[1] The cemetery is built on top of a wide Boring Lava Field cone.

Plans to create a military cemetery in the Portland area started as early as 1941, and Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill to establish a national cemetery, but the necessary money to acquire the land was never allocated.

Finally, in 1949 the state of Oregon donated 102 acres (41 ha) of land for the establishment of a National Cemetery.

Construction was completed in 1950, and Willamette National Cemetery was officially opened on December 14 that year.

Willamette National Cemetery is a Blue Star Memorial Highway site.