View source for Oregon

{{short description|U.S. state}}
{{about|the U.S. state}}
{{Distinguish|Organ (disambiguation)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{pp-move}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = Oregon
| image_flag = {{Multiple image 
| border=infobox 
| width=125 
| align=center 
| direction=vertical 
| image1=Flag_of_Oregon.svg 
| alt1=State flag of Oregon (obverse) 
| image2=Flag_of_Oregon_(reverse).svg 
| alt2=State flag of Oregon (reverse)
}}
| image_seal = Seal of Oregon.svg
| image_map = Oregon in United States.svg
| nickname = The Beaver State
| motto = ''[[Alis volat propriis]]''<br />{{nowrap|(English: She flies with her own wings)}}
| anthem = [[Oregon, My Oregon]]
| Former = Oregon Territory
| seat = [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]]
| LargestCity = [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]
| LargestCounty = [[Multnomah County, Oregon|Multnomah]]
| LargestMetro = [[Portland metropolitan area, Oregon|Portland]]
| population_demonym = Oregonian
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Tina Kotek]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[LaVonne Griffin-Valade]] (D)}}{{efn|name=LG|As Griffin-Valade has not been elected, Oregon State Treasurer [[Tobias Read]] is first in the line of succession until after the 2024 general election.}}
| Lieutenant Governor_alt = [[Oregon Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]
| Legislature = {{nowrap|[[Oregon Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]]}}
| Upperhouse = [[Oregon State Senate|State Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[Oregon House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary = [[Oregon Supreme Court]]
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Ron Wyden]] (D)}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Jeff Merkley]] (D)}}
| Representative = 4 Democrats <br /> 2 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]]
| postal_code = OR
| TradAbbreviation = Ore.
| OfficialLang = '''[[De jure]]''': none<ref>{{cite news |url = http://dailyemerald.com/2007/01/30/english-as-oregons-official-language-it-could-happen/ |title = English as Oregon's official language? It could happen |first = Calvin |last = Hall |newspaper = [[Oregon Daily Emerald|The Oregon Daily Emerald]] |date = January 30, 2007 |access-date = May 8, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130117094055/http://dailyemerald.com/2007/01/30/english-as-oregons-official-language-it-could-happen/ |archive-date = January 17, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref><br />'''[[De facto]]''': [[English language|English]]
| area_rank = 9th
| area_total_sq_mi = 98,381
| area_total_km2 = 254,806
| area_land_sq_mi = 95,997
| area_land_km2 = 248,849
| area_water_sq_mi = 2,384
| area_water_km2 = 6,177
| area_water_percent = 2.4
| population_rank = 27th
| population_as_of = 2023
| 2020Pop = 4,233,358<ref name=2020census>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |title=2020 Census Apportionment Results, Table 2 Resident Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census |date=April 30, 2021 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426210008/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_density_rank = 39th
| 2010DensityUS = 39.9
| 2010Density = 15.0
| MedianHouseholdIncome = $71,562<ref name=kff>{{cite web|url=http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|website=The Henry J. Kaiser Foundation|title=Median Annual Household Income|date=November 17, 2022 |access-date=February 9, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230209155704/https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D |archive-date=February 9, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and district by median household income|18th]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 33rd
| AdmittanceDate = {{start date and age|1859|02|14|md=y}}
| timezone1 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
| utc_offset1 = −08:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −07:00
| timezone1_location = most of state
| timezone2 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain]]
| utc_offset2 = −07:00
| timezone2_DST = [[Mountain Daylight Time|MDT]]
| utc_offset2_DST = −06:00
| timezone2_location = majority of [[Malheur County, Oregon|Malheur County]]
| Latitude = 42° N to 46°18′ N
| Longitude = 116°28′ W to 124°38′ W
| width_mi = 400
| width_km = 640
| length_mi = 360
| length_km = 580
| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Hood]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=RC2244|designation=Mount Hood Highest Point|access-date=October 24, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|year=2001|access-date=October 24, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>{{efn|name=NAVD88|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]].}}
| elevation_max_ft = 11,249
| elevation_max_m = 3,428.8
| elevation_ft = 3,300
| elevation_m = 1,000
| elevation_min_point = Pacific Ocean<ref name=USGS />
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| elevation_min_m = 0
| iso_code = US-OR
| website = oregon.gov
| Capital = 
| Representatives = 
| module = {{infobox network service provider|child=yes|asn=1798}}
}}
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
| state               = Oregon
| image_flag               = Flag of Oregon.svg
| image_seal               = Seal of Oregon.svg
| amphibian          =
| bird               = [[Western meadowlark]] (''Sturnella neglecta'')
| butterfly          = [[Oregon swallowtail]] (''Papilio machaon oregonia'')
| crustacean         = [[Dungeness crab]]<br />(''Metacarcinus magister'')
| fish               = [[Chinook salmon]]<br />(''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'')
| flower             = [[Oregon grape]]<br />(''Mahonia aquifolium'')
| grass              = [[Pseudoroegneria spicata|Bluebunch wheatgrass]]<br />(''Pseudoroegneria spicata'')
| insect             = [[Oregon swallowtail]]<br />(''Papilio oregonius'')
| mammal             = [[North American beaver|American beaver]]<br />(''Castor canadensis'')
| mushroom           = [[Pacific golden chanterelle]]<br />(''Cantharellus formosus'')
| reptile            =
| tree               = [[Coast Douglas-fir|Douglas-fir]]
| beverage           = [[Milk]]
| colors             =
| dance              = [[Square dance]]
| dinosaur           =
| food               = [[Pear]]<br />(''Pyrus'')
| fossil             = ''[[Metasequoia]]''
| gemstone           = [[Sunstone|Oregon sunstone]]
| instrument         =
| mineral            =
| motto              = She Flies With Her Own Wings<ref name="Oregon Blue Book">{{cite web | url=https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/h-m.aspx | title=Oregon State Symbols: Hydropower to Motto | publisher=Oregon Secretary of State | access-date=May 10, 2021 | archive-date=April 23, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423130351/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/h-m.aspx | url-status=live }}</ref>
| poem               =
| rock               = [[Thunderegg]]
| shell              = [[Fusitriton oregonensis|Oregon hairy triton]]<br />(''Fusitriton oregonensis'')
| ship              =
| soil               = [[Jory (soil)|Jory soil]]
| sport              =
| tartan             =
| toy                =
| other              = '''Nut:''' [[Hazelnut]]
| image_route       = OR 140.svg
| image_quarter            = 2005 OR Proof.png
| quarter_release_date = 2005
}}

'''Oregon''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Oregon.ogg|ˈ|ɒr|ɪ|ɡ|ən|,_|-|g|ɒ|n}} {{respell|ORR|ih|ghən}}, {{respell|-|gon}})<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Oregon|accessdate=2024-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Pacific Northwest]] region of the United States. It is a part of the [[Western U.S.]], with the [[Columbia River]] delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with [[Washington (state)|Washington]], while the [[Snake River]] delineates much of its eastern boundary with [[Idaho]]. The [[42nd parallel north|42° north parallel]] delineates the southern boundary with [[California]] and [[Nevada]]. The western boundary is formed by the [[Pacific Ocean]].

Oregon has been home to many [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what is now Oregon's Pacific coast in the early to mid-16th century. As early as 1564, the [[Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest|Spanish]] began sending vessels northeast from the [[Philippines]], riding the [[Kuroshio Current]] in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, [[Juan de Fuca]] undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca|strait]] now bearing his name. The [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] traversed Oregon in the early 1800s, and the first permanent European settlements in Oregon were established by fur trappers and traders. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the [[Oregon Country]], and the [[Oregon Territory]] was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859.

Today, with 4.2 million people over {{convert|98000|sqmi|km2}}, Oregon is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|ninth largest]] and [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|27th most populous]] U.S. state. The capital, [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]], is the third-most populous city in Oregon, with 175,535 residents.<ref name="Census2021Salem">{{cite web |author=United States Census Bureau |date=July 1, 2022 |title=Census QuickFacts: Salem, Oregon, United States |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/salemcityoregon,US/PST045222 |url-status=live |access-date=May 1, 2023 |website=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Salem city, Oregon; United States |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606182233/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/salemcityoregon,US/PST045222|archive-date=Jun 6, 2023}}</ref> [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], with 652,503, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The [[Portland metropolitan area]], which includes neighboring counties in Washington, is the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,512,859. Oregon is also one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S.,{{Sfn|Jewell|McRae|2014|p=4}} marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as [[High Desert (Oregon)|high deserts]] and semi-arid [[shrubland]]s. At {{convert|11249|ft|m}}, [[Mount Hood]] is the state's highest point. Oregon's only national park, [[Crater Lake National Park]], comprises the [[caldera]] surrounding [[Crater Lake]], the deepest lake in the U.S. The state is also home to the single [[Largest organisms#Fungi|largest organism]] in the world, ''[[Armillaria ostoyae]]'', a fungus that runs beneath {{convert|8.9|km2|acre|abbr=on|order=flip}} of the [[Malheur National Forest]].<ref name=ABCfungus>{{cite web|author=Beale, Bob|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm|title=Humungous fungus: world's largest organism?|series=Environment & Nature News|publisher=ABC|date=April 10, 2003|access-date=December 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231042044/http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm|archive-date=December 31, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

Oregon's economy has historically been powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, logging, and [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] power. Oregon is the top [[lumber]] producer of the [[contiguous U.S.]], with the lumber industry dominating the state's economy during the 20th&nbsp;century.<ref name="Forest Land Protection Program"/> Technology is another one of Oregon's major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the [[Silicon Forest]] and the expansion of [[Tektronix]] and [[Intel]]. Sportswear company [[Nike, Inc.]], headquartered in [[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]], is the state's largest public corporation with an annual revenue of $46.7&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s1.q4cdn.com/806093406/files/doc_downloads/2022/399556(1)_27_Nike-Inc._NPS_Combo_CEO-Letter_WR.pdf|title=2022 Shareholder Letter for Nike, Inc.|publisher=[[Nike, Inc.]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209055550/https://s1.q4cdn.com/806093406/files/doc_downloads/2022/399556(1)_27_Nike-Inc._NPS_Combo_CEO-Letter_WR.pdf|archive-date=February 9, 2023|access-date=February 13, 2023}}</ref>

==Etymology==

{{Main|Etymology of Oregon}}
[[File:2014-07-06 14 49 35 View north along Harney County Route 201 (Fields-Denio Road) at the end of Nevada State Route 292 (Denio Road) at the Oregon border in Denio, Nevada.JPG|thumb|Oregon border [[welcome sign]] at [[Denio, Nevada]]|left]]

The origin of the state's name is uncertain. The earliest geographical designation "orejón" (meaning "big ear") comes from the Spanish historical chronicle ''Relación de la Alta y Baja California'' (1598),{{Sfn|Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes|1988|p=149}} written by Rodrigo Montezuma of [[New Spain]]; here it refers to the region of the [[Columbia River]] as it was encountered by the first Spanish scouts. The "{{lang|es|j}}" in the Spanish phrase "{{lang|es|El Orejón}}" was eventually corrupted into a "g".{{Sfn| Johnson |1904 | p=51}}

Another possible source is the Spanish word {{lang|es|[[oregano]]}}, which refers to a plant that grows in the southern part of the region.

It is also possible that the area around the Columbia River was named after a stream in [[Spain]] called "Arroyo del Oregón", located in the province of [[Ciudad Real]].

Another early use of the name, spelled ''Ouragon'', was by Major [[Robert Rogers (soldier)|Robert Rogers]] in a 1765 petition to the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]. The term referred to the then-mythical River of the West (the Columbia River). By 1778, the spelling had shifted to ''Oregon''.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/m-n.aspx |title = Oregon Blue Book: Oregon Almanac: Mountains to National Wildlife Refuges |access-date = October 23, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073600/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/m-n.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> Rogers wrote:
<blockquote>...{{nbsp}}from the Great Lakes towards the Head of the Mississippi, and from thence to the River called by the Indians Ouragon{{nbsp}}...<ref>[https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/m-n.aspx Where does the name "Oregon" come from?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073600/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/m-n.aspx |date=October 24, 2018 }} from the online edition of the ''[[Oregon Blue Book]]''.</ref></blockquote>

One suggestion is that this name comes from the French word {{lang|fr|ouragan}} ("windstorm" or "hurricane"), which was applied to the River of the West based on Native American tales of powerful [[Chinook wind]]s on the lower Columbia River, or perhaps from first-hand French experience with the Chinook winds of the [[Great Plains]]. At the time, the River of the West was thought to rise in western Minnesota and flow west through the Great Plains.<ref>{{cite journal |last = Elliott |first = T.C. |date = June 1921 |title = The Origin of the Name Oregon |journal = Oregon Historical Quarterly |volume = XXIII |issue = 2 |issn = 0030-4727 |oclc = 1714620 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=P-oXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99 |pages = 99–100 |via = Google Books |access-date = June 27, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905225448/https://books.google.com/books?id=P-oXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99 |archive-date = September 5, 2015 |url-status = live }} {{Open access}}</ref>

Another suggestion comes from [[Joaquin Miller]], who wrote in [[Sunset (magazine)|''Sunset'' magazine]] in 1904:
<blockquote>The name, Oregon, is rounded down phonetically, from ''Ouve água''—Oragua, Or-a-gon, Oregon—given probably by the same Portuguese navigator that named the Farallones after his first officer, and it literally, in a large way, means cascades: "Hear the waters." You should steam up the Columbia and hear and feel the waters falling out of the clouds of [[Mount Hood]] to understand entirely the full meaning of the name ''Ouve a água'', Oregon.<ref>{{cite journal |url = https://archive.org/details/sunset01deptgoog/page/n418/mode/2up |author = Miller, Joaquin |title = The Sea of Silence |journal = Sunset |volume = XIII |number = 5 |date = September 1904 |pages = 395–396 |via = Internet Archive }} {{Open access}}</ref></blockquote>

Yet another account, endorsed as the "most plausible explanation" in the book ''[[Oregon Geographic Names]]'', was advanced by [[George R. Stewart]] in a 1944 article in ''[[American Speech]]''. According to Stewart, the name came from an engraver's error in a French map published in the early 18th&nbsp;century, on which the [[Wisconsin River|Ouisiconsink (Wisconsin) River]] was spelled "{{lang|fr|Ouaricon-sint}}", broken on two lines with the {{lang|fr|-sint}} below, so there appeared to be a river flowing to the west named "{{lang|fr|Ouaricon}}".

According to the [[Oregon Tourism Commission]], present-day Oregonians {{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɒr|ᵻ|ˈ|ɡ|oʊ|n|i|ə|n|z}}<ref name="mw">{{cite web |url = http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oregon |title = Oregon |access-date = September 14, 2006 |publisher = Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081122085117/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Oregon |archive-date = November 22, 2008 |url-status = live }}</ref> pronounce the state's name as "or-uh-gun, never or-ee-gone".<ref name=traveloregon>{{cite web |url = http://traveloregon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=23&item=33 |title = Oregon Fast Facts |publisher = Travel Oregon |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120323154339/http://traveloregon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=23&item=33 |archive-date = March 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> After being drafted by the [[Detroit Lions]] in 2002, former [[Oregon Ducks]] quarterback [[Joey Harrington]] distributed "Orygun" stickers to members of the media as a reminder of how to pronounce the name of his home state.<ref>Banks, Don (April 21, 2002). [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/don_banks/news/2002/04/21/harrington_intro/ "Harrington confident about Detroit QB challenge".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907215259/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/don_banks/news/2002/04/21/harrington_intro |date=September 7, 2008 }} ''Sports Illustrated''.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Bellamy |first = Ron |title = See no evil, hear no evil |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MFFWAAAAIBAJ&dq=Joey%20Harrington%20scoffs%20at%20criticism%20as%20he%20struggles%20to%20right%20the%20Lions&pg=3329%2C1524986 |access-date = June 1, 2011 |newspaper = The Register-Guard |date = October 6, 2003 |archive-date = February 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153258/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MFFWAAAAIBAJ&dq=Joey+Harrington+scoffs+at+criticism+as+he+struggles+to+right+the+Lions&pg=3329%2C1524986 |url-status = live }}</ref> The stickers are sold by the [[University of Oregon Bookstore]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Yellow/Green ORYGUN Block Letter Outside Decal |url = http://spiritduck.uoduckstore.com/Yellow_Green_ORYGUN_Block_Letter_Outside_Decal_p/76386407024.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101208035244/http://spiritduck.uoduckstore.com/Yellow_Green_ORYGUN_Block_Letter_Outside_Decal_p/76386407024.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date = December 8, 2010 |publisher = UO Duck Store |access-date = August 3, 2011 }}</ref>

==History==

{{Main|History of Oregon}}

===Earliest inhabitants===

{{See also|Native American peoples of Oregon|Kennewick Man}}
[[File:Paul Shoaway, Umatilla Indian, in ceremonial dress, Washington (4951753872).jpg|thumb|Paul Shoaway of the [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]] tribe, 1899|left]]

While there is considerable evidence that [[Paleo-Indians]] inhabited the region, the oldest evidence of habitation in Oregon was found at [[Fort Rock Cave]] and the [[Paisley Caves]] in [[Lake County, Oregon|Lake County]]. Archaeologist [[Luther Cressman]] dated material from Fort Rock to 13,200 years ago,{{Sfn|Robbins|2005}} and there is evidence supporting inhabitants in the region at least 15,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/science/la-xpm-2012-jul-12-la-sci-sn-paisley-caves-20120712-story.html |website = The Los Angeles Times |title = Who was first? New info on North America's earliest residents |date = July 12, 2012 |author = Maugh II, Thomas H. |access-date = November 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141221153403/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/12/science/la-sci-sn-paisley-caves-20120712 |archive-date = December 21, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref> By 8000 BC, there were settlements throughout the state, with populations concentrated along the lower Columbia River, in the western valleys, and around coastal estuaries.

During the [[prehistoric period]], the [[Willamette Valley]] region was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from then [[Lake Missoula]], located in what would later become [[Montana]]. These massive floods occurred during the [[last glacial period]] and filled the valley with {{convert|300|to|400|ft|m}} of water.{{Sfn|Allen|Burns|Sargent|2009|pages=175–189}}

By the 16th century, Oregon was home to many Native American groups, including the [[Chinookan peoples|Chinook]], [[Coquille people|Coquille]] (Ko-Kwell), [[Bannock people|Bannock]], [[Kalapuya]], [[Klamath people|Klamath]], [[Klickitat people|Klickitat]], [[Molala]], [[Nez Perce]], [[Shasta people|Shasta]], [[Takelma]], [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]], and [[Umpqua people|Umpqua]].<ref name="BBGreatBasin">{{cite web |title = Oregon History: Great Basin |website = Oregon Blue Book |publisher = Oregon State Archives |access-date = September 2, 2007 |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-great-basin.aspx |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035513/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-great-basin.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="BBNWCoast">{{cite web |title = Oregon History: Northwest Coast |website = Oregon Blue Book |publisher = Oregon State Archives |access-date = September 2, 2007 |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-northwest.aspx |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035531/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-northwest.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="BBColumbiaPlateau">{{cite web |title = Oregon History: Columbia Plateau |website = Oregon Blue Book |publisher = Oregon State Archives |access-date = September 2, 2007 |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-columbia.aspx |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035507/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/history/pre-columbia.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Carey|1922|p=47}}

=== European and pioneer settlement ===
{{Main|Oregon Country|Oregon pioneer history|Columbia District|Provisional Government of Oregon|Organic act#List of organic acts|Spanish expeditions to the Pacific Northwest}}
[[File:Monument near Coos Bay, Oregon, of Francis Drake's first North American Encounter.jpg|thumb|right|Monument near Coos Bay, Oregon, of Francis Drake's first North American Encounter. Plaque by Oregon State Parks and [[Oregon Historical Society]].]]

