
Douglas County is one of the
36 counties in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) 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 t ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 111,201.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Roseburg.
The county is named after
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas (né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a United States Senate, U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party (United States) ...
, an American politician who supported
Oregon statehood. Douglas County comprises the Roseburg, Oregon
micropolitan statistical area. In regards to area, Douglas County is the largest county west of the Oregon Cascades.
History
The area originally was inhabited by the
Umpqua Indians, a grouping of natives who spoke a variety of Penutian and Athabaskan languages. Following the
Rogue River Wars
The Rogue River Wars were an armed conflict in 1855–1856 between the U.S. Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue Valley area of wha ...
in 1856, most of the remaining natives were moved by the government to the
Grand Ronde Indian Reservation
The Grand Ronde Community is an Indian reservation located on several non-contiguous sections of land in southwestern Yamhill County and northwestern Polk County, Oregon, United States, about east of Lincoln City, near the community of Gran ...
. However, seven families of Umpqua hid in the hills, eluding capture for many decades. They are now federally recognized as the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The tribe manages a small reservation in Canyonville, Oregon, and has a Casino/Hotel named Seven Feathers to represent the seven families who refused forced removal to the Grand Ronde Reservation.
Douglas County was created on January 7, 1852, from the portion of
Umpqua County, which lay east of the
Coast Range summit. In 1856 the Camas Valley was annexed to Douglas County from
Coos County. In 1862, the rest of Umpqua county was absorbed into Douglas County, some say due to the loss of population following the end of the early gold boom, while others attribute the absorption to politics. Further boundary adjustments were made with
Jackson and
Lane
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in eac ...
Counties in 1915. The borders of Douglas County are largely defined by the Umpqua River watershed.
In 2017, after the defeat of a referendum, the
Douglas County Library System ceased operations and all public libraries in the county were closed.
Subsequently, ten of the cities reopened their libraries to continue serving their communities.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water.
It is the fifth-largest county in Oregon by area. A portion of the
Umpqua National Forest
Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade Range, covers an area of in Douglas, Lane, and Jackson counties, and borders the Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon. The four ranger districts for the forest are the Cottage Gro ...
is in Douglas County. Douglas County is one of two Oregon counties that extend from the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
to the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. (The other is
Lane County.)
National protected areas
*
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is a national park of the United States located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses t ...
(part)
*
Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest
The Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and California. The formerly separate Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forests were administratively combined in 2004. Now, the Rogue R ...
(part)
*
Siuslaw National Forest (part)
*
Umpqua National Forest
Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade Range, covers an area of in Douglas, Lane, and Jackson counties, and borders the Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon. The four ranger districts for the forest are the Cottage Gro ...
(part)
*
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Oregon.
It comprises . Over 380,000 acres (694 mi2, 1,540 km2) are National Wil ...
(part)
Adjacent counties
*
Lane County (north)
*
Klamath County (east)
*
Jackson County (south)
*
Josephine County (south)
*
Curry County (southwest)
*
Coos County (west)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 census, there were 111,201 people residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the
2010 census, there were 107,667 people, 44,581 households, and 29,839 families living in the county.
The population density was . There were 48,915 housing units at an average density of .
The
racial makeup of the county was 92.4% white, 1.8% American Indian, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.7% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 25.6% were
German, 16.7% were
Irish, 15.8% were
English, and 5.7% were
American.
Of the 44,581 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age was 46.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,711 and the median income for a family was $48,729. Males had a median income of $39,308 versus $28,176 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,342. About 10.6% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 100,399 people, 39,821 households, and 28,233 families living in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was . There were 43,284 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup of the county was 93.86% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 1.52% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races. 3.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.4% were of
German, 13.2%
American, 12.6%
English and 10.2%
Irish ancestry. 96.5% spoke
English and 2.2%
Spanish as their first language.
