Medford, Oregon
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Medford is a city in and the county seat of
Jackson County, Oregon Jackson County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 223,259. The county seat is Medford. The county is named for Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Jackson ...
, in the United States. As of the
2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
population of 223,259, making the Medford MSA the fourth largest metro area in Oregon. The city was named in 1883 by David Loring, civil engineer and right-of-way agent for the
Oregon and California Railroad The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad s ...
, after
Medford, Massachusetts Medford is a city northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus alo ...
, which was near Loring's hometown of
Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the conflu ...
. Medford is near the middle ford of Bear Creek.


History

In 1883, a group of railroad surveyors headed by S. L. Dolson and David Loring arrived in Rock Point, near present-day
Gold Hill Gold Hill may refer to: Canada * Gold Hill, British Columbia United Kingdom * Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset, a steep street used in Hovis commercial United States ;Alabama * Gold Hill, Alabama ;California * Gold Hill, El Dorado County, C ...
. They were charged with finding the best route through the
Rogue Valley The Rogue Valley is a valley region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine County, Oregon, Josephine and Jackson County, Oregon, Jackson counties, t ...
for the
Oregon and California Railroad The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad s ...
. Citizens of neighboring
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
hoped that it would pass between their town and ''Hanley Butte'', near the present day
Claire Hanley Arboretum Claire Hanley Arboretum is an arboretum located on the grounds at the Oregon State University Extension and Research campus, 569 Hanley Road, Medford, Oregon. The arboretum was first planted in the 1960s by the Hanley sisters, with additional pl ...
. Such a move would have all but guaranteed prosperous growth for Jacksonville, but Dolson decided instead to stake the railroad closer to Bear Creek. The response from Jacksonville was mixed, but the decision was final. By November 1883, a
depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...
site had been chosen and a surveying team led by Charles J. Howard was hard at work platting the new town. They completed their work in early December 1883, laying out 82 blocks for development. James Sullivan Howard, a merchant and surveyor, claimed to have built the town's first building in January 1884, though blacksmith Emil Piel was advertising for business at the "central depot" in the middle of December 1883. Others point out the farms of town founders Iradell Judson Phipps and Charles Wesley Broback, which were present before the town was platted. Regardless, on February 6, 1884 (less than a month after it was built), J. S. Howard's store became Medford's first post office, with Howard serving as postmaster. The establishment of the post office led to the incorporation of Medford as a town by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 24, 1885, and again as a city in 1905. Howard held the position of postmaster for Medford's first ten years, and again held the post upon his death on November 13, 1919. The beginning of the 20th century was a transitional period for the area. Medford built a new steel bridge over Bear Creek to replace an earlier one which washed away three years before. Without a bridge, those wanting to cross had to
ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
the stream, typically using a horse-drawn wagon; the first automobile did not arrive in Medford until 1903. Pharmacist George H. Haskins had opened a drugstore just after the town was platted, and in 1903 he allowed the Medford Library Association to open a small library in that store. Five years later the library moved to Medford's new city hall, in another four years,
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
's donation allowed a dedicated library to be built. Construction on the Medford Carnegie Library was completed in 1912. In 1927, Medford took the title of county seat of Jackson County away from nearby Jacksonville. Between World War II and the 1960s, Medford had a reputation as a
sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...
where African Americans and other nonwhites were not allowed to live or stay at night. In 1967,
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
was completed immediately adjacent to downtown Medford to replace the Oregon Pacific Highway. It has been blamed for the decline of small businesses in downtown Medford since its completion, but nevertheless remains an important route for commuters wishing to travel across the city. In fact, a study completed in 1999 found that 45% of vehicles entering I-5 from north Medford heading south exited in south Medford, just three miles (5 km) away. The high volume of traffic on Interstate 5 led to the completion of a new north Medford interchange in 2006. The project, which cost about $36 million, improved traffic flow between I-5 and Crater Lake Highway. Further traffic problems identified in south Medford prompted the construction of another new interchange, costing $72 million. The project began in 2006 and was completed in 2010. Since the 1990s, Medford has dedicated an appreciable amount of resources to
urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
in an attempt to revitalize the downtown area. Several old buildings have been restored, including the
Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater The Craterian Theater at the Collier Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art performing arts center located in Medford, Oregon. While the theater has a seating capacity of 732, the theater will frequently hold large, national conce ...
and the Prohibition era Cooley-Neff Warehouse, now operating as Pallet Wine Company, an urban winery. Streets have been realigned, new sidewalks, traffic signals, and bicycle lanes were installed, and two new parking garages have been built. Downtown Medford also received a new library building to replace the historic Medford Carnegie Library and now boasts satellite campuses for both Rogue Community College and
Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University (SOU) is a public university in Ashland, Oregon. It was founded in 1872 as the Ashland Academy, has been in its current location since 1926, and was known by nine other names before assuming its current name in 1997.Kre ...
. Economic problems in 2008 and 2009 put a hold on ''The Commons'' project, a collaboration between the city of Medford and Lithia Motors. The project, one of the largest undertaken in downtown in recent years, aims to provide more parking, recreation, and commerce to the area. Before the work stopped, the
Greyhound Bus Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and p ...
depot was moved and $850,000 was spent replacing water lines. The Commons is anchored by the new corporate headquarters of Lithia Motors, Inc. (NYSE: LAD). Included in The Commons are two public park blocks slated to be informal public gathering areas as well as an area for special events such as the farmer's market. Ground breaking for the project was April 22, 2011, with a Phase 1 completion date of 2012.


