Dallesport, Washington — Airport for a City in Another State

Dallesport sits on the Washington side of the Columbia opposite The Dalles, Oregon.

Its name makes the relationship obvious.

The community's most important modern infrastructure is Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, whose airfield began with military use during World War II.

A long runway occupies valuable flat ground in a gorge where steep terrain limits easy development.

Bridge access, aviation and industrial land tie Dallesport closely to The Dalles despite the state line and river between them.

The Dalles Dam also transformed the Columbia nearby, replacing historic rapids and inundating Celilo Falls upstream.

Dallesport is therefore a small Washington community serving a regional economy that pays little attention to state boundaries.

Even the name looks across the river.