Ridgefield is a city in northern Clark County, Washington, set along the Columbia River about ten miles north of Vancouver and just across the river from the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. The area's history runs deep: the site of the Cathlapotle village, one of the largest Chinookan settlements on the lower Columbia, lies within the present-day Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition documented the village during its journey in the early nineteenth century. The city's modern identity is shaped by that refuge, by its river setting, and by a period of rapid suburban growth. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, sits between the Columbia River and the town and is a primary reserve for migrating waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway. It offers an auto tour route, seasonal trails, and the reconstructed Cathlapotle Plankhouse, and it draws birders and nature visitors from throughout the region. The refuge is as much a part of Ridgefield's character as its residential neighborhoods. Ridgefield's schools are a point of local pride. The Ridgefield School District's teams are known as the "Spudders," a nickname reflecting the region's potato-farming heritage, and the district has expanded its campuses to keep pace with the city's growth. Interstate 5 runs along the city's eastern edge, with Exit 14 providing direct access, and the commute to Vancouver and Portland is straightforward. With a population of roughly 10,300 and rising, Ridgefield combines a fast-growing suburban present with a distinctive natural and historical setting. New subdivisions have spread across former farmland, while the refuge, the Columbia River, and the city's Lewis and Clark heritage give the community a sense of place unusual for a growing suburb.