Yes, the name St. Helens is referring to that St. Helens, as in Mt. St. Helens. The volcano is about a two-hour drive from the center of town, meaning this bedroom community is within striking distance of almost any outdoor pursuit one can imagine. If you like the idea of small-town life (and lower rents!) in the wild and wonderful Pacific Northwest but still want to be close to all the advantages of living in the big city, St. Helens may be the place for you.
To call it a sleepy town is no stretch -- the City of St. Helens, Oregon, has a page on its website dedicated to providing advice to residents who may encounter one of the coyotes that wander into town from time to time. Located on the banks of the Columbia River, St. Helens has a population of about 13,000 and is the largest town in Columbia County. It's within a two-hour drive of recreational opportunities on the Oregon Coast, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia River Gorge. It's also just 30-or-so miles from the urban centers of Longview and Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, meaning St. Helens residents are afforded all the benefits of living in a small town without feeling isolated from the rest of the world.
Moving to St. Helens
Finding apartments for rent or rental homes in St. Helens can be somewhat of a difficult proposition -- because of the town's size, there just are not that many choices. New subdivisions, historic homes, and modern dwellings in historic buildings make up the housing inventory in St. Helens. Part of the town's charm is you won't find large-scale city apartment communities, but you can find 1- bedroom apartments and duplexes to rent.
Many apartments for rent, rental condos, and rental homes conduct background and credit checks on potential renters, so you are going to need to have all of your proper documentation in order before you begin filling out applications. This includes your driver's license or state-issued ID, a passport or a military-issued ID, social security card, an unopened piece of mail from a utility company, and your prior rental history, as well as references going back as many years as possible. And remember, many applications require a $50, non-refundable fee, so make sure before you apply that you are dead set on moving into the apartment or home for which you are applying.
St. Helens Neighborhoods
St. Helens has a few distinct neighborhoods in town, but they are more-so given names by locals, hankering back to the time in the 1800s when the town originally was called Plymouth -- a mini shipping port along the Columbia River on the way to Portland.
Olde Towne: Olde Towne St. Helens, found about a mile east on Columbia Blvd., is kind of a tourist trap, meant to honor the town's history and cash in on its ties to Hollywood (more on that below). It's really just a couple of blocks wide, jam-packed with antique shops, restaurants and historic buildings right across the street from the Columbia River.
Midtown: It's located just off Highway 30 on Columbia Blvd. west of Olde Towne. It too is filled with antique stores, restaurants, nice homes to rent and apartments to rent. City apartments just don't exist here, but then again that's the whole reason you chose life in St. Helens over Portland, right?
Houlton: An area of town found on Columbia Blvd. on just off Highway 30. One of the true gems of Houlton is the Houlton Bakery, owned by married couple Gaynor and Joe. Heading to St. Helens just to eat at Houlton Bakery is well worth the trip.
Columbia City: This is another area considered part of St. Helens by locals though technically it's not. North on Highway 30 about five minutes, Columbia City's population is about 2,000. It's a little bit away from St. Helens proper, but renting a home in Columbia City, with its location right along the Columbia River, is well worth checking into.
Life in St. Helens
Every Thursday during the summer, St. Helens hosts 13 Nights on the River at Columbia View Park. It's a small, evening-only music festival, complete with food, adult beverages, and arts and crafts vendors.
St. Helens' aesthetic charm managed to catch the scouting eyes of Hollywood. Olde Towne provided the perfect backdrop for Disney's first "Halloweentown" movie. Various locations throughout St. Helens were also used as settings for the first movie in the Twilight series, and a small, cottage tourism industry sprang up around it.
