Tillamook County stretches along Oregon’s northern coast, where a long Pacific shoreline, several bays, and the steep western side of the Coast Range fit into one narrow north-south county. U.S. 101 links Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, Garibaldi, Bay City, Tillamook, Pacific City, and Neskowin, while OR 6 turns inland from Tillamook and crosses the mountains. The maps on this page also show the Nehalem, Tillamook, and Nestucca river systems, making it possible to compare the coastal lowlands with the much higher terrain only a short distance to the east.
The WebP images are sized for convenient viewing on the page, and the same four maps are available as high-resolution JPG files in the ZIP download below. Because the county is long and narrow, the distance between its northern and southern communities can be easy to underestimate on a single outline. Comparing the road, city, water, and elevation views helps show how the coastal settlements, estuaries, river valleys, and Coast Range fit together.
Table of Contents
U.S. 101 links a chain of communities along the Pacific side
The general county map is dominated by U.S. 101, which follows the coastal side of Tillamook County from north to south. Manzanita and Wheeler sit near the northern end, with Rockaway Beach and Garibaldi farther south. Bay City lies on the edge of Tillamook Bay, and Tillamook, the county seat, occupies a broader lowland southeast of the bay. Continuing south, the highway passes the Pleasant Valley and Hebo area before reaching the Pacific City and Neskowin part of the coast.
Tillamook is also the clearest road junction in the central county. U.S. 101 continues along the coast, while OR 6 heads east through the Coast Range toward the interior. OR 131 provides access toward Netarts, Oceanside, and the Cape Meares side of the coast. In the north, OR 53 branches inland near Wheeler, and farther south the map shows connections toward OR 22 and OR 18 outside the main coastal corridor. These roads reflect the terrain: there are relatively few direct east-west crossings through the mountains.
The county outline reinforces that point. Flat coastal land is narrow in many places, and the interior is cut by river valleys and ridges. A location that looks close in a straight line can require a much longer drive if a mountain ridge, estuary, or river valley interrupts the route. The map is useful for understanding those relationships, but current closures, construction, and weather-related road conditions should always be checked separately before travel.
Tillamook Bay and the northern coast hold most of the incorporated cities
The city map highlights Tillamook, Bay City, Rockaway Beach, Garibaldi, Manzanita, and Wheeler. Tillamook is the largest city shown and sits in the central part of the county. Bay City and Garibaldi are clustered around Tillamook Bay, while Rockaway Beach lies farther north on the open coast. Manzanita and Wheeler occupy the Nehalem Bay area near the county’s northern end, giving the northern half a relatively dense chain of small coastal cities.
The Oregon Blue Book lists seven incorporated cities in Tillamook County: Bay City, Garibaldi, Manzanita, Nehalem, Rockaway Beach, Tillamook, and Wheeler. The supplied city map emphasizes six ranked places, so the absence of Nehalem from that ranking should not be interpreted as meaning that it is outside the county. The map is best used for the relative positions of the highlighted cities, while the official list provides the complete incorporated-city context.
These settlements also occupy different kinds of coastal terrain. Tillamook and Bay City are associated with the broad lowlands around Tillamook Bay. Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach, and Manzanita are much closer to the outer coast, while Wheeler is positioned on the sheltered Nehalem River and bay side. That contrast helps explain why the city pattern follows bays, estuaries, and narrow coastal plains rather than spreading evenly into the mountainous eastern interior.
Nehalem, Tillamook, and Nestucca form three distinct coastal water regions
The terrain and water map shows why bays and rivers are such important geographic markers in Tillamook County. In the north, the Nehalem River winds west through the mountains and toward Nehalem Bay, while the Salmonberry River appears as a major tributary in the northeastern interior. Farther south, Tillamook Bay forms the county’s largest central estuary, receiving water from several river systems that descend from the Coast Range.
Around Tillamook Bay, the map labels the Wilson River, Trask River, Tillamook River, and the Miami area, along with smaller sloughs and channels. Netarts Bay forms a separate estuary just to the southwest. In the southern half, the Nestucca River follows a long mountain valley before reaching Nestucca Bay, and the Little Nestucca River drains the far southern part of the county. These repeated river-to-bay systems divide the coastline into several natural subregions.
The Oregon Blue Book also identifies Tillamook, Nehalem, Netarts, and Nestucca bays as major county features. On the supplied map, the rivers are especially useful because they connect the high interior to the low coast. The Wilson and Trask rivers, for example, run west out of rugged terrain toward Tillamook Bay, while the Nestucca system drains a large southern mountain area. Skookum Lake appears as a small inland reservoir, providing a very different kind of waterbody from the broad coastal estuaries.
Elevation rises quickly from the bays and beaches into the Coast Range
The elevation map makes the coast-to-mountain contrast especially clear. The Pacific shoreline, Tillamook Bay lowlands, and Nestucca Bay area appear in the lowest green classes. Moving east, the terrain becomes increasingly broken by ridges and valleys, and the colors shift through lighter greens and yellows into brown highlands near the eastern side of the county. In many places there is only a short horizontal distance between near-sea-level ground and steep mountain slopes.
