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Facts & History

Oregon

DEMOGRAPHICS (Census 2000)
Population
3,421,399

Race/Ethnicity

	Population	Percent
White	2,899,270	86.6%
Black or African American	55,662	1.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native	45,211	1.3%
Asian	101,350	3%
Hispanic or Latino	275,314	8%

Most-populated Cities: Portland, 509,610; Eugene, 133,460
Least-populated Cities: Greenhorn, 3; Lonerock and Granite, 25
Nativity and Place of Birth: Native 2,703,014; foreign born 139,307 (8.5%)
Age: 25% or 822,605 are 17 or younger, 13.4 % or 438,847, are 65 or older
Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 25.1 percent of persons age 25+
Pre-capita Income for 1998: $27,135; National average is $28,518
Gender: 1,651,300 of are female and 1,616,250 are male.
The Lure for Relocation:Forty-five percent cite "family or friends," and 44 percent cite
"quality of life."
Fitness: Thirty-two percent of Oregonians were overweight in 1997, and one-fifth were getting little or no exercise.
Homeownership Rate: 64.3 percent.
Average Rent: Portland $747 a month in 2005.
Farms: Acres of farmland in the 90’s: 17.6 million;21.5 million in 1959

FunFACTS

Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state.
The Columbia River gorge is considered by many to be the best place in the world for windsurfing.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
Oregon and New Jersey are the only states without self-serve gas stations.
Eugene was the first city to have one-way streets.
At 8,000 feet deep Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.
The hazelnut is Oregon's official state nut. Oregon is the only state that has an official state nut.
Oregon's state birthday is February 14, Valentine's Day.
Navy blue and gold are Oregon's official state colors.
The Chinook salmon is Oregon's official state fish.
The Willamette River was discovered in 1792.
In 1876 the University of Oregon opened in Eugene.
In 1880 a sea cave was discovered near what is now known as Florence. Sea Lion Caves is known to be the largest sea cave in the world.
The nation's most photographed lighthouse is the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Lane County.
At 11,239 feet Mount Hood stands as the tallest peak in Oregon. Mount Hood is a dormant volcano.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It was formed more than 6,500 years ago.
The world's largest rosary collection is exhibited at The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center.
The Oregon Legislature designated the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) as the Oregon state flower by resolution in 1899.
Oregon's capitol building is located in Salem. Earlier capitals were located in Oregon City and Corvallis.
The Columbia River forms most of the northern border between Oregon and Washington.
In 1905 the largest long cabin in the world was built in Portland to honor the Lewis and Clark expedition.
A treaty between the United States and Spain established the current southern border between Oregon and California. The treaty was signed in 1819.
The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States.
The Seaside Aquarium was the first facility in the world to successfully breed harbor seals in captivity.