There were 39,821 households, out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.9.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,223, and the median income for a family was $39,364. Males had a median income of $32,512 versus $22,349 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $16,581. About 9.6% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
*
Canyonville
*
Drain
*
Elkton
*
Glendale
*
Myrtle Creek
*
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
*
Reedsport
*
Riddle
A riddle is a :wikt:statement, statement, question, or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or Allegory, alleg ...
*
Roseburg (county seat)
*
Sutherlin
*
Winston
*
Yoncalla
Census-designated places
*
Days Creek
*
Dillard
*
Fair Oaks
*
Gardiner Gardiner may refer to:
Places
Settlements
;Canada
* Gardiner, Ontario
;United States
* Gardiner, Maine
* Gardiner, Montana
* Gardiner (town), New York
** Gardiner (CDP), New York
* Gardiner, Oregon
* Gardiner, Washington
* West Gardiner, ...
*
Glide
*
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
*
Lookingglass
*
Melrose
*
Roseburg North
*
Tri-City
*
Winchester Bay
Unincorporated communities
*
Anlauf
*
Ash
*
Azalea
Azaleas ( ) are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi, Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and ''Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate ...
*
Brockway
*
Camas Valley
*
Clearwater
*
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
*
Curtin
*
Diamond Lake
*
Dixonville
*
Drew
*
Edenbower
*
Elkhead
*
Idleyld Park
*
Leona
*
Milo
*
Nonpareil
*
Peel
*
Rice Hill
*
Round Prairie
*
Scottsburg
*
Shady
*
Steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
*
Sulphur Springs
*
Tenmile
*
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn ...
*
Tyee
*
Umpqua
*
Union Gap
*
Wilbur
*
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
Former communities
*
Toketee
*
Parksdale
Transportation
Roads
Oregon Route 99 runs through
Azalea
Azaleas ( ) are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi, Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and ''Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate ...
,
Tri-City,
Myrtle Creek,
Canyonville,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
,
Roseburg,
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
,
Sutherlin,
Rice Hill,
Drain, and
Anlauf.
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, 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 thro ...
provides access to the communities of
Tri-City,
Myrtle Creek,
Canyonville,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
,
Roseburg,
Sutherlin, and
Rice Hill.
Oregon Route 138 runs northwest from Roseburg to
Elkton, Oregon, and generally east from Roseburg to its terminus at a junction with
U.S. Route 97, just east of
Diamond Lake and
Crater Lake.
Buses
The communities of Douglas county are regionally served by
U-Trans (formerly Umpqua Transit), the local bus service. In 2017, these services were significantly expanded to include locations such as
Oakland, Oregon and
Tenmile
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...
provide the community of Roseburg with more distant transportation.
Airports
There are two public airports in Roseburg,
Roseburg Regional Airport, a.k.a. Marion E. Carl Memorial Field at the north end of town and
George Felt Airport5S1 to the west.
Politics
In contrast to the
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley ( ) is a 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 east, the ...
, Douglas County is powerfully conservative and Republican, being akin to
Josephine County to the south, or to
Eastern Oregon. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Douglas County since
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
's landslide win in 1964: indeed the last Democrat to crack forty percent of the county's vote was
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis ( ; born November 3, 1933) is an American politician and lawyer who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history and only the s ...
in 1988 during an election influenced by a major drought. Historically, the county, like all of Western Oregon north of the Rogue Valley, also leaned strongly Republican: before 1964 the only other Democrats to carry Douglas County had been
John F. Kennedy in 1960,
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
in 1936 and 1932,
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
in 1912 and
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...
in 1896.
Douglas County is split between the highly conservative
2nd congressional district, represented by
Cliff Bentz
Cliff Stewart Bentz (born January 12, 1952) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Oregon's 2nd congressional district since 2021. He previously served in the Oregon Sen ...
, and the liberal-leaning
4th district, which includes the Democratic stronghold of
Eugene and has been represented by Democrat
Val Hoyle since 2023. Within the
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...
