Ilwaco: US 101 at MP 0.5: Astoria-Megler Bridge
Megler is best known within Washington for the Astoria–Megler Bridge, the 4.1-mile steel truss crossing linking the state with Astoria, Oregon, across the Columbia River. Opened in 1966, it replaced the ferry link at the river’s Pacific approach and carries U.S. Route 101, a major north–south corridor on the West Coast. The Oregon end reaches Astoria, a historic Columbia River port, while the Washington side belongs to the Long Beach Peninsula area. Its long elevated alignment reflects the scale of the lower Columbia estuary, where river traffic, highways and coastal communities meet.
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The Columbia River and sheltered Baker Bay define the setting of Ilwaco — they place this small port on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, where commercial fishing and boating remain part of the working waterfront. Just west, Cape Disappointment meets the Pacific Ocean at the river’s hazardous entrance, long known to mariners as the Columbia River Bar. Cape Disappointment State Park preserves Fort Canby, a coastal-defense post established in 1863, while North Head Lighthouse has marked the nearby headland since 1898. Ilwaco’s port is also a practical base for exploring the peninsula’s beaches and the lower Columbia. Trace Ilwaco’s place on Washington’s southwest coast by browsing webcams nearby.
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Washington’s terrain runs from Pacific coastal lowlands in the west to the dry Columbia Plateau in the east, with the Cascade Range creating a marked climatic divide. Central Washington lies on the plateau side of the Cascades, where the Columbia River has cut broad valleys and irrigation supports orchards and vineyards. The state also includes Puget Sound, the intricate marine inlet around Seattle, and the volcanic cone of Mount Rainier. Seattle’s Space Needle, built for the 1962 World’s Fair, remains one of its most recognisable landmarks. Move on to other webcams in the region to compare landscapes and settings around Washington.
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The Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts define much of the United States — their ports, fisheries and trade routes have long tied the country’s economy to the wider world. Between them, the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Mississippi River basin form sharply different regions, from high western ranges to broad agricultural heartlands. Cities carry much of the national story: New York’s Statue of Liberty, a gift from France dedicated in 1886, remains an enduring symbol, while Washington, DC concentrates major federal institutions. Indigenous nations have shaped these lands for millennia, and their living cultures remain essential to the country’s identity. Find related webcams in the surrounding areas to build a fuller picture of the United States.
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