<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>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-END>                               SEP-30-2000
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      920,250
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                     15,131
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         112,321
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                        94,511
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                  51,060
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               1,193,273
<COMMON>                                        79,831
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      237,348
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            122,026
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 439,205
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           34,000
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           376,022
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                  72,488
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   30,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          750
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                        912
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                   613
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 239,283
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                1,193,273
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      333,900
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            14,772
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     270,865
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     285,637
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         48,263
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               5,877
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  54,140
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        24,900
<NET-INCOME>                                    29,240
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      1,858
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   27,392
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        23,393
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       22,128
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          51,921
<EPS-BASIC>                                     (0.22)
<EPS-DILUTED>                                   (0.22)