<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.

<CIK>                         0000073020
<NAME>                        NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS COMPANY

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                         DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-END>                              JUN-30-2000
<BOOK-VALUE>                                 PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                     910,162
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    16,542
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                        100,563
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       93,850
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 51,060
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                              1,172,177
<COMMON>                                       79,750
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                     236,597
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                           135,580
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                451,927
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          34,000
<PREFERRED>                                         0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                          396,080
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                  0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                           0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 10,307
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  10,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                         793
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                       948
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                  556
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                267,566
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>               1,172,177
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                     272,713
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           17,717
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                    208,942
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                    226,659
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        46,054
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                              4,572
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 50,626
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       16,501
<NET-INCOME>                                   34,125
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                     1,244
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  32,881
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       15,585
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      14,920
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                        103,445
<EPS-BASIC>                                      0.07
<EPS-DILUTED>                                    0.07