The first Europeans to visit Oregon were Spanish explorers led by [[Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo]], who sighted southern Oregon off the Pacific coast in 1543.{{Sfn|Hemming|2008|pages=140–141}} Sailing from Central America on the ''[[Golden Hind]]'' in 1579 in search of the [[Strait of Anian]] during [[Francis Drake's circumnavigation|his circumnavigation of the Earth]], the English explorer and privateer Sir [[Francis Drake]] briefly anchored at [[Cape Arago State Park|South Cove, Cape Arago]], just south of [[Coos Bay, Oregon|Coos Bay]], before sailing for what is now California.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Drake's First Landfall |journal= Pacific Discovery, California Academy of Sciences|author-link1=Edward Von der Porten |first=Edward |last=Von der Porten |volume=28 |issue=1 |date= January 1975 |pages=28–30}}</ref>{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=39}} [[Martín de Aguilar]], continuing separately from [[Sebastián Vizcaíno]]'s scouting of California, reached as far north as [[Cape Blanco (Oregon)|Cape Blanco]] and possibly to Coos Bay in 1603.<ref name="Cogswell">{{cite book|last=Cogswell|first=Philip Jr.|title=Capitol Names: Individuals Woven Into Oregon's History|publisher=[[Oregon Historical Society]]|year=1977|location=Portland, OR|pages=9–10}}</ref><ref name="OE">{{cite web|last=LaLande|first=Jeff|title=Cape Blanco|url=http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/cape_blanco/|access-date=April 28, 2014|publisher=[[The Oregon Encyclopedia]]|archive-date=May 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520233116/http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/cape_blanco/|url-status=live}}</ref> Exploration continued routinely in 1774, starting with the expedition of the frigate ''Santiago'' by [[Juan José Pérez Hernández]], and the coast of Oregon became a valuable trade route to Asia. In 1778, British captain [[James Cook]] also explored the coast.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|pages=64–65}}

[[French Canadians]], [[Scottish people|Scots]], [[Métis]], and other continental natives (e.g. [[Iroquois]]) trappers arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, soon to be followed by Catholic clergy. Some traveled as members of the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Lewis and Clark]] and Astor Expeditions. Few stayed permanently such as Étienne Lussier, often referred to as the first "European" farmer in the state of Oregon. Evidence of the French Canadian presence can be found in numerous names of French origin such as [[Malheur Lake]], the [[Malheur River|Malheur]], [[Grande Ronde River|Grande Ronde]], and [[Deschutes River (Oregon)|Deschutes Rivers]], and the city of [[La Grande, Oregon|La Grande]]. Furthermore, many of the early pioneers first came out West with the [[North West Company]] and the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] before heading South of the Columbia for better farmland as the fur trade declined. [[French Prairie]] by the [[Willamette River]] and [[French Settlement, Oregon|French Settlement]] by the [[Umpqua River]] are known as early mixed ancestry settlements.
[[File:Franchere fort astoria 1813.jpg|thumb|left|[[Fort Astoria]], as established by [[John Jacob Astor]] in 1813]]

The Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled through northern Oregon also in search of the [[Northwest Passage]]. They built their winter fort in 1805–1806 at [[Fort Clatsop]], near the mouth of the Columbia River, staying at the encampment from December until March.{{Sfn|Ambrose|1997|p=326}}

British explorer [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]] also conducted overland exploration. In 1811, while working for the North West Company, Thompson became the first European to navigate the entire Columbia River.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|pages=145–146}} Stopping on the way, at the junction of the Snake River, he posted a claim to the region for [[Great Britain]] and the North West Company. Upon returning to [[Montreal]], he publicized the abundance of fur-bearing animals in the area.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=146}}

Also in 1811, New Yorker [[John Jacob Astor]] financed the establishment of [[Fort Astoria]] at the mouth of the Columbia River as a western outpost to his [[Pacific Fur Company]];{{Sfn|Loy|Allan|Buckley|Meacham|2001|pages=12–13}} this was the first permanent European settlement in Oregon.

In the [[War of 1812]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] gained control of all Pacific Fur Company posts. The [[Treaty of 1818]] established joint British and American occupancy of the region west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. By the 1820s and 1830s, the Hudson's Bay Company dominated the Pacific Northwest from its [[Columbia District]] headquarters at [[Fort Vancouver]] (built in 1825 by the district's chief factor, [[John McLoughlin]], across the Columbia from present-day [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]).

In 1841, the expert trapper and entrepreneur [[Ewing Young]] died leaving considerable wealth and no apparent heir, and no system to [[probate]] his estate. A meeting followed Young's funeral, at which a probate government was proposed.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=221}} Doctor [[Ira Babcock]] of [[Jason Lee (missionary)|Jason Lee]]'s [[Methodist Mission]] was elected supreme judge.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=207}} Babcock chaired two meetings in 1842 at [[Champoeg, Oregon|Champoeg]], (halfway between Lee's mission and [[Oregon City]]), to discuss [[Gray wolf|wolves]] and other animals of contemporary concern. These meetings were precursors to an [[Champoeg Meetings|all-citizen meeting]] in 1843, which instituted a provisional government headed by an [[Executive Committee (Oregon Country)|executive committee]] made up of [[David Hill (Oregon politician)|David Hill]], [[Alanson Beers]], and [[Joseph Gale]].{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=226}} This government was the first acting public government of the [[Oregon Country]] before annexation by the government of the United States. It was succeeded by a Second Executive Committee, made up of [[Peter G. Stewart]], [[Osborne Russell]], and [[William J. Bailey]], and this committee was itself succeeded by [[George Abernethy]], who was the first and only Governor of Oregon under the provisional government.

Also in 1841, Sir [[George Simpson (HBC administrator)|George Simpson]], governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, reversed the Hudson's Bay Company's long-standing policy of discouraging settlement because it interfered with the lucrative fur trade.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=215}} He directed that some 200 [[Red River Colony]] settlers be relocated to HBC farms near Fort Vancouver, (the [[James Sinclair (fur trapper)|James Sinclair]] expedition), in an attempt to hold Columbia District.

Starting in 1842–1843, the [[Oregon Trail]] brought many new American settlers to the Oregon Country. [[Oregon boundary dispute|Oregon's boundaries were disputed]] for a time, contributing to tensions between the U.K. and the U.S., but the border was defined peacefully in the 1846 [[Oregon Treaty]]. The border between the U.S. and [[British North America]] was set at the [[49th parallel north|49th parallel]].{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=273}} The [[Oregon Territory]] was officially organized on August 13, 1848.{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=285}}

Settlement increased with the [[Donation Land Claim Act]] of 1850 and the [[Population transfer|forced relocation]] of the native population to [[List of Indian reservations in Oregon|Indian reservations in Oregon]].

The first Oregon proposition for a railroad in Oregon was made in 1850 by H.&nbsp;M. Knighton, the original owner of the townsite of [[St. Helens, Oregon|St. Helens]]. Knighton asserted that this would fulfill his township's belief that it should be the supreme metropolitan seaport in that area upon the Columbia River, as opposed to Portland. He suggested building a railroad in 1851 from St.&nbsp;Helens, through the Cornelius pass and across [[Washington County, Oregon|Washington County]] to the city of Lafayette, which was at the time the big town of the Willamette Valley.<ref>Joseph Gaston, 1912, The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811–1912, vol.1, S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Qtd. in Topinka {{source attribution}}</ref><ref>Chards Henry Carey, 1922, History of Oregon, vol.1, Pioneer Historical Publishing Company . in Topinka {{source attribution}}</ref>

===Black exclusion laws===
In December 1844, Oregon passed its first [[Oregon black exclusion laws|black exclusion law]], which prohibited [[African Americans]] from entering the territory while simultaneously prohibiting [[Slavery in the United States|slavery]]. Slave owners who brought their slaves with them were given three years before they were forced to free them. Any African Americans in the region after the law was passed were forced to leave, and those who did not comply were arrested and beaten. They received no less than twenty and no more than thirty-nine stripes across the back if they still did not leave. This process could be repeated every six months.<ref>{{cite journal |author = McClintock, Thomas C. |title = James Saules, Peter Burnett, and the Oregon Black Exclusion Law of June 1844 |journal = The Pacific Northwest Quarterly |volume = 86 |number = 3 |date = July 1, 1995 |page = 122 }}</ref>

===Statehood===
Slavery played a major part in Oregon's history and even influenced its path to statehood. The territory's request for [[State (polity)|statehood]] was delayed several times, as members of Congress argued among themselves whether the territory should be admitted as a "free" or "slave" state. Eventually politicians from the South agreed to allow Oregon to enter as a "free" state, in exchange for opening slavery to the Southwestern U.S.<ref>{{cite journal |last = Mahoney |first = Barbara |title = Oregon Voices: Oregon Democracy: Asahel Bush, Slavery, and the Statehood Debate |journal = Oregon Historical Quarterly |volume = 110 |number = 2 |date = July 1, 2009 |page = 202 |doi = 10.1353/ohq.2009.0099 |s2cid = 159872966 |issn = 0030-4727 }}</ref>

Oregon was admitted to the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] on February 14, 1859, though no one in Oregon knew it until March 15.<ref name="Brother Jonathan (ship)">{{cite web |title=Brother Jonathan (ship) |url=https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/brother_jonathan_ship_/#.X6Ls0y2z0q8 |website=The Oregon Encyclopedia |access-date=November 7, 2020 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126070647/https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/brother_jonathan_ship_/#.X6Ls0y2z0q8 |url-status=live }}</ref> Founded as a refuge from disputes over slavery, Oregon had a "whites only" clause in its original state Constitution.{{Sfn|McLagan|1980|p=28}}<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ortiz|first=Jorge L.|date=July 22, 2020|title=A 'very dark history': Oregon's racist past fuels protests against injustice in Portland|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/21/portland-protests-fueled-oregons-very-dark-history-racism/5483884002/|access-date=July 23, 2020|work=USA TODAY|language=en-US|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723075730/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/21/portland-protests-fueled-oregons-very-dark-history-racism/5483884002/|url-status=live}}</ref> At the outbreak of the American Civil War, regular U.S. troops were withdrawn and sent east [[Oregon in the American Civil War|to aid the Union]]. Volunteer cavalry recruited in California were sent north to Oregon to keep peace and protect the populace. The [[1st Oregon Cavalry|First Oregon Cavalry]] served until June 1865.

===Post-Reconstruction===
Beginning in the 1880s, the growth of railroads expanded the state's [[lumber]], [[wheat]], and other agricultural markets, and the rapid growth of its cities.<ref name="engemanohs">{{cite web |title = Architectural Fashions and Industrial Pragmatism, 1865–1900 |url = http://oregonhistoryproject.org/narratives/wooden-beams-and-railroad-ties-the-history-of-oregons-built-environment/architectural-fashions-and-industrial-pragmatism-1865-1900/architectural-fashions/ |author = Engeman, Richard H. |year = 2005 |website = The Oregon History Project |publisher = Oregon Historical Society |access-date = June 17, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160827135141/https://oregonhistoryproject.org/narratives/wooden-beams-and-railroad-ties-the-history-of-oregons-built-environment/architectural-fashions-and-industrial-pragmatism-1865-1900/architectural-fashions/ |archive-date = August 27, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Due to the abundance of timber and waterway access via the Willamette River, Portland became a major force in the lumber industry of the [[Pacific Northwest]], and quickly became the state's largest city. It would earn the nickname "Stumptown",<ref>{{cite web |publisher = End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center |title = From Robin's Nest to Stumptown |url = http://www.historicoregoncity.org/index.php/widgetkit/oregon-trail-history/item/early-towns-and-cities |date = February 1, 2013 |access-date = March 7, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130512161747/http://www.historicoregoncity.org/index.php/widgetkit/oregon-trail-history/item/early-towns-and-cities |archive-date = May 12, 2013 }}</ref> and would later become recognized as one of the most dangerous port cities in the United States due to racketeering and illegal activities at the turn of the 20th&nbsp;century.<ref name="kennedy">{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/unitedstates/oregon/portland/fdrs_feat_121_5.html?n=Top%2FFeatures%2FTravel%2FDestinations%2FUnited+States%2FOregon%2FPortland |work = The New York Times |title = The Shanghai Tunnels |author = Kennedy, Sarah |access-date = September 26, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150205070729/http://www.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/unitedstates/oregon/portland/fdrs_feat_121_5.html?n=Top%2FFeatures%2FTravel%2FDestinations%2FUnited+States%2FOregon%2FPortland |archive-date = February 5, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 1902, Oregon introduced [[Direct Legislation League|direct legislation]] by the state's citizens through [[initiatives]] and [[referendum]]s, known as the [[Direct Legislation League|Oregon System]].{{Sfn|Evans|1966| p=156}}

On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed by a [[Fu-Go balloon bomb|Japanese balloon bomb]] that exploded on [[Gearhart Mountain]] near [[Bly, Oregon|Bly]].<ref name="findingdulcinea.com">{{cite web |url = http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/May-June-08/On-this-Day--Japanese-WWII--Balloon-Bomb--Kills-Six-in-Oregon.html |title = On This Day: Japanese WWII Balloon Bomb Kills 6 in Oregon |website = Finding Dulcinea |date = May 5, 2011 |access-date = April 9, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170419203227/http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/May-June-08/On-this-Day--Japanese-WWII--Balloon-Bomb--Kills-Six-in-Oregon.html |archive-date = April 19, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Mitchell_Monument">{{cite web |url = http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/fremont-winema/recarea/?recid=59797 |website = US Department of Agriculture Forest Service |title = Mitchell Monument Historic Site |access-date = December 9, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170525073933/https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/fremont-winema/recarea/?recid=59797 |archive-date = May 25, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> They remained the only people on American soil whose deaths were attributed to an enemy balloon bomb explosion during [[World War II]]. The bombing site is now located in the [[Mitchell Recreation Area]].

Industrial expansion began in earnest following the 1933–1937 construction of the [[Bonneville Dam]] on the Columbia River. [[Hydroelectric power]], food, and lumber provided by Oregon helped fuel the development of the West, although the periodic fluctuations in the U.S. building industry have hurt the state's economy on multiple occasions. Portland, in particular, experienced a population boom between 1900 and 1930, tripling in size; the arrival of World War II also provided the northwest region of the state with an industrial boom, where [[Liberty ship]]s and aircraft carriers were constructed.<ref name="ohs2003toll">{{cite web |title = Home Front Boom |first = William |last = Toll |year = 2003 |url = http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/narratives/subtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID=213 |publisher = [[Oregon Historical Society]] |access-date = October 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110609021755/http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/narratives/subtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID=213 |archive-date = June 9, 2011 }}</ref>

During the 1970s, the Pacific Northwest was particularly affected by the [[1973 oil crisis]], with Oregon suffering a substantial shortage.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/07/america-in-the-1970s-the-pacific-northwest/100561/ |website = The Atlantic |title = America in the 1970s: The Pacific Northwest |author = Taylor, Alan |date = July 26, 2013 |access-date = November 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109220822/http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2013/07/america-in-the-1970s-the-pacific-northwest/100561/ |archive-date = November 9, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 1972, the Oregon Beverage Container Act of 1971,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://productstewardship.net/legislation/oregon/oregons-beverage-container-act|website=Northwest Product Stewardship Council|title=Oregon's Beverage Container Act (SB 707) &#124; Northwest Product Stewardship Council|access-date=June 13, 2021|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613052014/http://productstewardship.net/legislation/oregon/oregons-beverage-container-act|url-status=live}}</ref> popularly called the Bottle Bill, became the first law of its kind in the United States. The Bottle Bill system in Oregon was created to control litter. In practice, the system promotes recycling, not reusing, and the collected containers are generally destroyed and made into new containers. Ten states<ref>{{cite web |title=State Beverage Container Deposit Laws |url=https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-beverage-container-laws.aspx |website=National Conference of State Legislatures |access-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614060036/https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-beverage-container-laws.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> currently have similar laws.

In 1994, Oregon became the first U.S. state to legalize [[Assisted suicide|physician-assisted suicide]] through the [[Oregon Death with Dignity Act]]. A measure to legalize recreational use of [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] in Oregon was approved on November 4, 2014, making Oregon only the second state at the time to have legalized [[gay marriage]], physician-assisted suicide, and recreational marijuana.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/05/gay_marriage_marijuana_legaliz.html |website = The Oregonian |title = Gay marriage, marijuana legalization measures show strong support in new Oregon poll |author = Mapes, Jeff |date = May 8, 2014 |access-date = April 9, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170413125130/http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2014/05/gay_marriage_marijuana_legaliz.html |archive-date = April 13, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Gasoline pump law===
Self service gasoline was banned in Oregon from 1951 until August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramakrishnan |first=Jayati |date=June 21, 2023 |title=Oregon's self-serve gas ban voted out by lawmakers after decades |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2023/06/oregon-lawmakers-vote-to-allow-self-serve-gas-statewide-ending-decades-long-ban.html |access-date=2023-08-14 |website=oregonlive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rose |first=Andy |date=August 6, 2023 |title=Oregon drivers are now allowed to pump their own fuel after the state lifted a ban dating back to 1951 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/06/us/oregon-drivers-pump-own-fuel-law/index.html |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Although self-serve is now allowed in Oregon, gas stations are not required to offer it and many currently do not.<ref>{{cite web |last=Macuk |first=Anthony |date=August 4, 2023 |title=No, Oregon drivers do not have a right to self-service gas if a station doesn't offer it |url=https://www.kgw.com/article/news/verify/oregon-gas-stations-not-required-offer-self-service/283-5e2f87ff-389a-480d-a74e-f5fcf26dcabd |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=KGW |language=en-US}}</ref>

New Jersey is the only state remaining where self serve gas stations are not allowed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyersohn |first=Nathaniel |date=August 9, 2023 |title=There's only one state left where it's illegal to pump your own gas |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/09/business/new-jersey-gas-station-self-service-ban/index.html |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==

{{See also|List of regions of Oregon}}
[[File:Crater Lake - panoramio.jpg|thumb|right|[[Crater Lake]]]]

Oregon is {{convert|295|mi|km|0}} north to south at longest distance, and {{convert|395|mi|km|0}} east to west. With an area of {{convert|98381|sqmi|km2}}, Oregon is slightly larger than the [[United Kingdom]]. It is the ninth largest state in the U.S.<ref>[http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/00_SF1/GCTPH1R.US01PR Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population).] U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2013.</ref> Oregon's highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at {{convert|11249|ft|m|0}}, and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast.<ref name=usgs>{{cite web |date = April 29, 2005 |url = http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title = Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher = U.S. Geological Survey |access-date = November 7, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date = October 15, 2011 }}</ref> Oregon's mean elevation is {{convert|3300|ft|m|0}}. [[Crater Lake National Park]], the state's only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the U.S. at {{convert|1943|ft|m|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |title = Crater Lake National Park |publisher = [[U.S. National Park Service]] |url = http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm |access-date = November 22, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150702015100/http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm |archive-date = July 2, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon claims the [[D River]] as the shortest river in the world,<ref name="driver">{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_214.php |title = D River State Recreation Site |website = Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |access-date = May 11, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070418091225/http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_214.php |archive-date = April 18, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref> though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its [[Roe River]].<ref name="roeriver">{{cite web |url = http://montanakids.com/db_engine/presentations/presentation.asp?pid=192 |title = World's Shortest River |website = Travel Montana |access-date = May 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070702003456/http://montanakids.com/db_engine/presentations/presentation.asp?pid=192 |archive-date = July 2, 2007 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Oregon is also home to [[Mill Ends Park]] (in Portland),<ref name="pp&r">{{cite web |url = http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=265&action=ViewPark |title = Mill Ends Park |website = Portland Parks and Recreation |access-date = May 11, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120515141102/http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=265&action=ViewPark |archive-date = May 15, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> the smallest park in the world at {{convert|452|sqin|m2|2}}.

Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In [[Western Oregon]]: [[Oregon Coast]] (west of the [[Oregon Coast Range|Coast Range]]), the Willamette Valley, [[Rogue Valley]], [[Cascade Range]] and [[Klamath Mountains]]; and in [[Central Oregon|Central]] and [[Eastern Oregon]]: the [[Columbia Plateau]], the [[High Desert (Oregon)|High Desert]], and the [[Blue Mountains (ecoregion)|Blue Mountains]].

Oregon lies in two [[time zone]]s. Most of [[Malheur County, Oregon|Malheur County]] is in the [[Mountain Time Zone]], while the rest of the state lies in the [[Pacific Time Zone]].

===Geology and terrain===

{{See also|Geology of Oregon|List of rivers in Oregon|List of Oregon mountain ranges|List of Oregon state parks}}
[[File:Mt. Hood (8081466807).jpg|thumb|left|[[Mount Hood]] is the highest peak in Oregon.]]

Western Oregon's mountainous regions, home to three of the [[List of the most prominent summits of the United States|most prominent mountain peaks of the U.S.]] including Mount Hood, were formed by the [[volcanic]] activity of the [[Juan de Fuca Plate]], a [[Plate tectonics|tectonic plate]] that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the [[1700 Cascadia earthquake]].<ref>{{cite news |title=A Major Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest Looks Even Likelier |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/a-major-earthquake-in-the-pacific-northwest-just-got-more-likely/495407/ |work=The Atlantic |date=August 16, 2016 |access-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-date=September 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902173553/https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/a-major-earthquake-in-the-pacific-northwest-just-got-more-likely/495407/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Washington (state)|Washington]]'s [[Mount St. Helens]] [[1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens|erupted in 1980]], an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there.<ref>{{cite news |title = Oregon volcano may be warming up for an eruption |work = Christian Science Monitor |date = March 27, 1980 |author = Ray, Dewey |url = http://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0327/032754.html |access-date = October 31, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120629144823/http://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0327/032754.html |archive-date = June 29, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon's northern border, also played a major role in the region's geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America's largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] (the [[Klamath River]] in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the [[Missoula Floods]]; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful [[salmon]] made parts of the river, such as [[Celilo Falls]], hubs of economic activity for thousands of years.

Today, Oregon's landscape varies from [[rain forest]] in the Coast Range to barren desert in the southeast, which still meets the technical definition of a [[frontier]]. Oregon's [[Centroid|geographical center]] is further west than any of the other 48 contiguous states (although the westernmost point of the lower 48 states is in Washington). [[Central Oregon]]'s geographical features range from [[High Desert (Oregon)|high desert]] and volcanic rock formations resulting from [[lava bed]]s. The [[Oregon Badlands Wilderness]] is in this region of the state.<ref>{{cite book |title = Congressional Record Vol. 155 Part 1: Proceedings and Debates of the 111th Congress: First Session |publisher = Government Printing Office |page = 935 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=I4OdyBwCpA0C&q=oregon+badlands&pg=PA935 |via = [[Google Books]] |access-date = November 18, 2020 |archive-date = February 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153252/https://books.google.com/books?id=I4OdyBwCpA0C&q=oregon+badlands&pg=PA935 |url-status = live }} {{Open access}}</ref>

===Flora and fauna===
{{Main|Fauna of Oregon}}
Typical of a western state, Oregon is home to a unique and diverse array of wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of the state is covered in forest,<ref name=forestfacts /> while the areas west of the Cascades are more densely populated by forest, making up around 80&nbsp;percent of the landscape. Some 60&nbsp;percent of Oregon's forests are within federal land.<ref name=forestfacts>{{cite web |url = https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/AboutODF/ForestryFactsFigures.pdf |website = Oregon.gov |title = Oregon's Forests: Some Facts and Figures |series = Forest Figures |date = September 2009 |access-date = May 30, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170819094338/http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/AboutODF/ForestryFactsFigures.pdf |archive-date = August 19, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon is the top timber producer of the lower 48 states.<ref name="Forest Land Protection Program">{{cite web |title = Forest Land Protection Program |url = http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/pages/forlandprot.aspx |publisher = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180708074609/https://www.oregon.gov/LCD/pages/forlandprot.aspx |archive-date = July 8, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Oregon is top timber producer in worst year">{{cite news |title = Oregon is top timber producer in worst year |url = http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100917/NEWS/9170329/-1/biz |newspaper = Mail Tribune |access-date = September 17, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140302033227/http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20100917%2FNEWS%2F9170329%2F-1%2Fbiz |archive-date = March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>
* Typical tree species include the [[Douglas fir]] (the [[List of Oregon state symbols|state tree]]), as well as [[Sequoia (genus)|redwood]], [[ponderosa pine]], [[western red cedar]], and [[Tsuga|hemlock]].<ref name="Trees of Oregon's forests">{{cite web |title = Trees of Oregon's forests |url = http://oregonforests.org/content/tree-variety |website = Tree Variety |publisher = Oregon Forest Resources Institute |access-date = December 28, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161205020419/http://oregonforests.org/content/tree-variety |archive-date = December 5, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Ponderosa pine are more common in the Blue Mountains in the eastern part of the state and firs are more common in the west.
[[File:Antilocapra americana.jpg|thumb|right|''Antilocapra americana'' ([[pronghorn]])]]

* Many species of mammals live in the state, which include opossums, shrews, moles, [[Little pocket mouse|little pocket mice]], [[Great Basin pocket mouse|great basin pocket mice]], [[dark kangaroo mouse]], [[California kangaroo rat]], [[chisel-toothed kangaroo rat]], [[ord's kangaroo rat]],<ref>{{cite web |series = Oregon Wildlife Species |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/pocket_kangaroo_rats_mice.asp#Top |website = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |access-date = November 7, 2016 |title = Mammals: Pocket Mice, Kangaroo Rats and Kangaroo Mouse |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161103001446/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/pocket_kangaroo_rats_mice.asp#Top |archive-date = November 3, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> bats, rabbits, [[American pika|pikas]], [[mountain beaver]]s, [[chipmunk]]s, squirrels, [[yellow-bellied marmot]]s, beavers (the [[List of Oregon state symbols|state mammal]]), [[porcupine]]s, [[coyote]]s, [[Wolf|wolves]], [[fox]]es<ref>{{cite web |series = Oregon Wildlife Species |title = Mammals: Coyotes, wolves and foxes |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/coyotes_wolves_foxes.asp#Top |website = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |access-date = November 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161024234949/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/coyotes_wolves_foxes.asp#Top |archive-date = October 24, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> black bears, raccoons, badgers, skunks, [[Pronghorn|antelopes]], [[cougar]]s, [[bobcat]]s, [[lynx]]es, deer, elk, and moose.
* Marine mammals include [[Pinniped|seals]], [[sea lion]]s, [[humpback whale]]s, [[killer whale]]s, [[gray whale]]s, [[blue whale]]s, [[sperm whale]]s, pacific white-sided [[dolphin]]s, and [[bottlenose dolphin]]s.<ref>{{cite web |series = Oregon Wildlife Species |title = Mammals: Whale, dolphin and porpoise |website = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/whale_dolphin_porpois.asp |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161118033917/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/mammals/whale_dolphin_porpois.asp |archive-date = November 18, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>
* Notable birds include [[American widgeon]]s, [[mallard duck]]s, [[great blue heron]]s, [[bald eagle]]s, [[golden eagle]]s, [[western meadowlark]]s (the [[List of Oregon state symbols|state bird]]), [[American barn owl|barn owl]]s, [[great horned owl]]s, [[rufous hummingbird]]s, [[pileated woodpecker]]s, wrens, [[towhee]]s, sparrows, and [[bunting (bird)|buntings]].<ref name="Oregon Wildlife Species">{{cite web |title = Oregon Wildlife Species |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/index.asp |publisher = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |access-date = February 22, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140314070855/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/index.asp |archive-date = March 14, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
[[Moose]] have not always inhabited the state but came to Oregon in the 1960s; the [[Wallowa Valley]] herd numbered about 60 {{as of|2013|lc=y}}.<ref name="Oregon's only moose herd thriving">{{cite news |title = Oregon's only moose herd thriving, up to about 60 |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/09/oregons_only_moose_herd_thrivi.html |newspaper = The Oregonian |access-date = September 1, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130904080632/http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/09/oregons_only_moose_herd_thrivi.html |archive-date = September 4, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Gray wolves]] were extirpated from Oregon around 1930 but have since found their way back; most reside in northeast Oregon, with two packs living in the south-central part.<ref name="Wolves in Oregon">{{cite web |title = Wolves in Oregon |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wolves/ |publisher = ODFW |access-date = February 4, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140301041045/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wolves/ |archive-date = March 1, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Although their existence in Oregon is unconfirmed, reports of [[grizzly bear]]s still turn up, and it is probable some still move into eastern Oregon from Idaho.<ref name="Moose enter Oregon, so are grizzlies next?">{{cite web |title = Moose enter Oregon, so are grizzlies next? |url = http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2008/11/01/369722/moose-enter-oregon-so-are-grizzlies.html |publisher = Tri City Herald |access-date = November 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140706062635/http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2008/11/01/369722/moose-enter-oregon-so-are-grizzlies.html |archive-date = July 6, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Oregon is home to what is considered the largest single organism in the world, an ''[[Armillaria solidipes]]'' [[fungus]] beneath the [[Malheur National Forest]] of eastern Oregon.<ref name="ABCfungus" />

Oregon has several [[List of areas in the United States National Park System|National Park System sites]], including [[Crater Lake National Park]] in the southern part of the Cascades, [[John Day Fossil Beds National Monument]] east of the Cascades, [[Lewis and Clark National Historical Park]] on the north coast, and [[Oregon Caves National Monument]] near the south coast.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Other areas that were considered for potential national park status in the 20th century include the southern Oregon Coast, Mount Hood, and Hells Canyon to the east.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hale |first=Jamie |date=July 26, 2016 |title=3 national parks in Oregon that never happened |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/2016/07/3_national_parks_in_oregon_tha.html |work=The Oregonian |accessdate=June 27, 2024}}</ref>

===Climate===

{{Main|Climate of Oregon}}
[[File:Oregon Köppen.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] in Oregon]]
Most of Oregon has a generally mild climate, though there is significant variation given the variety of landscapes across the state.<ref>{{cite book|title= Oregon|author=Hamilton, John|page=14|publisher=ABDO|year=2016|isbn=978-1-680-77443-6}}</ref> The state's western region (west of the [[Cascade Range]]) has an [[oceanic climate]], populated by dense [[Temperate rainforest|evergreen]] mixed forests. Western Oregon's climate is heavily influenced by the Pacific Ocean; the western third of Oregon is very wet in the winter, moderately to very wet during the spring and fall, and dry during the summer. The [[relative humidity]] of Western Oregon is high except during summer days, which are semi-dry to semi-humid; Eastern Oregon typically sees low humidity year-round.<ref name=dri />

The state's southwestern portion, particularly the [[Rogue Valley]], has a [[Mediterranean climate]] with drier and sunnier winters and hotter summers, similar to [[Northern California]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://extension.oregonstate.edu/josephine/sites/default/files/weather_joco_2013_0.pdf |website = Oregon State University |title = Rogue Valley Weather and Climate |author = Jones, Gregory V. |access-date = December 9, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220120357/http://extension.oregonstate.edu/josephine/sites/default/files/weather_joco_2013_0.pdf |archive-date = December 20, 2016 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Oregon's northeastern portion has a [[steppe climate]], and its high terrain regions have a [[subarctic climate]]. Like [[Western Europe]], Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest in general, is considered warm for its latitude, and the state has far milder winters at a given elevation than comparable latitudes elsewhere in North America, such as the [[Upper Midwest]], [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]] and [[New England]].<ref name=dri>{{cite web |url = http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/OREGON.htm |website = Desert Research Institute |title = Climate of Oregon |access-date = December 10, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161221222524/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/OREGON.htm |archive-date = December 21, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> However, the state ranks fifth for coolest summer temperatures of any state in the country, after Maine, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska.<ref>{{cite web|website=Current Results|author=Osborn, Liz|url=https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest-states.php|access-date=December 23, 2017|title=Coldest States in America|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223161002/https://www.currentresults.com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest-states.php|archive-date=December 23, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The eastern two thirds of Oregon, which largely comprise high [[semi-arid|desert]], have cold, snowy winters and very dry summers. Much of the east is semiarid to arid like the rest of the [[Great Basin]], though the [[Blue Mountains (Pacific Northwest)|Blue Mountains]] are wet enough to support extensive forests. Most of Oregon receives significant snowfall, but the Willamette Valley, where 60&nbsp;percent of the population lives,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5168/ |title = Ground-Water Hydrology of the Willamette Basin, Oregon |publisher = U.S. Geological Survey |website = Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5168 |author1 = Conlon T.D. |author2 = Wozniak, K.C. |author3 = Woodcock, D. |author4 = Herrera, N.B. |author5 = Fisher, B.J. |author6 = Morgan, D.S. |author7 = Lee, K.K. |author8 = Hinkle, S.R. |name-list-style = amp |year = 2005 |access-date = February 19, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150220044838/http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2005/5168/ |archive-date = February 20, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref> has considerably milder winters for its latitude and typically sees only light snowfall.<ref name=dri />

Oregon's highest recorded temperature is {{convert|119|F|C}}, which was set at [[Prineville, Oregon|Prineville]] on July 29, 1898, and tied at [[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]] on August 10, 1898, and [[Pelton Dam]] on June 29, 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hasenstab |first=Alex |date=February 10, 2022 |title=Oregon's 2021 heat dome notches another record |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/10/oregons-2021-heat-dome-notches-another-record/ |publisher=[[Oregon Public Broadcasting]] |accessdate=July 13, 2023}}</ref> The lowest recorded temperature is {{convert|-54|F|C}} at [[Seneca, Oregon|Seneca]] on February 10, 1933.{{Sfn|Boone|2004|p=9}}

===Cities and towns===

{{further|List of cities and unincorporated communities in Oregon}}

Oregon's population is largely concentrated in the Willamette Valley, which stretches from [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]] in the south (home of the [[University of Oregon]]) through [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]] (home of [[Oregon State University]]) and [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]] (the capital) to Portland (Oregon's largest city).<ref name="2010 US Census">{{cite web |url = http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table |title = 2010 Census Redistricting Data |access-date = March 15, 2011 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721034521/http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table |archive-date = July 21, 2011 }}</ref>

[[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]], at the mouth of the Columbia River, was the first permanent English-speaking settlement west of the [[Rocky Mountains|Rockies]] in what is now the U.S. [[Oregon City, Oregon|Oregon City]], at the end of the Oregon Trail, was the Oregon Territory's first incorporated city, and was its first capital from 1848 until 1852, when the capital was moved to Salem. [[Bend, Oregon|Bend]], near the geographic center of the state, is one of the ten fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S.<ref>[https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb07-51.html 50 Fastest-Growing Metro Areas Concentrated in West and South.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401102533/http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb07-51.html |date=April 1, 2013 }} U.S. Census Bureau 2005. Retrieved October 16, 2007.</ref>{{Better source needed|date=June 2017}} In southern Oregon, [[Medford, Oregon|Medford]] is a rapidly growing metro area and is home to the [[Rogue Valley International–Medford Airport]], the state's third-busiest airport. To the south, near the California border, is the city of [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]]. [[Eastern Oregon]] is sparsely populated, but is home to [[Hermiston, Oregon|Hermiston]], which with a population of 18,000 is the largest and fastest-growing city in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pdx.edu/prc/population-reports-estimates|title=Portland State University Population Research Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718040535/https://www.pdx.edu/prc/population-reports-estimates|archive-date=July 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
| country = Oregon
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bendcityoregon,hillsborocityoregon,greshamcityoregon,salemcityoregon,eugenecityoregon,portlandcityoregon/PST045222|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro & Bend|website=census.gov|access-date=December 30, 2023}}</ref>
| list_by_pop = List of cities in Oregon
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of Oregon{{!}}County
| city_1 = Portland, Oregon{{!}}Portland
| div_1 = Multnomah County, Oregon{{!}}Multnomah
| pop_1 = 635,067
| img_1 = Portland, Oregon skyline from the Ross Island Bridge.jpg
| city_2 = Eugene, Oregon{{!}}Eugene
| div_2 = Lane County, Oregon{{!}}Lane
| pop_2 = 177,923
| img_2 = Eugene Oregon from Skinner Butte.JPG
| city_3 = Salem, Oregon{{!}}Salem
| div_3 = Marion County, Oregon{{!}}Marion
| pop_3 = 177,487
| img_3 = Salem Oregon aerial.jpg
| city_4 = Gresham, Oregon{{!}}Gresham
| div_4 = Multnomah County, Oregon{{!}}Multnomah
| pop_4 = 111,621
| img_4 = Gresham Carnegie Library-1.jpg
| city_5 = Hillsboro, Oregon{{!}}Hillsboro
| div_5 = Washington County, Oregon{{!}}Washington
| pop_5 = 107,299
| img_5 = 
| city_6 = Bend, Oregon{{!}}Bend
| div_6 = Deschutes County, Oregon{{!}}Deschutes
| pop_6 = 103,254
| img_6 = 
| city_7 = Beaverton, Oregon{{!}}Beaverton
| div_7 = Washington County, Oregon{{!}}Washington
| pop_7 = 97,053
| img_7 = 
| city_8 = Medford, Oregon{{!}}Medford
| div_8 = Jackson County, Oregon{{!}}Jackson
| pop_8 = 85,556
| img_8 = 
| city_9 = Springfield, Oregon{{!}}Springfield
| div_9 = Lane County, Oregon{{!}}Lane
| pop_9 = 61,400
| img_9 = 
| city_10 = Corvallis, Oregon{{!}}Corvallis
| div_10 = Benton County, Oregon{{!}}Benton
| pop_10 = 60,956
| img_10 = 
}}

==Demographics==
{{See also|List of people from Oregon|List of people from Portland, Oregon|Oregon locations by per capita income}}

===Population===
[[File:Oregon population growth.png|thumb|left|upright=1.218|Graph of Oregon's population growth from 1850 to 2010<ref name="historical census data">{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/dmd/www/resapport/states/oregon.pdf |title = Oregon |date = December 27, 2000 |website = Resident Population and Apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |access-date = August 28, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090831064733/http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/resapport/states/oregon.pdf |archive-date = August 31, 2009 |url-status = live }}</ref>]]
{{US Census population
| 1850 = 12093
| 1860 = 52465
| 1870 = 90923
| 1880 = 174768
| 1890 = 317704
| 1900 = 413536
| 1910 = 672765
| 1920 = 783389
| 1930 = 953786
| 1940 = 1089684
| 1950 = 1521341
| 1960 = 1768687
| 1970 = 2091385
| 1980 = 2633105
| 1990 = 2842321
| 2000 = 3421399
| 2010 = 3831074
| 2020 = 4237256
| estimate = 4233358
| estyear = 2023
| align-fn = center
| footnote = Sources: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}
[[File:Ethnic origins in Oregon.png|thumb|Ethnic origins in Oregon]]
[[File:OregonPop12.jpg|thumb|Oregon population by county using 2012 estimates<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pdx.edu/prc/sites/www.pdx.edu.prc/files/2012%20CertEst_State_Co.pdf|title=Certified Population Estimates for Oregon and Its Counties|publisher=[[Portland State University]] Population Research Center|access-date=October 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102040143/http://www.pdx.edu/prc/sites/www.pdx.edu.prc/files/2012%20CertEst_State_Co.pdf|archive-date=November 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>]]

