<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
     This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the
consolidated financial statements and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000073020
<NAME>                        NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS COMPANY

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-END>                               DEC-31-1999
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      895,029
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                     17,451
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         183,055
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                        97,828
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                  51,060
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               1,244,423
<COMMON>                                        79,458
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      234,608
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            115,530
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 429,596
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           34,750
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           396,379
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                  94,149
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   10,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          814
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 278,735
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                1,244,423
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      455,834
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            24,591
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     361,066
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     385,657
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         70,177
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               5,171
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  75,348
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        30,052
<NET-INCOME>                                    45,296
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      2,515
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   42,781
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        30,569
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       26,192
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         108,521
<EPS-BASIC>                                       1.71
<EPS-DILUTED>                                     1.70