The Clatskanie River is a tributary of the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

, approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) long, in northwestern Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It drains a timber-producing area in the foothills of the Northern Oregon Coast Range

Northern Oregon Coast Range

The Northern Oregon Coast Range is the northern section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, located in the northwest portion of the state of Oregon, United States. This section of the mountain range, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, contains peaks as high...

 north-northwest of Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

.

It rises in eastern Columbia County

Columbia County, Oregon

Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for the Columbia River, which forms its eastern and northern borders. As of 2010, its population was 49,351. The county seat is St. Helens.-Economy:...

, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) west of St. Helens

St. Helens, Oregon

St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845 as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens some away in Washington. The population was 10,019 at...

 on the northern slopes of Bunker Hill. Major tributaries include Carcus Creek and the North Fork of the Clatskanie, which converge at Swedetown. The North Fork rises at Apiary

Apiary, Oregon

Apiary is an unincorporated community in Columbia County, Oregon, United States that takes its name from a post office established by David M. Dorsey. The post office operated from August 28, 1889 until March 24, 1924...

. It flows generally north-northwest through the Clatsop State Forest

Clatsop State Forest

Clatsop State Forest is a state forest in Clatsop and Columbia counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is managed by the Astoria District of the Oregon Department of Forestry.- External links :*...

, past Clatskanie

Clatskanie, Oregon

Clatskanie is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the Clatskanie River, which empties into the Columbia River within the city limits. The population was 1,528 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 1,710 residents.-History:...

. The Clatskanie River converges with Conyers Creek and Beaver Creek near Clatskanie and then it enters a slough on the Columbia from the south approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Westport

Westport, Oregon

Westport is an unincorporated community on the Columbia River in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Westport is connected to Cathlamet, Washington across the river via the Wahkiakum County Ferry to Puget Island. U.S...

.

The river is named for the Tlatskanai, an Athabascan tribe of Native Americans

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 who lived in the valley of the nearby Nehalem River

Nehalem River

The Nehalem River is a river on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range northwest of Portland, originating on the east side of the mountains and flowing in a loop around the north end of the range near the...

 at the time of the arrival of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

ans in the early 19th century. There is also a Klaskanine River

Klaskanine River

The Klaskanine River is a tributary of the Youngs River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains a small section of the Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state in the watershed of the nearby Columbia River....

 in Clatsop County

Clatsop County, Oregon

Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...

which was really named for the same reason. The names as used by the natives did not apply to the respective rivers, but applied to the path, route or trail by which one could get to the customary tribal area of the Tlatskanai.