Located in southwestern Washington on Interstate 5 near the Columbia River, Kelso is 48 miles north of Portland, 125 miles south of Seattle and 80 short miles from the Pacific Ocean. This gives its residents a nearly unbeatable geographic advantage as they live and work nearby some of the best cultural, historic, and recreational sites found in the entire nation. From Pike Place Market with its unbeatable fresh fish in Seattle to the Space Needle—not to mention many of the best retail outlets and restaurants in the country, Kelso is in the center of it all.

The population of Kelso is just over 11,800 cordial neighbors who call their town "The City of Friendly People." Ideal for outdoor enthusiasts, Kelso is surrounded by forest, exceptional river recreation and Cascade Mountain camping, hiking and mountain biking—which means you may not even need to travel to nearby Seattle or Portland because the “action” is right in your own backyard.

The top employer in Kelso is the school district, followed by recreational craft manufacturing and retail—meaning this are has great schools for the kids—and is home to RV that’s just waiting to be driven along a stream, into the mountains or just to the corner grocer for milk on the way home.