Camas is a city in
Clark County,
Washington, with a population of 19,355 at the
2010 census. Officially incorporated on June 18, 1906, the city is named after the
camas lily, a plant with an onion-like bulb prized by Native Americans. At the west end of downtown Camas is a large
Georgia-Pacific paper-mill from which the high school teams get their name "the Papermakers". Accordingly, the city is about 20 miles east (upwind) from
Portland, Oregon. Historically, the commercial base of the city was based almost solely on the paper mill; however, the diversity of industries has been enhanced considerably in recent years by the influx of several white-collar, high-tech companies including
Hewlett-Packard, Sharp Microelectronics,
Linear Technology and
WaferTech and Underwriters Labs . Annual events include the summer "Camas Days", as well as other festivals and celebrations.