Washington County sits immediately west of Portland in northwestern Oregon, but the county is much more varied than a single suburban landscape. Hillsboro and Beaverton anchor the large urban area in the east, while Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, and King City continue that concentration toward the southeast. Farther west, Forest Grove and Gaston stand near the transition from the broad Tualatin Valley to the wooded foothills and higher Coast Range. The maps on this page show those cities, major highways, rivers, reservoirs, terrain, and elevation, and the original high-resolution JPG map files are available to download for printing or personal projects.
The county’s east-to-west contrast is the key to reading all four maps. U.S. 26 runs across the northern urban corridor toward Portland, while Oregon Route 8 links Beaverton, Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Forest Grove through the middle of the valley. Oregon Route 47 and Route 6 become more important near the western foothills, and routes 210 and 219 serve the southern side near Tigard and Sherwood. The same county boundary therefore contains a dense metropolitan road network, productive valley land, reservoirs and river corridors, and rugged western highlands.
Table of Contents
From the Hillsboro–Beaverton urban area to the western foothills
The general county map makes the eastern concentration of roads and developed land immediately visible. Hillsboro lies near the center-east of the county, with Beaverton closer to Portland. U.S. 26 passes north of both cities and continues past North Plains, while Oregon Route 8 runs through the valley from Beaverton toward Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Forest Grove. This creates two strong east-west travel corridors through the most populated part of Washington County.
South of Beaverton, the map shows another close group of communities: Tigard, King City, Tualatin, and Sherwood. Their road network is much tighter than the network in the far west. Oregon Route 210 and Route 219 are useful reference lines in this part of the county, while local roads connect the suburban areas to the Portland region. Sherwood sits farther west than Tigard and Tualatin, marking the transition toward more open land near the Yamhill County side.
West of Forest Grove and Gaston, settlement becomes much thinner. Oregon Route 6 heads into the Coast Range, and Route 47 provides a north-south connection through the western side of the valley. The county boundary becomes irregular in the forested west, where streams and steep terrain are much more prominent than cities. Comparing this area with the eastern edge near Portland shows why Washington County cannot be understood simply as a suburban county; its western half includes extensive rural and mountainous country.
A city pattern concentrated in the Tualatin Valley
The city map highlights six major places: Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Forest Grove, and Sherwood. They are not evenly spaced across the county. Hillsboro and Beaverton are the two largest centers shown, and both sit in the eastern half. Tigard and Tualatin form another cluster in the southeast, while Sherwood is slightly farther west. Forest Grove is the westernmost of the six and provides a useful reference point for the edge of the heavily settled valley.
This simplified map is useful because it removes much of the road detail and makes the relative position of the cities easier to compare. A reader can quickly see that the urban pattern forms a broad arc from Forest Grove through Hillsboro and Beaverton to Tigard and Tualatin. The map does not attempt to show exact municipal boundaries or every smaller community, so it is best used as a location guide rather than a legal city-boundary map.
The concentration of cities also matches the terrain visible on the elevation map. The Tualatin Valley is lower and gentler than the Coast Range to the west. Large settlements, major roads, and the most continuous developed areas occupy this lower ground. The higher western terrain has fewer major towns and far fewer roads, making the city map and elevation map especially useful when viewed together.
Tualatin River, Henry Hagg Lake, and streams descending from the Coast Range
The terrain and water map reveals a second structure beneath the road network. The Tualatin River crosses the southern and central lowlands and receives water from many tributaries. Gales Creek descends from the west and reaches the valley near Forest Grove and Gaston, while Rock Creek drains the more urbanized eastern side. Numerous smaller streams spread across the northern half of the county, showing that even the developed portions of Washington County sit within a dense network of creeks.
Henry Hagg Lake is the most prominent reservoir on the map. It lies southwest of Forest Grove in the foothills, where Scoggins Creek emerges from higher terrain. The U.S. Geological Survey describes Henry Hagg Lake as a reservoir on Scoggins Creek on the eastern slope of the Coast Range. Downstream releases follow Scoggins Creek toward the Tualatin River, so the lake provides a clear example of how the western uplands and the central valley are connected by water.
Washington County sources also identify Henry Hagg Lake as part of Scoggins Valley Park, which is operated for public recreation by the county in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. On the map, the lake sits among noticeably rougher terrain than Hillsboro or Beaverton. Barney Reservoir appears farther west, while the upper Nehalem River reaches the northwestern part of the county. These western waters do not all follow the same route as the Tualatin system, reflecting the drainage divide created by the Coast Range.
Relief shading makes the relationship between water and terrain easier to see. Streams in the west occupy narrow valleys between ridges, whereas waterways in the central and eastern lowlands follow gentler courses. This map is intended as a regional reference for rivers, reservoirs, and terrain. It should not be treated as a flood-zone map, a navigation chart, or a parcel-boundary product.
Low valley floor and a steep rise into the Coast Range
The elevation map gives Washington County a very different appearance from the city map. Most of the central and eastern valley floor is shown in low green tones, including the areas around Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, and Tualatin. Elevation rises sharply toward the western boundary, where yellow, tan, and brown tones mark the Coast Range. The supplied legend spans roughly 42 to 741 meters in its color classes, while the underlying surface includes locations outside those displayed class breaks.