Geography

Medford is located approximately north of the northern California border at 42.3°N. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The Pacific Ocean is about west of the city, and is the nearest coast. The nearest river is the Rogue River (), and the nearest lake is
Agate Lake Agate Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is northeast of Medford, just north of Roxy Ann Peak. The lake is formed by the tall Agate Dam, which impounds Dry Creek, in the Rogue River wate ...
(). Nearby cities include
Grants Pass Grants Pass is the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The population was 39,189 ...
,
Klamath Falls Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
, Ashland, Roseburg, Redding (California), and Crescent City (California). Medford is from Salem, the capital of Oregon. The nearest interstate highway is
I-5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
, which runs northwest–southeast through the center of the city. The nearest junctions with other interstate highways are with
I-84 Interstate 84 may refer to: * Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N * Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts) Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...
in
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
() and
I-80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
in
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
(). Medford also serves as a junction for Oregon Routes 99,
238 __NOTOC__ Year 238 ( CCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pius and Pontianus (or, less frequently, year 991 ''Ab ...
, 62, and nearby
140 140 may refer to: * 140 (number), an integer * AD 140, a year of the Julian calendar * 140 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * ''140'' (video game), a 2013 platform game * Tin King stop Tin King () is an at-grade MTR Light Rail stop ...
(). Medford is also situated in the remains of ancient volcanic flow areas as demonstrated by the
Upper and Lower Table Rock Upper Table Rock and Lower Table Rock are two prominent volcanic plateaus located just north of the Rogue River in Jackson County, Oregon, U.S. Created by an andesitic lava flow approximately seven million years ago and shaped by erosion, they ...
lava formations and nearby
Mount McLoughlin Mount McLoughlin is a dormant steep-sided stratovolcano, or composite volcano, in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the United States Sky Lakes Wilderness. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, within the Hi ...
and
Crater Lake Crater Lake (Klamath language, Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The ...
, which is the remains of
Mount Mazama Mount Mazama (''Giiwas'' in the Native American language Klamath language, Klamath) is a complex volcano in the state of Oregon, United States, in a segment of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc and Cascade Range. Most of the mountai ...
. In the late spring/early summer the snow on the slopes of Mount McLoughlin melt away into a formation called the "angel wings," which Native American tribes interpreted as an
osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
, an indicator of the beginning of
salmon run ''Salmon Run'' is a 1982 video game for the Atari 8-bit family created by Bill Williams and distributed via the Atari Program Exchange. ''Salmon Run'' was the first game in Williams's career, followed by a string of successes noted for their o ...
.


Climate

Medford sits in a
rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...
between the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
and
Siskiyou Mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California, northea ...
called the Rogue Valley. As such, most of the rain associated with the Pacific Northwest and Oregon in particular skips Medford, making it drier and sunnier than the
Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the eas ...
. Medford's climate is considerably warmer, both in summer and winter, than its latitude would suggest, with a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Csa''). Summers are akin to Eastern Oregon, and winters resemble the coast. Here, summer sees an average of 57 afternoons over and eleven afternoons over . In August 1981, the high temperature reached over for four consecutive days, with two days reaching . Freezing temperatures occur on 69 mornings during an average year, and in some years there may be a day or two where the high stays at or below freezing; the average window for freezing temperatures is October 23 through April 23. The city is located in USDA
hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
8. Medford also experiences
temperature inversion In meteorology, an inversion is a deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude. It almost always refers to an inversion of the air temperature lapse rate, in which case it is called a temperature inversion. Nor ...
s in the winter which during its lumber mill days produced fog so thick that visibility could be reduced to less than five feet. These inversions can last for weeks; some suggest this is because the metropolitan area has one of the lowest average wind speeds of all American metropolitan areas. The heavy fog returns nearly every winter with the inversions lowering air quality for several months without relief. Medford residents do experience snowfall during the winter months; however, due to the weather shadow effect it only averages and melts fairly quickly. In the past, the city has seen seasonal snowfall totals reach in 1955–1956. That season was also the wettest "rain year" with a total of ; this immediately followed the driest "rain year" since records started in 1911 from July 1954 to June 1955 when only was recorded. By far the wettest month has been December 1964 with ; no other month has had more than . The wettest day on record has been December 2, 1962 with . The lowest recorded temperature in Medford was on December 13, 1919, and the highest recorded temperature was on July 20, 1946, and June 28, 2021. There is significantly more
diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak d ...
in summer than in winter, with the difference between December high and low average temperatures being only , but the difference between August high and low average temperatures is .


Demographics


2016 census estimate

The Census Bureau estimate for 2016 calculated an 8.9% growth in Medford since 2010 with 81,636 people in 29,751 households. Through 2015, the Census Bureau estimates that there were 7,427
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...
s and 7.3%
foreign-born Foreign-born (also non-native) people are those born outside of their country of residence. Foreign born are often non-citizens, but many are naturalized citizens of the country in which they live, and others are citizens by descent, typically ...
persons. Among persons aged 25 or more, 86.4% had a
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
degree or higher and 23.7% had a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
or higher. Of people 16 or older, 61% of people held employment, and the median income was $41,931 (in 2015 dollars).


2010 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 74,907 people, 30,079 households, and 19,072 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 32,430 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.0%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
,1.5%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.2% Native American, 0.9%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.5%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 6.0% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 13.8% of the population. There were 30,079 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 37.9 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.