The [[2020 U.S. census]] determined that the population of Oregon was 4,237,256 in 2020, a 10.60% increase over the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name=2020census/>

Oregon was the nation's "Top Moving Destination" in 2014, with two families moving into the state for every one moving out (66.4% to 33.6%).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/movers-study-2014 |title = 2014 National Movers Study |publisher = United Van Lines |date = January 2, 2015 |access-date = January 14, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150108062922/http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/movers-study-2014 |archive-date = January 8, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Oregon was also the top moving destination in 2013,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2013-migration-study/index.html |title = 2013 United Van Lines Migration Study |publisher = United Van Lines |date = January 2, 2014 |access-date = January 14, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150108093319/http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2013-migration-study/index.html |archive-date = January 8, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref> and the second-most popular destination in 2010 through 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2012-migration-study/index.html |title = United Van Lines 2012 Migration Study Reveals Northeastern U.S. Exodus |publisher = United Van Lines |date = January 2, 2013 |access-date = January 14, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150414001656/http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2012-migration-study/index.html |archive-date = April 14, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2011-migration-study/index.html |title = 2011 United Van Lines Migration Study |quote = The Western United States is also represented on the high-inbound list with Oregon (60.8%) and Nevada (56.9%) both making the list. Oregon is number two for inbound migration for the second year in a row. |publisher = United Van Lines |date = January 3, 2012 |access-date = January 14, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150414002636/http://www.unitedvanlines.com/about-united/news/united-van-lines-2011-migration-study/index.html |archive-date = April 14, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

As of the 2020 census, the population of Oregon was 4,237,256. The gender makeup of the state was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. 20.5% of the population were under the age of 18; 60.8% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older.<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US41 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Oregon |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>

According to the U.S. [[Department of Housing and Urban Development]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 17,959 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in Oregon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf|title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Oregon racial composition
|-
! Racial composition !! 1970<ref name="census" /> !! 1990<ref name="census">{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |url-status=dead |archive-date = July 25, 2008 |title = Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States |df = mdy-all }}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{cite web |url = http://censusviewer.com/city/OR |title = Population of Oregon: Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>!! 2010<ref name=Census2010>{{cite web |title = 2010 Demographic Profile Data |url = https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US41 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20200213005255/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US41 |url-status = dead |archive-date = February 13, 2020 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau }}</ref> !! 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.statesmanjournal.com/census/total-population/not-hispanic-white/oregon/040-41/|title=Oregon Demographics and Housing 2020 Decennial Census|first=Statesman|last=Journal|website=Statesman Journal}}</ref>
|-
| [[White Americans|White]] including White Hispanics || 97.2% || 92.8% || 86.6% || 83.6% || 74.8%
|-
| [[African Americans|Black or African American]] || 1.3% || 1.6% || 1.6% || 1.8% || 2%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 0.6% || 1.4% || 1.3% || 1.4% || 1.5%
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 0.7% || 2.4% || 3.0% || 3.7% || 4.6%
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander]] || – || – || 0.2% || 0.3% || 0.5%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] || 0.2% || 1.8% || 4.2% || 5.3% || 6.3%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] || – || – || 3.1% || 3.8% || 10.5%
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|Non-Hispanic White]] || 95.8% || - || - || - || 71.7%
|}

According to the 2020 census, 13.9% of Oregon's population was of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin (of any race) and 71.7% [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic White]], 2.0% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.5% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 4.6% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 1.5% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], and 10.5% two or more races.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html|title=Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 11, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829185707/https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the 2016 [[American Community Survey]], 12.4% of Oregon's population were of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin (of any race): [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]] (10.4%), [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] (0.3%), [[Cuban Americans|Cuban]] (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.5%).<ref name="ACS2016DEMO">{{cite web |title=2016 American Community Survey—Demographic and Housing Estimates |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US41 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005712/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP05/0400000US41 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The five largest ancestry groups for White Oregonians were: [[German Americans|German]] (19.1%), [[Irish Americans|Irish]] (11.7%), [[English Americans|English]] (11.3%), [[American ancestry|American]] (5.3%), and [[Norwegian Americans|Norwegian]] (3.8%).<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US41 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005612/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US41 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The state's most populous ethnic group, [[Non-Hispanic whites|non-Hispanic Whites]], decreased from 95.8% of the total population in 1970 to 71.7% in 2020, though it increased in absolute numbers.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/41 |title = Oregon QuickFacts |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170205210900/http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/41 |archive-date = February 5, 2017 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon—Race and Hispanic Origin: 1850 to 1990 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-date = July 25, 2008 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

{{as of|2011}}, 38.7% of Oregon's children under one year of age belonged to [[Race and ethnicity in the United States|minority groups]], meaning they had at least one parent who was not a non-Hispanic White.<ref>"[http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html Americans under age{{nbsp}}1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714084214/http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html |date=July 14, 2016 }}". ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. June 3, 2012.</ref> Of the state's total population, 22.6% was under the age 18, and 77.4% were 18 or older.

The [[center of population]] of Oregon is located in [[Linn County, Oregon|Linn County]], in the city of [[Lyons, Oregon|Lyons]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Population and Population Centers by State: 2000 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |url = https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |access-date = November 23, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100223204810/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |archive-date = February 23, 2010 }}</ref> Around 60% of Oregon's population resides within the [[Portland metropolitan area]].<ref>According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon's population as of 2017 is 4,190,713; with the MSA being 2,453,168, this leaves 59%~ of Oregon's population residing within the metro.</ref>

{{as of|2009}}, Oregon's population comprised 361,393 foreign-born residents.<ref name=cnu>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov |website = U.S. Census Bureau |title = Selected Social Characteristics in the United States: 2007–2009: 2007–2009 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates (Oregon) |access-date = December 9, 2016 |df = mdy-all |archive-date = December 27, 1996 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status = live }}</ref> Of the foreign-born residents, the three largest groups are originally from countries in: Latin America (47.8%), Asia (27.4%), and Europe (16.5%).<ref name=cnu /> [[Mexico]], [[Vietnam]], [[China]], [[India]], and the [[Philippines]] were the top countries of origin for Oregon's immigrants in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_oregon.pdf|title=Immigrants in Oregon}}</ref>

The [[Romani people|Roma]] first reached Oregon in the 1890s. There is a substantial Roma population in Willamette Valley and around Portland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ijpr.org/show/as-it-was/2019-02-18/as-it-was-roma-also-known-as-gypsies-reach-oregon-in-1890s|title=As It Was: Roma, Also Known as Gypsies, Reach Oregon in 1890s|website=Jefferson Public Radio|access-date=June 19, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201148/https://www.ijpr.org/show/as-it-was/2019-02-18/as-it-was-roma-also-known-as-gypsies-reach-oregon-in-1890s|url-status=live}}</ref> The majority of Oregon's population is predominantly of white (European) ancestry and is American-born. Around one-tenth of Oregon's population is made up of Hispanics. There are also small populations of Asians, Native Americans, and African Americans in state.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Oregon-state/Climate#ref79304 | title=Oregon - Climate, Rainfall, Coast &#124; Britannica }}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Speakers with limited English proficiency by language, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Most Common Languages in Each County |url=https://www.oregon.gov/languages/Pages/most-common-state-language.aspx |website=Oregon.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Most Common Languages in Each County |url=https://www.oregon.gov/languages/Pages/common-language-county.aspx |website=Oregon.gov}}</ref>
!Rank
!Language
!Number of Speakers
|-
|1
|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]
|128,303
|-
|2
|[[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]
|16,292
|-
|3
|[[Chinese language|Chinese]]
|15,816
|-
|4
|[[Russian language|Russian]]
|8,559
|-
|5
|[[Korean language|Korean]]
|4,903
|-
|6
|[[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]
|2,534
|-
|7
|[[Arabic]]
|1,480
|-
|8
|[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]
|447
|-
|9
|[[Marshallese language|Marshallese]]
|336
|-
|10
|[[Japanese language|Japanese]]
|333
|-
|11
|[[Thai language|Thai]]
|169
|-
|12
|[[French language|French]]
|142
|-
|13
|[[German language|German]]
|139
|}

===Religious and secular communities===
{{See also|Religion in Oregon|Religion in the United States}}
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification in Oregon, per ''[[Public Religion Research Institute|PRRI American Values Atlas]]'' (2022){{efn|Racial subdemographics for religious traditions are added together. Note: there is a glitch surrounding the display of Oregon's religious tradition data on ''Public Religion Research Institute''. Click the "list" option if results show "N/A". Do not remove pie chart.}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-OR | title=PRRI – American Values Atlas}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value1 = 42
| color1 = White
| label2 =  [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value2 = 35
| color2 = DarkBlue
| label3 = [[Catholicism in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value3 = 14
| color3 = Purple
| label4 = [[Mormonism]]
| value4 = 2
| color4 = Pink
| label5 = [[American Jews|Judaism]]
| value5 = 2
| color5 = Green
| label6 = [[New Age]]
| value6 = 2
| color6 = Brown
| label7 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]]
| value7 = 1
| color7 = Orange
| label8 = [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhist]]
| value8 = 1
| color8 = Yellow}}

Oregon has frequently been cited by statistical agencies for having a smaller percentage of religious communities than other U.S. states.<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://time.com/4294/these-are-the-most-godless-states-in-america/ |magazine = Time |title = These Are The Most Godless States in America |author = Nicks, Denver |date = February 3, 2014 |access-date = December 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170203213914/http://time.com/4294/these-are-the-most-godless-states-in-america/ |archive-date = February 3, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/02/oregon_not_quite_most_unchurch.html |website = The Oregonian |title = Oregon not quite most 'unchurched' state—but close, new survey finds |date = February 13, 2013 |access-date = June 9, 2017 |author = Mapes, Jeff |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170817130241/http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/02/oregon_not_quite_most_unchurch.html |archive-date = August 17, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> According to a 2009 [[Gallup poll]], Oregon was paired with [[Vermont]] as the two "least religious" states in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2009/08/10/oregon-and-vermont-are-most-nonreligious-states/ |website = Science and Religion Today |title = Oregon and Vermont Are Least Religious States |date = August 10, 2009 |access-date = June 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010113504/http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2009/08/10/oregon-and-vermont-are-most-nonreligious-states/ |archive-date = October 10, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In the same 2009 Gallup poll, 69% of Oregonians identified themselves as being [[Christianity|Christian]].<ref>Newport, Frank (August 7, 2009). [http://www.gallup.com/poll/122075/Religious-Identity-States-Differ-Widely.aspx#2 "Religious identity: States differ widely".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010114559/http://news.gallup.com/poll/122075/Religious-Identity-States-Differ-Widely.aspx#2 |date=October 10, 2017 }} Gallup. Retrieved December 23, 2009.</ref> The largest Christian denominations in Oregon by number of adherents in 2010 were the [[Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholic Church]] with 398,738; [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 147,965; and the [[Assemblies of God USA|Assemblies of God]] with 45,492.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web |url = http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/41/rcms2010_41_state_adh_2010.asp |website = The Association of Religion Data Archives |title = State Membership Report |access-date = December 5, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202093651/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/41/rcms2010_41_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date = February 2, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon also contains the largest community of Russian [[Old Believers]] to be found in the U.S.<ref>Binus, Joshua. [http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=764E6BED-FFC4-C034-9A5563F41CE37080 "The Oregon History Project: Russian Old Believers".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020182444/http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=764E6BED-FFC4-C034-9A5563F41CE37080 |date=October 20, 2008 }} [[Oregon Historical Society]]. Retrieved March 14, 2008.</ref> Judaism is the largest non-Christian religion in Oregon with more than 50,000 adherents, 47,000 of whom live in the Portland area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/81110/bridgetown|title=How the Jewish Population of Portland, Ore., Doubled Overnight|date=October 19, 2011|website=Tablet Magazine|language=en|access-date=December 6, 2019|archive-date=December 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043527/https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/81110/bridgetown|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/new-to-portland|title=New to Portland {{!}} Jewish Federation of Greater Portland|website=jewishportland.org|access-date=December 6, 2019|archive-date=December 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043022/https://www.jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/new-to-portland|url-status=live}}</ref> Recently, new kosher food and Jewish educational offerings have led to a rapid increase in Portland's Orthodox Jewish population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/faith/2015/10/orthodox_judaism_growth.html|title=Orthodox Jews streaming into Portland, thanks to new infrastructure|last=Oregonian/OregonLive|first=Melissa Binder {{!}} The|date=October 21, 2015|website=oregonlive|language=en|access-date=December 6, 2019|archive-date=December 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206043119/https://www.oregonlive.com/faith/2015/10/orthodox_judaism_growth.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association is headquartered in Portland. There are an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 [[Muslims]] in Oregon, most of whom live in and around Portland.<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Met PDX |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20031029021946/http://www.metpdx.org/resources/ |archive-date = October 29, 2003 |url = http://www.metpdx.org/resources/ |title = Islam in Oregon and America—The Facts |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Most of the remainder of the population had no religious affiliation; the 2008 [[American Religious Identification Survey]] placed Oregon as tied with Nevada in fifth place of U.S. states having the highest percentage of residents identifying themselves as "non-religious", at 24&nbsp;percent.<ref>{{cite web |last1 = Kosmin |first1 = Barry A |last2 = Keysar |first2 = Ariela |url = http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf |title = American Religious Identification Survey |place = Hartford |publisher = Trinity College |date = December 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717071431/http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf |archive-date = July 17, 2011 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1 = Kosmin |first1 = Barry A |last2 = Keysar |first2 = Ariela |last3 = Cragun |first3 = Ryan |last4 = Navarro-Rivera |first4 = Juhem |url = http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf |title = American nones: The profile of the no religion population |place = Hartford |publisher = Trinity College |access-date = December 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091007012422/http://www.americanreligionsurvey-aris.org/reports/NONES_08.pdf |archive-date = October 7, 2009 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Secular organizations include the [[Center for Inquiry]], the Humanists of Greater Portland, and the United States Atheists.

During much of the 1990s, a group of conservative Christians formed the [[Oregon Citizens Alliance]], and unsuccessfully tried to pass legislation to prevent "gay sensitivity training" in public schools and legal benefits for homosexual couples.<ref>Wentz, Patty (February 11, 1998). [http://wweek.com/html/cover021198.html "He's back"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918144227/http://wweek.com/html/cover021198.html |date=September 18, 2008 }} ''[[Willamette Week]]''. Retrieved March 14, 2008.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2013<ref>{{cite journal |url = https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |journal = National Vital Statistics Reports |volume = 64 |number = 4 |title = Births: Final Data for 2013 |author = Martin, Joyce A. |display-authors=etal |date = January 15, 2015 |pages = 1–65 |pmid = 25603115 |access-date = June 12, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170911162514/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |archive-date = September 11, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{cite journal |url = https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |journal = National Vital Statistics Reports |volume = 64 |number = 12 |title = Births: Final Data for 2014 |date = December 23, 2015 |author = Hamilton, Brady E. |display-authors=etal |pages = 1–64 |pmid = 26727629 |access-date = June 12, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170214040341/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-date = February 14, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{cite journal |url = https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |journal = National Vital Statistics Reports |volume = 66 |number = 1 |title = Births: Final Data for 2015 |date = January 5, 2017 |author = Martin, Joyce A. |display-authors=etal |page = 1 |pmid = 28135188 |access-date = June 12, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170831155911/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-date = August 31, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |title=Births: Final Data 2016 |access-date=November 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603002249/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |title=Births: Final Data 2017 |access-date=February 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201210916/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2018<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Data |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=December 21, 2019 |archive-date=November 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128161211/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |title=Data |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-date=June 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623200707/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |title=Data |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=February 20, 2022 |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210175206/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/NVSR70-17.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2021<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref>
! 2022<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2024-04-05}}</ref>
|-
| [[White Americans|White]]
| 40,219 (89.1%)
| 40,634 (89.2%)
| 40,484 (88.7%)
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|-
| > [[Non-Hispanic whites|Non-Hispanic White]]
| 31,998 (70.8%)
| 32,338 (71.0%)
| 32,147 (70.4%)
| 31,057 (68.2%)
| 29,232 (67.0%)
| 28,265 (67.0%)
| 27,639 (66.0%)
| 26,256 (65.9%)
| 26,662 (65.2%)
| 23,034 (58.3%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 2,696 (6.0%)
| 2,811 (6.2%)
| 2,895 (6.3%)
| 2,354 (5.2%)
| 2,376 (5.4%)
| 2,260 (5.4%)
| 2,376 (5.7%)
| 2,112 (5.3%)
| 2,106 (5.1%)
| 2,151 (5.4%)
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 1,331 (2.9%)
| 1,333 (2.9%)
| 1,463 (3.2%)
| 944 (2.1%)
| 994 (2.3%)
| 959 (2.3%)
| 1,007 (2.4%)
| 973 (2.4%)
| 1,065 (2.6%)
| 1,007 (2.5%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 909 (2.0%)
| 778 (1.7%)
| 813 (1.8%)
| 427 (0.9%)
| 429 (1.0%)
| 388 (0.9%)
| 402 (1.0%)
| 378 (0.9%)
| 378 (0.9%)
| 370 (0.9%)
|-
| [[Pacific Islands Americans|Pacific Islander]]
| ...
| ...
| ...
| 315 (0.7%)
| 300 (0.7%)
| 309 (0.7%)
| 341 (0.8%)
| 278 (0.7%)
| 337 (0.8%)
| 374 (0.9%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (of any race)
| ''8,448'' (18.7%)
| ''8,524'' (18.7%)
| ''8,518'' (18.6%)
| ''8,467'' (18.6%)
| ''8,275'' (19.0%)
| ''7,993'' (18.9%)
| ''8,180'' (19.5%)
| ''7,923'' (19.9%)
| ''8,334'' (20.4%)
| ''8,510'' (21.5%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''45,155''' (100%)
| '''45,556''' (100%)
| '''45,655''' (100%)
| '''45,535''' (100%)
| '''43,631''' (100%)
| '''42,188''' (100%)
| '''41,858''' (100%)
| '''39,820''' (100%)
| '''40,914''' (100%)
| '''39,493''' (100%)
|}

* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
* Births in table do not sum to 100% because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race.

