Clackamas County, Oregon
From Freepedia
Clackamas County is a county located in the state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2000, the population is 338,391. Its county seat is Oregon City6.
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Economy
Since the county's creation, agriculture, timber, manufacturing, and commerce have been the principal economic activities. Mount Hood, the only year-round ski resort in the United States and the site of Timberline Lodge, is a major attraction for recreaton and tourism. The mountain and its rivers and forests offer outdoor recreation activities, from skiing and rafting to fishing and camping.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,867 km² (1,879 mi²). 4,839 km² (1,868 mi²) of it is land and 28 km² (11 mi², or 0.58%) of it is water.
Major highways
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 338,391 people, 128,201 households, and 91,663 families residing in the county. The population density is 70/km² (181/mi²). There are 136,954 housing units at an average density of 28/km² (73/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 91.27% White, 2.45% Asian, 0.71% Native American, 0.66% Black or African American, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. 4.95% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 128,201 households out of which 34.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% are married couples living together, 9.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% are non-families. 22.00% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.80% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the county, the population is spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $52,080, and the median income for a family is $60,791. Males have a median income of $43,462 versus $30,891 for females. The per capita income for the county is $25,973. 6.60% of the population and 4.60% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.60% of those under the age of 18 and 5.10% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
Clackamas was one of the four original Oregon districts created by Oregon's Provisional Legislature on July 5, 1843 along with Twality (later Washington), Champooick (later Marion), and Yamhill. The four districts were redesignated as counties in 1845. At the time of its creation, Clackamas County covered portions of four present-day states and a Canadian province. The Columbia River became the northern boundary of the county in 1844.
Oregon City was also the site of the only federal court west of the Rockies in 1849, when San Francisco, California was platted. The plat was filed in 1850 in the first plat book of the first office of records in the West Coast and is still in Oregon City.
In contrast with the more liberal and cosmopolitan Multnomah County to the north, and the more ruling-class Washington County to the west, Clackamas county has espoused a blue-collar, yet conservative political outlook of the backlash mold described by Thomas Frank. It is the headquarters of Lon Mabon, whose Oregon Citizens Alliance has worked to pass a number of anti-homosexual initiatives, and where Bill Sizemore, who has championed various anti-government initiatives for most of the 1990s, has his base. However, it is a very mixed area overall, narrowly voting for Republican George W. Bush over Democrat John Kerry in 2004.
As of August 2005, Clackamas is the first county in Oregon to have four models of governance for its communities. Like the rest of Oregon, it has cities (which are formally incorporated) and rural communities (some of which for federal purposes are considered census-designated places).
After completion of a process that began late in 1999, the county adopted an ordinance on August 11, 2005 which defined hamlets and villages. No community has completed the county-defined process for becoming a hamlet or village during the ordinance's first month of existence.
Cities and communities
Some communities in the county are in the Portland metropolitan area:
- Portland (a small portion in the city's southeast quadrant)
- Clackamas (unincorporated)
- Lake Oswego
- Milwaukie
- Oregon City
- Sunnyside (unincorporated)
- Tualatin
- West Linn
- Wilsonville
The county also includes:
- Barlow
- Beavercreek (attempting to become a hamlet)
- Boring
- Canby
- Colton (attempting to become a village)
- Damascus (incorporated in 2004)
- Eagle Creek (unincorporated)
- Estacada
- Gladstone
- Government Camp (attempting to become a village)
- Happy Valley
- Jennings Lodge (census-designated place)
- Johnson City
- Molalla
- Mount Hood Village (census-designated place)
- Oak Grove (unincorporated)
- Oatfield (unincorporated)
- Rivergrove
- Sandy
- Wankers Corner (unincorporated)
Several of these communities also extend into other counties. Lake Oswego and Milwaukie include areas in Multnomah County. Tualatin, Rivergrove and Wilsonville include areas in Washington County.
The urban areas of the county are also served by the Metropolitan Service District.
External links
- Official website, which includes the rules surrounding hamlets and villages
- Clackamas County Considering Hamlets and Villages, a September 2005 article from Oregon Public Broadcasting
