Estacada is a city in

Clackamas County Clackamas County ( ) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the na ...

, Oregon, United States, about southeast of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

. The population was 4,356 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 5,421 in 2023.

History

The Estacada post office opened on February 24, 1904, and the city was incorporated in May 1905. The community formed as a camp for workers building a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

dam on the nearby

Clackamas River The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. Draining an area of about , the Clackamas flows through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, a ...

that was to supply

with electricity. At the time, the river was relatively inaccessible by road, forcing the Oregon Power Railway Company to build a railway to the vicinity of the river to transport crews to the river for the construction of the dam. After the construction of the Hotel Estacada, the town became a weekend destination on the railroad line for residents of Portland. During the week, the train carried freight and work crews to and from Portland. Following the development of the dams, the city became a hub for the

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucks Another theory states that:

''Estacado'' is a Spanish word and it means "staked out" or "marked with stakes." It was first suggested by George Kelly as a name for the town site at a meeting of the Oregon Water Power Townsite Company directors on December 27, 1903. Kelly had selected the name at random from a U.S. map showing Llano Estacado in Texas. If Kelly's suggestion had not been drawn from the hat, the town could have been named Rochester, Lowell or Lynn. The name Estacada is also used in Arizona.

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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Outside the city limits the land is mainly farmland, extending from the Springwater area to the south, Eagle Creek to the west, and the

Mount Hood National Forest The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting fo ...

to the north and east.

Climate

Estacada has a

warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csb'').

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,695 people, 1,062 households, and 672 families residing in the city. 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 1,155 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.7% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.7% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population. There were 1,062 households, of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% 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, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.16. The median age in the city was 35.7 years. 26.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,371 people, 850 households, and 591 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 886 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.86% White, 0.17% African American, 1.43% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.91% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.78% of the population. There were 850 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.26. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,200, and the median income for a family was $46,445. Males had a median income of $37,269 versus $22,267 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 city was $17,049. About 10.1% of families and 12.9% 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 15.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

After the building of the dams, the primary base for Estacada's economy has been

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

. As the timber industry declined, the economy of the city has been depressed.

Arts and culture

The Estacada Public Library is part of the Library Information Network of Clackamas County. Estacada is located near a popular disc golf course at

Milo McIver State Park Milo McIver State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in Clackamas County along the Clackamas River, near Estacada and close to Mount Hood. History The park was named in honor of Milo K. McIver. McIver was an Oregon Highwa ...

and boasts its own disc golf courses at Timber Park and Metzler Park.

Government

On June 22, 2020, Estacada

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Sean Drinkwine became the subject of statewide controversy after making an inflammatory Facebook post about the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...

, in which he vowed to "shut those vigils down" following a peaceful protest of nearly 50 residents outside of Estacada City Hall. Drinkwine was re-elected in November 2020 with over 1,500 votes. He is still serving as Mayor of Estacada today.

Education

Estacada is served by the Estacada School District, which includes River Mill Elementary School, Clackamas River Elementary School, Estacada Middle School, and

Estacada High School Estacada High School (EHS) is a public high school in Estacada, Oregon, United States. Academics In 2008, 69% of the school's seniors received a high school diploma. Of 200 students, 138 graduated, 48 dropped out, nine received a modified d ...

, which are all located within Estacada's city limits.

Media

''The Estacada News'' is a weekly newspaper owned and operated by the

Pamplin Media Group The Pamplin Media Group (PMG) is a media conglomerate owned by Carpenter Media Group and operating primarily in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. founded the company in 2001 and sold it to Carpe ...

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

*Valley View Airport

Bus

TriMet The Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) is a Transit district, transit agency that serves most of the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area. Created in 1969 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly, Oregon legi ...

's route 30 connects the city with

Clackamas Town Center Clackamas Town Center is a shopping mall established in 1981Sorenson, Donald J. (March 7, 1981). "Clackamas Town Center opens its doors". ''The Oregonian'', p. A19. in the Portland metropolitan area, Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area, located o ...

mall and the Clackamas Town Center Transit Center, which is a stop on the

MAX Green Line The MAX Green Line is a light rail line serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet as part of MAX Light Rail, it connects Portland State University (PSU), Downtown Portland, Oregon, Portland City Cente ...

light rail line. The route's terminus is at Estacada City Hall.

Sandy Area Metro Sandy Area Metro (called SAM) is a public transit system operated by the city government of Sandy, Oregon. SAM was created after the city successfully petitioned to be removed from the TriMet district in the late 1990s.Briggs, Kara (December 29, 1 ...

extends bus service from City Hall to

Sandy Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (Iranian music band), Iranian singer, comp ...

on weekdays, with connections to Gresham, connecting with TriMet lines and

MAX light rail The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five lines connecting the Neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon, six sectio ...

there.

References

External links

City of Estacada
(official website)
Entry for Estacada
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 o ...

'' *
Estacada/Clackamas River Area Chamber of Commerce
from pdxhistory.com {{authority control Cities in Oregon Cities in Clackamas County, Oregon Portland metropolitan area 1904 establishments in Oregon Populated places established in 1904 Railway towns in Oregon