{| class="wikitable sortable" font-size:80%;" style="margin-left:1em"
|+ style="font-size:100%" | Religious affiliation in Oregon (2014)<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/oregon/ |work = The Pew Forum |title = Religious Landscape Study—Oregon |access-date = September 12, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150910060106/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/oregon/ |archive-date = September 10, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref>
|-
! Affiliation
! colspan="2"|% of Oregon population
|-
| [[Christianity]]
|align=right| {{bartable|59||2||background:darkblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Protestant]]
|align=right| {{bartable|43||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:30px;"| [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestant]]
|align=right| {{bartable|29||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:30px;"| [[Mainline Protestant]]
|align=right| {{bartable|13||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:30px;"| [[Black church|Black Protestant]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Catholicism|Catholic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|12||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Mormons|Mormon]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.5||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| style="text-align:left; text-indent:15px;"| Other Christianity
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Judaism]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2||2||background:darkgreen}}
|-
| [[Islam]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:darkgreen}}
|-
| [[Buddhism]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.5||2||background:darkgreen}}
|-
| [[Hinduism]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.5||2||background:darkgreen}}
|-
| Other faiths
|align=right| {{bartable|3||2||background:darkgreen}}
|-
| [[Irreligion|No religion]]
|align=right| {{bartable|31||2||background:purple}}
|-
| Agnostic
|align=right| {{bartable|1||2||background:purple}}
|-
| '''Total''' || {{bartable|100||2||background:grey}}
|}

===Future projections===

Projections from the U.S. Census Bureau show Oregon's population increasing to 4,833,918 by 2030, an increase of 41.3% compared to the state's population of 3,421,399 in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA1.pdf |title = Interim Projections of the Total Population for the United States and States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2030 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |date = April 21, 2005 |access-date = August 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100615135140/http://www.census.gov/population/projections/SummaryTabA1.pdf |archive-date = June 15, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The state's own projections forecast a total population of 5,425,408 in 2040.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/OEA/docs/demographic/pop_components.xls |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040517045848/http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/OEA/docs/demographic/pop_components.xls |url-status=dead |archive-date = May 17, 2004 |title = State and County Population Forecasts and Components of Change, 2000 to 2040 |publisher = [[Oregon Department of Administrative Services]], Office of Economic Analysis |date = April 2004 |access-date = August 25, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Oregon}}
{{See also|Oregon locations by per capita income}}
{{as of|2015}}, Oregon ranks as the 17th highest in [[Household income in the United States#Income by state|median household income]] at $60,834.<ref name="kff" /> The gross domestic product (GDP) of Oregon in 2013 was $219.6&nbsp;billion, a 2.7% increase from 2012; Oregon is the 25th wealthiest state by GDP. In 2003, Oregon was 28th in the U.S. by GDP. The state's [[Per capita personal income in the United States|per capita personal income]] (PCPI) in 2013 was $39,848, a 1.5% increase from 2012. Oregon ranks 33rd in the U.S. by PCPI, compared to 31st in 2003. The national PCPI in 2013 was $44,765.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/action.cfm?geoType=3&fips=41000&areatype=41000 |title = BEARFACTS: Oregon |publisher = Bureau of Economic Analysis |year = 2014 |access-date = February 27, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172746/http://www.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/action.cfm?geoType=3&fips=41000&areatype=41000 |archive-date = April 2, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Oregon's unemployment rate was 5.5% in September 2016,<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/school_hiring_fuels_oregon_job.html |title = School hiring fuels Oregon job growth in September |agency = Associated Press |date = October 18, 2016 |access-date = October 21, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161020193754/http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/10/school_hiring_fuels_oregon_job.html |archive-date = October 20, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> while the U.S. unemployment rate was 5.0% that month.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 |title = Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey |publisher = Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date = October 21, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190428090214/https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 |archive-date = April 28, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon has the third largest amount of food stamp users in the nation (21% of the population).<ref>{{cite web |url = https://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/08/09/food-stamp-use-rises-some-15-of-u-s-gets-benefits/tab/interactive/ |title = Food-Stamp Use Rises; Some 15% Get Benefits |website = The Wall Street Journal |date = August 9, 2013 |access-date = April 9, 2017 |author = Izzo, Phil |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170313030315/http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/08/09/food-stamp-use-rises-some-15-of-u-s-gets-benefits/tab/interactive/ |archive-date = March 13, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Agriculture===

[[File:Shirley Gamble and Haroldine DeBord, 1946 (5836929896).jpg|thumb|Teenagers harvesting berries in [[Boring, Oregon|Boring]], 1946]]

Oregon's diverse landscapes provide ideal environments for various types of farming. Land in the Willamette Valley owes its fertility to the [[Missoula Floods]], which deposited lake sediment from [[Glacial Lake Missoula]] in western Montana onto the valley floor.<ref name="chapter24">McNab, W. Henry; Avers, Peter E (July 1994). [http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/ ''Ecological Subregions of the United States''. Chapter 24.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222002704/http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/ |date=February 22, 2007 }} U.S. Forest Service and Dept. of Agriculture.</ref> In 2016, the Willamette Valley region produced over {{convert|100|e6lb}} of [[blueberries]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2016/09/11/oregon-blueberry-yield-topples-records-expands-overseas/89917262/ |website = Statesman Journal |title = Oregon blueberry yield topples records, expands overseas |author = Hogen, Junnelle |date = September 11, 2016 |access-date = November 5, 2016 }}</ref> The industry is governed and represented by the [[Oregon Department of Agriculture]].<ref name="DOA">{{cite web | title=Home | website=State of Oregon: [[Oregon Department of Agriculture]] | date=July 11, 2022 | url=https://www.oregon.gov/oda/Pages/default.aspx | access-date=July 11, 2022}}</ref>

Oregon is also one of four major world hazelnut (''[[Corylus avellana]]'') growing regions, and produces 95% of the domestic hazelnuts in the United States. While the history of [[Oregon wine|wine production in Oregon]] can be traced to before [[Prohibition]], it became a significant industry beginning in the 1970s. In 2005, Oregon ranked third among U.S. states with 303 wineries.<ref>{{cite web |title = Industry Facts |publisher = Oregon Winegrowers Association |url = http://oregonwine.org/press/StateWineFacts2005.pdf |access-date = November 23, 2006 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Due to regional similarities in climate and [[soil]], the grapes planted in Oregon are often the same varieties found in the French regions of [[Alsace wine|Alsace]] and [[Burgundy wine|Burgundy]]. In 2014, 71 wineries opened in the state. The total is currently 676, which represents a growth of 12% over 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/oregon-vineyards-draw-out-of-state-buyers-1444917070 |title = Oregon Vineyards Draw Out-of-State Buyers |website = The Wall Street Journal |author = Keates, Nancy |date = October 15, 2015 |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161005185134/http://www.wsj.com/articles/oregon-vineyards-draw-out-of-state-buyers-1444917070 |archive-date = October 5, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In the southern Oregon coast, commercially cultivated cranberries account for about 7&nbsp;percent of U.S. production, and the cranberry ranks 23rd among Oregon's top 50 agricultural commodities. Cranberry cultivation in Oregon uses about {{convert|27000|acre|km2|abbr=off|sp=us}} in southern [[Coos County, Oregon|Coos]] and northern [[Curry County, Oregon|Curry]] counties, centered around the coastal city of [[Bandon, Oregon|Bandon]]. In the northeastern region of the state, particularly around [[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]], both irrigated and dry land wheat is grown.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.capitalpress.com/Oregon/20140701/oregon-farmers-kick-off-wheat-harvest |website = Capital Press |title = Oregon farmers kick off wheat harvest |author = Weaver, Matthew |date = July 1, 2014 |access-date = November 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109153010/http://www.capitalpress.com/Oregon/20140701/oregon-farmers-kick-off-wheat-harvest |archive-date = November 9, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon [[farmer]]s and ranchers also produce [[cattle]], [[sheep]], dairy products, eggs and [[poultry]].

[[Caneberries]] (''Rubus'') are farmed here.<ref name="Ellis-et-al-eds-1991">{{cite book | editor-last1=Ellis | editor-first1=Michael A. | editor-first2=Richard H. | editor-last2=Converse | editor-first3=Roger N. | editor-last3=Williams | editor-first4=Brian | editor-last4=Williamson | title=Compendium of Raspberry and Blackberry Diseases and Insects | publisher=[[APS Press]] (American Phytopathological Society) | publication-place=[[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul, Minn.]], US | date=1991 | isbn=0-89054-121-3 | oclc=24875558 | lccn=91-76318 | pages=vi+100}}</ref>{{rp|page=25}} [[Stamen blight]] (''Hapalosphaeria deformans'') is significant here and throughout the [[Pacific Northwest|PNW]].<ref name="Ellis-et-al-eds-1991" />{{rp|page=25}} Here it especially hinders commercial [[dewberries]].<ref name="Ellis-et-al-eds-1991" />{{rp|page=25}}

{{visible anchor|Phytophthora ramorum|text=''[[Phytophthora ramorum]]''}} was first discovered in the 1990s on the [[California Central Coast]]<ref name="Anderson-et-al-2004">{{cite journal | last1=Anderson | first1=Pamela K. | last2=Cunningham | first2=Andrew A. | last3=Patel | first3=Nikkita G. | last4=Morales | first4=Francisco J. | last5=Epstein | first5=Paul R. | last6=Daszak | first6=Peter | title=Emerging infectious diseases of plants: pathogen pollution, climate change and agrotechnology drivers | journal=[[Trends in Ecology & Evolution]] | publisher=[[Cell Press]] | volume=19 | issue=10 | year=2004 | issn=0169-5347 | doi=10.1016/j.tree.2004.07.021 | pages=535–544 | pmid=16701319 | s2cid=12006626}}</ref> and was quickly found here as well.<ref name="Rizzo-et-al-2005">{{cite journal | last1=Rizzo | first1=David M. | last2=Garbelotto | first2=Matteo | last3=Hansen | first3=Everett M. | title=''Phytophthora ramorum'': Integrative Research and Management of an Emerging Pathogen in California and Oregon Forests | journal=[[Annual Review of Phytopathology]] | publisher=[[Annual Reviews (publisher)|Annual Reviews]] | volume=43 | issue=1 | date=September 1, 2005 | issn=0066-4286 | doi=10.1146/annurev.phyto.42.040803.140418 | pages=309–335 | s2cid=33214324 | pmid=16078887}}</ref> ''P. ramorum'' is of economic concern due to its infestation of ''Rubus'' and ''[[Vaccinium]]'' spp. (including [[cranberry]] and [[blueberry]]).<ref name="Rizzo-et-al-2005" />

{{visible anchor|Peach|Nectarine}}es grown in the [[Willamette Valley]] are mostly sold directly and do not enter the more distant markets.<ref name="Olsen-2002">{{cite web | last=Olsen | first=Jeff L. | title=Selecting Peach and Nectarine Varieties for the Willamette Valley | website=[[Oregon State University Extension Service]] | date=June 1, 2002 | url=http://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1181 | access-date=June 18, 2022 | id=EC 1181}}<!--- Reviewed January 2020. ---></ref> [[Oregon State University Extension Service|OSU Extension]] recommended several [[Peach cultivar|peach]] and [[Nectarine cultivar|nectarine]] cultivars for Willamette.<ref name="Olsen-2002" />

===Forestry and fisheries===

{{See also|List of freshwater fishes of Oregon}}
[[File:Fish Ladder, Bonneville Dam-2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fish ladder]] at [[Bonneville Dam]], [[Multnomah County, Oregon|Multnomah County]]]]
[[File:Lumber Sled Elsie, Oregon.jpg|thumb|right|Historic Lumber Sled at Camp 18 in [[Elsie, Oregon|Elsie]]]]

Vast forests have historically made Oregon one of the nation's major [[Lumber|timber]]-producing and logging states, but forest fires (such as the [[Tillamook Burn]]), over-harvesting, and lawsuits over the proper management of the extensive federal forest holdings have reduced the timber produced. Between 1989 and 2011, the amount of timber harvested from federal lands in Oregon dropped about 90%, although harvest levels on private land have remained relatively constant.<ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon Forest Facts & Figures 2013 |publisher = Oregon Forest Resources Institute |url = http://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/OR_Forest_Facts_and_Figures_2013.pdf |page = 3 |access-date = May 31, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140712050626/http://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/OR_Forest_Facts_and_Figures_2013.pdf |archive-date = July 12, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Even the shift in recent years towards finished goods such as paper and building materials has not slowed the decline of the timber industry in the state. The effects of this decline have included [[Weyerhaeuser]]'s acquisition of Portland-based [[Willamette Industries]] in January 2002, the relocation of [[Louisiana-Pacific]]'s corporate headquarters from Portland to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], and the decline of former lumber [[company town]]s such as [[Gilchrist, Oregon|Gilchrist]]. Despite these changes, Oregon still leads the U.S. in [[softwood]] lumber production; in 2011, {{convert|4134|e6board feet}} was produced in Oregon, compared with {{convert|3685|e6board feet}} in Washington, {{convert|1914|e6board feet}} in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and {{convert|1708|e6board feet}} in [[Mississippi]].<ref>"Oregon Forest Facts & Figures 2013", p. 12</ref> The slowing of the timber and [[Wood industry|lumber industry]] has caused high unemployment rates in rural areas.<ref name="referencedesk">{{cite web |url = http://www.e-referencedesk.com/resources/state-economy/oregon.html |title = Oregon Economy |publisher = e-ReferenceDesk |access-date = November 5, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928213611/http://www.e-referencedesk.com/resources/state-economy/oregon.html |archive-date = September 28, 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

Oregon has one of the largest [[salmon]]-fishing industries in the world, although ocean [[Fishery|fisheries]] have reduced the river fisheries in recent years.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/salmon_steelhead.asp |website = Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |title = Salmon and Steelhead Fishing |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109104323/http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/salmon_steelhead.asp |archive-date = November 9, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Because of the abundance of waterways in the state, it is also a major producer of hydroelectric energy.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=OR |title = State Energy Profiles—Oregon |author = [[Energy Information Administration]] |publisher = [[United States Department of Energy]] |date = April 29, 2010 |access-date = December 10, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100502132552/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=OR |archive-date = May 2, 2010 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On June 30, 2022, an [[emerald ash borer]] infestation was found in [[Forest Grove, Oregon|Forest Grove]] in 2022, the first for [[Western North America]].<ref name="ODF-EAB-bulletin">{{cite web | access-date=July 21, 2022 | date=July 11, 2022 | url=https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORFORESTRY/bulletins/3202aba | title=ODF NEWS - The forest pest emerald ash borer is found in Oregon for first time | website=[[Oregon Department of Forestry]]}}</ref><ref name="response-plan-EAB-Oregon">{{cite web | access-date=July 11, 2022 | date=June 8, 2018 | website=Oregon Invasive Species Council | url=https://www.oregoninvasivespeciescouncil.org/eab | title=Emerald Ash Borer Readiness and Response Plan for Oregon}}</ref><ref name="survey-DOA-EAB">{{cite web | access-date=July 11, 2022 | date=July 11, 2022 | website=[[Government of Oregon|State of Oregon]]: Survey and Treatment Projects | url=https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/Pages/EmeraldAshBorer.aspx | title=Emerald Ash Borer}}</ref><ref name="2022-06-30-EAB">{{cite web | access-date=July 11, 2022 | language=en, es | date=July 11, 2022 | website=[[Oregon Department of Agriculture]] News | url=https://odanews.wpengine.com/oregon-dad-spots-the-first-emerald-ash-borers-on-the-west-coast-during-summer-camp-pickup-in-forest-grove/ | title=Oregon dad spots the first emerald ash borers on the West Coast during summer camp pickup in Forest Grove}}</ref>

===Tourism and entertainment===

{{See also|Tourist attractions near Portland, Oregon|l1=Tourism near Portland|Tourism in Portland, Oregon|l2=Tourism in Portland}}
[[File:OSF Elizabethan Stage.jpg|thumb|right|Elizabethan stage at the [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]] in [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]]]]
[[File:Hells Canyon Panorama.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Hells Canyon is one of the largest canyons in the United States.]]

Tourism is also a strong industry in the state. Tourism is centered on the state's natural features – mountains, forests, waterfalls, rivers, beaches and lakes, including [[Crater Lake National Park]], [[Multnomah Falls]], the [[Painted Hills]], the Deschutes River, and the [[Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve|Oregon Caves]]. Mount Hood and [[Mount Bachelor]] also draw visitors year-round for [[skiing]] and other snow activities.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2015/03/7_wonders_of_oregon_begins_sec.html |website = The Oregonian |date = March 1, 2015 |author = Richard, Terry |title = 7 Wonders of Oregon begin second Travel Oregon ad campaign season on TV, at movies |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109153107/http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2015/03/7_wonders_of_oregon_begins_sec.html |archive-date = November 9, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>
[[File:Aquarium tunnel.jpg|thumb|left|[[Oceanarium]] at the [[Oregon Coast Aquarium]]]]

Portland is home to the [[Oregon Museum of Science and Industry]], the [[Portland Art Museum]], and the [[Oregon Zoo]], which is the oldest zoo west of the [[Mississippi River]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonzoo.org/about/about-oregon-zoo/history |title = History <nowiki>[of Oregon Zoo]</nowiki> |publisher = Oregon Zoo |access-date = April 11, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120420061452/http://www.oregonzoo.org/about/about-oregon-zoo/history |archive-date = April 20, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> The [[International Rose Test Garden]] is another prominent attraction in the city. Portland has also been named the best city in the world for street food by several publications, including the ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' and CNN.<ref>{{cite web |title = World's Best Street Food |url = http://travel.usnews.com/features/Worlds_Best_Street_Food/ |publisher = U.S. News |access-date = November 9, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120719090515/http://travel.usnews.com/features/Worlds_Best_Street_Food/ |archive-date = July 19, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = World's Best Street Food |url = http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/07/19/worlds.best.street.food/ |publisher = CNN Travel |date = July 19, 2010 |access-date = November 9, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161107092603/http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/07/19/worlds.best.street.food/ |archive-date = November 7, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon is home to [[Brewing in Oregon|many breweries]], and Portland has the largest number of breweries of any city in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon's Beer Week gets under way |publisher = Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service |url = http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-242714/Oregon-s-Beer-Week-gets.html |date = July 5, 2005 |access-date = October 22, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071209004334/http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0198-242714/Oregon-s-Beer-Week-gets.html |archive-date = December 9, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The state's coastal region produces significant tourism as well.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/oregon-coast/ |website = Travel Oregon |title = Oregon Coast Information |access-date = December 10, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161125165721/http://traveloregon.com/cities-regions/oregon-coast/ |archive-date = November 25, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> The [[Oregon Coast Aquarium]] comprises {{convert|23|acre}} along [[Yaquina Bay]] in [[Newport, Oregon|Newport]], and was also home to [[Keiko (orca)|Keiko]] the orca whale.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-05-06-oregon-coast_N.htm |title = Oregon's coast is easy and affordable to see by car |author = Frazier, Joseph B. |date = May 6, 2008 |website = USA Today |access-date = March 9, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081106111452/http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-05-06-oregon-coast_N.htm |archive-date = November 6, 2008 |url-status = live }}</ref> It has been noted as one of the top ten aquariums in North America.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/top-10-aquariums-00400000000285/ |title = Top 10 Aquariums |publisher = Coastal Living |access-date = March 9, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100303163714/http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/top-10-aquariums-00400000000285/ |archive-date = March 3, 2010 |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Fort Clatsop]] in [[Warrenton, Oregon|Warrenton]] features a replica of [[Lewis and Clark Expedition|Lewis and Clark]]'s encampment at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805. The [[Sea Lion Caves]] in [[Florence, Oregon|Florence]] are the largest system of sea caverns in the U.S., and also attract many visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.sealioncaves.com/cave.php |website = Sea Lion Caves |title = Information |access-date = December 10, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170115015750/http://www.sealioncaves.com/cave.php |archive-date = January 15, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In Southern Oregon, the [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]], held in [[Ashland, Oregon|Ashland]], is also a tourist draw, as is the [[Oregon Vortex]] and the [[Wolf Creek Inn State Heritage Site]], a historic inn where [[Jack London]] wrote his 1913 novel ''[[The Valley of the Moon (novel)|Valley of the Moon]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://offbeatoregon.com/H1004aa_WolfCreekTav.html |website = Offbeat Oregon |title = Wolf Creek Inn was writing retreat for Jack London |author = John, Finn J.D. |date = April 4, 2010 |access-date = November 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161117033616/http://offbeatoregon.com/H1004aa_WolfCreekTav.html |archive-date = November 17, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Oregon has also historically been a popular region for [[Principal photography|film shoots]] due to its diverse landscapes, as well as its proximity to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]].<ref name="ORfilm">{{cite web |url = http://oregonfilm.org/docs/Oregon_Filmography.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140814050842/http://www.oregonfilm.org/docs/Oregon_Filmography.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date = August 14, 2014 |title = Filmed in Oregon 1908–2015 |website = Oregon Film Council |access-date = December 27, 2015 }}</ref> [[List of films shot in Oregon|Movies filmed in Oregon]] include: ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House|Animal House]]'', ''[[Free Willy]]'', ''[[The General (1927 film)|The General]]'', ''[[The Goonies]]'', ''[[Kindergarten Cop]]'', ''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]'', and ''[[Stand by Me (film)|Stand By Me]]''. Oregon native [[Matt Groening]], creator of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', has incorporated many references from his hometown of Portland into the TV series.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=12392 |title = Matt Groening's Portland |first = Don |last = Hamilton |website = The Portland Tribune |date = July 19, 2002 |access-date = March 7, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070224031814/http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=12392 |archive-date = February 24, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref> Additionally, several television shows have been filmed throughout the state including ''[[Portlandia]]'', ''[[Grimm (TV series)|Grimm]]'', ''[[Bates Motel (TV series)|Bates Motel]]'', and ''[[Leverage (American TV series)|Leverage]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://oregonfilm.org/oregon-film-history/|title=Oregon Film History|date=May 17, 2016|website=Welcome to Oregon Film|language=en-US|access-date=January 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530044050/https://oregonfilm.org/oregon-film-history/|archive-date=May 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Oregon Film Museum]] is located in the old Clatsop County Jail in [[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]]. Additionally, the [[Blockbuster (Bend, Oregon)|last remaining Blockbuster store]] is located in Bend.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/news/blockbuster-bend-oregon-now-last-one-world-t149962|title=This Blockbuster in Oregon is now the last one in the world|last=Stump|first=Scott|date=March 7, 2019|website=[[Today.com|Today]]|access-date=May 24, 2022}}</ref>

