Oakridge, Oregon

Oakridge, Oregon
City
Highway 58 in Oakridge
Highway 58 in Oakridge
Motto(s): 
Center of Oregon Outdoor Recreation, Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest[1]
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 43°44′46″N 122°27′48″W / 43.74611°N 122.46333°W / 43.74611; -122.46333
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyLane
Incorporated1912
Government
 • MayorKathy Holston[citation needed]
Area
[2]
 • Total
2.18 sq mi (5.65 km2)
 • Land2.16 sq mi (5.60 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
[3]
1,211 ft (369 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total
3,206
 • Density1,482.89/sq mi (572.58/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code
97463
Area code(s)458 and 541
FIPS code41-54100[5]
GNIS feature ID2411297[3]
Websitewww.ci.oakridge.or.us

Oakridge is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 3,205 as of the 2010 census.[6] It is located east of Westfir on Oregon Route 58, about 40 miles (64 km) east of Eugene and 150 miles (240 km) southeast of Portland. Surrounded by the Willamette National Forest and the Cascade Range, Oakridge is popular with outdoor enthusiasts for its hiking, mountain biking, wildflowers, fly fishing, birding, watersports, and the nearby Willamette Pass Resort.[1][7]

The city was originally a community called "Hazeldell", and its post office was established on July 26, 1888. When a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad opened in May 1912, it was named "Oak Ridge" by a railroad executive for the surrounding topography, and on July 19 of that year the name was changed to be spelled as a single word.[8]

The economy of Oakridge and that of nearby Westfir is centered on recreation. Since the lumber mills closed in the 1980s, the economy has been transitioning, with a new general store opening in 2010, a bakery in 2011, and a brewery and mercantile.[9][10][11][12]

  1. ^ a b "Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest". City of Oakridge. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Oakridge, Oregon
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "U.S. Census website". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  7. ^ "Oregon Mountain Biking". Oregon Mountain Biking. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  8. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 715. ISBN 978-0875952772.
  9. ^ Bates, Doug (October 10, 2009). "Oakridge: A mill town on the mend". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  10. ^ "Lion Mountain Bakery". Yelp. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  11. ^ "Anglo-American Public House and Brewery". Brewers Union Local 180. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  12. ^ Eckholm, Erik (August 20, 2006). "Rural Oregon Town Feels Pinch of Poverty". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2010.