Overview
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, across the Cowlitz River from Longview.
6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Wettest: Dec and Nov. (climate data from nearby Portland)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PDX Portland International Airport, Portland — 41 mi away (major hub). Directions
- OLM Olympia Regional Airport, Olympia — 57 mi away. Directions
The Kelso Transit Center & Amtrak Station serves as a bus station for River Cities Transit, Greyhound and other regional bus companies serving adjacent Columbia County, Oregon and Wahkiakum County, Washington. It is located along 1st Ave S between Ash & Pine St, next to the Amtrak Station in downtown Kelso:
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
- Interstate 5 (I-5) goes through Kelso:
- Exit #39 (Allen St/Kelso) leads to most food, gasoline and lodging
- Exit #40 (N Kelso Ave) accesses a residential district north of town.
- Allen St: Goes through town from I-5 as Allen St to 5th Ave N (WB) & 4th Ave N (EB). It becomes the Ocean Beach Highway (SR-4) west of its intersection with Washington Way, west of town, connecting to the coast (Long Beach & Astoria) along the Washington side of the Columbia River.
- Washington Way Local boulevard that connects West Kelso to Longview.
By train
- Routes stopping in Kelso:
- Amtrak Cascades operates between Vancouver, BC and Eugene via Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Everett, Edmonds, Seattle, Tukwila, Tacoma, Lacey (Olympia), Centralia, Kelso (Longview), Vancouver, WA, Portland, Oregon City, Salem, and Albany. There are two round trips daily along the portion between Vancouver and Seattle, four round trips daily along the portion between Seattle and Portland, and two round trips daily along the portion between Portland and Eugene. No train departures travel the whole length of the route. Additional service between Vancouver and Seattle, and between Portland to Eugene are provided on the Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach.
- Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. Between Seattle and Eugene, it makes the same stops as the Amtrak Cascades, except it skips Tukwila and Oregon City.
By bus
The Kelso Transit Center & Amtrak Station serves as a bus station for River Cities Transit, Greyhound and other regional bus companies serving adjacent Columbia County, Oregon and Wahkiakum County, Washington. It is located along 1st Ave S between Ash & Pine St, next to the Amtrak Station in downtown Kelso:
Go Wahkiakum on the Move
Bus to Rockets Diner in Naselle, WA via Cathlamet, WA (major town and county seat) in neighboring Wahkiakum County, along Hwy 4. 'Wahkiakum on the Move' has additional local stops in the Kelso-Longview area for pick-up and drop off. Connections to Pacific Transit Rt #50 to Ilwaco, Astoria and South Bend at Rockets Diner in Naselle.
* 44 Three Rivers Mall, Kelso 'Amtrak/Greyhound' Transit Center, Triangle Center and Heron Point via Ocean Beaches Way (SR-4). Goes by the RA Long Square (Central Park) in Longview on the eastbound trip towards Three Rivers Mall. * 45 Three Rivers Mall, Kelso 'Amtrak/Greyhound' Transit Center, RA Long Square (Central Park), Mark Morris HS/Triangle Center, Longview Transit Center. Connections to Longview on the other side of the Cowlitz River. * 57 Local bus within Kelso proper on the east side of the Cowlitz River including stops to Three Rivers Mall and Kelso 'Amtrak/Greyhound' Transit Center.
Buy
Shop Three Rivers Mall
Three Rivers Mall hosts Regal Cinemas, JCPenney, Planet Fitness, Kelso Public Library, Sportsman Warehouse and numerous other shops & restaurants inside the mall and in several free standing establishments surrounding the mall (Target, Safeway, Pier 1 Imports, GuestHouse Kelso/Lonview (see 'sleep' in below), among others). An episode of the Food Network show Food Court Wars was filmed in the mall. The episode titled Gaufre Gourmet vs. Pressed originally aired on March 30, 2014.
Shop Strip Mall on 200-236 S Kelso Dr
This smaller mall hosts Wilco Farm Store, Dollar Tree, Subway, a beauty supply shop, etc. in the mall itself, fronting a large parking lot. There are other free standing establishments closer to S Kelso Dr such as McDonald's, Super 8 motel, etc. in front of or next to this mall.
Shop Triangle Center
Southwest of the intersection of Ocean Beach Hwy (SR-4) & Washington Way (in a large triangular shaped lot). Triangle Center hosts Bed Bath & Beyond; Michaels, Maurices, Petco, Ross Dress for Less, Ulta, WinCo Foods and numerous other shops, banks & restaurants in the mall and in the immediate surrounding areas not part of the mall (Taco Bell, Sizzlers, Stuffy's, among others) along Ocean Beach Hwy & Washington Way. Unlike a traditional mall where everything is under one big roof, in a single building, this mall consists of several smaller buildings spread further out from each other in a huge parking lot.
Sleep
The listed hotels are near Allen St & I-5 (Exit #39), either surrounding the Three Rivers Mall or on the east side of the freeway:
There is also a hotel in West Kelso, across the river:
Go next
Nearby
Longview
City / town · 15 listings · 2 mi away
Rainier
City / town · 6 listings · 4 mi away
Toutle
City / town · 2 listings · 17 mi away
Woodland
City / town · 11 listings · 18 mi away
St. Helens
City / town · 8 listings · 20 mi away
Ridgefield
City / town · 10 listings · 24 mi away
Sauvie Island
Rural area · 12 listings · 30 mi away
Mossyrock
City / town · 3 listings · 34 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.