===Technology===

High technology industries located in [[Silicon Forest]] have been a major employer since the 1970s. [[Tektronix]] was the largest private employer in Oregon until the late 1980s. [[Intel Corporation|Intel]]'s creation and expansion of several facilities in eastern [[Washington County, Oregon|Washington County]] continued the growth that Tektronix had started. Intel, the state's largest for-profit private employer,<ref name="oreg-2013jul17">{{cite news |last = Rogoway |first = Mike |title = Intel offers downbeat outlook as PC sales slump |newspaper = The Oregonian |date = July 17, 2013 |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2013/07/intel_releases_second-quarter.html |access-date = October 7, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131026053728/http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2013/07/intel_releases_second-quarter.html |archive-date = October 26, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="OPB-Intel-2022">{{cite web |last1=Davidson |first1=Kate |title=Oregon's largest private employer, Intel, announces plans to expand in Europe |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/03/15/intel-expands-europe-plans-build-fab-facilities-diversify-chip-industry/ |publisher=[[OPB]] |access-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316162157/https://www.opb.org/article/2022/03/15/intel-expands-europe-plans-build-fab-facilities-diversify-chip-industry/ |archive-date=March 16, 2022 |date=March 15, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> operates four large facilities, with Ronler Acres, Jones Farm and Hawthorn Farm all located in [[Hillsboro, Oregon|Hillsboro]].<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/01/intel_profits_slide_company_un.html |title = Intel profits slide, company uncertain about outlook |last = Rogoway |first = Mike |date = January 15, 2009 |work = The Oregonian |access-date = January 16, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090116050123/http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/01/intel_profits_slide_company_un.html |archive-date = January 16, 2009 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The spinoffs and startups that were produced by these two companies led to the establishment of the so-called Silicon Forest. The recession and [[Dot-com bubble|dot-com bust of 2001]] hit the region hard; many high technology employers reduced the number of their employees or went out of business. [[Open Source Development Labs]] made news in 2004 when they hired [[Linus Torvalds]], developer of the [[Linux kernel]]. In 2010, [[biotechnology]] giant [[Genentech]] opened a $400&nbsp;million facility in [[Hillsboro, Oregon|Hillsboro]] to expand its production capabilities.<ref name="genentech expansion">{{cite news |last = Rogoway |first = Mike |title = Genentech opens in Hillsboro, fueling Oregon's biotech aspirations |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/genentech_opens_in_hillsboro_f.html |access-date = October 7, 2013 |newspaper = The Oregonian |date = April 5, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131212182444/http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/genentech_opens_in_hillsboro_f.html |archive-date = December 12, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon is home to several large [[Data center|datacenters]] that take advantage of cheap power and a climate conducive to reducing cooling costs. [[Google]] operates a large datacenter in [[The Dalles, Oregon|The Dalles]], and [[Facebook]] built a large datacenter near [[Prineville, Oregon|Prineville]] in 2010. [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] opened a datacenter near [[Boardman, Oregon|Boardman]] in 2011, and a fulfillment center in [[Troutdale, Oregon|Troutdale]] in 2018.<ref name="amazon data center">{{cite news |last = Rogoway |first = Mike |title = Amazon confirms its data center near Boardman has begun operating |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/11/amazon_confirms_its_data_cente.html |access-date = October 7, 2013 |newspaper = The Oregonian |date = November 9, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131212181810/http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/11/amazon_confirms_its_data_cente.html |archive-date = December 12, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/08/amazon_begins_hiring_for_1500.html |title = Amazon begins hiring for 1,500 Troutdale warehouse jobs |last = Rogoway |first = Mike |date = August 7, 2018 |work = The Oregonian |access-date = October 4, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181004225835/https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/08/amazon_begins_hiring_for_1500.html |archive-date = October 4, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Corporate headquarters===
[[File:Nike Headquarters Oregon.jpg|thumb|right|[[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] headquarters near [[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]]]]
Oregon is also the home of large corporations in other industries. The world headquarters of [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] is located near [[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]]. Medford is home to [[Harry and David]], which sells gift items under several brands. Medford is also home to the national headquarters of [[Lithia Motors]]. Portland is home to one of the West's largest trade book publishing houses, [[Graphic Arts Center Publishing]]. Oregon is also home to [[Mentor Graphics|Mentor Graphics Corporation]], a world leader in [[electronic design automation]] located in [[Wilsonville, Oregon|Wilsonville]] and employs roughly 4,500 people worldwide.

[[Adidas|Adidas Corporations]] American Headquarters is located in Portland and employs roughly 900 full-time workers at its Portland campus.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://careers.adidas-group.com/locations/headquarters/portland |website = Adidas |title = Portland–Adidas Group |access-date = April 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170417071218/https://careers.adidas-group.com/locations/headquarters/portland |archive-date = April 17, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> Nike, located in Beaverton, employs roughly 5,000 full-time employees at its {{convert|200|acre|ha|adj=on}} campus. Nike's Beaverton campus is continuously ranked as a top employer in the Portland area-along with competitor Adidas.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://nikeinc.com/pages/locations |title = Nike Locations |website = Nike |access-date = March 27, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140327003030/http://nikeinc.com/pages/locations |archive-date = March 27, 2014 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> [[Intel|Intel Corporation]] employs 22,000 in Oregon<ref name="OPB-Intel-2022" /> with the majority of these employees located at the company's Hillsboro campus located about 30 minutes west of Portland. Intel has been a top employer in Oregon since 1974.<ref>{{cite web |website = Corporate Responsibility |title = Intel in Oregon |publisher = Intel |url = http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/intel-in-oregon.html |access-date = May 3, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130627022827/http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/intel-in-oregon.html |archive-date = June 27, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Largest [[Public company|Public Corporations]] Headquartered in Oregon (December 2016)<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nasdaq.com/screening/companies-by-region.aspx?region=North+America&country=United%20States&state=OR&sortname=marketcap&sorttype=1 |website = NASDAQ |title = Companies in Oregon |access-date = December 30, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170417072058/http://www.nasdaq.com/screening/companies-by-region.aspx?region=North+America&country=United%20States&state=OR&sortname=marketcap&sorttype=1 |archive-date = April 17, 2017 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>
|-
! # !! Corporation || Headquarters || [[Market capitalization|Market cap]] (billions US$)
|-
| 1. || [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]||[[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]]||91.35
|-
| 2. || [[FLIR Systems]]||[[Wilsonville, Oregon|Wilsonville]]|| 4.77
|-
| 3. || [[Portland General Electric Company|Portland General Electric]] || [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] || 4.05
|-
| 4. || [[Columbia Sportswear]]|| Beaverton||4.03
|-
| 5. || [[Umpqua Holdings Corporation]] || Portland || 3.68
|-
| 6. || [[Lithia Motors]]|| [[Medford, Oregon|Medford]] ||2.06
|-
| 7. || [[NW Natural|Northwest Natural Gas]]||Portland||1.7
|-
| 8. || [[The Greenbrier Companies]]||[[Lake Oswego]]||1.25
|}
The U.S. Federal Government and Providence Health systems are respective contenders for top employers in Oregon with roughly 12,000 federal workers and 14,000 Providence Health workers.

In 2015, a total of seven companies headquartered in Oregon landed in the [[Fortune 1000]]: Nike, at 106; [[Precision Castparts Corp.]] at 302; Lithia Motors at 482; [[StanCorp Financial Group]] at 804; [[Schnitzer Steel Industries]] at 853; [[The Greenbrier Companies]] at 948; and [[Columbia Sportswear]] at 982.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2015/06/oregon-lands-7-companies-on-fortune-1000-up-from-5.html |website = Portland Business Journal |title = Oregon lands 7 companies on Fortune 1000, up from 5 last year |author = Walker, Mason |date = June 4, 2015 |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109152851/http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2015/06/oregon-lands-7-companies-on-fortune-1000-up-from-5.html |archive-date = November 9, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Taxes and budgets===

Oregon's [[wikt:Biennial|biennial]] state budget, $2.6&nbsp;billion in 2017, comprises [[Fund accounting|General Funds]], [[Federal funds|Federal Funds]], Lottery Funds, and Other Funds.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.oregon.gov/das/Financial/Documents/2017-19_gb.pdf |title = Oregon Governor's Budget |website = State of Oregon |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010125428/http://www.oregon.gov/das/Financial/Documents/2017-19_gb.pdf |archive-date = October 10, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Oregon is one of [[Sales taxes in the United States|only five states]] that have no [[sales tax]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/sales.html |title = State Sales Tax Rates |publisher = Federation of Tax Administrators |date = January 1, 2008 |access-date = April 2, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041226220158/http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/sales.html |archive-date = December 26, 2004 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon voters have been resolute in their opposition to a sales tax, voting proposals down each of the nine times they have been presented.<ref>{{cite web |title = 25th Anniversary Issue |year = 1993 |website = Willamette Week |url = http://www.wweek.com/html/25-1993.html |access-date = June 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061230164724/http://www.wweek.com/html/25-1993.html |archive-date = December 30, 2006 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The last vote, for 1993's Measure 1, was defeated by a 75–25% margin.<ref>{{cite web |title = Initiative, Referendum and Recall: 1988–1995 |publisher = State of Oregon |website = Oregon Blue Book |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/state/elections/history-introduction.aspx |access-date = June 11, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073610/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/state/elections/history-introduction.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The state also has a minimum corporate tax of only $150 a year,<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/317.090 |title = Oregon Revised Statutes 317.090 Minimum tax |access-date = August 7, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234647/https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/317.090 |archive-date = August 7, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> amounting to 5.6% of the General Fund in the 2005–07 biennium; data about which businesses pay the minimum is not available to the public.<ref>{{cite news |last = Sheketoff |first = Charles |title = As Maryland Goes, So Should Oregon |url = http://salem-news.com/articles/march272007/oregon_mrlnd_32707.php |work = Salem News |date = March 27, 2007 |access-date = June 10, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927051331/http://salem-news.com/articles/march272007/oregon_mrlnd_32707.php |archive-date = September 27, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=June 2017}} As a result, the state relies on [[property tax|property]] and income taxes for its revenue. Oregon has the fifth highest personal income tax in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon ranked 41st out of the 50 states in taxes per capita in 2005 with an average amount paid of 1,791.45.<ref name="percapita">{{cite news |title = Oregon ranks 41st in taxes per capita |newspaper = [[Portland Business Journal]] |url = http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/03/27/daily28.html |date = March 31, 2006 |access-date = June 10, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060520094941/http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/03/27/daily28.html |archive-date = May 20, 2006 |url-status = live }}</ref>

A few local governments levy sales taxes on services: the city of Ashland, for example, collects a 5% sales tax on prepared food.<ref>{{cite web |title = Food and Beverage Tax |publisher = City of Ashland |url = http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=9180 |access-date = June 10, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070804022952/http://www.ashland.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=9180 |archive-date = August 4, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The City of Portland imposes an Arts Education and Access Income Tax on residents over 18—a flat tax of $35 collected from individuals earning $1,000 or more per year and residing in a household with an annual income exceeding the federal poverty level. The tax funds Portland school teachers, and art focused non-profit organizations in Portland.<ref>{{cite web |title = Arts Tax |url = https://www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/60076 |website = The City of Portland, Oregon |access-date = November 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161201143533/https://www.portlandoregon.gov/revenue/60076 |archive-date = December 1, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The State of Oregon also allows transit districts to levy an income tax on employers and the self-employed. The State currently collects the tax for [[TriMet]] and the [[Lane Transit District]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon Transit Self-Employment Taxes |url = http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/forms/FormsPubs/oregon-transit-self-employment-taxes-brochure_500-406_2015.pdf |website = Oregon.gov |access-date = November 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161003120738/http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/forms/FormsPubs/oregon-transit-self-employment-taxes-brochure_500-406_2015.pdf |archive-date = October 3, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon Employer's Guide |url = http://sos.oregon.gov/business/documents/business-guides/employer-guide.pdf |website = Oregon.gov |access-date = November 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161201081433/http://sos.oregon.gov/business/documents/business-guides/employer-guide.pdf |archive-date = December 1, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Oregon is one of six states with a revenue limit.<ref>{{cite web |title = Oregon's 2% Kicker |website = Oregon State Leglislative Review Office |url = http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lro/rr02-07.pdf |access-date = June 10, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070614111339/http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lro/rr02-07.pdf |archive-date = June 14, 2007 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The "[[Kicker (Oregon tax rebate)|kicker law]]" stipulates that when income tax collections exceed state economists' estimates by two percent or more, any excess must be returned to taxpayers.<ref>{{cite news |first = Brad |last = Cain |title = Kicker tax rebate eyed to help school and state budgets |publisher = KATU |date = March 2, 2006 }}</ref> Since the enactment of the law in 1979, refunds have been issued for seven of the eleven biennia.<ref>{{cite web |title = 2 Percent Surplus Refund (Kicker) History |publisher = State of Oregon |url = http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/NEWS/docs/kicker.pdf |access-date = June 10, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080216020013/http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/NEWS/docs/kicker.pdf |archive-date = February 16, 2008 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 2000, Ballot Measure 86 converted the "kicker" law from statute to the [[Oregon Constitution]], and changed some of its provisions.

Federal payments to county governments that were granted to replace timber revenue when logging in National Forests was restricted in the 1990s, have been under threat of suspension for several years. This issue dominates the future revenue of rural counties, which have come to rely on the payments in providing essential services.<ref>{{cite news |last = Cooper |first = Matt |title = County may scrub income tax |work = [[The Register-Guard]] |url = http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index.php/static/search/archive/?q=County+may+scrub+income+tax |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721052058/http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/index.php/static/search/archive/?q=County+may+scrub+income+tax |url-status=dead |archive-date = July 21, 2011 |date = March 9, 2007 |access-date = March 9, 2007 }}</ref>

55% of state revenues are spent on public education, 23% on human services (child protective services, Medicaid, and senior services), 17% on public safety, and 5% on other services.<ref>[http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/PERTAX/docs/2006Forms/101-043-06.pdf "2006 Oregon full-year resident tax form instructions".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070227154309/http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/PERTAX/docs/2006Forms/101-043-06.pdf |date=February 27, 2007 }} (PDF) Oregon.Gov.</ref>

Oregon has had a $15 bicycle tax for each new bicycles over $200 since 2018. Oregon is the only state in the nation with a bicycle excise tax.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-28 |title=Will Oregon Start Taxing Children's Bikes? |url=https://www.bicycling.com/news/a20049064/oregon-bike-tax-kids-bikes/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Bicycling |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kunkle |first=Fredrick |date=2021-10-28 |title=Analysis {{!}} Bicyclists fear Oregon's controversial bike tax could spread |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tripping/wp/2017/07/20/bicyclists-fear-that-oregons-controversial-bike-tax-could-spread/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

===Healthcare===

{{Main|List of hospitals in Oregon}}

For health insurance, as of 2018 [[Cambia Health Solutions]] has the highest market share at 21%, followed by [[Providence Health & Services|Providence Health]].<ref name="ama-assn.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/competition-health-insurance-research|title=Competition in health insurance research|website=American Medical Association|language=en|access-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618001323/https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/competition-health-insurance-research|archive-date=June 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In the Portland region, [[Kaiser Permanente]] leads.<ref name="ama-assn.org" /> Providence and Kaiser are vertically [[integrated delivery system]]s which operate hospitals and offer insurance plans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150404/MAGAZINE/304049981/more-health-systems-launch-insurance-plans-despite-caveats|title=More health systems launch insurance plans despite caveats|date=April 4, 2015|website=Modern Healthcare|language=en|access-date=June 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527104152/https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150404/MAGAZINE/304049981/more-health-systems-launch-insurance-plans-despite-caveats|archive-date=May 27, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Aside from Providence and Kaiser, hospital systems which are primarily Oregon-based include [[Legacy Health]] mostly covering Portland, [[Samaritan Health Services]] with five hospitals in various areas across the state, and [[Tuality Healthcare]] in the western Portland metropolitan area. In [[Southern Oregon]], Asante runs several hospitals, including [[Rogue Regional Medical Center]]. Some hospitals are operated by multi-state organizations such as [[PeaceHealth]] and [[CommonSpirit Health]]. Some hospitals such [[Salem Hospital (Oregon)|Salem Hospital]] operate independently of larger systems.

[[Oregon Health & Science University]] is a Portland-based medical school that operates two hospitals and clinics.

The [[Oregon Health Plan]] is the state's [[Medicaid managed care]] plan, and it is known for innovations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20170110.058188/full/|title=Oregon's High-Risk, High-Reward Gamble On Medicaid Expansion {{!}} Health Affairs|journal=Health Affairs Forefront|year=2017|doi=10.1377/forefront.20170110.058188|access-date=March 29, 2022|archive-date=March 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327141803/https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20170110.058188/full/|url-status=live|last1=Goldsmith |first1=Jeff C. |last2=Henderson |first2=Bruce }}</ref> The Portland area is a mature [[managed care]] and two-thirds of Medicare enrollees are in [[Medicare Advantage]] plans.<ref name=":0" />

==Education==
===Elementary, middle, and high school ===

In the 2013–2014 school year, the state had 567,000 students in public schools.<ref name=facts>{{cite web |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/n-s.aspx |website = Oregon Blue Book |title = Oregon Almanac: Native Americans to shoes, oldest |access-date = November 6, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035421/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/facts/almanac/n-s.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> There were 197 public school districts, served by 19 [[Education service district (Oregon)|education service districts]].<ref name=facts />

In 2016, the largest school districts in the state were:<ref>{{cite web |url = https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/largest-enrollment/s/oregon/ |website = Niche |title = 2016 Largest School Districts in Oregon |access-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160326214048/https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/largest-enrollment/s/oregon/ |archive-date = March 26, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Portland Public Schools (Oregon)|Portland Public Schools]], comprising 47,323 students; [[Salem-Keizer School District]], comprising 40,565 students; [[Beaverton School District]], comprising 39,625 students; [[Hillsboro School District]], comprising 21,118 students; and [[North Clackamas School District]], comprising 17,053 students.

