Washington County, OR Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

Washington County, Oregon is an inland county in the Portland metropolitan area, entirely within the Willamette Valley and Tualatin Valley. It has no ocean frontage. Oregon's Coastal Zone Management program, administered by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) under Statewide Planning Goal 17 (Coastal Shorelands), Goal 18 (Beaches and Dunes), and Goal 19 (Ocean Resources), applies only to the 17 coastal management zones along Oregon's 363-mile Pacific shoreline in Tillamook, Lincoln, Lane, Douglas, Coos, and Curry counties. The nearest coast is approximately 60-75 miles west through the Coast Range via US-26 to Cannon Beach or OR-6 to Tillamook. Washington County development is subject instead to DLCD's inland planning goals including Goal 7 (Areas Subject to Natural Hazards) and Goal 15 (Willamette Greenway — which does apply along a small stretch where Washington County touches the Willamette near the Tualatin River confluence in Wilsonville/Clackamas County boundary, though the Tualatin River itself is not a Greenway waterway). Any residents interested in coastal construction must consult the relevant coastal county's code plus Oregon Parks & Recreation Dept (OPRD) beach rules and DLCD coastal staff.