Coos County

Oregon

Coos County, Oregon

Population

63,742

Indigenous Peoples

Major Waterways

Major Employers

Major Attractions

Recreational Activities

  • Agritourism
  • ATV/OHV riding & dune buggy tours
  • Beachcombing
  • Bicycling
  • Birding
  • Camping
  • Fishing, crabbing, & clamming
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Horseback riding
  • Kayaking, canoeing, boating, & paddleboarding
  • Picnicking
  • Sandboarding
  • Scuba diving
  • Storm wave viewing
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Whale watching
  • Wildlife viewing

Summary

Coos County is a southwestern Oregon gem bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west and Coast Range mountains to its east, making it a geographically diverse region bursting with natural beauty.

Although Coos Bay is the county’s largest city and shares its namesake, Coquille is actually the county seat. Bandon, Lakeside, Myrtle Point, North Bend, and Powers are the other cities in Coos County.

Chief Trader Alexander Roderick McLeod of Hudson's Bay Company led a trapping expedition to the area in 1826, resulting in the first European contact.

Driven by trapping and later gold, European-American explorers began settling the area in 1828. Empire City became the future county’s first permanent settlement and is located in what is now Coos Bay.

In 1853, Coos County was formed out of parts of Umpqua and Jackson Counties, drawing its name from the indigenous Coos people, which comprised the Hanis and the Miluk. The Hanis lived alongside Coos Bay and the Miluk along Coos River tributaries. The Siuslaw lived beside the Siuslaw River watershed, and the Lower Umpqua inhabited the Umpqua River watershed area.

Considered one of Oregon’s finest natural ports between San Francisco and Puget Sound, Coos Bay served as an export harbor for harvested fir and spruce timber.

Lumber emerged as the county’s dominant industry after organized timber processing was made possible by the introduction of the water-powered sawmill in 1853. Shipbuilder apprentice turned lumber and shipbuilding tycoon Asa Mead Simpson helped turn Coos Bay into a timber and shipbuilding empire, bringing steam-powered mills to the region in the 1880s.

Dairy farming and exporting emerged as a profitable sector in the 1890s as cooperative creameries and cheese factories popped up in the fertile valleys lining the Coquille River. Coal mining also contributed to the economy during this period and into the early 1900s. Cranberries later became a popular crop in the region, especially in Bandon.

Not surprisingly given its coastal location, Coos County’s economy has long benefited from commercial fisheries, whose harvests include salmon, crab, and bottomfish.

The 1893 completion of the Coos Bay, Roseburg, and Eastern Railroad led to a boom in inland timber and agricultural transport that would later peak before World War I sparked international demand for lumber.

Tourism has become a vital part of the economy. Dubbed “The Gateway to the South Coast” and part of “Oregon’s Adventure Coast,” Coos County is known for its dramatic Pacific coastline and forty-mile-long coastal dune system, one of the largest in North America. Featuring dunes up to 500 feet high, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is part of the Siuslaw National Forest. Unique attributes such as its “tree islands” and the world-famous Bandon Dunes Golf Resort set it apart in the world.

Coos County also boasts the Oregon coast’s only art museum, Coos Art Museum, and the state’s second-oldest historical society, Coos History Museum & Maritime Collection.

Coos County residents can rely on Phoenix Appraisal Network to deliver professional valuation services for commercial and residential properties. Just drop us a note to find out how we can help.

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