Approximately 90.5% of Oregon high school students graduate, improving on the national average of 88.3% as measured from the [[2010 U.S. Census|2010 U.S. census]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Oregon |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?q=Oregon&g=0400000US41 |website=Oregon Profile |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615130000/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?q=Oregon&g=0400000US41 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 8, 2019, educators across the state protested to demand smaller class sizes, hiring more support staff, such as school counselors, librarians, and nurses, and the restoration of art, music, and physical education classes. The protests caused two dozen school districts to close, which equals to about 600 schools across the state.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/08/us/oregon-teachers-walkout/index.html |website = CNN.com |title = Oregon teachers are walking out, forcing 600 schools to close. But they're not demanding raises |date = May 8, 2019 |access-date = February 15, 2023}}</ref>

===Colleges and universities===

{{See also|List of colleges and universities in Oregon|Oregon Office of University Coordination}}
[[File:Memorial Union at Oregon State University.jpg|thumb|left|The Memorial Union at [[Oregon State University]]]]

Especially since the 1990 passage of Measure 5, which set limits on property tax levels, Oregon has struggled to fund higher education. Since then, Oregon has cut its higher education budget and now ranks 46th in the country in state spending per student. However, 2007 legislation funded the university system far beyond the governor's requested budget though still capping tuition increases at 3% per year.<ref>{{cite news |title = Higher education gets higher priority |url = http://www.dailyemerald.com/2007/06/29/higher-education-gets-higher-priority/ |access-date = February 5, 2016 |work = Daily Emerald |date = June 29, 2007 |location = Eugene, OR |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160205120706/http://www.dailyemerald.com/2007/06/29/higher-education-gets-higher-priority/ |archive-date = February 5, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon supports a total of seven public universities and one affiliate. It is home to three public research universities: The University of Oregon (UO) in Eugene and Oregon State University (OSU) in [[Corvallis, Oregon|Corvallis]], both [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] as research universities with very high research activity, and [[Portland State University]] which is classified as a research university with high research activity.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/ |title = New Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education Website Coming in January 2015 |publisher = [[Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching]] |date = October 8, 2014 |access-date = November 22, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120919181822/http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/ |archive-date = September 19, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Johnson Hall, University of Oregon (2014).JPG|thumb|right|Johnson Hall at the [[University of Oregon]]]]
UO is the state's highest nationally ranked and most selective<ref>{{cite web |url = http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/or?_sort=acceptance-rate&_sort-direction=asc&_mode=list |website = U.S. News & World Report |title = Colleges in Oregon |access-date = December 7, 2016 |archive-date = February 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210220151438/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/or?_sort=acceptance-rate&_sort-direction=asc&_mode=list |url-status = live }}</ref> public university by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' and ''[[Forbes Magazine's List of America's Best Colleges|Forbes]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-oregon-3223 |website = U.S. News & World Report |title = University of Oregon |access-date = December 8, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161010150815/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-oregon-3223 |archive-date = October 10, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> OSU is the state's only land-grant university, has the state's largest enrollment for fall 2014,<ref>{{cite news |title = Enrollment: UO falls, OSU gains |url = http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32403986-75/osu-student-enrollment-climbs-uos-drops-slightly.html.csp |newspaper = Register-Guard |author = Dietz, Diane |date = November 11, 2014 |access-date = December 30, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181207170611/https://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32403986-75/osu-student-enrollment-climbs-uos-drops-slightly.html.csp |archive-date = December 7, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> and is the state's highest ranking university according to ''[[Academic Ranking of World Universities]]'', ''[[Washington Monthly]]'', and ''[[QS World University Rankings]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.arwu.org/ |title = Top 500 World Universities |access-date = October 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120214142516/http://www.arwu.org/ |archive-date = February 14, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> OSU receives more annual funding for research than all other public higher education institutions in Oregon combined.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/sites/default/files/transfer_poster.pdf |title = Oregon State University |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151022230915/http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/sites/default/files/transfer_poster.pdf |archive-date = October 22, 2015 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The state's urban Portland State University has Oregon's second largest enrollment.

The state has three regional universities: [[Western Oregon University]] in [[Monmouth, Oregon|Monmouth]], [[Southern Oregon University]] in Ashland, and [[Eastern Oregon University]] in [[La Grande, Oregon|La Grande]]. The [[Oregon Institute of Technology]] has its campus in [[Klamath Falls, Oregon|Klamath Falls]]. The quasi-public [[Oregon Health & Science University]] (OHSU) includes medical, dental, and nursing schools, and graduate programs in biomedical sciences in Portland and a science and engineering school in Hillsboro. The state also supports [[List of community colleges in Oregon|17 community colleges]].
[[File:Winter storm, January 2017, southeast Portland, Oregon - 26.jpg|thumb|right|Eliot Hall at [[Reed College]]]]

Oregon is home to a wide variety of private colleges, the majority of which are located in the Portland area. The [[University of Portland]], a Catholic university, is affiliated with the [[Congregation of Holy Cross]]. [[Reed College]], a rigorous liberal arts college in Portland, was ranked by ''[[Forbes]]'' as the 52nd best college in the country in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.forbes.com/colleges/reed-college/ |website = Forbes |title = Reed College |access-date = September 11, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150911204607/http://www.forbes.com/colleges/reed-college/ |archive-date = September 11, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Other private institutions in Portland include [[Lewis & Clark College]]; [[Multnomah University]]; [[Portland Bible College]]; [[Warner Pacific College]]; [[Cascade College]]; the [[National University of Natural Medicine]]; and [[Western Seminary]], a theological graduate school. [[Pacific University]] is in the Portland suburb of [[Forest Grove, Oregon|Forest Grove]]. There are also private colleges further south in the Willamette Valley. McMinnville is home to [[Linfield College]], while nearby Newberg is home to [[George Fox University]]. Salem is home to two private schools: [[Willamette University]] (the state's oldest, established during the provisional period) and [[Corban University]]. Also located near Salem is [[Mount Angel Abbey|Mount Angel Seminary]], one of America's largest Roman Catholic seminaries. The state's second medical school, the [[College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Northwest]], is located in Lebanon. Eugene is home to three private colleges: [[Bushnell University]], [[New Hope Christian College]], and [[Gutenberg College]].

==Law and government==

{{See also|Government of Oregon}}
[[File:OregonCapitolTop.jpg|thumb|upright|Golden Pioneer atop the [[Oregon State Capitol]]]]

A writer in the [[Oregon Country]] book ''A Pacific Republic'', written in 1839, predicted the territory was to become an independent republic. Four years later, in 1843, settlers of the Willamette Valley voted in majority for a republican form of government.<ref>Allen, Cain (2006). [http://oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/a-pacific-republic/ "A Pacific Republic"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827132454/https://oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/a-pacific-republic/ |date=August 27, 2016 }}. ''The Oregon History Project''. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved June 17, 2016.</ref> The Oregon Country functioned in this way until August 13, 1848, when Oregon was annexed by the U.S. and a territorial government was established. Oregon maintained a territorial government until February 14, 1859, when it was granted [[U.S. state|statehood]].{{Sfn|Johnson|1904|p=296}}

===Structure===
Oregon state government has a [[separation of powers]] similar to the [[federal government of the United States|federal government]], with three branches:
* a [[legislature|legislative branch]] (the [[bicameral]] [[Oregon Legislative Assembly]]),
* an [[Executive (government)|executive branch]] which includes an "administrative department" and [[Governor of Oregon|Oregon's governor]] as chief executive, and
* a [[Judiciary|judicial branch]], headed by the [[Chief justice|Chief Justice]] of the [[Oregon Supreme Court]].

Governors in Oregon serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms, but an unlimited number of total terms. Oregon has no [[Lieutenant governor (United States)|lieutenant governor]]; in case the office of governor is vacated, Article{{nbsp}}V, Section 8a of the [[Oregon Constitution]] specifies that the [[Oregon Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] is first in line for succession.<ref name="articlev">{{cite web |title = Constitution of Oregon (Article V) |year = 2007 |website = Oregon Blue Book |publisher = State of Oregon |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/state-constitution.aspx |access-date = March 12, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073529/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/state-constitution.aspx |archive-date = October 24, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref> The other statewide officers are [[Oregon State Treasurer|Treasurer]], [[Oregon Attorney General|Attorney General]], and [[Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries|Labor Commissioner]].

The [[wikt:Biennial|biennial]] [[Oregon Legislative Assembly]] consists of a thirty-member [[Oregon State Senate|Senate]] and a sixty-member [[Oregon House of Representatives|House]]. A debate over whether to move to annual sessions is a long-standing battle in Oregon politics, but the voters have resisted the move from citizen legislators to professional lawmakers. Because Oregon's state budget is written in two-year increments and, there being no sales tax, state revenue is based largely on income taxes, it is often significantly over or under budget. Recent legislatures have had to be called into special sessions repeatedly to address revenue shortfalls resulting from economic downturns, bringing to a head the need for more frequent legislative sessions. Oregon Initiative 71, passed in 2010, mandates the legislature to begin meeting every year, for 160 days in odd-numbered years, and 35 days in even-numbered years.

The state supreme court has seven elected justices, currently including the only two openly gay state supreme court justices in the nation. They choose one of their own to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em"
|+ Federally recognized tribes in Oregon
|-
|{{unbulleted list|
* [[Burns Paiute Tribe]]
* [[Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians]]
* [[Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde]]
* [[Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians]]
* [[Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs]]
* [[Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation]]
* [[Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians]]
* [[Klamath Tribes]]
* [[Coquille Indian Tribe]]
}}
|}

===Ballot measures===
Oregon's constitution provides for [[ballot measure|ballot initiatives]] voted upon by the electorate in general.  In the 2002 general election, Oregon voters approved a [[Oregon Ballot Measure 25 (2002)|ballot measure]] to increase the state minimum wage automatically each year according to inflationary changes, which are measured by the [[consumer price index]] (CPI).<ref>{{cite web |title = Ors 653.025 |url = https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors653.html |website = State of Oregon |access-date = January 29, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190130053355/https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors653.html |archive-date = January 30, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref> In the 2004 general election, Oregon voters passed ballot measures [[Oregon Ballot Measure 36 (2004)|banning same-sex marriage]]<ref>{{cite web |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |title = November 2, 2004, General Election Abstract of Votes: STATE MEASURE NO. 36 |format = PDF |publisher = [[Oregon Secretary of State]] |access-date = November 17, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131211011959/http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |archive-date = December 11, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> and [[Oregon Ballot Measure 37 (2004)|restricting land use regulation]].<ref>{{cite web |last = Bradbury |first = Bill |author-link = Bill Bradbury |title = Official Results—November 6, 2007 Special Election |website = Elections Division |publisher = [[Oregon Secretary of State]] |date = November 6, 2007 |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |access-date = December 27, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131211011959/http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |archive-date = December 11, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> In the [[Oregon's statewide elections, 2006|2006 general election]], voters restricted the use of [[Oregon Ballot Measure 39 (2006)|eminent domain]] and extended the state's discount prescription drug coverage.<ref>{{cite web |title = November 7, 2006, general election abstracts of votes: state measure no. 39 |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |publisher = State of Oregon |format = PDF |access-date = March 12, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131211011959/http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/electionhistory.aspx |archive-date = December 11, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In the 2020 general election, Oregon voters approved a [[2020 Oregon Ballot Measure 110|ballot measure]] decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of street drugs such as cocaine and heroin, becoming the first state in the country to do so after the drugs were originally made illegal.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Levin|first1=Sam|date=November 4, 2020|title=Oregon becomes first US state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/03/oregon-drugs-decriminalize-arizona-new-jersey-marijuana|access-date=November 4, 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104074027/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/03/oregon-drugs-decriminalize-arizona-new-jersey-marijuana|url-status=live}}</ref> The initiative has been described as a mixed success after three years of implementation, and calls for change arose.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oregon cities join police, prosecutors in push to recriminalize drug possession |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/02/oregon-cities-police-prosecutors-pushs-recriminalize-drug-possession/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=opb |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kim |first=E. Tammy |date=2024-01-15 |title=A Drug-Decriminalization Fight Erupts in Oregon |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/22/a-new-drug-war-in-oregon |access-date=2024-02-02 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref>  Drug overdose deaths continued to rise, in line with other states. Funds allocated to treatment and other services have apparently not increased the success of these alternate outcomes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-19 |title=Oregon's Drug Decriminalization Law Faces Growing Pushback Amid Fentanyl Crisis |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/oregon-s-drug-decriminalization-law-faces-growing-pushback-amid-fentanyl-crisis-/7361234.html |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-02 |title=Three years after decriminalization, Oregon frets over drug use |url=https://news.yahoo.com/three-years-decriminalization-oregon-frets-012720089.html |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, Governor Kotek signed a bill reversing the decriminalization component of the ballot measure while also expanding funding for drug treatment.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson|first=Conrad|date=April 1, 2024|title=Oregon governor signs bill criminalizing drug possession|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2024/04/01/drug-possession-oregon-kotek-sign-bill/|work=Oregon Public Broadcasting|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>

In 2020 the state also approved [[2020 Oregon Ballot Measure 109|a ballot measure]] to create a legal means of administering [[psilocybin]] for medicinal use, making it the first state in the country to legalize the drug.<ref>{{cite news |last=Acker |first=Lizzy |title=Oregon becomes first state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/11/oregon-becomes-first-state-to-legalize-psychedelic-mushrooms.html |access-date=July 29, 2024 |work=The Oregonian |date=November 3, 2020}}</ref>

===Federal representation===

Like all U.S. states, Oregon is represented by two [[United States Senate|senators]]. Following the [[1980 United States census|1980 census]], Oregon had five [[Oregon's congressional districts|congressional districts]]. After Oregon was admitted to the Union, it began with a single member in the House of Representatives ([[La Fayette Grover]], who served in the [[35th U.S. Congress]] for less than a month). [[United States congressional apportionment|Congressional apportionment]] increased the size of the delegation following the censuses of [[1890 United States Census|1890]], [[1910 United States Census|1910]], [[1940 United States Census|1940]], and 1980. Following the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], Oregon gained a sixth congressional seat. It was filled in the [[2022 United States House of Representatives elections|2022 Congressional Elections]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2021/04/26/oregon-6th-seat-congress-us-census/|title=Oregon to get 6th seat in Congress|first=Dirk|last=VanderHart|publisher=[[Oregon Public Broadcasting]]|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429040600/https://www.opb.org/article/2021/04/26/oregon-6th-seat-congress-us-census/|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[United States congressional delegations from Oregon|detailed list of the past and present Congressional delegations from Oregon]] is available.

The [[U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon]] hears federal cases in the state. The court has courthouses in [[Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse|Portland]], [[Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse|Eugene]], Medford, and Pendleton. Also in Portland is the federal bankruptcy court, with a second branch in Eugene.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.orb.uscourts.gov/ |title = United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Oregon |publisher = U.S. Courts |access-date = December 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/19991129005743/http://www.orb.uscourts.gov/ |archive-date = November 29, 1999 |url-status = live }}</ref> Oregon (among other western states and territories) is in the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|9th Court of Appeals]]. One of the court's meeting places is at the [[Pioneer Courthouse]] in downtown Portland, a [[National Historic Landmark]] built in 1869.

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of Oregon}}
{{See also|Political party strength in Oregon}}
[[File:United States presidential election in Oregon, 2016.svg|thumb|right|[[Treemap]] of the popular vote by county (2016 presidential election)]]
[[File:Oregon voter reg 1950-2006.png|thumb|right|Party registration in Oregon, 1950–2006
{{legend-col|thumb size=narrow
|{{legend|purple|Total}}
|{{legend|red|Democratic Party}}
|{{legend|yellow|Republican Party}}
|{{legend|green|Non-affiliated or other}}
}}
]]
[[File:Party registration by Oregon county.svg|thumb|Party registration by Oregon county (February 2023)
{{legend-col|thumb size=narrow
|{{legend|#d3e7ff|2=Democrat ≥ 30%}}
|{{legend|#b9d7ff|2=Democrat ≥ 40%}}
|{{legend|#86b6f2|2=Democrat ≥ 50%}}
|{{legend|#ffccd0|2=Republican ≥ 30%}}
|{{legend|#f2b3be|2=Republican ≥ 40%}}
|{{legend|#e27f90|2=Republican ≥ 50%}}
|{{legend|#aaffaa|2=Unaffiliated ≥ 30%}}
|{{legend|#aade87|2=Unaffiliated ≥ 40%}}
}}
]]

Political opinions in Oregon are geographically split by the [[Cascade Range]], with [[Western Oregon]] being more [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] and [[Eastern Oregon]] being [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/politics_of_place_in_northeast.html |website = The Oregonian |title = Politics of Place: In northeastern Oregon, politics revolve around natural resources |author = Kost, Ryan |date = May 5, 2012 |access-date = April 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170525074216/http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/politics_of_place_in_northeast.html |archive-date = May 25, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> In a 2008 analysis of the 2004 presidential election, a political analyst found that according to the application of a [[Likert scale]], Oregon boasted both the most liberal Kerry voters and the most conservative Bush voters, making it the most politically polarized state in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/05/oregon-swing-state-or-latte-drinking.html |agency = FiveThirtyEight.com |first = Nate |last = Silver |author-link = Nate Silver |title = Oregon: Swing state or latte-drinking, Prius-driving lesbian commune? |date = May 17, 2008 |access-date = February 24, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100307020113/http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/05/oregon-swing-state-or-latte-drinking.html |archive-date = March 7, 2010 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The base of Democratic support is largely concentrated in the urban centers of the Willamette Valley. The eastern two-thirds of the state beyond the Cascade Mountains typically votes Republican; in 2000 and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]], [[George W. Bush]] carried every county east of the Cascades. However, the region's sparse population means the more populous counties in the Willamette Valley usually outweigh the eastern counties in statewide elections. 
In 2008, for instance, Republican Senate incumbent [[Gordon H. Smith]] lost his bid for a third term, even though he [[2008 United States Senate election in Oregon|carried all but eight counties]]. His Democratic challenger, Jeff Merkley, won Multnomah County by 142,000 votes, more than double the overall margin of victory. Oregonians have voted for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential candidate in every election since 1988. In 2004 and 2006, Democrats won control of the State Senate, and then the House. Since 2023, Oregon has been represented by four Democrats and two [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]. Since 2009, the state has had two Democratic U.S. senators, [[Ron Wyden]] and [[Jeff Merkley]]. Oregon voters have elected Democratic governors in every election since 1986, most recently electing [[Tina Kotek]] over Republican [[Christine Drazan]] and Independent [[Betsy Johnson]] in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

During Oregon's history, it has adopted many electoral reforms proposed during the [[Progressive Era]], through the efforts of [[William Simon U'Ren|William S. U'Ren]] and his [[Direct Legislation League]]. Under his leadership, the state overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in 1902 that created the [[Popular initiative|initiative]] and [[referendum]] for citizens to introduce or approve proposed laws or amendments to the state constitution directly, making Oregon the first state to adopt such a system. Today, roughly half of U.S. states do so.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.iandrinstitute.org/statewide_i&r.htm |publisher = State Initiative & Referendum Institute at USC |title = State Initiative and Referendum Summary |access-date = November 27, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160211180917/http://www.iandrinstitute.org/statewide_i%26r.htm |archive-date = February 11, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

In following years, the [[Partisan primary|primary election]] to select [[Political party|party]] candidates was adopted in 1904, and in 1908 the Oregon Constitution was amended to include recall of public officials. More recent amendments include the nation's first doctor-assisted suicide law,<ref>{{cite web |title = Eighth Annual Report on Oregon's Death with Dignity Act |publisher = Oregon Department of Human Services |date = March 9, 2006 |url = http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year8.pdf |access-date = June 11, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070614111336/http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pas/docs/year8.pdf |archive-date = June 14, 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref> called the [[1994 Oregon Ballot Measure 16|Death with Dignity Act]] (which was challenged, unsuccessfully, in 2005 by the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] in a case heard by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]), [[1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 67|legalization]] of [[medical cannabis]], and among the nation's strongest [[Smart growth|anti-urban sprawl]] and pro-environment laws.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} More recently, [[Oregon Ballot Measure 37 (2004)|2004's Measure 37]] reflects a backlash against such land-use laws. However, a further ballot measure in 2007, [[Oregon Ballot Measure 37 (2004)#Measure 49|Measure 49]], curtailed many of the provisions of 37.

