Does Washington County, Oregon have a solar moratorium?

No. As of 2026-05-02, Washington County, Oregon has no active solar moratorium on record. Score has been stable over the last 12 months.

What is Washington County’s solar permitting risk grade?

Washington County, Oregon has a SitePath solar permitting grade of C — risk score 46/100 (Elevated Risk). Grades are based on primary-source county ordinances, board votes, and permitting activity, reviewed as of 2026-05-02.

What are the solar permitting rules in Washington County, Oregon?

Ordinance status: Ordinance status documented in detail. Score has been stable over the last 12 months. See the full primary-source record — ordinance links, setbacks, board actions, and project history — on this page.

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Oregon

Washington County

FIPS 41067

Washington County, Oregon: solar permitting grade C (score 46/100, Elevated Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.

Score 46/100

Elevated Risk

Public summary

Grade	C · Elevated Risk · Score 46/100
Population	600,372
Solar ordinance	Ordinance status documented in detail
Active moratorium	None on record
Regulatory trajectory	Improving (ordinance direction easing)
12-month score movement	Stable
Last verified	2026-05-02

Developer outlook

Washington County carries elevated permitting risk. Developers should budget additional time for ordinance review, public hearing preparation, and community engagement. Oregon's state RPS policy provides a supportive macro backdrop for renewables, even where individual county ordinances are restrictive. Market saturation is elevated in this area — expect competition for prime land parcels and interconnection capacity.

Local intel

On file: named opposition groups

See full meetings + dockets + opposition tracking →

Cities, towns & townships

Local governments in Washington County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.

Banks city
Beaverton city
Cornelius city
Durham city
Forest Grove city
Gaston city
Hillsboro city
King City city
Lake Oswego citypartly in this county
North Plains city
Portland citypartly in this county
Rivergrove citypartly in this county
Sherwood city
Tigard city
Tualatin citypartly in this county
Wilsonville citypartly in this county

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.

Nearby counties

Yamhill County · ≈24 miD52—
Columbia County · ≈27 miB33—
Tillamook County · ≈33 miB36—
Multnomah County · ≈33 miB36—
Clark County, WA · ≈33 miB32—
Clatsop County · ≈44 miB41—

Compare these counties side-by-side →

Washington County ranks #15 of 36 ranked Oregon counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in Oregon: Columbia County (B · 33), Deschutes County (B · 36), Lincoln County (B · 36). See all Oregon county grades →

Want the full record?

Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.

Open the full Washington County profile → Request a demo

About this score

Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →