Washington State Nominates Washougal for Opportunity Zones

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced 99 statewide nominations on Oct. 8 to encourage private investment in local communities.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Regional Economics

Washington State Nominates Washougal for Opportunity Zones

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Washington state nominated Washougal for the federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, marking one of 99 statewide designations announced on Oct. 8. The program aims to drive private investment into underserved areas.

Why it matters

The program is designed to encourage private investment in underserved communities, providing a mechanism to boost local economic growth. These designations allow for targeted financial development in specific census tracts.

The nomination includes 99 total areas across Washington, with 4 located within Clark County. The U.S. Department of the Treasury must still review and certify these areas before the program takes effect.

The players

Bob Ferguson

He is the Governor of Washington who announced the state's list of 99 area nominations for the federal program.

Port of Camas-Washougal

This entity is an industrial park that collaborated with city staff and economic councils to pursue the Opportunity Zone designation.

Columbia River Economic Development Council

The council worked alongside local city officials and the port to identify and nominate the Washougal tract.

The details

The nomination focuses on U.S. Census Bureau tract No. 040507, which encompasses downtown Washougal, the Addy Street neighborhood, and the Port of Camas-Washougal industrial park. City staff collaborated with the Port of Camas-Washougal and the Columbia River Economic Development Council to secure the nomination.

The original Opportunity Zones program was established in 2018.
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the 99 statewide nominations on Oct. 8.
New designations are scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

Macro View

This move extends the federal Opportunity Zones program established in 2018 to target new census tracts for development. It mirrors past state-level economic development strategies that prioritize localized industrial and downtown reinvestment.

Residents and business owners in the nominated Washougal tract may see increased interest from private investors looking to leverage tax incentives. This designation is intended to facilitate long-term improvements in downtown infrastructure and industrial park utilization.

The takeaway

The Opportunity Zones program serves as a tool for local governments to attract private capital to specific, designated census tracts. Property owners and business operators within the identified Washougal tract should monitor the federal certification status as the Jan. 1 effective date approaches.

What happens next

The U.S. Department of the Treasury will conduct a review and certification process for the nominated areas, with final designations expected to take effect on Jan. 1.