Astoria is gritty, and likes it that way. But that rustic exterior is just a cover for the many enchanting dichotomies you’ll find waiting around the next corner. Here, fisherman are poets, loggers drink espresso, and Main Street welcomes both nouveau gallery and five n’ dime.
For Astoria, it’s about character, and it’s also about characters: the people who call this place home with a passion that borders on evangelical. The skipper who challenges the same mighty river his great grandfather once fished. The artist who migrated here in search of a new palette. The hotelier who resurrected a once-bustling pier.
Astoria is that little town that could, a city of 10,000 people on the Columbia River, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Founded 200 years ago at the beginning of Oregon’s North Coast, Astoria has been through boom and bust times more than once, weathering the collapse of both the Columbia River fishery and Oregon timber industry. It has risen once again as a cultural haven, often referred to as “little San Francisco.” Astoria is an old place that is newly hip. Here, Victorian mansions and maritime relics live in harmony with chef-driven restaurants and tattoo parlors.
Once you come here and learn these stories, you’ll want to share them with others, and hope they’ll tell others, too. And, it’s a place to which you’ll want to return, to see what other stories you might have missed.
Featured Spots
North Coast
First Pass Outfitters
Enjoy fishing at World Famous Buoy 10 and surrounding areas. First Pass Outfitters offers fully guided Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead, and Crabbing trips. Their specialty is catering to large groups, and they have a very comfortable large boat with state of...
801 Commercial StreetAstoria, OR
503-541-0075
Email us (curtis[at]firstpassoutfitters[dot]com)
North Coast
Kris Svensen Fishing
Astoria, OR
(503) 791-2134
Email us (oregongunners[at]hotmail[dot]com)
North Coast
Astoria Column
The Astoria Column was erected in 1926 at an elevation of 600 feet atop Coxcomb Hill, the location of the first permanent American Settlement west of the Rockies. It is a monument to the natural riches of the Pacific Northwest...
1500-2199 Coxcomb DriveAstoria, OR
503-325-2963
North Coast
Oregon Film Museum
The Oregon Film Museum celebrates the art and legacy of films and film-making in the State of Oregon. Housed in the old Clatsop County Jail, the museum invites visitors to explore these and other films and the production behind making...
732 Duane StreetAstoria, OR
503-325-2203
North Coast
Field Guide Service
Astoria, OR
(503) 539-0587
Email us (petercfield[at]gmail[dot]com)
North Coast
Pilot House Distilling
Pilot House Distilling, Oregon’s North Coast destination distillery. Located in Astoria, Oregon where everything is handcrafted on-site. Take in the views of the beautiful equipment that helps create Pilot House Distilling’s award-winning products while you sip on your favorite spirit....
1270 Duane StreetAstoria, OR
503-741-3101
Email us (christina[at]pilothousedistilling[dot]com)
North Coast
R & T Guide Service
Captains Tom and Rocio Wick are a husband and wife guide team that specialize in Salmon, Sturgeon, Bottom Fishing and crabbing in the Astoria area as well as the Columbia River tributaries. They also provide Salmon and Steelhead fishing trips...
Astoria, OR
(503) 930-8344
Email us (rtguideservice[at]gmail[dot]com)
North Coast
Lance Fisher Fishing
The great thing for fishermen here in the Pacific Northwest is that you have year around runs of Salmon, Steelhead, and Sturgeon. Some months are certainly better than others, but to enjoy such an abundance of different types of fishing...
422 Gateway Ave.Astoria, OR
503-822-6188
Email us (info[at]lancefisherfishing[dot]com)
North Coast
Heritage Museum
Built in 1904 as Astoria’s City Hall, this building is now home to the Clatsop County Historical Society’s Heritage Museum, Research Center & Archives. Explore the history of Clatsop County through temporary and permanent exhibits featuring Native Americans, early pioneers,...
1618 Exchange StreetAstoria, OR
503-338-4849
Email us (cchs[at]cumtux[dot]org)
North Coast
East Mooring Basin Boat Ramp
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River, the East Mooring Basin Boat Ramp is popular and convenient launching point for anglers.
Astoria RiverwalkAstoria, OR
North Coast
Onward Adventures
Onward Adventures delivers unforgettable bus parties complete with karaoke, exciting themes, and vibrant lights. They also offer dynamic guided tours of Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart, Seaside, and Cannon Beach, Oregon, featuring local history and legends at every landmark. Book your adventure...
Astoria, OR
503-741-9790
Email us (tour[at]onward-adventures[dot]com)
North Coast
Astoria–Megler Bridge
Connecting Oregon to Washington across the mouth of the Columbia River, the Astoria–Megler Bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. Pedestrians are allowed on the bridge just one day per year, during the Great Columbia Crossing. The 4.1-mile-long Astoria...
Astoria–Megler BridgeAstoria, OR
More Info
Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce
Astoria, OR Mail: PO Box 176
Astoria, OR
503-325-6311
Email us (visitors[at]oldoregon[dot]com)