Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
DOOLITTLE LEA ANNE
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS CO [NWN] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
220 NW SECOND AVENUE		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/23/2011
(Street)

PORTLAND, OR 97209		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 02/23/2011   A   838 (1) A $ 0 5,134.506 D  
Common Stock               6,424.375 I See Footnote (2)
Common Stock               429.334 I See Footnote (3)
Common Stock               784.082 I See Footnote (4)
Common Stock               195.207 I See Footnote (5)
Common Stock               117.1036 I See Footnote (6)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 31.34               (7) 03/04/2014 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 34.29               (8) 02/29/2016 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.48               (9) 02/28/2017 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 43.29               (10) 03/06/2018 Common Stock 4,000   4,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 41.15               (11) 03/04/2019 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.25               (12) 03/02/2020 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.48               (13) 02/28/2017 Common Stock 600   600 I See Footnote (13)
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 43.29               (14) 03/06/2018 Common Stock 1,200   1,200 I See Footnote (14)
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 41.15               (15) 03/04/2019 Common Stock 1,000   1,000 I See Footnote (15)
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.25               (16) 03/02/2020 Common Stock 1,000   1,000 I See Footnote (16)
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 45.74 02/23/2011   A   5,000     (17) 03/02/2021 Common Stock 5,000 $ 0 5,000 I See Footnote (17)

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
DOOLITTLE LEA ANNE
220 NW SECOND AVENUE
PORTLAND, OR 97209		       SVP  

Signatures

 Shawn M. Filippi, Attorney-in-Fact   02/25/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Shares are issuable as a result of satisfaction of performance goals for 2008-2010 under a performance share award. Organization and Executive Compensation Committee certification of the award payout level occurred on the transaction date.
(2) Held in reporting person's account under issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of January 31, 2011
(3) Shares have been credited to reporting person's account under the issuer's Executive Deferred Compensation Plan.
(4) Shares have been credited to reporting person's account under the issuer's Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Executives.
(5) Held in account of reporting person's spouse.
(6) Held in account of reporting person's spouse under the issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of January 31, 2011.
(7) Option was granted for 5,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2007.
(8) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2010.
(9) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2011.
(10) Option was granted for 4,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 1,000 shares on each February 27, 2009 and January 1, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
(11) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 750 shares on each February 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
(12) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 750 shares on each February 24, 2011 and January 1, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
(13) Option for 600 shares was granted to reporting person's spouse pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 150 shares on each February 21, 2008 and January 1, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
(14) Option for 1,200 shares was granted to reporting person's spouse pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 300 shares on each February 27, 2009 and January 1, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
(15) Option for 1,000 shares was granted to reporting person's spouse pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 250 shares on each February 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
(16) Option for 1,000 shares was granted to reporting person's spouse pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 250 shares on each February 24, 2011 and January 1, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
(17) Option was granted for 5,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 1,250 shares on each February 23, 2012 and January 1, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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