Tillamook, Oregon
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The city of Tillamook ( ) serves as 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 ...
of
Tillamook County, Oregon Tillamook County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,390. The county seat is Tillamook. The county is named for the Tillamook people or Killamook people, a Native American tri ...
, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on 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 ...
. The population was 5,231 at the 2020 census.


History

The city is named for the
Tillamook people The Tillamook are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe from coastal Oregon of the Salishan languages, Salish linguistic group. The name "Tillamook" is a Chinook language term meaning "people of he villageNekelim (or N ...
, a Native American tribe speaking a Salishan language who lived in this area until the early 19th century. Anthropologist
Franz Boas Franz Uri Boas (July 9, 1858 – December 21, 1942) was a German-American anthropologist and ethnomusicologist. He was a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the mov ...
identifies the Tillamook Native Americans as the southernmost branch of the
Coast Salish peoples The Coast Salish peoples are a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They speak on ...
of the Pacific Northwest. This group was separated geographically from the northern branch by tribes of
Chinookan peoples Chinookan peoples include several groups of Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest in the United States who speak the Chinookan languages. Since at least 11,500 BCE, Chinookan peoples and their ancestors have resided along the upper and ...
who occupied territory between them. The name ''Tillamook'', he says, is of Chinook origin, and refers to the people of a locality known as ''Elim'' or ''Kelim.'' They spoke Tillamook, a combination of two dialects. Tillamook culture differed from that of the northern Coast Salish, Boas says, and might have been influenced by tribal cultures to the south, in what is now
Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
. Captain Robert Gray first anchored in Tillamook Bay in 1788, marking the first recorded European landing on the Oregon coast. Settlers began arriving in the early 1850s, and Tillamook County was created by the Territorial legislature in 1853. In 1862, the town itself was laid out, and the first post office was opened in 1866. The town was voted to be the county seat in 1873, and Tillamook was officially incorporated as a city in 1891. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
operated a
blimp A non-rigid airship, commonly called a blimp (Help:IPA/English, /blɪmp/), is an airship (dirigible) without an internal structural framework or a keel. Unlike semi-rigid airship, semi-rigid and rigid airships (e.g. Zeppelins), blimps rely on th ...
patrol station near the town at Naval Air Station Tillamook. The station was decommissioned in 1948, and the remaining facility now houses Tillamook Air Museum.


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 , all of it land. The Tillamook area is also home to five rivers, the Tillamook, Trask, Wilson, Kilchis, and the
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
just north of the city.


Climate

Tillamook has a climate that lies between the cool-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 ...
(''Csb'') and the
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(''Cfb''). The city has a mild and wet climate with very little seasonal temperature variation due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. From November through April, daytime high temperatures range from the high 40s to the high 50s with abundant rainfall - including more than per month in November, December, and January. Snowfall is very rare, but winter floods are a common occurrence. Between April and October, the precipitation in Tillamook is comparatively lighter than other coastal cities, but still remains much wetter than the population centers in the Willamette Valley. Tillamook's annual precipitation averages about compared to only in Portland. Summers in Tillamook are brief and mild with average daytime temperatures in the upper 60s, although daytime temperatures can occasionally soar into the 80s and 90s for days at a time. Summer is by far the driest season in Tillamook with only 1.35 inches and 1.33 inches of rain (34 mm in either case) falling in July and August, respectively.


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 4,935 people, 2,037 households, and 1,192 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 2,248 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.5%
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 ...
, 1.5% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.8%
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 ...
, 6.9% from other races, and 3.0% 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 17.2% of the population. There were 2,037 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the city was 33.7 years. 27% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 23% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,352 people, 1,758 households, and 1,105 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,898 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.56% White, 0.16% African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 3.42% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.12% of the population. There were 1,758 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population dispersal was 29.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,875, and the median income for a family was $36,351. Males had a median income of $28,458 versus $20,801 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 $15,160. About 11.8% of families and 15.4% 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 18.2% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Historically, the Tillamook economy has been based primarily on dairy farms. The farmland surrounding the city is used for grazing the milk cattle that supply the Tillamook County Creamery Association's production of cheese, particularly cheddar, gourmet ice cream and yogurt, and other dairy products. Approximately one million people visit the cheese factory (located north of Tillamook on Highway 101) each year. The
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). ...
industry also is experiencing a comeback from the replanting that followed the Tillamook Burn forest fires of the mid-20th century. The burned remains of some of the trees can still be found in the forests surrounding Tillamook. Tillamook also serves tourists on their way to the ocean beaches and as a location for second homes.


Arts and culture


Museums and other points of interest

The Tillamook Air Museum, which features over 15 aircraft, an Exhibit Hall with rare wartime and aviation-themed artifacts, is located just south of the city. It is housed in a wooden WWII blimp hangar that was once a part of Naval Air Station Tillamook. In 1991, illusionist
David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...
filmed a train car disappearance illusion for a TV special in Hangar B. Its sister hangar (Hangar A) was destroyed by a fire in 1992. The hangars were built with
old-growth An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...
trees and one can see the huge seamless beams inside the buildings. The Tillamook Cheese Factory is the Tillamook County Creamery Association's original cheese production facility. The Tillamook Cheese Factory also serves as a Visitor Center and hosts over 1 million tourists each year. Visitors can learn about the cheese-making process, cheese-packaging process, and the ice cream-making process from a viewing gallery over the main production floor. Tours are self-guided and self-paced, and are augmented by video presentations and interactive kiosks. Tours inside the actual cheese-processing area of the plant were discontinued in 1967 due to health and safety regulations. The Tillamook County Fair is world-famous for the annual Pig-N-Ford race where contestants have to catch a pig and race stripped Model T Fords around an oval track with the pig under one arm.


Education

Tillamook is served by the Tillamook School District. The city is home to seven schools and one college. Tillamook High School, Tillamook Junior High School, Wilson River School (Alternate Education), Trask River High School, East Elementary School, South Prairie Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School, and it contains the Tillamook Bay Community College.


Media

Tillamook's weekly newspaper is the '' Headlight-Herald''. The city has three radio stations. KTIL-FM is a local radio station playing country. With a unique morning show and an interview section from 9:30–10:00 titled "Tillamook Today", which interviews local officials, business owners, and other individuals discussing what is currently going on within the county. KTIL (AM) broadcasts oldies. Originally, it operated as a talk radio station. In addition to the oldies, sporting events are broadcast. KDEP-FM used to broadcast classic rock, but has since transitioned to modern music. Several media personalities got their starts on KTIL. The most notable was nationally syndicated conservative talk host Lars Larson, who received his first job at the age of 16 on the station.


Trivia

American technology company
Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...
named one of their notebook processor modules after Tillamook.


Transportation

* Tillamook Airport * Tillamook County Transportation District * Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad


Notable people

* Peggy Caserta (1940–2024), businesswoman and memoirist * Jerry Kilgore (born 1964), country singer * Lars Larson (born 1959), conservative talk radio show host * Elaine Hopson (born 1939), State representative * Bridget Marquardt (born 1973), actress and model * Jacob Young (born 1979), soap opera actor


References


External links


Listing for Tillamook
in the '' Oregon Blue Book''
Tillamook Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control 1891 establishments in Oregon Cities in Oregon Cities in Tillamook County, Oregon County seats in Oregon Populated coastal places in Oregon Populated places established in 1891 Oregon placenames of Native American origin