Learn More about Columbia River: Name Origin, Length, Tributaries and More

Named the Columbia after one of the first non Native American ships to enter its waters in the 18th century this river is one of the largest rivers in the world. The river and its tributaries have been a life support for various regions and communities of the northwestern part of United States. The river is known for anadromous fishes, diverse freshwater life and especially tasty salmons.

The first people to make use of this natural resource were native Indians. However newer evidence suggests that historically humans have survived on its banks for over 12000 years. Columbia River supports a large number of ancient settlement areas as it descends from British Columbia in Canada. The river passes through Oregon meeting River Willamette and meets Pacific Ocean on its western end.

The river is over 1200 miles long and is a major natural resource for private and public enterprises for close to two hundred years now. The cities covered along the length of the river include places like Kennewick, The Dales and Vancouver before it arrives in Portland. In the Portland region, the river flows south to north, finally going through St. Helens Longview and Astoria. Snake River is its largest tributary and some of the others are Beaver River, John Day River, Willamette River, Kalama and Cowiltz River. In total Columbia has 22 different tributaries going in the left and right directions.

A number of dams harnessing the river form some of the long-distance tourist attractions in the city. A popular belief in the area of Columbia River goes that a certain amount of human interference and control has changed the age-old traits of the river. Some of the changes include the massive dams, navigation locks, canals and the heavy shipping that happens in its waters.