Economy

Medford's economy is driven primarily by the health care industry. The two major medical centers in the city, Asante
Rogue Regional Medical Center The Rogue Regional Medical Center (RRMC; formerly Rogue Valley Memorial Hospital, Rogue Valley Medical Center, RVMC) is a regional medical center run by Asante (healthcare), Asante in Medford, Oregon, Medford, Oregon, United States. It was founded ...
and Providence Medford Medical Center, employ over 2,000 people. As Medford is also a retirement destination, assisted living and senior services have become an important part of the economy. In the past, Medford's economy was fueled by agriculture (pears, peaches,
viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
grapes) and timber products. The largest direct marketer of fruits and food gifts in the United States,
Harry and David Operations Corp. Harry and David, LLC (Harry and David) is an American-based premium food and gift producer and retailer. The company sells its products through direct mail, online and in retail stores nationwide, and operates the brands Harry & David, Wolferman's ...
, is based in Medford. It is the largest employer in Southern Oregon, with 1,700 year round and about 6,700 seasonal employees in the Medford area. The recreational legalization of OR marijuana in 2012 has been a special boon for area agriculture. Of the more than two million pounds of marijuana grown in the state each year, $2 million a month is sold from Medford area retailers. Lithia Motors, a Fortune 500 company and the 4th largest auto retailer in the U.S., has been headquartered in Medford since 1970 and was started in Ashland in 1946, named for a nearby springs. Other companies located in the city include
Benchmark Maps Benchmark may refer to: Business and economics * Benchmarking, evaluating performance within organizations * Benchmark price * Benchmark (crude oil), oil-specific practices Science and technology * Benchmark (surveying), a point of known elevat ...
,
Falcon Northwest Falcon Northwest is a private company headquartered in Medford, Oregon. It designs, assembles, and markets high-end custom computers. The company was founded in 1992 and was one of the first to specialize in PCs built specifically for gaming. Hist ...
,
Pacific International Enterprises Pacific International Enterprises (PIE) was an American film production company and film distributor, founded by Arthur R. Dubs as a producer of family films. Pacific International Enterprises was a privately held company that had been in business ...
, and
Tucker Sno-Cat The Tucker Sno-Cat is a family of tracked vehicles for snow conditions, manufactured in Medford, Oregon by the company of the same name. Different models have been used for expeditions in the Arctic and the Antarctic during the second half of ...
. Medford and the surrounding area is home to the expanding
Oregon wine The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the s ...
industry, which includes the
Rogue Valley AVA The Rogue Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southern Oregon. The federal government approved this appellation in 1991. It is entirely contained within the larger Southern Oregon AVA and includes the drainage basin of the Rog ...
. The city's historic downtown has undergone an economic recovery in recent years, using a combination of public funds and private investment. The revitalization effort led to the renovation of underutilized downtown properties and to the construction of a new Lithia Motors headquarters building in the district, completed in 2012. Hospitality company The Neuman Hotel Group, based in nearby Ashland, OR, took over management and ownership of a large downtown motel, The Red Lion, in 2014, that had fallen into disrepair. Neuman Hotel Group renovated the property and renamed it Inn At the Commons.


Government

Medford has a council-manager style of government. The governing body of Medford consists of an elected mayor and eight city council members, two from each of four wards. The council hires a professional city manager to run the day-to-day operations of the city including the hiring of city staff. The mayor and council members are not paid, but are reimbursed for expenses.


Mayor

The current mayor of Medford is Randy Sparacino. He was elected in November 2020. The longest serving mayor was Gary Hale Wheeler. He was first elected mayor in November 2004 with 16,653 of 28,195 votes (59%), reelected in 2008 with 21,651 of 22,211 votes (97.5%), reelected again in 2012 with about 97 percent of the votes, and reelected again in 2016 with about 56 percent of the votes for a term ending in December 2020. Wheeler is an optometrist with an office in Medford. Prior to his election, he spent thirteen years on the Medford Urban Renewal Agency Board and served in the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
where he also practiced optometry.


Previous mayors

* Gary Wheeler 2004–2020; he is an optometrist in the Medford area * Lindsay Berryman, 1998–2004; first female mayor of Medford *
Jerry Lausmann Jerry Stewart Lausmann (March 3, 1930 – January 6, 2012), was the second longest-serving mayor of Medford, Oregon. Early life Jerry Stewart Lausmann was born March 3, 1930, in Portland, Oregon. He was adopted by Anton and Grace Lausmann. When h ...
, 1986–1998 * Gerald "Lou" Hannum, 1983–1986 * Al Densmore (
Rep Rep, REP, or a variant may refer to: As a word * Rep (fabric), a ribbed woven fabric made from various materials * ''Rep'' (TV series), a 1982 British comedy series * '' The Rep'', an entertainment guide published by the ''Arizona Republic'' 1997 ...
), 1977–1983, president of the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation * Sebastiano "Benny" Fagone, 1974–1977, founded the
North Medford High School North Medford High School is a public high school in Medford, Oregon, United States. It is part of Medford School District, and its nickname is the Black Tornado. The school enrolls 1,750 students. History Originally the City of Medford had ...
''Black Tornado'' softball program in 1980 * Lorin Jacobs, 1973–1974 * John W. Snider Sr., 1957–1972, established Medford's sister city relationship with
Alba, Italy Alba ( pms, label=Piedmontese, Arba; la, Alba Pompeia) is a town and ''comune'' of Piedmont, Italy, in the Province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and M ...
in 1960 * Diamond "Dime" Flynn, 1949–1954 * J.C. Collins, 1948 * Clarence A. Meeker, 1942–1948 * Halbert S. "Hob" Deuel (
Rep Rep, REP, or a variant may refer to: As a word * Rep (fabric), a ribbed woven fabric made from various materials * ''Rep'' (TV series), a 1982 British comedy series * '' The Rep'', an entertainment guide published by the ''Arizona Republic'' 1997 ...
), 1940–1942, former Jackson County congressman, died in 1971 * Charles C. Furnas, 1937–1939 * George Porter, 1935–1936 * E.M. Wilson, 1930–1934 * A.W. Pipes, 1928–1929 * O.O. Alenderfer, 1925–1927 * Earl C. Gaddis, 1923–1924 * C.E. "Pop" Gates, 1917–1922 * Vernon Emerick, 1915–1916, lit the city's first official Christmas tree in 1915 * Mahlon Purdin, 1914 * William W. Eifert, 1913, moved from Ohio, died of a heart attack during term on September 1, 1913, buried at the Eastwood Cemetery in Medford * W.H. Canon, 1909–1912 * John F. Reddy, 1907–1908 * W.R. Bradshaw, 1906 * E.B. Pickel, 1904–1905 * W.S. Crowell, 1902–1903 * J. Howser, 1900–1901 * H.L. Gilkey, 1898–1899 * G.W. Haskins, 1894–1897 * W.I. Vawter, 1893 * J.A. Whitehead, 1892 * G.W. Howard, 1890–1891 * Mahlon Purdin, 1889 * William Crawford, 1888 * Edward P. Geary, 1887 * James S. Howard, 1886, president of board of trustees, sometimes referred to as Medford's first mayor


