Willamette started life as its own town. It was platted in 1893, incorporated in 1908, and joined West Linn in 1916, and you can still feel that history on the streets between Willamette Falls Drive and the Tualatin River. At its heart is a National Register historic district, listed in 2009, where the homes date from about 1895 to 1929: late Victorian Queen Anne and Stick-style houses, Craftsman homes and bungalows.
Daily life here centers on Willamette Falls Drive, the old main street, with its Wednesday summer street market, spring and autumn wine walks, and the Old Time Fair parade in July. Willamette Park sits right where the Tualatin meets the Willamette, with a boat ramp at Bernert Landing, and Fields Bridge Park follows the Tualatin with community garden plots, ball fields and paths.
One thing worth knowing before you buy: inside the historic district, exterior changes need city approval first. Smaller projects get staff review, while additions and new construction go to the Historic Review Board. It's what keeps these streets looking the way they do, and it's worth planning for if you're dreaming of an addition.
Sources: City of West Linn, Willamette Historic District educational materials (2022); City of West Linn, Historic landmarks; City of West Linn, Historic design review staff report HDR-26-01 (2026); City of West Linn, Willamette Park; City of West Linn, Fields Bridge Park; Historic Willamette Main Street, 2026 events