Of the [[List of Oregon ballot measures|measures placed on the ballot]] since 1902, the people have passed 99 of the 288 initiatives and 25 of the 61 referendums on the ballot, though not all of them survived challenges in courts (see ''[[Pierce v. Society of Sisters]]'', for an example). During the same period, the legislature has referred 363 measures to the people, of which 206 have passed.

Oregon pioneered the American use of [[postal voting]], beginning with experimentation approved by the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly]] in 1981 and culminating with a [[Oregon Ballot Measure 60 (1998)|1998 ballot measure]] mandating that all counties conduct elections by mail. It remains one of just two states, the other being Washington, where [[Absentee ballot|voting by mail]] is the only method of voting.

In 1994, Oregon adopted the [[Oregon Health Plan]], which made health care available to most of its citizens without private health insurance.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/DataReportsDocs/Oregon%20Health%20Plan%20-%20An%20historical%20overview.pdf |website = Oregon Department of Human Services |title = Oregon Health Plan: An Historical Review |access-date = December 28, 2016 |date = July 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170525082628/https://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/DataReportsDocs/Oregon%20Health%20Plan%20-%20An%20historical%20overview.pdf |archive-date = May 25, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Oregon is the only state that does not have a mechanism to impeach executive officeholders, including the governor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=GARY A. WARNER Oregon Capital |title=Threat of impeachment works in New York, but not in Oregon |url=https://www.oregoncapitalinsider.com/news/threat-of-impeachment-works-in-new-york-but-not-in-oregon/article_1a44aaf0-fbe5-11eb-9cd2-6b2999a4d24a.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Oregon Capital Insider |date=August 12, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Removing an executive office holder would require a recall election. It  is one of four states that requires two-thirds of members of the House and Senate be present to establish a quorum.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=GARY A. WARNER Oregon Capital |title=Quirks of 19th century constitution upend 21st century legislature |url=https://www.oregoncapitalinsider.com/news/quirks-of-19th-century-constitution-upend-21st-century-legislature/article_5a4443a6-e9f8-11ed-ab30-63a9f5e7479d.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Oregon Capital Insider |date=May 4, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> It is one of a minority of states that does not have a lieutenant governor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=GARY A. WARNER Oregon Capital |title=Anniversary for oddly Oregon |url=https://www.oregoncapitalinsider.com/news/anniversary-for-oddly-oregon/article_009defc8-ac45-11ed-a329-63ae4a96aec8.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Oregon Capital Insider |date=February 14, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> The Secretary of State is the first in line of succession to replace the governor in event of a vacancy. This last occurred in 2015, when Gov. [[John Kitzhaber]] resigned amid allegation of influence peddling and Secretary of State [[Kate Brown]] became governor. Brown won a special election in 2016 to retain the position, and won a full four-year term in 2018.

In the [[Electoral College (United States)|U.S. Electoral College]], Oregon cast seven votes through the 2020 presidential election. Under apportionment of Congress under the 2020 U.S. census, Oregon added a sixth congressional seat. Under the Electoral College formula of votes equaling the number of U.S. House seats plus the two U.S. Senators, Oregon will cast eight votes in the 2024 election. Oregon has supported Democratic candidates in the last nine elections. Democratic incumbent [[Barack Obama]] won the state by a margin of twelve percentage points, with over 54% of the popular vote in 2012. In the 2016 election, [[Hillary Clinton]] won Oregon by 11 percentage points.<ref>{{cite news |title = Oregon Presidential Race Results: Hillary Clinton Wins |url = https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/oregon-president-clinton-trump |access-date = February 21, 2017 |work = The New York Times |date = December 13, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170131014029/http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/oregon-president-clinton-trump |archive-date = January 31, 2017 |url-status = live }}</ref> In the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 election]], [[Joe Biden]] won Oregon by 16 percentage points over his opponent, [[Donald Trump]].<ref name="Leip, David">{{cite web |url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |title = General Election Results—Oregon |publisher = United States Election Atlas |access-date = November 18, 2016 |author = Leip, David |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180709214827/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |archive-date = July 9, 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In a 2020 study, Oregon was ranked as the easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Oregon retains the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]]. There is currently a gubernatorial hold on executions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state|title=State by State &#124; Death Penalty Information Center}}</ref>

==Sports==

{{See also|Sports in Portland, Oregon}}
[[File:Portland Trail Blazers, Dec. 26, 2013.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Rose Garden (arena)|Moda Center]] (formerly the Rose Garden) during a [[Portland Trail Blazers]] game]]

Oregon is home to three major professional sports teams: the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]], the [[Portland Thorns FC]] of the [[National Women's Soccer League|NWSL]] and the [[Portland Timbers]] of [[Major League Soccer|MLS]].<ref name=timbers>[http://portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/headlines/index.html?article_id=1108 "MLS awards team to Portland for 2011"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327150624/http://portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/headlines/index.html?article_id=1108 |date=March 27, 2009 }} Portland Timbers, March 20, 2009.</ref>

Until 2011, the only major professional sports team in Oregon was the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the Blazers were one of the most successful teams in the NBA in terms of both win–loss record and attendance.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1755418-ranking-the-top-25-players-in-portland-trail-blazers-history |website = Bleacher Report |title = Ranking the Top 25 Players in Portland Trail Blazers History |author = Wieranga, Jay |date = August 31, 2013 |access-date = December 28, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161217074403/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1755418-ranking-the-top-25-players-in-portland-trail-blazers-history |archive-date = December 17, 2016 |url-status = live }}</ref> In the early 21st&nbsp;century, the team's popularity declined due to personnel and financial issues, but revived after the departure of controversial players and the acquisition of new players such as [[Brandon Roy]] and [[LaMarcus Aldridge]], and still later [[Damian Lillard]].<ref name= samsmith>{{cite web |url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15321476/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061028083440/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15321476/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 28, 2006 |title = Blazers stalled until bad apples go |last = Smith |first = Sam |date = October 18, 2006 |access-date = January 15, 2008 |publisher = MSN |website = MSNBC }}</ref><ref name=mejia>{{cite news |url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/sportsline/main10406427.shtml |title = Oden's loss hurts, but team in good hands |access-date = January 15, 2008 |publisher = CBS |work = News |last = Mejia |first = Tony |date = October 13, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081206103536/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/sportsline/main10406427.shtml |archive-date = December 6, 2008 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The Blazers play in the [[Moda Center]] in Portland's Lloyd District, which also is home to the [[Portland Winterhawks]] of the [[junior ice hockey|junior]] [[Western Hockey League]].<ref name=rosequarter>{{cite web |url = http://www.rosequarter.com/RoseQuarter/Venues/tabid/84/ |title = Venues |access-date = January 15, 2008 |publisher = Rose Quarter |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140313112817/http://www.rosequarter.com/RoseQuarter/Venues/tabid/84/ |archive-date = March 13, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

The Portland Timbers play at [[Providence Park]], just west of downtown Portland. The Timbers have a strong following, with the team regularly selling out its games.<ref name="Wahl">{{cite web |last = Wahl |first = Grant |url = http://soccer.si.com/2014/03/14/2014-mls-ambition-rankings-toronto-fc-leiweke-bradley-defoe-dempsey/ |title = 2014 MLS Ambition Rankings: Toronto FC rises to No. 1 &#124; Planet Futbol—SI.com |publisher = Soccer.si.com |date = March 14, 2014 |access-date = April 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140321182713/http://soccer.si.com/2014/03/14/2014-mls-ambition-rankings-toronto-fc-leiweke-bradley-defoe-dempsey/ |archive-date = March 21, 2014 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> The Timbers repurposed the formerly multi-use stadium into a [[soccer-specific stadium]] in fall 2010, increasing the seating in the process.<ref name=pgepark>{{cite web |url = http://www.pgepark.com/stadium/events/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060719200728/http://www.pgepark.com/stadium/events/ |url-status=dead |archive-date = July 19, 2006 |title = Teams and Events |access-date = January 15, 2008 |publisher = PGE Park }}</ref> The Timbers operate Portland Thorns FC, a women's soccer team that has played in the [[National Women's Soccer League]] since the league's first season in 2013. The Thorns, who also play at Providence Park, have won two league championships, in the inaugural [[2013 National Women's Soccer League season|2013 season]] and also in [[2017 National Women's Soccer League season|2017]], and have been by far the NWSL's attendance leader in each of the league's seasons.

[[File:Portland Thorns 2017-04-15 10.jpg|thumb|right|Providence Park during a [[Portland Thorns FC]] match]]

Eugene and Hillsboro have minor-league baseball teams: the [[Eugene Emeralds]] and the [[Hillsboro Hops]] both play in the [[High-A]] [[High-A West]].<ref name="High A">{{cite web |title=Get to know the teams in the High-A West |url=https://www.milb.com/news/get-to-know-the-minor-league-teams-in-the-high-a-west |website=MiLB.com |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=August 23, 2021 |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129011723/https://www.milb.com/news/get-to-know-the-minor-league-teams-in-the-high-a-west |url-status=live }}</ref> Portland has had minor-league baseball teams in the past, including the [[Portland Beavers]] and [[Portland Rockies]], who played most recently at Providence Park when it was known as PGE Park. Salem also previously had a [[Class A Short Season]] [[Northwest League]] team, the [[Salem-Keizer Volcanoes]] that was not included in the [[Minor League Baseball#Reorganization of 2021|2021 Minor League Baseball reorganization]]. The Volcanoes ownership later formed the amateur [[Mavericks Independent Baseball League]], which is fully based in Salem.<ref name="mavsleague">{{Cite news |last=Rawlings |first=Matt |date=January 26, 2021 |title=Volcanoes creating four-team independent league |work=Keizer Times |url=https://www.keizertimes.com/posts/2437/volcanoes-creating-four-team-independent-league |access-date=August 23, 2021 |archive-date=October 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007032214/https://www.keizertimes.com/posts/2437/volcanoes-creating-four-team-independent-league |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Oregon State Beavers]] and the University of Oregon Ducks football teams of the [[Pac-12 Conference]] meet annually in the [[Oregon–Oregon State football rivalry]]. Both schools have had recent success in other sports as well: Oregon State won back-to-back [[College World Series|college baseball championships]] in 2006 and 2007,<ref>Beseda, Jim (August 12, 2010). [http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/08/oregon_state_baseball_coach_pa_2.html "Oregon State baseball: Coach Pat Casey praises ex-Beaver Darwin Barney"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915133127/http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/08/oregon_state_baseball_coach_pa_2.html |date=September 15, 2010 }}. ''The Oregonian'' (Portland, OR). Retrieved October 8, 2010.</ref> winning a third in 2018;<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2018-06-28/oregon-state-baseball-closes-out-unfinished-business-2018-college|title=Oregon State baseball closes out unfinished business with 2018 College World Series championship|date=June 28, 2018|work=NCAA.com|access-date=July 4, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204503/https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2018-06-28/oregon-state-baseball-closes-out-unfinished-business-2018-college|archive-date=July 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the University of Oregon won back-to-back [[NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship|NCAA men's cross country championships]] in 2007 and 2008.<ref>{{cite news |agency = Associated Press |date = January 8, 2009 |url = https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=3723958 |title = Oregon men, Washington women win titles |publisher = ESPN |access-date = October 8, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110615004846/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3723958 |archive-date = June 15, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Sister regions==

* [[Fujian]] Province, {{flagu|People's Republic of China}}<ref name=legbrief>{{cite web |last = Van Winkle |first = Teresa |date = June 2008 |url = http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/commsrvs/background_briefs2008/briefs/EconomyBusinessLabor/InternationalTrade.pdf |title = Background brief on international trade |publisher = Oregon Legislature |access-date = July 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080909234156/http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/commsrvs/background_briefs2008/briefs/EconomyBusinessLabor/InternationalTrade.pdf |archive-date = September 9, 2008 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>
* [[Taiwan Province (Republic of China)|Taiwan Province]], {{flagdeco|ROC}} [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]]<ref name=legbrief />
* [[Toyama Prefecture]], {{flagu|Japan}}<ref name=legbrief /><ref name=sisters>{{cite web |url = https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/Pages/archivedwebsites/index.aspx |title = Governor's mission to Asia will stress trade and cultural ties |publisher = Secretary of State |date = October 24, 1995 |access-date = April 2, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120707095500/http://archivedwebsites.sos.state.or.us/Governor_Kitzhaber_2003/governor/press/p951024.htm |archive-date = July 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>
* [[Jeollanam-do]] Province, {{flagdeco|ROK}} Republic of Korea (South Korea)<ref name=legbrief /><ref name=sisters />
* [[Iraqi Kurdistan]], {{flagu|Iraq}}<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Oregon Legislature |url = http://www.leg.state.or.us/05orlaws/sessresmem.dir/scr0003ses.htm |website = Senate Concurrent Resolution |title = Oregon Laws |year = 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110611110639/http://www.leg.state.or.us/05orlaws/sessresmem.dir/scr0003ses.htm |archive-date = June 11, 2011 |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Oregon|United States|Pacific Northwest}}
* [[Outline of Oregon]] (organized list of topics about Oregon)
* [[Index of Oregon-related articles]]
* [[Bibliography of Oregon history]]

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

==Citations==

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==

{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last1 = Allen |first1 = John Elliott |last2 = Burns |first2 = Marjorie |last3 = Sargent |first3 = Sam C. |title = Cataclysms on the Columbia |year = 2009 |publisher = Ooligan Press |isbn = 978-1-932010-31-2 }}
* {{cite book |last = Ambrose |first = Stephen E. |title = Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West |url = https://archive.org/details/undauntedcourage00ambr |url-access = registration |year = 1997 |publisher = Simon & Schuster |location = New York |isbn = 978-0-684-82697-4 |edition = 1st Touchstone }}
* {{Cite book |last = Boone |first = Mary |title = Uniquely Oregon |location = Chicago, Illinois |publisher = Heinemann Library |year = 2004 |isbn = 978-1-4034-4659-6 }}
* {{cite book |last = Carey |first = Charles Henry |url = https://archive.org/details/historyoregon00henrgoog |title = History of Oregon: Volume 1 |publisher = Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. |year = 1922 }}
* Clucas, Richard A., Mark Henkels, and Brent Steel, eds. ''Oregon politics and government: progressives versus conservative populists'' (U of Nebraska Press, 2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XEHO1UFggJMC&dq=%3B+CLUCAS,+Richard+A.%3B+HENKELS,+Mark%3B+STEEL,+Brent+S.&pg=PP10 online]
* {{cite book |last = Evans |first = Tony Howard |title = Oregon Progressive Reform, 1902–1914 |year = 1966 |publisher = University of California Press |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=auxKAQAAMAAJ&q=+ |access-date = November 18, 2020 |archive-date = February 20, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210220153330/https://books.google.com/books?id=auxKAQAAMAAJ&q=+ |url-status = live }}
* {{cite book |last = Hemming |first = John |title = Atlas of Exploration |publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] |year = 2008 |isbn = 978-0-19-534318-2 }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Jewell |first1 = Judy |last2 = McRae |first2 = W.C. |year = 2014 |title = Moon Oregon |publisher = Moon Travel |isbn = 978-1-61238-756-7 }}
* {{cite book |last = Johnson |first = Sidona V. |year = 1904 |publisher = A.C. McClurg & Co. |location = Chicago |title = A Short History of Oregon |url = https://archive.org/details/ashorthistoryor00johngoog |page = [https://archive.org/details/ashorthistoryor00johngoog/page/n372 332] |quote = A Short History of Oregon: Early Discoveries--The Lewis and Clark. }}
* {{cite book |last1 = Loy |first1 = Willam G. |last2 = Allan |first2 = Stuart |first3 = Aileen R. |last3 = Buckley |first4 = James E. |last4 = Meacham |title = Atlas of Oregon |publisher = University of Oregon Press |year = 2001 |isbn = 978-0-87114-101-9 }}
* {{Cite book |last=McLagan |first=Elizabeth |title=A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940. |url = https://openlibrary.org/books/OL4110324M/A_peculiar_paradise |url-access = registration | access-date = 22 January 2024|publisher=[[Oregon State University Press]] in Cooperation with [[Oregon Black Pioneers]] |year=1980 |isbn=9780870712210 |edition=2nd |location=Corvallis, OR |ol=4110324M | oclc=1341845615|language=English}}
* {{cite book | last=Miller |first=Christopher |title=Prophetic Worlds: Indians and Whites on the Columbia Plateau|publisher=University of Washington Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-295-98302-7}}
* {{cite book |last = Robbins |first = William G. |title = Oregon: This Storied Land |publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press |year = 2005 |isbn = 978-0-87595-286-4 }}
* {{cite book |author = Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes |title = Historia de las comunicaciones y los transportes en México |year = 1988 |language = es |volume = 5 |publisher = Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=Oregon}}
* ''[https://oregonencyclopedia.org/ Oregon Encyclopedia]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090504084132/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Oregon Oregon State Databases] at the [[American Library Association]]

===Government===
* [http://www.oregon.gov/ State of Oregon]
* [https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/ Oregon State Legislature]
* [https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/Pages/OrConst.aspx Oregon Constitution]

===Tourism and recreation===
* [http://www.traveloregon.com/ TravelOregon.com] an official website of the [[Oregon Tourism Commission]]
* [http://oregonstateparks.org/ Oregon State Parks]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=41&StateName=Oregon#.U8BOUvldUeo Oregon State Facts] from the [[United States Department of Agriculture]]

===History and culture===
* [http://www.ohs.org/ Oregon Historical Society]
* [https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/default.aspx Oregon Blue Book], the online version of the [[Oregon Blue Book|state's official directory and fact book]]

===Maps and geology===
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=OR Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Oregon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209112639/https://www2.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=OR |date=December 9, 2016 }} from the [[United States Geological Survey]]
* {{osmrelation-inline|165476}}

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{{Geographic Location (8-way)
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[[Category:Oregon| ]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Geography of the Pacific Northwest]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1859]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
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[[Category:Contiguous United States]]