Qualla: Vancouver

Vancouver: Introduction

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit jacki from Suburban Portland, Oregon, USA, CC BY 2.0. Two Vancouvers exist on the Pacific coast, and this is the older one - named by the British for Captain George Vancouver a quarter-century before the Canadian city took the same name. Fort Vancouver rose here in 1824, the Hudson's Bay Company establishing its Pacific Northwest headquarters on the north bank of the Columbia River. Today a city of 190,000 spreads across the Washington side of the river, separated from Portland by two bridges but integrated into the same metropolitan economy. It's a city that lives in its larger neighbor's shadow while maintaining a history and identity that predates Oregon statehood.

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Image: jacki from Suburban Portland, Oregon, USA | CC BY 2.0

Vancouver: The Original Fort

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit M.O. Stevens, Public domain. Fort Vancouver was the hub of the fur trade empire that stretched from Alaska to California, the Hudson's Bay Company's operations center for a territory larger than most European nations. Chief Factor John McLoughlin ruled from here, his influence shaping the region's developmen...

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Image: M.O. Stevens | Public domain

Vancouver: Portland's Partner

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0. The relationship between Vancouver and Portland defies simple description. Separated by a state line that runs down the center of the Columbia River, the cities share a metropolitan economy while maintaining distinct governments and tax structures. Washington has no income tax; O...

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Image: Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Vancouver: The Columbia Crossing

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit David Burn from Portland, OR, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. Two bridges cross the Columbia between Vancouver and Portland, and both carry more traffic than they were designed for. The Interstate Bridge, carrying I-5, dates from 1917 and 1958 in its two spans. The Glenn Jackson Bridge, carrying I-205, opened in 1982. Proposals to replace o...

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Image: David Burn from Portland, OR, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0

Vancouver: Beyond the Shadow

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit John Kloepper, aka Shelka04 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Vancouver has begun developing attractions that stand independent of Portland. The waterfront development has brought restaurants, hotels, and a convention center to the Columbia's edge. Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver provide higher education without cros...

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Image: John Kloepper, aka Shelka04 at en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0