City council

Medford municipal code divides the city into four wards, each represented by two city council members. Every
biennium Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
, one member from each ward is elected to serve a four-year term, creating an overlap where half of the eight-member council remains in office while the other half must campaign for reelection.


City manager

The city manager position is held by Brian Sjothun, the former Medford Parks and Recreation Director.


Points of interest


Alba Park

:''Location:'' The oldest park in Medford, Alba Park is located at the intersection of Holly and Main in downtown Medford was deeded to the city by the railroad company in 1888. Known as ''Library Park'' after the 1911 construction of the Medford Carnegie Library, it was later renamed for Medford's
sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
,
Alba, Italy Alba ( pms, label=Piedmontese, Arba; la, Alba Pompeia) is a town and ''comune'' of Piedmont, Italy, in the Province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and M ...
. The park contains a
gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries is "Mid 18th c ...
, a statue of a boy with two dogs surrounded by a fountain pool, and a Japanese gun from World War II. The annual Pear Blossom Run ends across the street from Alba Park at the Medford city hall, with an all-day fair conducted in the park itself.


Bear Creek Corporation/Harry & David

Medford is the birthplace of Bear Creek Corporation, known around the world for its fruit-laden gift baskets, especially locally grown pears. Tours of the plant are open to the public.


Bear Creek Park

At nearly , this south Medford park is the second largest in the city ( Prescott Park is the largest at 1,740 acres). Bear Creek Park is bordered on the west by Bear Creek and the Bear Creek Greenway. On the park grounds are four tennis courts, a
skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, q ...
, a
dog park A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Description Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated ...
, an
amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
, a large
playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...
, a BMX track, and a community garden. Since 1925, the property hosting Bear Creek Park has been used for several purposes. The first section was purchased from a resident of Medford named Mollie Keene. The town used it for incinerating garbage until 1939. After that, it spent 20 years as a
girl scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
day camp before seeing private ownership again for a few years. Concerns about pollution in the Bear Creek received media attention in 1963 and the city purchased more property. In 1988, a playground designed by Robert Leathers of New York was built.


The Commons

The Commons is a public park built in the city's historic downtown district adjacent to the Lithia Motors headquarters building. It has been used as a venue for community activities. It was completed in 2012.


I.O.O.F. Eastwood Historic Cemetery

The cemetery, established in 1890, lies on just north of Bear Creek Park. The Parks and Recreation Department offers free tours of the cemetery.


Claire Hanley Arboretum

The Claire Hanley Arboretum was first planted in 1962 by Claire and Mary Hanley, two sisters raised on the
historic History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
''Michael Hanley Farmstead'' along present-day
Oregon Route 238 Oregon Route 238 is an Oregon state highway which runs between the cities of Grants Pass, Oregon and Medford, Oregon, and through the historic town of Jacksonville. It is known as the Jacksonville Highway No. 272 (see Oregon highways and rout ...
. It is part of a larger agriculture research center belonging to the
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
. Located on the grounds are species of the
dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shru ...
'' cornus mas'', the
dove tree Columbidae () is a bird Family (biology), family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the Order (biology), order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species fe ...
, and the Sorrel tree.


Medford Carnegie Library

The Medford Carnegie Library is a two-story library building located in downtown Medford. It was erected in 1911 thanks to a gift from
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
, but was vacated in 2004 after a new library building was constructed near the Rogue Community College extension campus, also in downtown Medford. Currently, there are plans to use the building for class reunions, public meetings, and for annexing some city offices from the neighboring City Hall building.


Roxy Ann Peak and Prescott Park

One of Medford's most prominent landmarks, Roxy Ann Peak is a 30-million-year-old mountain located on the east side of the city. Its summit is above sea level. It was named for Roxy Ann Bowen, an early settler who lived in its foothills. A significant area of Roxy Ann Peak (including the summit) is enclosed in Medford's largest park, a protected area called Prescott Park. The land was set aside in the 1930s and named in honor of George J. Prescott, a police officer killed in the line of duty in 1933. The most commonly used trail on Roxy Ann Peak, part of Prescott Park, climbs about from the beginning of the footpath at the second gate to a height of about . The trail is about one-way, and provides a panoramic view of the Rogue Valley.


Vogel Plaza

Finished in 1997 at the intersection of E. Main St and Central Ave in downtown Medford, Vogel Plaza has quickly become a center of activity for many local events. One such event is the annual
Art in Bloom The phrase Art In Bloom is often used as the title of various exhibits held annually, usually in spring, in art museums. The phrase was created by a Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, volunteer, Lorraine M. Pitts who also helped found the Danforth Museum ...
festival, which is held around
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
each year. During the two-day festival, over 10,000 people attend and more than 75 artists showcase their work while surrounded by live entertainment, workshops, food, and children's activities.


