List of counties in Oregon
There are 36 counties in the U.S. State of Oregon . The Oregon Constitution does not explicitly provide for county seats ; Article VI, covering the "Administrative Department" of the state of Oregon , simply states that:
All county and city officers shall keep their respective offices at such places therein, and perform such duties, as may be prescribed by law. [ 2]
More details on the etymologies of Oregon county names and place names in general are documented in Oregon Geographic Names . Oregon's postal abbreviation is OR and its FIPS state code is 41 .
Oregon counties by date of establishment 1840–1849
1850–1859
1860–1869
1870–1889
After 1890
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
County
FIPS code[ 3]
County seat[ 4]
Est. [ 4]
Origin[ 5]
Etymology[ 5]
Population[ 6]
Area[ 4]
Map
Baker County
001
Baker City
1862
Eastern portion of Wasco County
Named in honor of Edward Dickinson Baker , who died in combat while serving as Oregon senator.
16,912
3,068 sq mi (7,946 km2 )
Benton County
003
Corvallis
1847
Polk County
Named for Thomas Hart Benton , senator and advocate of U.S. annexation of the Oregon Country .
97,713
676 sq mi (1,751 km2 )
Clackamas County
005
Oregon City
1843
One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country
Named for the Clackamas people , a local Native American tribe.
423,173
1,868 sq mi (4,838 km2 )
Clatsop County
007
Astoria
1844
Northern and western portions of the original Twality District
Named for the Clatsop , a local Native American tribe.
41,102
827 sq mi (2,142 km2 )
Columbia County
009
Saint Helens
1854
Northern half of Washington County
Named for the neighboring Columbia River .
53,880
657 sq mi (1,702 km2 )
Coos County
011
Coquille
1853
Western parts of Umpqua and Jackson Counties
Named for the Coos people , a regional Native American group.
64,212
1,600 sq mi (4,144 km2 )
Crook County
013
Prineville
1882
Southern part of Wasco County
Named for George Crook , a Union army officer in the Civil War and Indian Wars .
26,952
2,980 sq mi (7,718 km2 )
Curry County
015
Gold Beach
1855
Coos County
Named for George Law Curry , governor of the Oregon Territory .
23,296
1,627 sq mi (4,214 km2 )
Deschutes County
017
Bend
1916
Southern part of Crook County
Named for the Deschutes River from French Riviere des Chutes , 'River of the falls'.
208,513
3,018 sq mi (7,817 km2 )
Douglas County
019
Roseburg
1852
Portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range summit
Named for senator Stephen A. Douglas , a supporter of Oregon's admission to the union.
112,435
5,037 sq mi (13,046 km2 )
Gilliam County
021
Condon
1885
Eastern third of Wasco County
Named for Oregon pioneer Cornelius Gilliam (1798–1848).
2,026
1,204 sq mi (3,118 km2 )
Grant County
023
Canyon City
1864
Parts of old Wasco and old Umatilla counties
Named for Ulysses S. Grant prior to his election as president, in recognition of his military service.
7,215
4,529 sq mi (11,730 km2 )
Harney County
025
Burns
1889
Southern two-thirds of Grant County
Named in honor of cavalry officer William S. Harney .
7,440
10,135 sq mi (26,250 km2 )
Hood River County
027
Hood River
1908
Northwest portion of Wasco County
Named for the Hood River .
23,745
522 sq mi (1,352 km2 )
Jackson County
029
Medford
1852
Southwestern portion of Lane County and unorganized area south of Douglas and Umpqua Counties.
Named for President Andrew Jackson .
220,768
2,785 sq mi (7,213 km2 )
Jefferson County
031
Madras
1914
Crook County
Named for the adjacent Mount Jefferson , itself named for President Thomas Jefferson .
25,454
1,781 sq mi (4,613 km2 )
Josephine County
033
Grants Pass
1856
Western half of Jackson County
Named for Virginia "Josephine" Rollins, the first female settler in the area.
