Counties of Oregon
LocationState of Oregon
Number36
Populations1,445 (Wheeler) – 795,083 (Multnomah)[1]
Areas435 square miles (1,130 km2) (Multnomah) – 10,135 square miles (26,250 km2) (Harney)
Government
Subdivisions

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

County information

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 City1862Eastern portion of Wasco CountyNamed in honor of Edward Dickinson Baker (1811-1861), a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the American Civil War. 16,938 3,068 sq mi
(7,946 km2)
State map highlighting Baker County
Benton County 003 Corvallis1847Polk CountyNamed in honor of Thomas Hart Benton (1782–1858), a U.S. senator who advocated U.S. control over the Oregon Country. 97,630 676 sq mi
(1,751 km2)
State map highlighting Benton County
Clackamas County 005 Oregon City1843One of the original four districts of the Oregon CountryNamed in honor of the Clackamas Indians, a Native American tribe living in the area. 423,177 1,868 sq mi
(4,838 km2)
State map highlighting Clackamas County
Clatsop County 007 Astoria1844Northern and western portions of the original Twality DistrictNamed in honor of the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. 41,695 827 sq mi
(2,142 km2)
State map highlighting Clatsop County
Columbia County 009 Saint Helens1854Northern half of Washington CountyNamed for the Columbia River, which forms the county's northern borders. 53,588 657 sq mi
(1,702 km2)
State map highlighting Columbia County
Coos County 011 Coquille1853Western parts of Umpqua and Jackson CountiesNamed in honor of the Coos Tribe of Native Americans who lived in the region. 64,990 1,600 sq mi
(4,144 km2)
State map highlighting Coos County
Crook County 013 Prineville1882Southern part of Wasco CountyNamed in honor of George Crook (1828–1890), a U.S. Army officer who served in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. 26,375 2,980 sq mi
(7,718 km2)
State map highlighting Crook County
Curry County 015 Gold Beach1855Coos CountyNamed in honor of George Law Curry (1820–1878), a governor of the Oregon Territory. 23,598 1,627 sq mi
(4,214 km2)
State map highlighting Curry County
Deschutes County 017 Bend1916Southern part of Crook CountyNamed for the Deschutes River, derived from "Riviere des Chutes", French for "River of the Falls". 206,549 3,018 sq mi
(7,817 km2)
State map highlighting Deschutes County
Douglas County 019 Roseburg1852Portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range summitNamed in honor of Stephen A. Douglas (1813–1861), a U.S. Senator who supported Oregon statehood. 112,297 5,037 sq mi
(13,046 km2)
State map highlighting Douglas County
Gilliam County 021 Condon1885Eastern third of Wasco CountyNamed in honor of Cornelius Gilliam (1798–1848), a pioneer who commanded the forces of the Provisional Government of Oregon after the Whitman massacre. 2,018 1,204 sq mi
(3,118 km2)
State map highlighting Gilliam County
Grant County 023 Canyon City1864Parts of old Wasco and old Umatilla countiesNamed in honor of Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885), army officer who served in the Oregon Territory; a Union general in the American Civil War at the time of the county's creation; and subsequently President of the United States (1869–1877). 7,218 4,529 sq mi
(11,730 km2)
State map highlighting Grant County
Harney County 025 Burns1889Southern two-thirds of Grant CountyNamed in honor of William S. Harney (1800–1889), a cavalry officer of the period, who was involved in the Pig War. 7,515 10,135 sq mi
(26,250 km2)
State map highlighting Harney County
Hood River County 027 Hood River1908Northwest portion of Wasco CountyNamed for the Hood River (a tributary of the Columbia River), which flows through the county. 24,048 522 sq mi
(1,352 km2)
State map highlighting Hood River County
Jackson County 029 Medford1852Southwestern portion of Lane County and unorganized area south of Douglas and Umpqua Counties.Named in honor of Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), the seventh President of the United States. 221,644 2,785 sq mi
(7,213 km2)
State map highlighting Jackson County
Jefferson County 031 Madras1914Crook CountyNamed for Mount Jefferson, located on its western boundary, which was named for Thomas Jefferson. 25,330 1,781 sq mi
(4,613 km2)
State map highlighting Jefferson County
Josephine County 033 Grants Pass1856Western half of Jackson CountyNamed in honor of Virginia "Josephine" Rollins (1834–1912), the first white woman to make this county her home. 87,730 1,640 sq mi
(4,248 km2)
State map highlighting Josephine County
Klamath County 035 Klamath Falls1882Western part of Lake CountyNamed in honor of the Klamath or Clamitte tribe, which has had a presence in the area for 10,000 years. 70,212 5,945 sq mi
(15,397 km2)
State map highlighting Klamath County
Lake County 037 Lakeview1874Jackson and Wasco CountiesNamed for numerous lakes and hot springs. 8,385 7,940 sq mi
(20,565 km2)
State map highlighting Lake County
Lane County 039 Eugene1851Southern part of Linn County and the portion of Benton County east of Umpqua CountyNamed in honor of Gen. Joseph Lane (1801–1881), the first governor of Oregon Territory. 382,353 4,554 sq mi