Education

Medford is served by Medford School District 549C and has two main high schools and an
alternative high school Alternative High School (AHS) is a public senior high (secondary) school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; which teaches grades 10 through 12. AHS is currently located at the Clinton Ford Centre, which was home to the former Clinton Ford Elementary Sc ...
:
South Medford High School South Medford High School is a public high school in Medford, Oregon, United States. History The South Medford campus was originally built in 1931 as Medford High School. Then in the 1960s, the school was divided between two campuses. Medford ...
,
North Medford High School North Medford High School is a public high school in Medford, Oregon, United States. It is part of Medford School District, and its nickname is the Black Tornado. The school enrolls 1,750 students. History Originally the City of Medford had ...
, and Central Medford High School, respectively. In addition to the two public high schools, Medford has several private high schools. Two of the largest are St. Mary's School and
Cascade Christian High School Cascade Christian High School is a private Christian high school in Medford, Oregon, United States. History Cascade Christian High School was founded in 1977 by Grace Christian Schools, a ministry of the First Baptist Church, and was housed ...
. In addition, there are 14 public elementary schools and two public middle schools, (
Hedrick Hedrick may refer to: * Hedrick, Indiana * Hedrick, Iowa * Hedrick, Missouri * Hedrick (surname) {{Disambig ...
and McLoughlin). Medford 549C has over 13,000 students enrolled . Crossroads School is a private, alternative high school operating in Medford along with three others operated or affiliated with a church; Cascade Christian High School, St. Mary's High School, and Rogue Valley Adventist School. Grace Christian and Sacred Heart School are private elementary and middle schools in Medford. In 1997, Grants Pass-based Rogue Community College (RCC) completed construction on a seven-building campus spanning five blocks in downtown Medford. Nearby Ashland-based Southern Oregon University collaborated with Rogue in 2007 on the construction of an eighth building which will offer third- and fourth-year courses to students. Pacific Bible College, formerly named Dove Bible Institute, was founded in Medford in 1989.


Crime and law enforcement

The
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
publication "Crime in the United States" provides unranked statistical data from law enforcement agencies across the United States. The table to the right are statistics reported for the city of Medford for the years 2004 through 2007. The FBI data for 2017 ranks Medford as the most dangerous city in Oregon. As with any city that experiences rapid growth, Medford has seen a recent surge in gang activity and organized crime in the past decade. Methamphetamine use is a problem in Medford and southern Oregon and is believed to play a role in numerous property crimes, including identity theft.


Police Department

The Medford Police Department has 103 sworn police officers supported by a staff of 33 civilian employees and 30 volunteers.


Media


Television


Radio


AM

* KTMT 580 Sports *
KRTA KRTA (610 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish music format. Licensed to Medford, Oregon, United States, the station serves the Medford-Ashland area. The station is currently owned by Opus Broadcasting Systems. References External lin ...
610 La Gran D – Regional Mexican *
KEZX KEZX (730 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Medford, Oregon, United States, the station serves the Medford-Ashland area. The station is currently owned by Opus Broadcasting Systems. It was announced by All Access ...
730 Fox Sports Radio * KCMX 880 News/Talk *
KSJK KSJK (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to Talent, Oregon. The station is owned by Southern Oregon University, and is an affiliate of Jefferson Public Radio. It is the flagship of JPR's "News & Information" service, consisting of news an ...
1230 JPR/SOU Public Radio News & Information * KDSO 1300 Religious *
KMED KYVL (1440 AM) is a radio station licensed to Medford, Oregon, United States, and serving the Medford-Ashland area. The station is owned by Bicoastal Media Licenses Vi, LLC. History According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records ...
1440 News/Talk


FM

* KSRG 88.3 JPR/SOU Public Radio Classical * KSMF 89.1 JPR/SOU Public Radio Jazz * KSOR 90.1 JPR/SOU Public Radio Classical * KHRI 91.1 Air 1 Christian Rock *
KDOV-FM KDOV is a non-commercial radio station in Medford, Oregon, broadcasting to the Medford-Ashland, Oregon area on 91.7 FM. KDOV airs Christian contemporary music and religious programming. It is owned by United Christian Broadcasters, through ...
91.7 Christian Top 40 *
KTMT-FM KTMT-FM (93.7 MHz, "Joy! 93.7") is a commercial Christian contemporary music radio station in Medford, Oregon, United States, broadcasting to the Medford-Ashland, Oregon area. The station is currently owned by Stephens Media Group. History K ...
93.7 Now 93.7 - Top 40 * KRRM 94.7 Classic Country *
KBOY-FM KBOY-FM (95.7 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. Licensed to Medford, Oregon Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April ...
95.7 Classic Rock *
KROG Krog may refer to: * Krog, a hamlet of Sečovlje, Slovenia * Krog, Murska Sobota, a village in Slovenia * Krog, Cerkno, a hamlet of Cerkljanski Vrh, Slovenia * Krog, a character from the ''Mixels ''Mixels'' is a 2014-2016 comedy animated tele ...
96.9 The Rogue - Active Rock *
KLDR KLDR (98.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Top 40 music format. Licensed to Harbeck-Fruitdale, Oregon, United States, the station serves Southern Oregon, including Grants Pass, Medford, and the Illinois Valley. The st ...
98.1 Top 40 *
KRVC KRVC (98.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a CHR/Pop Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on pl ...
98.9 Hot 98.9 Today's Hits *
KRWQ KRWQ (100.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives f ...
100.3 Country *
KCMX-FM KCMX-FM (101.9 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary music format. Licensed to Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) n ...
101.9 Lite 102 - Adult Contemporary *
KCNA The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946 and now features onl ...
102.7 The Drive – Classic Hits *
KLDZ KLDZ (103.5 FM, "Kool 103.5") is a radio station licensed to serve Medford, Oregon, United States. The station is owned by Bicoastal Media. It airs a classic hits music format. KOOL 103.5 personalities include market vets Don Hurley and Casey Bak ...
103.5 Kool 103 - Classic Hits *
KAKT KAKT (105.1 FM, "The Wolf") is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Phoenix, Oregon, United States, the station serves the Medford-Ashland area. The station is currently owned by Stephens Media Group, through licens ...
105.1 The Wolf - New Country *
KYVL KMED (106.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Eagle Point, Oregon, United States, and serving the Medford-Ashland area. The station is currently owned by Bicoastal Media Licenses VI, LLC. History In the later 90's, the station was branded as ...
106.3 Adult Album Alternative *
KIFS KIFS (107.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. Licensed to Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the Californ ...
107.5 KISS-FM Top 40


