The Columbia District functioned as a fur trade administrative region of the Hudson's Bay Company.
<>Other Names: Columbia River District, Columbia Department

In 1822, the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company established the Columbia District. Following their amalgamation with the North West Company, HBC took possession of several North West Company posts, including Fort George (formerly Astoria). Over time the Hudson's Bay Company acquired additional posts from other fur trade companies (including the Russian American Company) and from independent American fur traders. The aquisition of these posts along with the erection of new Hudson's Bay Company posts, increased the HBC's occupational hold in the Columbia District, and hence, solidified their control over the trade in the area. Other HBC ventures such as the Puget's Sound Agricultural Company and Cowlitz Farm provided agricultural produce. Although the Columbia District was expensive to maintain and produced only a small profit for the HBC, the Governor and Committee and Governor George Simpson viewed this district primarily as a defence against competing fur traders and territorial expansion from the United States of America. Eventually, the HBC abandoned several posts due to low fur returns and increasing conflict with the USA.

The Columbia District encompassed the territory west of the Rocky Mountains to the coast line of present day British Columbia, north to the Russian American border and south to the 42nd latitude. This territory included New Caledonia, much of the present day states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as extending eastward in Montana, and crossing south into Utah. HBC also expanded their territory into present day California through the Snake River Expeditions. Following the Treaty of Oregon 1846, the Hudson's Bay Company no longer had exclusive trade privileges south of the 49th Parallel, where the International Boundary was established. However, they remained in control of the northern half of the Columbia District until 1869, following the Confederation of Canada.

In order to increase profits and decrease expenses, Governor George Simpson reorganized the Columbia District during his visits in 1824-1825 and 1841-1842. From 1824 to 1825, Fort George served as the District's headquarters until Fort Vancouver was built in 1825. As the new headquarters, Fort Vancouver operated in this capacity until 1849 when Simpson decided that a new location on Vancouver Island would serve better as headquarters and provide a safe harbour for HBC's trading vessels. Hence, Fort Victoria was established as the headquarters from 1849 until the dissolution of the Columbia District in 1853. In 1845, the Board of Management was established as a result of the Governor and Committee and Dr. John McLoughlin's personal conflict and dissatisfaction of the administration of the Columbia District. The Board had three divisions (Depot and Shipping, Interior Department, and Coastal Department) and consisted of three members. The original members were Peter Skene Ogden, James Douglas, and John Work. Later members included John Ballenden and Dugald McTavish. In 1853, the Columbia District was separated into two distinct and independent departments, the Western Department and the Oregon Department. Part of the decision to create these departments arose from the Governor and Committee's design that two principle depots would be more convenient. In addition, the division of the Columbia District separated the posts located south of the International Boundary in preparation for the expiration of and disposition of the Hudson's Bay Company's possessory rights in the Oregon Department to the USA