It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County.

Long planned and built a complete city in 1921 that could support a population of up to 50,000 and provide labor for the mills as well as attracting other industries.

[6] Longview was the location of Mount Coffin, an ancestral burial ground for the local indigenous people.

In 1865 Nathaniel Stone founded the town of Freeport (a mile upriver from Monticello) which became the seat of Cowlitz County until 1872.

Long (1850–1934) decided to move his operation out to the west coast, owing to the Long-Bell Lumber Company's dwindling supplies in the south.

It was apparent that Kelso, with a population of barely 2,000, would not be able to support the approximately 14,000 men that would be required to run the mill.

Kessler designed the town based on the nation's capital, with elements of Roman City planning.

Its theme is rooted in the City Beautiful movement, which influenced urban design in the early 20th century.

At the time of its conception, Longview was the only planned city of its magnitude to have ever been conceived of and built entirely with private funds.

Long High School, the Longview Public Library, the YMCA building and the Monticello Hotel.

However, the effects of the Great Depression hampered further development of the planned city until the booming World War II economy, when the Port of Longview became a strategic location for loading cargo going into the Pacific Theater.

The Allen Street Bridge disaster, which involved a wooden drawbridge connecting Longview and Kelso, occurred on January 3, 1923.

The span collapsed under a combination of high, rushing waters of the Cowlitz River, a log jam, and the poor condition of the overpass.

The disaster happened during the end of work day, and 17 people were formally listed as having died due to the event.

The local economy has been in decline since lumber companies mechanized production in the 1970s and 1980s, reducing the availability of jobs.

Recently, an initiative from local activists has pushed to implement a new strategic plan to increase development in the city, in an effort to expand affordable housing.

The mayor runs the council meetings, and serves as the ceremonial figure head of the city.

[10] The Lewis and Clark Bridge spans the Columbia River, linking Longview to Rainier, Oregon.

Longview is located in a small gorge, so its climate varies from that of its close neighbor, Portland.

Located about 80 miles (130 km) inland across a stretch of relatively flat ground, the Longview skies can be overcast due to moisture from the Pacific Coast marine layer.

The direction and speed of air movement through the gorge is determined primarily by the pressure gradient between the eastern and western slopes of the mountains.

This is due to extremely warm air coming from the Pineapple Express which can drop 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) of rain in a matter of days.

Easy access to the Columbia River, Interstate 5, and the west coast railways has attracted a rapidly diversifying manufacturing base.

[15] Smaller operations include Epson Toyocom, Northwest Hardwoods, Interfor (originally Caffall Brothers, then Stimpson lumber, now Interfor US Inc), Peterson Manufacturing, JM Huber, Specialty Minerals, HASA and the Simpson Timber Company.

The team plays at David Story Field on the Lower Columbia College campus in Longview.

Longview has many historic buildings, many of which were built in the initial growth period from 1923 to 1934, prior to the worst effects of the Great Depression.

The city is also served by RiverCities Transit, a local bus system that travels between Kelso and Longview.

[22] The Port of Longview, established in 1921, has eight marine terminals handling a wide range of cargo from windmills, pencil pitch, calcined coke, pulp bales, lumber, grain, logs and steel.