87,821
1,640 sq mi (4,248 km2 )
Klamath County
035
Klamath Falls
1882
Western part of Lake County
Named for the Klamath people , a local Native American tribe.
70,003
5,945 sq mi (15,397 km2 )
Lake County
037
Lakeview
1874
Jackson and Wasco Counties
Named for the large number of local lakes and springs.
8,293
7,940 sq mi (20,565 km2 )
Lane County
039
Eugene
1851
Southern part of Linn County and the portion of Benton County east of Umpqua County
Named for Joseph Lane , the first governor of the Oregon Territory .
381,181
4,554 sq mi (11,795 km2 )
Lincoln County
041
Newport
1893
Western portion of Benton County and Polk County
Named for President Abraham Lincoln .
50,821
980 sq mi (2,538 km2 )
Linn County
043
Albany
1847
Southern portion of Champoeg (later Marion) County
Named for Lewis F. Linn , sponsor of the Donation Land Act .
131,496
2,291 sq mi (5,934 km2 )
Malheur County
045
Vale
1887
Southern portion of Baker County
Named for the Malheur River , itself from French Riviere au Malheur , 'Unfortunate River', named by French fur trappers whose belongings were stolen along the river.
32,044
9,888 sq mi (25,610 km2 )
Marion County
047
Salem
1843
One of the original four districts of the Oregon territory
Named for Francis Marion (1732-1795), a Revolutionary War general.
346,741
1,185 sq mi (3,069 km2 )
Morrow County
049
Heppner
1885
Western portion of Umatilla County and a small portion of eastern Wasco County
Named for state representative Jackson L. Morrow , an advocate for the formation of the county.
12,302
2,033 sq mi (5,265 km2 )
Multnomah County
051
Portland
1854
Eastern part of Washington and the northern part of Clackamas counties
Named for the Multnomah people , a Chinookan band from Sauvie Island .
789,698
435 sq mi (1,127 km2 )
Polk County
053
Dallas
1845
Yamhill District
Named for President James Knox Polk , who was serving during the county's creation.
89,805
741 sq mi (1,919 km2 )
Sherman County
055
Moro
1889
Northeast corner of Wasco County
Named for Union general William Tecumseh Sherman .
1,951
823 sq mi (2,132 km2 )
Tillamook County
057
Tillamook
1853
Clatsop, Yamhill and Polk Counties
Named for the Tillamook people , a Native American tribe.
27,417
1,102 sq mi (2,854 km2 )
Umatilla County
059
Pendleton
1862
Central portion of Wasco County
Named for the adjacent Umatilla River , derived from a Sahaptin , word possibly meaning laughing waters .
80,053
3,215 sq mi (8,327 km2 )
Union County
061
La Grande
1864
Baker County
Named for the town of Union , itself named for the Union during the Civil War .
25,944
2,037 sq mi (5,276 km2 )
Wallowa County
063
Enterprise
1887
Eastern portion of Union County.
Named after the Nez Perce wallowa , a tripod of poles used to support fish nets.
7,674
3,145 sq mi (8,146 km2 )
Wasco County
065
The Dalles
1854
Parts of Clackamas, Lane, Linn and Marion counties
Named for the Wasco people , a Native American tribe.
26,333
2,381 sq mi (6,167 km2 )
Washington County
067
Hillsboro
1843
One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country (as Twality District)
Named for president George Washington .
598,865
724 sq mi (1,875 km2 )
Wheeler County
069
Fossil
1899
Grant County, Gilliam County, and Crook County
Named for Henry H. Wheeler, an early Oregon mail carrier.
1,436
1,715 sq mi (4,442 km2 )
Yamhill County
071
McMinnville
1843
One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country
Named for the Yamhill band of Kalapuya , a local Native American group.
108,644
716 sq mi (1,854 km2 )
See also
References
Further reading
External links