Oregon City, Oregon 2025

Oregon City, the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains, is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon. It is located in the Willamette Valley, 13 miles (21 km) south of Portland, the largest city in Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population of Oregon City is 34,685.

Becoming a culinary destination, the city has a variety of restaurants, cafes, breweries, and wineries. Slow-smoked barbecue, artisan chocolate, crafted burgers, farm-to-table fine dining, and outdoor patio settings are just a few of the unique offerings, in addition to the usual family-friendly establishments.

The city has numerous community festivals and events throughout the year, including a weekly farmers' market during the summer, a kite festival, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, a summer concert series, a fall harvest festival, and a holiday tree-lighting ceremony.

Wahkeena Falls, a renowned 230-foot (70 m) waterfall, is located in the Oregon City limits. It is accompanied by the Willamette River, its namesake river, which forms the Clackamas River and the Willamette Falls just north of the city, and the Multnomah Falls further up the Columbia River Gorge. Oregon City's public art includes the painted bronze sculptures, "Spirit of Oregon," and "The Quarry," both by Toma Villa.

The Bureau of Labor and Industries, Oregon's labor department, has headquarters in Oregon City. The city is also home to the main campuses of Clackamas Community College and the Oregon City school district. In May 1845, the provision was first established in the governor's office in Oregon City. There are numerous historical structures within the city, including the 1840s Jason Lee House, which in recent years has been a museum and the city's visitor's center, and the 1841 Methodist Parsonage, now relocated to the Jason Lee House grounds.

The Willamette Falls, located between Oregon City and West Linn, is the 17th widest waterfall in the world, with a width of 1,500 feet (460 m) and a total drop of 70 feet (21 m). One of the earliest long-term settlements in the area was established at the falls by the Clackamas indigenous tribe, who migrated seasonally between summer and winter villages.

The first elections for the state of Oregon were held on the first Monday in June 1851. On the ballot was a proposal to move the state capital from Oregon City to Salem. Voters approved the measure, with 1144 votes in favor and 80 against. The results were announced on June 17, 1851, and Oregon City has since used the phrase, "First City of the West Coast, First in the hearts of its People!" as its slogan.

Historically, Oregon City has had a very diverse population for its size. When the Oregon Territory was incorporated in 1848, it was the only place in the territory that allowed African-American settlers to file claims and live in the area, despite a common belief held by Oregon's earliest white pioneers that blacks were not allowed in the region.

The town was visited by an average of 300,000 tourists annually, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an upsurge in the service industry, with retail sales increasing 25% in the first six months of 2005.

Oregon City residents include:

Eleanor P. Fluke, a lawyer, judge, and prosecutor who began one of the first women's sororities in the United States.

Gert Boyle, former chairwoman and CEO of Colombia Sportswear International.

Brian Blessed, actor.

Danny Ainge, former baseball player and current general manager of the Boston Celtics basketball team.

Michael Stipe, lead singer of the band REM

Chuck Palahniuk, writer.

Todd Lodwick, winter sports athlete.

Jerome Kersey, a basketball player.

Darlene Hooley, a politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Jon Heder, actor, writer, and filmmaker.

Michele Shen, businesswoman.

Rick Egers, baseball player.

Some of the films shot in Oregon City include:

• The Goonies (1985) - The opening scene was filmed at Eagle Creek, on the Oregon City/Clackamas County line.• Free Willy (1993) - The primary scenes were filmed in three stages at the Oregon City Harbor.

• Stand By Me (1986) - A river swimming scene was shot in the Clackamas River near Oregon City.• The River Wild (1994) - The film's opening scene was shot at the Willamette Falls in Oregon City.• Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) - The film's first run was at the Elsinore Theatre.

The Willamette River and the 17th-largest waterfall in the world, Willamette Falls, provide spectacular natural scenery. With the 63-acre (25 ha) Minto-Brown Island Park (including the islands and the surrounding small streams) devoted to pleasure and recreation, the city has several parks, including Clackamas Park, Clairmont Park, and Bush's Pasture Park. Off-leash dog parks can be found in Clairmont and Clackamas parks. An extensive off-street path system connects residential neighborhoods, downtown, parks, and industrial areas. The Oregon City Golf Club is located in the foothills of the Coast Range mountains. Oregon City is becoming more walkable and bike-friendly, with on-street lanes and off-road paths. The Springer Plaza is being renovated.

Oregon City, the official End of the Oregon Trail, invites you to walk in the footsteps of the region's pioneers; celebrate its colorful past; revel in the present; and see where the city is headed with new adaptive reuse projects. Known until 1845 as Clackamas City or Paper City, it was renamed after the Oregon Territory. The land south of Portland was ceded to the United States through the Treaty of 1846. The site was chosen for the territorial capital in 1844 but lost to Salem in 1855. The first Catholic church west of the Rockies, St. Paul's Catholic Church, of French Gothic architecture, opened in 1846, followed by the first public building in the territory, completing in 1848. In 1908, the first library in Oregon City opened. The building, discarded from its original site in 1985, sat dormant until 1992 when it was acquired by the local historical society. The building was then renovated and reopened as the Oregon City Public Library.

The town is home to Camp Withycombe, a community of dormitories that hosted United States Army personnel assigned to military duty nearby during World War II. The camp was built in 1942 and named after the National Guard's 41st Division's Major General Edward H. Withycombe. It was turned over to the state after the war and became the campus of Clackamas Community College. The city has a volunteer program where police "volunteers" and "senior volunteers" work with the city's police force. Volunteers help with tasks such as transporting courtesy patrols, business checks, locked residential homes, special events, Vacation Watches, emergency services, and citywide clean-up projects.

The city uses both its own police department and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement.

The city also participates in CrimeStoppers, a non-profit organization that helps community members assist the authorities in solving crimes.

The city has a high-intensity drug offense team, partly funded by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The headquarters of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is also located in the city. The city and the county both participate in the Special Weapons And Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team. The city police headquarters was recently remodeled and re-dedicated to retiring Chief Jerry Smith in 2006.

In addition to major medical centers, Oregon City is also home to