The legend on the supplied map reports an actual surface range of roughly -3 to 1,118 meters, with a mean elevation near 331 meters. That countywide span captures the unusual combination of tidal lowlands and high Coast Range terrain. These values summarize the digital elevation model used to create the map; they are not survey measurements for individual roads, buildings, or parcels. For a precise elevation at a specific location, a more detailed official dataset should be used.
The Oregon Blue Book gives the city of Tillamook an elevation of about 22 feet, consistent with its position on the low plain near the bay. From that central lowland, the Wilson and Trask river valleys lead east into much higher ground. The same pattern repeats in the Nehalem and Nestucca basins: rivers descend through mountain valleys toward estuaries and the Pacific. Comparing the elevation and water maps helps explain why highways often follow river corridors where the terrain offers a lower route through the mountains.
A north, central, and south view makes the long county easier to understand
Because Tillamook County is elongated, it is helpful to think of it as three broad coastal sections. The northern section is centered on Manzanita, Wheeler, and the Nehalem River and bay. Continuing south through Rockaway Beach and Garibaldi leads into the Tillamook Bay region. The central section contains Bay City and Tillamook and has the county’s most obvious east-west highway connection because OR 6 leaves the coast here and crosses the mountains.
South of Tillamook, U.S. 101 continues toward Hebo, Pacific City, and Neskowin. The Netarts and Oceanside area branches toward the outer coast, while the Nestucca and Little Nestucca rivers become more useful landmarks farther south. There are fewer incorporated cities in this portion of the county, but the coast is still punctuated by communities, river mouths, and bays. The map therefore should not be read as though the southern half were an empty area simply because it has fewer city labels.
All three sections share the same basic coastal setting, but their local forms differ. The north is shaped by the Nehalem system and a narrow coastal strip. The central county has the broader Tillamook Bay lowland and several rivers converging on one estuary. The south is organized around the Nestucca valley and smaller coastal communities. Those differences in valley width and drainage help explain why the road and settlement patterns change as U.S. 101 moves down the county.
Which Tillamook County map is most useful for your purpose?
For towns, highways, and the county outline in one view, the general map is the best starting point. It works well for comparing Manzanita and Neskowin at opposite ends of the county, following U.S. 101, or seeing where OR 6 and OR 131 branch away from the main coastal route. The city map removes much of that detail and is better when the goal is simply to compare Tillamook, Bay City, Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, and Wheeler.
The terrain and water map is more useful for understanding river valleys, estuaries, and the relationship between the Coast Range and the ocean. It shows the Nehalem, Tillamook, and Nestucca systems together, as well as smaller features such as Netarts Bay and Skookum Lake. The elevation map simplifies the same landscape into height bands, making the steep rise from the coast to the interior mountains immediately visible.
These maps can support general geographic reference, printing, classroom work, presentations, and trip planning before departure. They are not substitutes for legal boundary surveys, parcel records, flood-zone determinations, engineering-grade elevation measurements, real-time road information, or safety-critical navigation. For those uses, consult the latest records and data from Tillamook County, the State of Oregon, the U.S. Census Bureau, USGS, or the responsible agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are most Tillamook County cities close to the coast?
Much of the eastern county is mountainous Coast Range terrain, while the broader lowlands occur near bays, estuaries, and river mouths on the west side. Tillamook and Bay City sit near the Tillamook Bay lowland, and Garibaldi, Rockaway Beach, and Manzanita are close to U.S. 101 and the outer coast. The map shows how settlements favor the limited flatter ground and transportation corridors rather than the rugged interior.
Which rivers flow into or toward Tillamook Bay?
The supplied water map shows the Wilson, Trask, and Tillamook rivers, along with the Miami area and smaller channels, converging on the Tillamook Bay region. Official Oregon information also describes the bay as a major estuary receiving several Coast Range rivers. For live streamflow, flood conditions, or water-quality information, use current monitoring data rather than this static reference map.
How large is the elevation difference between the coast and the eastern mountains?
The provided elevation map reports an overall surface range of about -3 to 1,118 meters. The Pacific shoreline and bay lowlands are near sea level, while high Coast Range terrain in the eastern county rises above 1,000 meters. The range is useful for regional comparison, but a precise elevation for a property, road, or structure should come from detailed official elevation data.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG originals used on this page: the general county map, city map, terrain and water map, and elevation map.
- Included Files: Use only the versions confirmed in the article and supplied images
- File Type: Use the confirmed download contents
- Intended Use: Printing, education, presentations, and map-based projects
Related Maps
Sources and references
- Tillamook County, Oregon official website
- Oregon Blue Book – Tillamook County
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- USGS National Hydrography
- USGS 3D Elevation Program
These sources were used to check official county and city context, road and boundary geography, hydrography, and elevation background. Conditions that can change quickly—such as road closures, beach access, fire restrictions, and river conditions—should be verified with the responsible agency before travel or field use.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
