Lane County, Oregon

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Distinguish Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Lane County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,971,<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fourth-most populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Eugene, the state's second most populous city.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> It is named in honor of Joseph Lane, Oregon's first territorial governor. Lane County comprises the Eugene, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the third-largest MSA in Oregon, and the 144th-largest in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Lane County was established on January 29, 1851. It was created from the southern part of Linn County and the portion of Benton County east of Umpqua County. It was named after the territory's first governor, Joseph Lane.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Originally it covered all of southern Oregon east to the Cascade Mountains and south to the California border. When the Territorial Legislature created Lane County, it did not designate a county seat. In the 1853 election, four sites competed for the designation, of which the "Mulligan donation" received a majority vote; however, since it was contiguous to the "Skinner claim" both became part of the new county seat known as Eugene.

In 1846, Elijah Bristow and his wife, the former Susannah Gabbart, had become the first white settlers to build a claim cabin within the present-day boundaries of Lane County, near Pleasant Hill. They had crossed the plains to California in the previous year, and came north with Eugene F. Skinner, Captain Felix Scott, and William Dodson.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As their party entered the valley between the Coast Fork and Middle Fork of the Willamette River, Bristow gazed around and exclaimed, "What a pleasant hill! Here is my home!"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1852, John Diamond and William Macy led an exploration party to survey a shortcut for the Oregon Trail across the Cascade Range. The shortcut over the Willamette Pass became known as the Free Emigrant Road. Around 250 wagons with 1,027 people left the usual Oregon Trail route at Vale, Oregon, and followed Elijah Elliott through the central Oregon high desert. This became known as the Elliott Cutoff. When they reached what is now Bend, they sent scouts to the south to look for the road. Once settlers in the Willamette Valley discovered the emigrants were coming, a huge rescue effort was launched as the emigrants were out of supplies and in dire condition. The emigrants of this wagon train doubled the population of Lane County in 1853.<ref name="exp">Template:Cite book</ref>

The county has been vastly reduced from its original size by several boundary changes. One of the first changes gave it access to the Pacific Ocean, when it acquired the northern part of Umpqua County in 1853. With the creation of Wasco County in 1854, it lost all of its territory east of the Cascade Mountains. Minor boundary changes occurred with Douglas County in 1852, 1885, 1903, 1915, and 1917; with Linn County in 1907 and with Benton County in 1923.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (3.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> Lane County is one of two Oregon counties that extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascades (the other is Douglas County.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A portion of the Umpqua National Forest is in Lane County. Portions of the Willamette, McKenzie, and Siuslaw rivers run through the county.

Adjacent counties

Lincoln County (northwest)
Benton County (north)
Linn County (northeast)
Deschutes County (east)
Klamath County (southeast)
Douglas County (south)

National protected areas

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Siuslaw National Forest (part)
Umpqua National Forest (part)
Willamette National Forest (part)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

**Lane County, Oregon – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 1990<ref name=1990Census>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	261,505	265,391	286,075	297,808	298,507	95.01%	93.81%	88.58%	84.67%	77.95%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,566	2,040	2,391	3,102	4,352	0.57%	0.72%	0.74%	0.88%	1.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	2,471	3,017	3,268	3,418	3,355	0.90%	1.07%	1.01%	0.97%	0.88%
Asian alone (NH)	2,919	5,419	6,390	8,169	9,404	1.06%	1.92%	1.98%	2.32%	2.46%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref>	562	732	947	x	x	0.17%	0.21%	0.25%
Other race alone (NH)	1,184	193	534	514	2,377	0.43%	0.07%	0.17%	0.15%	0.62%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref>	8,865	11,805	26,249	x	x	2.74%	3.36%	6.85%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5,581	6,852	14,874	26,167	37,780	2.03%	2.42%	4.61%	7.44%	9.86%
Total	275,226	282,912	322,959	351,715	382,971	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The racial and ethnic make up of the county was 77.9% non-Hispanic White, 1.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 6.9% mixed race of two or more, and 9.9% Hispanic.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 351,715 people, 145,966 households, and 86,938 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 156,112 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 88.3% white, 2.4% Asian, 1.2% American Indian, 1.0% black or African American, 0.2% Pacific islander, 2.8% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.4% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1" /> In terms of ancestry, 21.8% were German, 14.9% were English, 13.8% were Irish, and 5.3% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 145,966 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.4% were non-families, and 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 39.0 years.<ref name="census-dp1" />

The median income for a household in the county was $42,923 and the median income for a family was $55,817. Males had a median income of $43,383 versus $32,745 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,869. About 10.0% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Lane County is the fourth-most populous county in Oregon. It grew more slowly from 2000 to 2010 than did the three larger counties, Multnomah (the most populous Oregon county), Washington and Clackamas.<ref name="McDonald">Template:Cite news</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 322,959 people, 130,453 households, and 82,185 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 138,946 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 90.64% White, 0.78% Black or African American, 1.13% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from other races, and 3.32% from two or more races. 4.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 130,453 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.00% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 12.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,942, and the median income for a family was $45,111. Males had a median income of $34,358 versus $25,103 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,681. About 9.00% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.10% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Lane County is governed by a County commission. Commissioners are elected officials and serve four-year terms. The current commissioners are:

David Lovell, Springfield
Ryan Ceniga, West Lane
Heather Buch, East Lane
Laurie Trieger, South Eugene
Pat Farr, North Eugene

In presidential elections from the 1950s through the 70s, Lane County mostly leaned towards Republican candidates, but returned to a solidly Democratic county in 1984, coming to often back Democratic candidates in statewide elections by broad margins. It is one of many counties dominated by college towns that swung heavily Democratic in this period.

Through much of the mid-1800s and the first half of the 20th century, the region served as a stronghold for the pro-slavery National Democratic Party. In the 1920s the county was considered the state headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan. Major Luther I. Powell, a resident of the county and Klan leader, led early efforts to establish the Klan, first in Eugene and then across Oregon.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Lane County is currently one of 11 counties in Oregon in which therapeutic psilocybin is legal.

Politics

Economy

As of 2022, Lane County has the fifth-largest gross domestic product among Oregon's 36 counties, totaling $17.55 billion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tourism has become a key driver of the local economy, with direct visitor spending reaching $1.1 billion in 2023, and total travel spending hitting a record $1.4 billion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

PeaceHealth Medical Group is the largest private employer in Lane County, followed by the University of Oregon, Eugene 4J School District, and U.S. Government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Growth in the next decades is predicted to shift away from timber and agriculture to services, manufacturing of transportation equipment, printing and publishing, and high technology.

Communities

Former communities

Alma
Bethel, now part of Eugene
Black Butte
Bohemia City
Divide
Irving, now part of Eugene
Luper
McCredie Springs
Natron
Thurston, now part of Springfield

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite map - Text list</ref> Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Commons category Template:Wikisource

Template:Official website
Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County, Oregon
Lane County History Museum—information on the history of Lane County

Template:Geographic location

Template:Lane County, Oregon Template:Oregon Template:Authority control Template:Coord

Lane County, Oregon

Contents

History