Westport, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westport, Oregon
Census-designated place
Volunteer Fire Department in Westport
Westport, Oregon Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Westport, Oregon Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Clatsop
Area
• Total	0.66 sq mi (1.72 km2)
• Land	0.66 sq mi (1.72 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	319
• Density	481.15/sq mi (185.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	97016
Area code(s)	503 and 971
FIPS code	41-80400
GNIS feature ID	2611784

Westport is a small community located in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. It sits right on the Columbia River. Even though it's not a big city, it's recognized as a "census-designated place." This means it's a special area that the government counts for population statistics. In 2020, about 319 people lived there.

Getting Around Westport

Westport is well-connected to other places.

River Connections

• You can take the Wahkiakum County ferry from Westport across the Columbia River.
• This ferry connects Westport to Cathlamet, Washington, which is on the other side of the river.
• The ferry also stops at Puget Island.

Road Connections

• U.S. Route 30 is a main road that goes right through Westport.
• This road can take you west to Astoria.
• If you head east on U.S. Route 30, you'll reach Clatskanie.

Westport's History

Westport got its name from an interesting person who settled there a long time ago.

Who Was John West?

• The community is named after a man called "Captain" John West.
• He was a millwright, which means he built and fixed mills.
• He was also a lumberman, working with wood.
• John West came from Scotland.
• He moved to Canada when he was young and worked in a sawmill there.
• Later, he traveled to Oregon through California during the gold rush of 1849.

Early Businesses in Westport

• In the early 1850s, John West settled in the Westport area.
• He started a sawmill to cut wood.
• He also ran a salmon cannery, which prepared and sealed salmon in cans.
• The Westport post office opened in 1863.
• John West was the very first postmaster for the community.

Images for kids

• 

  A robot image