Washington County Courthouses

The state of Washington has 39 counties. The Provisional Government of Oregon established Vancouver and Lewis Counties in 1845 in unorganized Oregon Country, extending from the Columbia River north to 54°40′ north latitude. After the region was organized within the Oregon Territory with the current northern border of 49° north, Vancouver County was renamed Clarke, and 6 more counties were created out of Lewis County before the organization of Washington Territory in 1853; 28 were formed during Washington's territorial period, 2 of which only existed briefly. The final 5 were established in the 22 years after Washington was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889.