Newspaper

The principal newspaper of Medford and Jackson County is the ''Mail Tribune'', which is owned by Rosebud Media. It began circulation in 1909 after a merger between the Medford-based ''Mail'' and the Ashland-based ''Tribune''. , an average of 37,000 copies of the ''Mail Tribune'' are in circulation each day.


Sports

In addition to having several athletes who were famous natives or residents of the city, Medford played host to several professional sports teams since 1948. It was the home city for several professional baseball teams, most notably the Medford A's, later known as the
Southern Oregon Timberjacks The Southern Oregon Timberjacks were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Medford, Oregon. The team played in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League and were an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 21 seaso ...
, of the
Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Basebal ...
. They were a short-season single-A minor league baseball affiliate of the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
who played at historic Miles Field from 1979 to 1999 before relocating to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia. Medford also hosted a professional indoor football team from the
National Indoor Football League The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, ...
known as the
Southern Oregon Heat The Southern Oregon Heat was a professional Indoor American football, indoor football team based out of Medford, Oregon, founded in 2000. They were a member of the National Indoor Football League and played their home games at Compton Arena (now ...
in 2001. They played in the Compton Arena at the Jackson County Expo Park. Medford's Lava Lanes bowling alley previously hosted the PBA's Medford Open every January, which aired on ESPN, the last Open took place in 2009. Medford is the home of a Junior A hockey team, the
Southern Oregon Spartans The Southern Oregon Spartans were a junior ice hockey team that played their home games at The RRRink in Medford, Oregon. History On May 25, 2007, it was announced by the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac) that two expansion teams would beg ...
, who plays their home games at
The RRRink ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
in south Medford. Medford is host to the Medford Rogues, a collegiate wood bat baseball team, who plays their home games at Harry and David Field Each year, Medford hosts the Rogue Memorial Challenge on Memorial Day Weekend. This event is primarily based at US Cellular Community Sports Park, however uses fields across the city throughout the tournament.


Transportation

The city of Medford is responsible for over of roads within its boundaries.


Major highways

*
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californi ...
runs directly through the center of the city. The section of freeway includes a viaduct that elevates traffic above Bear Creek and the city's downtown. There are two freeway exits in Medford, one at each side of the city. * Highway 99 runs through the city's center. * Highway 62 runs through the northern portion of the town. * Highway 238 runs through the northwestern portion of Medford.


Air

Medford is home to Oregon's 3rd busiest airport, the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport ( airport code MFR). Over 1 million passengers use the airport annually, Medford airport has two
asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
runways which handle about sixty daily
flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
s from five airlines. Medford's Airlines are Alaska Airlines (operated by Horizon Air), United Express, Delta Connection, United, American Airlines, and Allegiant Airlines.


Bus

The greater Medford metro area has been served by
Rogue Valley Transportation District Rogue Valley Transportation District is a transportation district serving the greater Jackson County, Oregon area. The district serves the cities of Medford, Ashland, White City, Phoenix, Talent, Jacksonville, and Central Point. The distri ...
( RVTD) since 1975. The
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
system operates eight routes from Monday to Saturday, four of which travel to nearby cities Central Point, Jacksonville,
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, Talent, Ashland, and
White City White City may refer to: Places Australia * White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore * White City railway station, a former railway station * White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney * White City FC, a football clu ...
. All routes connect at the Front Street Transfer Station, which since October 2008 has contained Medford's
Greyhound Bus Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and p ...
depot.


Rail

There are no
passenger trains In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...
that route through Medford.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
trains serve nearby
Klamath Falls Klamath Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called ''Linkville'' when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was ...
. People in Medford can board the Southwest POINT Klamath Shuttle Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach (an intercity bus route) at the RVTD Front Street Transfer Station for a two and a half hour ride and guaranteed connection with Amtrak's ''
Coast Starlight The ''Coast Starlight'' is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, which has operated continuously since Amtrak's format ...
'' train at the Klamath Falls Amtrak Passenger Rail Station. The last direct service was provided by the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
to Portland, ending in 1956.


Maritime

The nearest maritime port is the
Port of Coos Bay The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is a port of the Pacific coast of the United States, located in Coos Bay near the city of Coos Bay, Oregon. It is the largest deep-draft coastal harbor between San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound, and is Or ...
, which is away. The nearby Rogue River was monitored for
flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
ing at the former ''Gold Ray Dam'' site, a decommissioned and now removed
hydroelectric dam Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
built in 1906 near
Gold Hill Gold Hill may refer to: Canada * Gold Hill, British Columbia United Kingdom * Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset, a steep street used in Hovis commercial United States ;Alabama * Gold Hill, Alabama ;California * Gold Hill, El Dorado County, C ...
. The
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
identifies as the flood level. At this depth,
navigability A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against di ...
between the Pacific Ocean and the Rogue Valley is limited. Even a small "
handysize Handysize is a naval architecture term for smaller bulk carriers or oil tanker with deadweight of up to 50,000 tonnes, although there is no official definition in terms of exact tonnages. Handysize is also sometimes used to refer to the span of ...
" freighter is unable to make the trip, and any ship hauling cargo to Medford would have to have a much smaller draw. Therefore, Medford does not have a nearby maritime port.


