PORT NEWS AND NOTES: Scappoose Airport is Columbia County’s Gateway to Growth
September 20, 2024
Sean Clark, Executive Director
Scappoose Airport has been a fixture in Columbia County since 1942, when the county and the U.S. government worked together to develop a national defense airport in Scappoose, Oregon. In 1972, ownership of the airport was transferred from Columbia County to the Port of St. Helens, now known as the Port of Columbia County.
The airport has grown a lot since its modest beginnings as a 4,000-foot runway and single taxiway. Today, it covers over 196 acres with a 5,100-foot runway and is the largest airport in Columbia County. Scappoose Airport is the second busiest non-towered general aviation airport in Oregon with 60,000 takeoffs and landings per year and offers “reliever” capabilities to larger surrounding airports.
In addition to over 100 private hangars, the airport is home to several aviation-related commercial and light industrial businesses that support more than 50 local jobs. These companies manufacture everything from advanced aviation seating systems and helmet pads to gyroplanes and composite aircraft parts.
Appreciating the potential for economic development, the port works in close partnership with the Columbia Economic Team and the owners of the Columbia Commerce Center to attract new and expanding businesses to the area. With over $50 million in private investment, Columbia Commerce Center has over 250 acres of fully serviced industrial land available for development and is a site for future job growth in Columbia County. Through a private-public partnership with the Columbia Commerce Center, property owners neighboring the airport can apply for a long-term use permit for “through-the-fence” access to airport facilities and infrastructure.
With the expansion of both the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) R&D and PCC OMIC Training Center, the area surrounding the Scappoose Airport is in a prime position to attract industry. OMIC R&D is a unique partnership that brings together three Oregon universities and over 40 manufacturers to research and develop new tools, techniques, and technologies to help industry find better ways to manufacture products and teach and train existing and future manufacturing employees.
The PCC OMIC Training Center is the only higher education campus in Columbia County and offers a variety of manufacturing-related training programs that combine on-the-job training with classroom and lab instruction. If your business needs workforce training, the PCC OMIC Training Center can help, even designing specialized training to fit your industry's needs.
The Port of Columbia County continues to invest in the airport and has budgeted $1.174 million in improvements and maintenance this fiscal year, over $905,000 of which is grant funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. Planned capital improvements include taxiway pavement maintenance on the westside, runway rehabilitation repaving, and the installation of an emergency generator.
As Columbia County continues to grow, the synergy between the Scappoose Airport, Columbia Commerce Center, Columbia Economic Team, OMIC R&D, and PCC OMIC Training Center promises exciting opportunities to come.
