Camas Movers

Camas, More Than an Address

Camas by the Numbers

Camas is a city of approximately 25,000 residents in Clark County, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River about 20 miles east of Portland and 13 miles east of Vancouver. SR-14 runs through the city east-west along the riverbank, and SR-500 connects it north to Washougal and east to Battle Ground. The city covers approximately 8.5 square miles across terrain that rises sharply from the river through several plateaus to the northern edge of the city.

Lacamas Lake, formed by a dam on Lacamas Creek near the city center, is the geographic heart of the community and the focus of its trail network and recreational programming. The lake is surrounded by the Lacamas Creek Regional Park, which protects a corridor of wetlands, forest, and meadow.

The History of the City

The camas bulb, a starchy root that was a dietary staple for the Chinookan and other Indigenous peoples of the Columbia region, covered the meadows of this area so abundantly that it gave the city its name. The Chinookan people harvested camas in large quantities and traded it extensively. The Columbia River here was one of the most productive salmon fisheries in the Pacific Northwest, and the confluence of ecological resources made the area a significant gathering site.

The Columbia Paper Company established a paper mill on the banks of Lacamas Creek in 1883, using the water power of the creek to drive its operations. The mill went through several owners over the following century, eventually becoming a Georgia-Pacific facility and operating as one of the largest paper mills in the Pacific Northwest. The mill’s closure and the remediation of the industrial site along the river defined much of Camas’s civic story in the early 21st century.

The historic downtown, developed primarily in the early 20th century in the shadow of the mill, has been preserved and revitalized as a walkable commercial district. The Lacamas Heritage Trail connects the downtown to the lake and the regional park system, making the natural landscape accessible on foot from the historic core.

What a Camas Move Actually Involves

Camas terrain is the most distinctive logistical feature of moving here. The city climbs from the Columbia Riverbank through several elevation changes, and the streets in the older neighborhoods near downtown and near Lacamas Lake reflect that topography: grades, curves, and residential blocks where parking and truck positioning require planning.

The newer subdivisions on the eastern and northern edges of the city are built on more accessible terrain with wide streets, large lots, and standard access for moving trucks. These areas have grown rapidly, and the homes tend to be newer, larger, and more straightforward to access.

Moves near the downtown historic core require the most planning. The streets nearest the old mill site and the historic commercial blocks are narrow in places, and some residential streets above the downtown have steep grades that need to be confirmed for truck access before moving day.

SR-14 through the city is a scenic route but carries commute traffic and can slow during peak windows. For moves between Camas and Vancouver or Portland, we plan transit windows around the commute patterns on SR-14 and the Glenn Jackson Bridge (I-205).