In popular culture

*In the 1944 movie ''
Double Indemnity ''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American crime film noir directed by Billy Wilder, co-written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. The screenplay was based on James M. Cain's 1943 novel of the same ...
'', the fictional character Mr. Jackson said: "I'm a Medford man – Medford, Oregon. Up in Medford, we take our time making up our minds."


Sister city

Shortly after the
sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
program was established in 1960, Medford was paired up with
Alba, Piedmont Alba ( pms, label= Piedmontese, Arba; la, Alba Pompeia) is a town and ''comune'' of Piedmont, Italy, in the Province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and ...
, Italy. The cities are apart and were paired based on 1960 similarities in population, geography, and climate. Every other year, both Alba and Medford take turns exchanging students. During March and April of one year, students from Medford's high schools will visit Alba and stay with host families. Likewise, Alba students will visit Medford every other year. Sixty-seven Medford students applied for the 2007 trip to Italy, but only 24 were selected. It was former mayor of Medford John W. Snider who selected Alba during his 1957–1962 term, making a satellite phone call to Alba's former mayor Osvaldo Cagnasso.


Notable people

*
Brad Arnsberg Bradley James Arnsberg (born August 20, 1963) is a Major League Baseball coach and a former pitcher. He has held the role of pitching coach for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros, and is currently with the ...
, baseball player and coach *
Justin Baldoni Justin Louis Baldoni (born January 24, 1984) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for portraying Rafael Solano on The CW satirical romantic dramedy '' Jane the Virgin'' (2014–2019) as well as directing the films '' Five Feet ...
, actor *
Jeff Barry Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kiss ...
, baseball player * Steve Bechler, baseball player *
Kent Beck Kent Beck (born 1961) is an American software engineer and the creator of extreme programming, a software development methodology that eschews rigid formal specification for a collaborative and iterative design process. Beck was one of the 17 ...
, software engineer *
Bill Bowerman William Jay Bowerman (February 19, 1911 – December 24, 1999) was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champi ...
, track coach and
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
co-founder *
Paul Brainerd Paul Brainerd (born 1947) is an American businessman, computer programmer and philanthropist. In 1984, he co-founded the Aldus Corporation, which released Pagemaker, the first consumer-use desktop publishing software. Brainerd has since coined the ...
, founder of the
Aldus Corporation Aldus Corporation was an American software company best known for its pioneering desktop publishing (DTP) software. PageMaker, the company's most well-known product, ushered in the modern era of desktop computers such as the Macintosh seeing ...
*
Devin Cole Devin Cole (born October 1, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist. He is a veteran of the Seattle Tiger Sharks and Portland Wolfpack in the IFL, and has also competed in the WEC, Strikeforce, the World Series of Fighting, and Shark Fight ...
, mixed martial artist * Scott Davis, former CEO of
United Parcel Service United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown t ...
* Helen M. Duncan, geologist and paleontologist * Edwin Russell Durno, Oregon state senator and representative * Robert G. Emmens, Doolittle raider *
Dick Fosbury Richard Douglas Fosbury (born March 6, 1947) is an American retired high jumper, who is considered one of the most influential athletes in the history of track and field. Besides winning a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, he revolutionized the h ...
, high jumper, Olympic gold medalist and inventor of the Fosbury Flop *
David Frohnmayer David B. "Dave" Frohnmayer (July 9, 1940 – March 10, 2015) was an American attorney, politician, and academic administrator from Oregon. He was the 15th president of the University of Oregon, serving from 1994 to 2009. His tenure as president w ...
, former Attorney General of the state of Oregon and President of the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
*
Les Gutches Leslie Lyle Gutches (born February 21, 1973, Medford, Oregon) is an American former amateur wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include becoming world champion in freestyle wrestling at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, the Dan Hodge ...
, World Champion Freestyle wrestler and Olympian *
Bruce Hale William Bruce Hale (August 30, 1918 – December 30, 1980) was an American professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard/forward from Medford, Oregon, Hale played college basketball at Santa Clara University, then played professional ...
, college and pro basketball player *
Page Hamilton Page Hamilton (born May 18, 1960) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet. Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles, though he ...
, musician and record producer *
Marshall Holman Marshall Holman (born September 29, 1954) is an American sports broadcaster and retired professional ten-pin bowler. He was known for his flamboyant, fiery demeanor and his success on the PBA Tour from the mid-1970s to the end of the 1980s. He i ...
, professional bowler and PBA Hall of Famer * Chris Johns, Photographer and Editor-In-Chief at ''
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' *
Jon Lindstrom Jon Robert Lindstrom (born October 18, 1957) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, and musician. He is well known for his role as Kevin Collins on the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its spin-off '' Port Charles''. ...
, actor *
Pete Loncarevich Peter Pete Loncarevich (born April 8, 1966) is a former bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. Loncarevich was an "old school" professional BMX racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1994. He is of Croatian origin. Nicknamed the "Pistol ...
, BMX racer, and rider; lives in Medford * Clinton "Fear" Loomis, professional '' Dota 2'' player, won
The International 2015 The International 2015 (TI5) was the fifth edition of The International, an annual ''Dota 2'' esports championship tournament, which took place at the KeyArena in Seattle. Hosted by Valve, the game's developer, the tournament began in May with t ...
with
Evil Geniuses Evil Geniuses (EG) is an American esports organization based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1999, the organization has fielded players in various fighting games, ''Call of Duty'', '' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'', ''Dota 2'', '' Fortn ...
*
