bus connections to Portland (Rt #1) is in St Helens. Faster to go on Greyhound for going to Portland. $5 base zone + $1 additional zone or $2 on the Flex route. 
  • Lower Columbia CAP, ☏ +1 360 425-3430. Rural public bus system serving Castle Rock, Lexington (suburbs/rural area north of Kelso), Longview, Kalama, Woodland, and Vancouver 99th St Station (north of Vancouver, WA). Transfer to/from the C-Tran buses at the 99th St Station to other places in Vancouver and to Portland (Rt #105). $2 per boarding. (updated Sep 2020)
  • Wahkiakum on the Move, (office & bus garage) 42 Elochoman Valley Rd, Cathlamet, ☏ +1 360 795-6212. Bus to Rockets Diner in Naselle, WA via Cathlamet, WA (major town and county seat) in neighboring Wahkiakum County, along Hwy 4. 'Wahkiakum on the Move' has additional local stops in the Kelso-Longview area for pick-up and drop off. Connections to Pacific Transit Rt #50 to Ilwaco, Astoria and South Bend at Rockets Diner in Naselle. (updated Sep 2020)

Get around

Major streets radiate like wheel spokes from the 🌍 RA Long Square (Central Park) in the city center.

See
  • 🌍 Lake Sacajawea. 
  • 🌍 Nutty Narrows Bridge (the squirrel bridge) (Hangs over Olympia Way northwest of its intersection with 18th Ave). 
  • 🌍 RA Long High School, 2903 Nichols Blvd, ☏ +1 360 575-7225. 

Do

Driving through Longview in the fall is a pleasure for the eyes that is more typical to New England than the Pacific Northwest. Where much of Washington state is covered with evergreen trees the city of Longview has planted hundreds of deciduous trees all around town. Every fall the area between the civic circle and RA Long is covered in leaves of every imaginable color.

Buy
  • 🌍 Triangle Center, 1015 Ocean Beach Hwy. Hours vary by tenant/store. Southwest of the intersection of Ocean Beach Hwy (SR-4) & Washington Way (in a large triangular shaped lot). Triangle Center hosts Bed Bath & Beyond; Michaels, Maurices, Petco, Ross Dress for Less, Ulta, WinCo Foods and numerous other shops, banks & restaurants in the mall and in the immediate surrounding areas not part of the mall (Taco Bell, Sizzlers, Stuffy's, among others) along Ocean Beach Hwy & Washington Way. Unlike a traditional mall where everything is under one big roof, in a single building, this mall consists of several smaller buildings spread further out from each other in a huge parking lot. (updated Sep 2020)
  • 🌍 Cowlitz Community Farmer's Market, 1900 7th Ave (New Expo Center Building at NW corner of county fairgrounds). Tu & Sa 9AM-noon from April to October. (updated Sep 2020)
  • 🌍 Walmart Supercenter, 540 7th Ave, ☏ +1 360 414-9656. Daily 7AM-10PM. 
  • 🌍 Walmart Supercenter, 3715 Ocean Beach Hwy (Ocean Beach Hwy & 38th Ave, NW of town.), ☏ +1 360 355-3016. Daily 7AM-10PM. 

Eat

Drink

Longview loves its coffee. Of course there are a number of Starbucks locations, but in addition to that there are:

These are great places to hang out and grab a drink whether it's coffee, smoothies, hot chocolates, or tea.

Sleep

See the Kelso article, under Sleep, for additional listings of accommodations near the Three Rivers Mall off of Allen St & I-5 (Exit #39).

Connect

Go next
Routes through Longview
Olympia ← Centralia/Chehalis ←  N  S  → Vancouver → Portland
Naselle ← Cathlamet ←  W  E  → Kelso → Ends at at Exit 39
Jct ← Jct at Oregon Way ←  W  E  → Jct 3rd Ave & Tennant Way → Ends at at Exit 36B
Jct at Industrial Way ←  N  S  → Rainier → Ends at


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