Selma is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

(CDP) in

Josephine County Josephine County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 88,090. The county seat is Grants Pass. The county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 695. It is located in the ZIP code of 97538.

Geography

Selma is just southwest of the center of Josephine County, in the valley of Deer Creek, a west-flowing tributary of the

Illinois River The Illinois River ( mia, Inoka Siipiiwi) is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River and is approximately long. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, it has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins at the confluence of the ...

and part of the Rogue River watershed. U.S. Route 199 passes through the center of town, leading south to Cave Junction and northeast to Grants Pass, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Selma CDP has an area of , all of it recorded as land.

Demographics

Notable residents

Actor John Wayne used to visit the Deer Creek Ranch one mile west of Selma; it is now the Deer Creek Center for Field Research and Education. He grew fond of the area after filming ''Rooster Cogburn'' along the Rogue River. Also from Selma is Kristy Lee Cook, who came in 7th place on ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...

'' season 7.Kristy Lee Cook Biography

References

Unincorporated communities in Josephine County, Oregon Census-designated places in Oregon Census-designated places in Josephine County, Oregon Unincorporated communities in Oregon {{JosephineCountyOR-geo-stub