Silverton, Oregon

Silverton, Oregon
City
Cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants overlook Silver Creek from North Water Street in downtown Silverton.
Cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants overlook Silver Creek from North Water Street in downtown Silverton.
The Flag of the City of Silverton, Oregon, designed by Benjamin Blair, Eliah Blair, Connor Hill, and Dmitri White, drawn by Benjamin and Eliah Blair
Flag
Nickname: 
Gateway to Silver Falls
Motto: 
Oregon's Garden City
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 45°00′10″N 122°46′50″W / 45.00278°N 122.78056°W / 45.00278; -122.78056
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyMarion
Incorporated1854
Government
 • MayorJason Freilinger[citation needed]
Area
[1]
 • Total
3.54 sq mi (9.18 km2)
 • Land3.51 sq mi (9.08 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation
[2]
266 ft (81 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total
10,484
 • Density2,989.45/sq mi (1,154.25/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code
97381
Area code503
FIPS code41-67650[4]
GNIS feature ID2411902[2]
Websitewww.silverton.or.us

Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The city is situated along the 45th parallel about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Salem, in the eastern margins of the broad alluvial plain of the Willamette Valley. The city is named after Silver Creek, which flows through the town from Silver Falls into the Pudding River, and thence into the Willamette River. The community of Milford was founded in 1846 with a sawmill, store and several other buildings two miles upstream from the present location of Silverton. In about 1853 a second sawmill was built on Silver Creek near where the Silverton city hall now stands. In 1854 the town of Silverton was platted and registered with Marion County.[5] Human habitation of the Silverton area extends back approximately 6,000 years before the present. In historical times, the region was dominated by the Kalapuya and Molala peoples, whose seasonal burns of the area made it plow-ready and attractive to early 19th century Euro-American settlers. Farming was Silverton's first major industry, and has been a dominant land-use activity in and around Silverton since the mid-19th century.[6]

Silverton is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the population core of the Silver Falls School District. The population was 10,484 at the time of the 2020 census.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Silverton, Oregon
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference wwwcensusgov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Frederick, Gus. "The Oregon Encyclopedia: Silverton". Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Evans 1996, p. 73.