Why Astoria, Oregon never became a major city

It's location makes it seem like an obvious choice.

Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

Happy New Year! Seeing as how I’m about the jet off to explore the world in 2025 (and beyond), I thought I would close out 2024 with an article on my favorite place in the world: the Pacific Northwest. In particular, one of my favorite places in the region and why it never became a major U.S. city. That place is Astoria, Oregon, a small city at the mouth of the Columbia River. But while today, it has just 10,000 people, there was a time when it was thought that it would become the major city for the region. Of course, that DIDN’T happen… but it makes you think!

Also, if you’re interested in learning more about Astoria, I highly recommend Peter Stark’s book on the subject Astoria: Astor and Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire. This is not an affiliate link, but I really enjoyed the book. 🤓

Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, are the two major cities of the Pacific Northwest. However, neither city was ever really intended to become the region's economic and cultural powerhouse, at least not in the beginning. Instead, that title was supposed to belong to a city at the mouth of the Columbia River, a place envisioned as the Pacific Northwest's answer to New York City. So what happened?

In the Pacific Northwest there’s an area that, at first glance, would appear comparable to the San Francisco Bay Area. With a large body of water offering a natural harbor, relatively flat peninsulas for development, and abundant nearby timber resources, the area seemed ideal for settlement. These geographic features, combined with its location at the Columbia River’s mouth, made it a logical choice for establishing a settlement. However, despite these promising elements, the reality proved very different.

When early settlers arrived at the Columbia River mouth, they were greeted by harsh, rainy weather, a hallmark of the Oregon and Washington coasts. This didn’t deter initial optimism, as the region appeared to have all the necessary ingredients for a thriving settlement. But the first major challenge soon became apparent: the Columbia River Bar. Unlike the calm waters of the San Francisco Bay, the Columbia River’s entrance presented a treacherous obstacle.

The Columbia River, draining one of North America’s largest watersheds, deposits an immense volume of water into the Pacific Ocean, enough to fill about 100 swimming pools every single second. Along with this water comes a significant amount of sediment, forming a constantly shifting sandbar. The interplay of river currents, ocean swells, and tidal forces creates turbulent waters and unpredictable waves, earning the nickname "The Graveyard of the Pacific." Over 2,000 ships have met their fate in this hazardous zone, highlighting the difficulty of establishing a reliable maritime hub here.

In fact, you can still visit one of these ships that sank if you want!

The shipwreck of the Peter Iredale. Photo by Intricate Explorer on Unsplash

Despite these challenges, early American settlers and British traders both attempted to establish a foothold in the region. The story begins with two key outposts: Astoria, Oregon, founded in 1811 by John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company, and Fort Vancouver, established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1825. Astor’s vision for Astoria was ambitious. He aimed to dominate the North American fur trade by linking the Pacific Northwest with markets in China and the eastern United States. The Columbia River served as a vital artery, providing access to the interior fur-trapping regions and facilitating maritime trade.

Astoria was also part of a larger strategy to assert American dominance in the Pacific Northwest under the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. However, its early years were marked by hardship. During the War of 1812, British forces seized the settlement, renaming it Fort George. Although the Treaty of Ghent eventually returned the land to American control, British influence in the region remained strong, centered around Fort Vancouver, near present day Portland, Oregon (and not to be confused with Vancouver, British Columbia).

Astoria’s geographic position, while advantageous for early fur trade, proved limiting as the region’s economy evolved. The challenges of the Columbia River Bar and the area’s rugged coastal terrain constrained its growth. Meanwhile, the advent of railroads in the 1800s shifted the economic balance inland. Railroads connected cities like Portland and Seattle to the rest of the United States, bypassing Astoria entirely due to the high cost of constructing a line through the coastal mountain range.

Portland, located about 100 miles upriver from Astoria, became a major hub thanks to its strategic position at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. This location offered easier access to fertile lands in the Willamette Valley, one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the country. The valley’s abundant resources drew settlers and spurred Portland’s development as a gateway for exporting agricultural goods.

Seattle’s rise followed a different trajectory. Its location on Puget Sound provided a deep-water harbor free from the hazards of the Columbia River Bar. This natural advantage, combined with the timber and coal industries, positioned Seattle as a key shipping hub. The Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s further boosted the city’s growth, injecting wealth and drawing new residents.

Astoria, on the other hand, faced a series of setbacks. The absence of a railroad connection stifled its development, leaving it reliant on less efficient river and ocean transport. Additionally, industries like fishing, logging, and canning—once central to Astoria’s economy—declined due to overfishing, environmental regulations, and automation. The Great Astoria Fire of 1922 dealt a final blow, destroying much of the city’s downtown and further hindering recovery.

Today, Seattle and Portland dominate the Pacific Northwest, with populations of 4 million and 2.5 million, respectively. Astoria, in contrast, remains a small coastal town with just 10,000 residents. While Astoria’s history as the region’s earliest American settlement is significant, its geographic and economic challenges ultimately prevented it from becoming the Pacific Northwest’s major city.

Obviously Astoria will never become a major city in the same way that Seattle and Portland have. But at one point in time, it very well could have. And that’s fun to think about!