Cape Disappointment is a headland of the Pacific Northwest, located at the extreme southwestern corner of Washington, United States, on the north side of the Columbia River bar (across from Oregon) and just west of Baker Bay.

[1] Cape Disappointment sees about 2,552 hours of fog a year, which is the equivalent of 106 days—making it one of the foggiest places in the U.S.[2][3] The cape was named on July 6, 1788, by British fur trader John Meares, who was sailing south from Nootka Island, Canada, in search of trade.

He mistook the mouth of the Columbia River for a bay, which the ship could not enter due to a shallow shoal.

Just missing the discovery of the river mentioned by Francisco Antonio Mourelle, he named them Cape Disappointment and Deception Bay.

[4] George Vancouver credits John Meares in his account when he saw Cape Disappointment on April 27, 1792.