The highest-looking terrain is concentrated along the western and northwestern side, with many closely spaced ridges and valleys. Oregon Route 6 crosses this rougher landscape after leaving Forest Grove, which helps explain why the highway corridor looks so different from the dense road grid near Beaverton. Gales Creek and Scoggins Creek occupy lower passages through these hills, and Henry Hagg Lake lies near the point where mountain drainage reaches the broader valley.
The north-central part of the county contains rolling uplands, but the contrast is less extreme than in the far west. East of Hillsboro, broad areas remain relatively low as the valley continues toward Portland. The southern side near Sherwood and Tualatin is also mostly low, with localized hills around the edges. This pattern helps connect physical geography with settlement: the largest cities and most extensive transportation network occupy the gentler valley floor, while the mountainous west remains much less densely settled.
This elevation map is best used for regional comparison rather than site-level measurement. It can show which parts of the county are generally low, where the hills begin, and how deeply streams cut through the Coast Range. Engineering, construction, surveying, and parcel-specific work requires more precise elevation data than a generalized county map can provide.
How U.S. 26, Oregon Route 8, and Route 47 fit the landscape
Washington County’s major roads make more sense when they are compared with the terrain. U.S. 26 follows the northern side of the developed valley and provides a direct connection between the Portland area, Hillsboro, and North Plains. Oregon Route 8 stays closer to the center of the valley, linking Beaverton with Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Forest Grove. These two corridors serve the broadest concentration of cities and relatively low terrain.
Near Forest Grove, the road pattern changes. Oregon Route 6 turns west into the Coast Range, where steep ridges and narrow creek valleys replace the wide urban plain. Route 47 provides a north-south route through the western part of the valley and links communities that are more separated than those near Beaverton. South of Hillsboro, Route 219 heads toward Sherwood and the southern county boundary, while Route 210 serves the built-up area south of Beaverton.
For trip orientation, the general county map is the best starting point because it keeps cities and road numbers together. The city map is better when only the relative position of major communities matters. The water map adds rivers, reservoirs, and the shape of creek valleys, while the elevation map makes the west-to-east terrain contrast unmistakable. Because every map uses the same Washington County boundary, it is easy to move from one view to another without losing geographic context.
One county, three very different landscapes
A useful way to summarize Washington County is to think of three broad landscapes. The eastern section around Beaverton, Tigard, and Tualatin is closely tied to Portland and has a dense network of streets and developed areas. The central Tualatin Valley around Hillsboro, Cornelius, and Forest Grove combines large communities with open valley land and numerous streams. The western half rises into forested Coast Range terrain, where roads and settlements become sparse.
Henry Hagg Lake sits close to the transition between the latter two landscapes. It is west and south of Forest Grove, surrounded by foothills rather than the broadest part of the urban valley. USGS information identifies the lake as a reservoir formed on Scoggins Creek, and Washington County materials describe Scoggins Valley Park as a major recreation site. On the maps, the location is useful for comparing water, elevation, and road access in one place.
The same approach works for the major cities. Hillsboro can be located first on the city map, then compared with U.S. 26 and Route 8 on the county map, Rock Creek and the Tualatin drainage on the water map, and the low valley floor on the elevation map. Forest Grove provides a contrasting example because it sits much closer to the rising western terrain. Using a familiar place as an anchor makes the four map types easier to interpret without needing specialized GIS knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the largest cities in Washington County located?
The largest cities shown on the map are concentrated in the eastern half of the county. Hillsboro and Beaverton are the two biggest centers, with Tigard and Tualatin to the southeast. Forest Grove is farther west near the transition from the Tualatin Valley to the Coast Range foothills.
Which map is best for finding Henry Hagg Lake and nearby streams?
The terrain and water map is the most useful choice because it shows Henry Hagg Lake together with Scoggins Creek, the Tualatin River system, and nearby ridges and valleys. The elevation map adds useful context by showing how the lake sits near the eastern foothills of the Coast Range.
How different is the western terrain from the Hillsboro and Beaverton area?
The difference is substantial. Hillsboro and Beaverton lie on relatively low, broad valley terrain, while the western side rises into the much more rugged Coast Range. The elevation map shows this change clearly, and the county map shows the accompanying drop in road and settlement density.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains the Washington County general map, major-city map, terrain and water map, and elevation map as high-resolution JPG files. The originals are larger than the page previews and are suitable for printing, classroom material, local-reference projects, and personal use.
- 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
- Washington County, Oregon: official county information and services.
- Washington County Parks – Henry Hagg Lake: county information on Scoggins Valley Park and Henry Hagg Lake.
- U.S. Geological Survey – Henry Hagg Lake: background on Scoggins Creek, the reservoir, and its Coast Range setting.
- U.S. Geological Survey – National Hydrography: reference source for river and stream data.
- U.S. Geological Survey – 3D Elevation Program: reference source for elevation data.
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.
