Jefferson is a city in
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is one of the Oregon counties, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The population was 345,920 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of counties in Oregon, 5th most populous county in Oregon. The ...
, United States. It is part of the
Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Salem metropolitan statistical area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a metropolitan statistical area consisting of two counties in western Oregon, Marion and Polk. The principal city is Salem, the state capital, which has a ...
. The population was 3,327 at the
2020 census. The city sits on the right bank of the
Santiam River
The Santiam River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. Through its two principal tributaries, the North Santiam and the South Santiam rivers, it drains a large area of the Cascade Range a ...
between Salem and
Albany along
Oregon Route 164 east of
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 ...
.
History
The first name for this locality was
Conser's Ferry, for
Jacob S. Conser, an
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in North America that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon Territory. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail crossed what ...
pioneer of 1848 who ran a ferry across the
Santiam River
The Santiam River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. Through its two principal tributaries, the North Santiam and the South Santiam rivers, it drains a large area of the Cascade Range a ...
.
Conser was also involved in the communities of
Syracuse
Syracuse most commonly refers to:
* Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse
* Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area
Syracuse may also refer to:
Places
* Syracuse railway station (disambiguation)
Italy
* Provi ...
and
Santiam City, which were about downstream of Jefferson.
[ He established the ferry in 1851, and also served as the postmaster of Santiam City.][ When the ]Jefferson Institute
Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer)
* Jefferson (singer) or Geoff Turton (born 1944), British s ...
was established in the vicinity (not the same as the Jefferson Institute
Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer)
* Jefferson (singer) or Geoff Turton (born 1944), British s ...
in Polk County), the name Jefferson was eventually adopted by the community.[ Jefferson post office was established in 1861, with a name change from Syracuse, and previously, Santiam City.][
In 1974, the Jacob Conser House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), which served as the city's library until 2018.] The current Oregon Route 164 bridge across the Santiam was designed by Conde McCullough and named in Conser's honor.[ The Jefferson Methodist Church was added to the NRHP in 1980. In 2017, voters recalled mayor Cyndie Hightower, and three city council members resigned over issues related to the annexation of land into the city.
]
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.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Jefferson 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 ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
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 3,098 people, 1,057 households, and 820 families living 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 1,119 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.8% 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 ...
, 0.2% 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 ...
, 1.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% 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 ...
, 9.6% from other races, and 3.9% 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 19.2% of the population.
There were 1,057 households, of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% 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, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.4% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.
The median age in the city was 32 years. 30.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,487 people, 817 households, and 643 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 885 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.83% White, 0.36% African American, 1.89% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 11.66% from other races, and 3.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.67% of the population.
There were 817 households, out of which 48.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,938, and the median income for a family was $42,647. Males had a median income of $31,196 versus $25,417 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 $15,426. About 12.2% of families and 16.2% 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 19.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Jefferson uses a city council composed of six councilors and the mayor. As of March 2020, the current mayor of Jefferson is Michael Myers.
Education
Public education in the city is provided by the Jefferson School District, which includes three schools: Jefferson Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and Jefferson High School.
A new middle school was built in 2019. The school is located right beside the Jefferson High School.
Notable people
* Jeff Gilmour, politician
* Carol Menken-Schaudt, Olympic basketball player
*Frederick Steiwer
Frederick Steiwer (October 13, 1883February 3, 1939) was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Oregon.
A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate from eastern Oregon and a veteran o ...
, politician
References
External links
Entry for Jefferson
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 ...
''
{{authority control
Jefferson
Cities in Oregon
Cities in Marion County, Oregon
Salem, Oregon metropolitan area
1870 establishments in Oregon
Populated places established in 1870