Dave Luetkenhoelter Kutless is an American Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 1999. Since their formation, they have released multiple studio albums and one live album, '' Live from Portland''. They have sold over 3 million records worldwide. ...
, rock musician *
Danny Miles Danny Miles (born October 9, 1945) is a retired American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Oregon Institute of Technology for 45 years from 1971 to 2016. Miles has led the Hustlin' Owls to three NAIA Division II ...
, basketball coach *
Jennifer Murphy Jennifer Murphy is an American YouTube personality and former beauty pageant contestant. Career Murphy is Founder and CEO of GoGirl Worldwide, an organization to empower girls and women globally through multi-media and live events. She is als ...
, actress, former Miss Oregon and contestant on the fourth season of ''
The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'' *
Bob Newland Robert Vaughn Newland (October 27, 1948 – June 30, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 1971 NFL ...
, NFL wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints *
Richard Nibley Fred Richard Nibley (April 29, 1913 – September 22, 1979) was an American violinist, composer, and educator. He is often cited as an expert on the influence of music on behavior. Richard spent many years as a professor at Snow College in Ephraim ...
, violinist, composer and music educator *
Art Pollard Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 – May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver. Born in Dragon, Utah, and raised in the Portland, Oregon area, Pollard drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1965–1973 seasons, with 84 ...
, American racecar driver *
Kellin Quinn Kellin Quinn is an American singer and musician. He is the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Sleeping with Sirens. Aside from his band, he is well-known for collaborating with other artists. Career Quinn is the vocali ...
, vocalist of Sleeping With Sirens * James A. Redden, U.S. District Court Judge, former Oregon Attorney General and State Treasurer *
Edwin Reinecke Howard Edwin "Ed" Reinecke (January 7, 1924 – December 24, 2016) was an American politician from California. He served three terms in the United States House of Representatives. He was the 39th state lieutenant governor from 1969 until his ...
, 39th Lieutenant Governor of California *
Jason James Richter Jason James Richter (born January 29, 1980) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role in the ''Free Willy'' film series as Jesse, the boy who befriends Willy the orca. Early life Richter was born on January 29, 1980, in M ...
, actor *
Lisa Rinna Lisa D. Rinna (born Elizabeth Deann Rinna; July 11, 1963) is an American actress and television personality. As an actress, she is best known for her roles as Billie Reed on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' and Taylor McBride ...
, actress, TV personality, ''
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' (abbreviated ''RHOBH'') is an American reality television series which has been broadcast on Bravo since October 14, 2010. Developed as the sixth installment in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has ...
'' *
Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
, Academy Award-winning actress and dancer; owned home in Medford *
Charles Royer Charles T. Royer (born August 22, 1939) is an American news reporter and politician who served as the 48th mayor of Seattle, Washington (U.S. state), Washington from 1978 to 1990. After serving as mayor of Seattle, Royer became the director of t ...
, former mayor of Seattle, and director of the
Harvard Institute of Politics The Institute of Politics (IOP) is an institute of Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University that was created to serve as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, as well as to inspire Harvard undergraduates to consider careers in politi ...
*
Mark Ryden Mark Ryden (born January 20, 1963) is an American painter who is considered to be part of the Lowbrow (or Pop Surrealist) art movement.Ken Johnson"Mark Ryden: ‘The Gay 90s: Old Tyme Art Show" ''The New York Times'', May 6, 2010. Retrieved 2013 ...
, painter *
Braden Shipley Braden Alec Shipley (born February 22, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Shipley attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where he played for the Nevada Wolf Pack baseball team. Prior to that, he attended Nor ...
, professional baseball player for the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
*
Kyle Singler Kyle Edward Singler (born May 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. Singler was a four-year starter for the Duke men's basketball team and was instrumental in their 2010 NCAA championship run, earning Most Outstanding Pl ...
, retired professional basketball player *
Dick Skeen Richard Edgar Skeen (March 15, 1906 – June 24, 1990) was an American professional tennis player and teacher. He was runner-up to Fred Perry in the Men's Singles in the 1941 U.S. Pro Tennis Championships, reaching as high as World No. 2 pro ...
, former professional tennis player and teacher *
Vic Snyder Victor Frederick "Vic" Snyder (born September 27, 1947) is an American physician, lawyer, and politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Marine Corp ...
, former U.S. Representative from Arkansas * Jonathan Stark, former professional tennis player *
Scott Thurston Scott Troy Thurston (born January 10, 1952) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and session musician. He was a member of the Stooges, and of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in which he sang harmony vocals and played guitar, bass, ...
, member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers *
Kevin Towers Kevin Scott Towers (November 11, 1961 – January 30, 2018) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. He served as the general manager of the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2009 and for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2010 to 2014. Early ...
, former general manager of the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
*
Mike Whitehead Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed m ...
, mixed martial artist *
Sandin Wilson Sandin Wilson (born October 6, 1959, in Medford, Oregon) is a veteran bassist and vocalist from the Pacific Northwest. As a youth, Sandin played football, baseball, and was involved in music early on, convinced by his Mom, "it will be good for yo ...
, bass violinist and vocalist


References


External links


City of Medford
(official website)
Entry for Medford
in the ''
Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and on ...
''
Travel MedfordMedford Urban Renewal Agency
{{Authority control 1883 establishments in Oregon Cities in Jackson County, Oregon Cities in Oregon County seats in Oregon Populated places established in 1883 Sundown towns in the United States