(11,795 km2)
State map highlighting Lane County
Lincoln County 041 Newport1893Western portion of Benton County and Polk CountyNamed in honor of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the sixteenth President of the United States. 50,813 980 sq mi
(2,538 km2)
State map highlighting Lincoln County
Linn County 043 Albany1847Southern portion of Champoeg (later Marion) CountyNamed in honor of U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn (1795–1843) of Missouri, author of the Donation Land Act, which provided free land to settlers in the West. 130,467 2,291 sq mi
(5,934 km2)
State map highlighting Linn County
Malheur County 045 Vale1887Southern portion of Baker CountyNamed for the Malheur River (formally "Riviere au Malheur" or "Unfortunate River"), named by French trappers whose property and furs were stolen from their river encampment. 31,879 9,888 sq mi
(25,610 km2)
State map highlighting Malheur County
Marion County 047 Salem1843One of the original four districts of the Oregon territoryNamed in honor of Francis Marion (1732-1795), a Revolutionary War general of the Continental Army from South Carolina. 346,703 1,185 sq mi
(3,069 km2)
State map highlighting Marion County
Morrow County 049 Heppner1885Western portion of Umatilla County and a small portion of eastern Wasco CountyNamed in honor of Jackson L. Morrow (1827-1899), a state representative who advocated for the formation of the county. 12,300 2,033 sq mi
(5,265 km2)
State map highlighting Morrow County
Multnomah County 051 Portland1854Eastern part of Washington and the northern part of Clackamas countiesNamed for the Native American village of Multnomah, on Sauvie Island. The word is derived from nematlnomaq, probably meaning downriver. Lewis and Clark made note of the name in 1805, and applied that name to all local Indians. 795,083 435 sq mi
(1,127 km2)
State map highlighting Multnomah County
Polk County 053 Dallas1845Yamhill DistrictNamed in honor of James Knox Polk (1795–1849), President of the United States at the time of the county's creation 89,614 741 sq mi
(1,919 km2)
State map highlighting Polk County
Sherman County 055 Moro1889Northeast corner of Wasco CountyNamed in honor of William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War general, and businessman, educator, and author 1,955 823 sq mi
(2,132 km2)
State map highlighting Sherman County
Tillamook County 057 Tillamook1853Clatsop, Yamhill and Polk CountiesNamed in honor of the Tillamook (or Killamook) Native American people. 27,574 1,102 sq mi
(2,854 km2)
State map highlighting Tillamook County
Umatilla County 059 Pendleton1862Central portion of Wasco CountyNamed for the Umatilla River, derived from the Sahaptin word, possibly meaning laughing waters. 80,215 3,215 sq mi
(8,327 km2)
State map highlighting Umatilla County
Union County 061 La Grande1864Baker CountyNamed for the town of Union, which had been established two years before and named by its founders for the "Union" of the states during the Civil War. 26,177 2,037 sq mi
(5,276 km2)
State map highlighting Union County
Wallowa County 063 Enterprise1887Eastern portion of Union County.Named for the Nez Perce word wallowa to designate a tripod of poles used to support fish nets. The area was claimed by the Chief Joseph band of the Nez Perce as its hunting and fishing grounds. 7,659 3,145 sq mi
(8,146 km2)
State map highlighting Wallowa County
Wasco County 065 The Dalles1854Parts of Clackamas, Lane, Linn and Marion countiesNamed in honor of the Wasco (or Wascopam) Native American tribe. 26,561 2,381 sq mi
(6,167 km2)
State map highlighting Wasco County
Washington County 067 Hillsboro1843One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country (as Twality District)Named in honor of George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States. 600,176 724 sq mi
(1,875 km2)
State map highlighting Washington County
Wheeler County 069 Fossil1899Grant County, Gilliam County, and Crook CountyNamed in honor of Henry H. Wheeler (1826-1915), who operated the first mail stage line from The Dalles to Canyon City. 1,445 1,715 sq mi
(4,442 km2)
State map highlighting Wheeler County
Yamhill County 071 McMinnville1843One of the original four districts of the Oregon CountryNamed in honor of the Yamhelas, members of the Kalapuya Native American family, who lived along the Yamhill River in the western Willamette Valley. 108,226 716 sq mi
(1,854 km2)
State map highlighting Yamhill County

See also

References

  1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Multnomah County, Oregon". census.gov.
  2. "Oregon Secretary of State: Constitution of Oregon". sos.oregon.gov.
  3. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA. Retrieved April 9, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 National Association of Counties. "NACo – Find a county". Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007.
  5. 1 2 Oregon State Archives. "County Government". Oregon Blue Book. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  6. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Oregon". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
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