Photo: Ian Poellet (User:Werewombat) · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Kelso, WA: what to set up and who to call
Power in Kelso comes from PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County, a political subdivision utility rather than a private company. Trains stop in Kelso, at Kelso-Longview.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Kelso, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Kelso.
Power comes from PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County
PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County (PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County), a political subdivision utility, serves all of Kelso. Its homes paid an average of 9.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $120 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: cowlitzpud.org · (360) 423-2210
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Kelso water system
The City of Kelso water system supplies almost all of Kelso. It draws ground water influenced by surface water (EPA lists Longview Water Department as seller) and serves 15,775 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s lower than 59% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. WA5338000.
7 home internet providers serve Kelso
100% of 4,182 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 76% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 1,200/35 |
| Astound Broadband | Fixed wireless, Fiber, DSL | 98% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 67% | 2,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | Fiber, DSL | 10% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 49% | 25/3 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 42% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Kelso depends on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Kelso, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s dayLook up your day on wastecontrolrecycling.com
From kelso.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Kelso is in Kelso School District.
C+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Kelso is in ZIP code 98626
ZIP codes where Kelso residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Kelso | ZIP’s residents in Kelso |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98626 | Kelso, WA | 100% | 48% |
A few homes fall in 98632.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Kelso
Who supplies Kelso’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Kelso water system (EPA ID WA5338000). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Kelso?
PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County (PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County), a political subdivision utility. Its homes paid about 9.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Kelso?
Xfinity, Astound Broadband, Quantum Fiber, CenturyLink, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Kelso?
98626. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Kelso in?
Kelso School District.
How do I register to vote in Kelso?
In Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Cowlitz County Auditor. Check your registration at voter.votewa.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Kelso’s own website (kelso.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.