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Oregon County
Columbia County, Oregon
St. Helens - the best view of Mount St. Helens and the Columbia River industrial corridor - from St. Helens's Mount St. Helens connection (the city of St. Helens on the Oregon side of the Columbia River had a direct view of the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens across the river in Washington - the ash cloud and lateral blast that killed 57 people and flattened 230 square miles of forest were visible from the Columbia County waterfront in one of the most dramatic natural events in Pacific Northwest history) and the Columbia River's industrial waterfront heritage of paper mills and aluminum smelting.
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Office: Columbia County Department of Emergency Management – 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 | (503) 397-7210; coordinates the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Commission (HSEMC) and Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO); works with local cities and private-sector partners on hazard planning, response, and recovery.
911/Dispatch: Columbia 911 Communications District – Non-emergency: (503) 397-1521 or (800) 696-7795 | Fax: (503) 397-7797 | Administrative: (503) 397-7255 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM; serving Columbia County since 1989.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-30 runs along the Columbia River through St. Helens, the county seat, about 30 miles northwest of Portland.
Transit: CC Rider – the county’s public transit service, overseen by the Board of Commissioners.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Columbia County Building Division – St. Helens, OR 97051 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5 PM; handles code compliance for unincorporated Columbia County and the City of Rainier.
Notes: St. Helens is genuinely a notable filming location: the historic Old Town riverfront district served as the primary location for the 2008 film “Twilight” – Bella Swan’s house at 184 S 6th Street, the 1st Street alleyway rescue scene, and downtown Port Angeles stand-in shots were all filmed here – and the town also appeared in Disney’s 1998 “Halloweentown.” The Columbia County Historical Society & Museum Association maintains a self-guided film-location map covering both productions. The Columbia County Courthouse, cornerstone laid in 1906, anchors a historic downtown walking tour; a Lewis and Clark commemorative path runs through Plaza Square.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Columbia County Veterans Service Office – confirm current phone via columbiacountyor.gov.
Federal: Portland VA Medical Center.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Columbia County Public Libraries – St. Helens Public Library, 265 Strand St, St. Helens, OR 97051 | (503) 397-4544; Scappoose Public Library, 52469 SE 2nd Street, Scappoose, OR 97056 | (503) 543-7123; Vernonia Public Library, 701 Weed Ave., Vernonia, OR 97064 | (503) 429-1818.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Old Town St. Helens riverfront/historic district, the Columbia County Courthouse walking tour, and the Lewis and Clark commemorative path at Plaza Square are the county’s signature attractions.
Notes: The genuine “Twilight” and “Halloweentown” filming-location heritage is a distinctive, checkable local fact with real tourism traffic.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Columbia County Assessor – confirm current phone via columbiacountyor.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
County: Columbia County Animal Control (Holsheimer-Lamar Memorial Shelter) – 2084 Oregon Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 | (503) 397-3935; dog control, licensing, and redemption services; open-admission policy.
Nonprofit: Columbia Humane Society – same building, 2084 Oregon Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 | (503) 397-4353 | Hours: Tue/Sat/Sun 12-5 PM (per 211info) or Mon-Sat 8 AM-4 PM (per business listing, confirm current hours); cat adoption fee $150, dog adoption fee $250-$400, both including spay/neuter, vaccines, and microchip.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Columbia County Transfer Station – 1601 Railroad Avenue, St. Helens, OR 97051 | (503) 397-9811.
NOTES: Columbia County is the fifth county in the Oregon v2 redo’s first batch (Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook). The genuine “Twilight”/”Halloweentown” filming heritage is a distinctive local fact with real, ongoing tourism impact. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Columbia County
Columbia County had a front-row seat to the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption – the Columbia River waterfront at St. Helens faced directly toward the volcano that killed 57 people and reshaped the Pacific Northwest landscape on May 18, 1980, and the county has grown as a Portland northwestern exurb along the Columbia River corridor.
St. Helens (the county seat, population ~13,500) serves the county’s industrial, agricultural, and growing Portland commuter communities on the Oregon bank of the Columbia.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Columbia County Assessor at 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, phone 503-397-7248. OR Measure 50 limits assessed value increases.
Courts & Legal
Columbia County Circuit Court at 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051, phone 503-397-3796, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
230 Strand St, St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-4322
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Columbia County Circuit Court, St. Helens (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Lewis and Clark explored this area in 1805-1806, giving the county significant early Pacific Northwest historical resources.
Local societies
No dedicated Columbia County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Columbia County Circuit Court 230 Strand Street, St. Helens, OR 97051 (503) 397-2327
Columbia County was created January 16, 1854, named for the Columbia River, from the northern half of Washington County, in northwestern Oregon, seated in St. Helens – Oregon’s 3rd smallest county by area. The 1906 Columbia County Courthouse, with its clock tower and bell added in 1910, remains in use.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Oregon has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own independent probate code under ORS Chapters 111 through 117. Probate is handled in the probate department of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent lived (ORS 111.085). Oregon does not offer a separate unsupervised/informal probate track – its “simple estate” process and formal administration are the two paths.
Simple Estate Affidavit (ORS 114.505–114.560) – available when the total fair market value of the estate is $275,000 or less, made up of no more than $75,000 in personal property and no more than $200,000 in real property. The affidavit (“Affidavit of Claiming Successor”) cannot be filed until at least 30 days after death and must be filed with the clerk of the probate court. It requires a detailed asset description, a list of known creditors, and notice that claims are barred unless presented within 4 months of filing.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates that exceed the simple estate limits or don’t otherwise qualify. A personal representative is appointed by the court and administers the estate under ongoing court oversight.
Step 2: filing for administration
A petition for probate is filed in the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent resided (or, for simple estates, an Affidavit of Claiming Successor is filed with the probate clerk at least 30 days after death).
If a will exists, it’s filed with the petition or affidavit.
For full administration, the court appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice is given to heirs, devisees, and creditors; claims against the estate must generally be presented within the statutory period.
The personal representative (or affiant, for simple estates) inventories assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains according to the will or Oregon’s intestacy laws.
Full administration closes once a final account is filed and approved by the court; simple estates close once assets are distributed and any required notices are filed.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Columbia County directly for current fees.
Oregon imposes a state estate tax on estates exceeding approximately $1,000,000, with rates ranging from 10% to 16%. No state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
5235 Old Portland Rd, St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-1521
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
230 Strand St, St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-4322
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
190 King Ave, St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-7247
Department of Human Services
2035 Columbia Blvd, St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-4358
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Columbia County Public Health – St. Helens, OR 97051; confirm current phone via columbiacountyor.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: St. Helens
Population: 53,000
Established: 1854
Tier: 3
Public Records
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