Rainier, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rainier, Oregon
City
Location in Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Columbia
Incorporated	1885
Area
• Total	4.95 sq mi (12.81 km2)
• Land	4.08 sq mi (10.57 km2)
• Water	0.86 sq mi (2.24 km2)
Elevation	177 ft (54 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,911
• Density	468.27/sq mi (180.79/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97048
Area code(s)	503 and 971
FIPS code	41-60850
GNIS feature ID	2411511

Rainier is a small city located in Columbia County, Oregon, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,911 people lived there. Rainier sits on the south bank of the Columbia River. It is directly across the river from the cities of Kelso and Longview, Washington in Washington state.

History of Rainier

Rainier was started in 1851 by Charles E. Fox. He was the town's first postman. The town was first called Eminence. Later, its name changed to Fox's Landing. Finally, it was named Rainier. The name Rainier comes from Mount Rainier in Washington. You can see this mountain from the hills above the city. Rainier officially became a city in 1881.

The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant

For many years, Rainier was known for the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant. This was the only commercial nuclear reactor in Oregon. It started providing electricity to Portland and nearby areas in 1976.

The power plant had some problems and was closed at times. In 1993, it was shut down for good because of cracks in its steam tubes. The plant's large cooling tower was taken down on May 21, 2006.

After the Trojan plant closed, Rainier saw fewer businesses. Today, the city has one supermarket called Grocery Outlet. More services and shops are available in nearby towns like Clatskanie, St. Helens, and Longview, Washington. Longview is just across the Columbia River from Rainier.

Rainier's Geography

Rainier covers about 4.95 square miles (12.81 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, and a smaller part is water.

Nearby Communities

Rainier is surrounded by several small rural communities. These places used to be separate towns. Now, many businesses have left these areas. They are mostly part of a larger area that gets services from Rainier. Some of these communities include Fern Hill, Hudson, Alston, Apiary, Goble, and Prescott.

A panorama of Rainier, Oregon, from Longview, Washington. This is a montage of eight separate photographs and can be scrolled.

The Lewis and Clark Bridge

The Lewis and Clark Bridge connects Rainier to Longview, Washington. This bridge goes across the entire Columbia River. It is the only bridge of its kind between Portland and Astoria, Oregon.

Population and People

How Many People Live Here?

In 2010, there were 1,895 people living in Rainier. There were 818 households, which are groups of people living together. About 502 of these were families. The city had about 1,076 people per square mile.

Most people in Rainier were White (93.1%). A small number were Native American (1.3%) or from other backgrounds. About 4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Households

The average age in Rainier was about 34.9 years old.

• About 21.8% of residents were under 18 years old.
• About 7% were between 18 and 24 years old.
• About 22.8% were between 25 and 44 years old.
• About 30.4% were between 45 and 64 years old.
• About 17.9% were 65 years or older.

Many households (46.8%) were married couples living together. Some households had a female head (10.9%) or a male head (3.7%) without a spouse. About 32.3% of households were single individuals. The average household had 2.32 people.

Getting Around Rainier

Railroad Travel

The Portland and Western Railroad line runs through Rainier. If you want to take a passenger train, Amtrak service is available across the Columbia River in Kelso, Washington. You can find it at the Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center.

Ocean Shipping

In 2005, a barge terminal called Teevin Terminal opened in Rainier. It is right across the Columbia River from the Port of Longview. In 2012, Teevin Terminal received a grant to build a "T-pier." This helped it become a very busy shipping point. It is now the largest shipper on the Portland & Western line between Eugene and Astoria.

Famous People from Rainier

• Miller M. Duris, a politician
• Nellie Owens, who was the real-life inspiration for the character Nellie Oleson in the Little House on the Prairie books, lived here.
• Sage Sharp, a software engineer

Images for kids

• 

  Implosion of Trojan Nuclear plant cooling tower in 2006

• 

  View across the Columbia River in 1973

• 

  Rainier City Hall

• 

  Rainier Marina

See also

In Spanish: Rainier (Oregón) para niños