Clackamas

Clackamas is a name associated with several geographic and cultural features in northwestern Oregon, United States. It originates from the Clackamas people, a group of Chinookan-speaking Indigenous peoples who lived along the lower Clackamas River in the Willamette Valley, and who were historically part of the broader Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures.

The Clackamas River is a tributary of the Willamette River, rising in the Cascade foothills and flowing through the Portland metropolitan area before joining the Willamette at Oregon City. The river watershed supports fisheries and outdoor recreation.

Clackamas County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the city of Portland. It is named for the Clackamas people, with Oregon City as its county seat. The county is part of the Portland metropolitan area and includes communities such as Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, and Happy Valley, and features suburban development, farms, and national forest lands.

In the region, Clackamas Town Center is a major shopping mall in the Clackamas area near I-205. Clackamas Community College is a public two-year institution serving residents of the county through its main campus in Oregon City.

The name Clackamas continues to appear in place names and institutions in the Willamette Valley, reflecting the historical presence of the Indigenous Clackamas people in the region.