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FACTS

History

The name first appeared in 1765 in a proposal for a journey by Major Robert Rogers.  He wrote about a River the Indians called Ouragon.  He reapplied later in 1772 and then spelled it Ourigan.  In 1778, Jonathan Carver wrote in his book about the “River Oregon.

State Facts:

Oregon has 240 incorporated cities
Oregon has 36 counties 

Population:

Population

1850 – 12,093
1860 – 52,465
1870 – 90,923
1880 – 174,768
1890 – 317-704
1900 – 413,536
1910 – 672,765
1920 – 783,389
1930 – 953,786
1940 – 1,089,684
1950 – 1,521,341
1960 – 1,768,687
1970 – 2,091,533
1980 – 2,633,321
1990 – 2,842,321
1994 – 3,082,000
1996 – 3,181,000
2000 – 3,421,399
2001 – 3,471,700 (estimate)
2002 – 3,504,700 (estimate)

Largest City Populations (2001 estimate)
1. Portland (536,240)
2. Eugene (140,550)
3. Salem (139,320)
4. Gresham (91,420)
5. Beaverton (77,170)
6. Hillsboro (73,200)

Location:
Washington State on the north, California on the south, Idaho on the east, the Pacific Ocean on the west, and Nevada on the southeast

Geography:
The geographic center of Oregon state is 25 miles south-southeast of Prineville
Oregon has 296 miles of coastline – all on the Pacific Ocean coast
Mountain Ranges in the state are:
The Coast Range runs the length of the state along the western Coastline, from the Columbia River in the north to the Rogue River in the south.  Highest point is Mary’s Peak at 4,097 feet.
The Klamath Mountains in southwestern Oregon are sometimes included as part of the Coast Range.  Highest point is Mount Ashland at 7,532  feet
The Cascade Range runs the entire north-south length of Oregon east of the Willamette Valley.  Highest point is Mount Hood at 11,239 feet
The Blue Mountains are in northeastern Oregon and extend into southern Washington.  Highest point is Rock Creek Butte at 9,105 feet
Steens Mountain is one long 30 mile mountain in southeastern Oregon.  Highest point is 9,773 feet

Interesting Facts about Oregon:

As of January 1999, all 400 miles of Oregon beaches are public property!
The Willamette River in Oregon runs north.
Oregon grows the only Myrtlewood trees...they have Myrtlewood bushes in the Holy Land.
Hells Canyon, in Oregon is the deepest river-carved gorge in North America is up to 7,900 feet deep
98% of the worlds hazelnuts grow in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
The Columbia River Gorge is the country's only National Scenic Area.
Nearly half of Oregon's land is forested.
Highest point: Mt Hood at 11,235 feet above sea level and the lowest point is the Pacific Ocean at sea level.
The first "Bottle bill" in the USA was enacted in Oregon in 1971
Almost all of Oregon is in the Pacific Time Zone. A small portion of southeastern Oregon is in the Mountain time zone.
As of 2001, Oregon has no sales tax!
The deepest lake in Oregon and in the USA is Crater Lake at 1,958 feet
The highest waterfall in the state is Multnomah Falls at 620 feet

Oregon Road Conditions:
Toll-free: 800-977-6368
Phone: 541-889-3999

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LINKS

GOVERNMENT & TOURISM INFORMATION

Oregon State Website

How to contact anyone in Oregon State Government
Parks & Recreation page

Oregon Tourism Commission
775 Summer Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97310
Toll-free: (800) 547-7842
Business Office: (503) 986-0000
FAX: (503) 986-0001

Government Links page for Oregon
Great links page for all levels of government in Oregon

The Oregon Almanac – a great source for almost anything you want to know about Oregon

HISTORY & GENEALOGY

An Oregon history page

Oregon history and genealogy
Oregon Genealogical Society
Oregon GenWeb Project page

ORGANIZATIONS & GROUPS

Oregon Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 1107
Eugene, OR 97440
Phone: (541) 484-1314
Fax: (541) 484-4942

Bend Chamber of Commerce
777 NW Wall Street
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541-382-3221
Fax: 541-385-9929

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Oregon Climate Service - for weather and climate all over the state.

Find the weather for anyplace in the USA

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This page was last updated 20 September 2006 at 10:38 pm

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