, Douglas County is split between four districts. The coastal part, including
Reedsport, lies within the 9th District represented by Republican
Boomer Wright. A belt from Roseburg south lies in the 4th District, which extends into Jackson and Josephine counties, is represented by Republican
Christine Goodwin. The far southwest adjacent to Curry and Coos counties is within the 1st District represented by Republican
Court Boice, and the bulk of the county, centered on the northeastern half, lies in the 2nd District represented by Republican
Virgle Osborne.
In the
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...
, Douglas County is split between three districts. The coastal part (9th House of Representatives District) lies within the 5th Senate District represented by Republican
Dick Anderson. The two southwestern State House Districts (1st and 2nd) are part of the 1st Senate District represented by Republican
David Brock Smith. The southernmost portion of Douglas County exists within the state's 2nd Senate District, represented by Republican
Art Robinson.
In spite of its conservative reputation, Douglas County voters have rejected two
secessionist
Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
proposals to join the
Greater Idaho coalition. An initial effort in November of 2020 failed on a vote of 56.68% in opposition to 43.32% in support. A second effort in May of 2022 was also rejected on a vote of 52.63% in opposition to 47.37% in support. This came despite the county, in
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, giving 67.29% of its votes to Donald Trump and 29.78% of its votes to Joe Biden.
Economy
Almost the entire
watershed of the
Umpqua River lies within the boundaries of Douglas County. The heavily timbered county contains nearly of commercial forest lands and one of the oldest stands of old growth timber in the world. Approximately 25–30% of the labor force is employed in the forest products industry. Agriculture, mainly field crops, orchards, and livestock (particularly sheep ranching), is also important to the economy of the county. The land of Douglas County is roughly half-publicly and half-privately owned.
The post-Prohibition wine industry in Oregon began with Richard Somer planting Hillcrest Vineyard at the south end of the
Umpqua Valley in 1961. The Umpqua Valley wine appellation lies entirely within Douglas county.
Nickel has been refined at
Riddle
A riddle is a :wikt:statement, statement, question, or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or Allegory, alleg ...
since 1954. There is a significant federal presence in the region; the
Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
administer more than 50% of the county's land.
As of 2015, the top ten private employers in the county were:
Newspapers
*''
Douglas County News'' (2001-2015)
*
''The Drain Enterprise'' (1922-2015)
*''
The News-Review'' (1887-Present)
*''
The Umpqua Post'' (1996-2020)
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Douglas County, Oregon
Notes
References
Further reading
* Stephen Dow Beckham, ''Land of the Umpqua: A History of Douglas County, Oregon.'' Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Commissioners, 1986.
* Harold Edgar Cooper, ''Douglas County Tales.'' Monmouth, OR: Harold Edgar Cooper, 1982.
* John M. Cornutt, ''Cow Creek Valley Memories: Riddle Pioneers Remembered in John M. Cornutt's Autobiography.'' Eugene, OR: Industrial Publishing Co., 1971.
* Douglas County Historical Society, ''Historic Douglas County, Oregon, 1982.'' Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Historical Society, 1982.
* Douglas County Museum, ''Land of Umpqua.'' Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2011.
* Ron Curry, ''Place Names and Locations in Douglas County, Oregon.'' Roseburg, OR: Genealogical Society of Douglas County, 2003.
* R.J. Guyler, ''Douglas County Chronicles: History from the Land of One Hundred Valleys.'' Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.
* Fred Reenstjerna and Jena Mitchell, "Life in Douglas County, Oregon: The Western Experience.'' Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Museum, 1993.
*
* Barbara Amy Breitmayer Vatter, ''A Forest History of Douglas County, Oregon, to 1900: A Microcosmic Study of Imperialism.'' New York: Garland Publishing, 1985.
* Albert G Walling, ''History of Southern Oregon: Comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos Counties.'' Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, 1884.
{{authority control
1852 establishments in Oregon Territory
Populated places established in 1852