Oregon Counties: History and Information

Find a brief history of Oregon Counties

The individual county histories trace the establishment and evolution of each of the 36 county governments in Oregon. The histories include information concerning the creation and naming of the county; designation of county boundaries; location of the county seat; construction of the county courthouse; development of the county government; and description of the major industrial geographical, demographic, or historical features of the county.

Nine counties have adopted "home rule"charters, wherein voters have the power to adopt and amend their own county government organization. Lane and Washington were the first to adopt "home rule"in 1962, followed by Hood River (1964), Multnomah (1967), Benton (1972), Jackson (1978), Josephine (1980), Clatsop (1988) and Umatilla (1993).  

Twenty-four of Oregon's 36 counties, including the nine with charters, are governed by a board of commissioners comprised of three to five elected members. The remaining 12 less populated counties are governed by a "county court"consisting of a county judge and two commissioners.