Gilliam County, Oregon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Gilliam County
U.S. county
Gilliam County Courthouse in Condon
Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Oregon
Founded	February 25, 1885
Named for	Cornelius Gilliam
Seat	Condon
Largest city	Condon
Area
• Total	1,223 sq mi (3,170 km²)
• Land	1,205 sq mi (3,120 km²)
• Water	18 sq mi (50 km²) 1.5%%
Population (2020)
• Total	1,995
• Estimate (2023)	2,026
• Density	1.6312/sq mi (0.6298/km²)
Congressional district	2nd

Gilliam County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the northern part of the state. In 2020, about 1,995 people lived here. This makes it the third smallest county in Oregon by population. The main town and county seat is Condon. The county was created in 1885. It is named after Cornelius Gilliam, a colonel who led a group of settlers in Oregon's early days.

History of Gilliam County
- Wind Power in Gilliam County
Geography and Location
- Neighboring Counties
Population and People
- What the 2010 Census Showed
Towns and Communities
Economy and Jobs
Images for kids
See also

History of Gilliam County

An old grain elevator in Gwendolen, Gilliam County.

The Oregon government created Gilliam County on February 25, 1885. It was formed from the eastern part of Wasco County. People living there felt they were too far from their county seat in The Dalles.

The first county seat for Gilliam County was a place called Alkali, which is now Arlington. Voters then decided where the permanent county seat should be. After a few votes, they chose Condon in 1890. Early settlers knew Condon as "Summit Springs."

Even after choosing Condon, it took a while to build a courthouse. The county government worked out of a small two-room house until 1903. That's when they finally built a courthouse. Sadly, this building burned down in 1954. A new courthouse was built the very next year, which is the one still used today.

Wind Power in Gilliam County

A very large wind farm called Shepherds Flat Wind Farm was built near Arlington. Construction started in 2009. This wind farm uses many wind turbines to make electricity. It helps supply power to homes and businesses in Southern California. In 2011, Google invested $100 million in this project. The wind farm brings about $16 million to Oregon's economy each year.

Geography and Location

Map of Gilliam County

Gilliam County is in the central northern part of Oregon. It is located east of the Cascade Range mountains. The John Day River forms its western border. The Columbia River forms its northern border.

Most of the county is flat land. However, there are also many canyons. These canyons were formed by streams flowing from the Blue Mountains.

The United States Census Bureau says the county covers about 1,223 square miles (3,168 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1,205 square miles (3,121 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 18 square miles (47 square kilometers), is water.

Neighboring Counties

Gilliam County shares borders with several other counties:

Klickitat County, Washington - to the north
Morrow County - to the east
Wheeler County - to the south
Wasco County - to the southwest
Sherman County - to the west

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	3,600	—
1900	3,201	−11.1%
1910	3,701	15.6%
1920	3,960	7.0%
1930	3,467	−12.4%
1940	2,844	−18.0%
1950	2,817	−0.9%
1960	3,069	8.9%
1970	2,342	−23.7%
1980	2,057	−12.2%
1990	1,717	−16.5%
2000	1,915	11.5%
2010	1,871	−2.3%
2020	1,995	6.6%
2023 (est.)	2,026	8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

What the 2010 Census Showed

In 2010, there were 1,871 people living in Gilliam County. These people lived in 864 households. About 508 of these were families. The county had about 1.6 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (95.2%). Other groups included American Indian, Pacific Islander, Asian, and African American people. About 4.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

The average age of people in the county was 49.7 years old. About 22.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.14 people.

Towns and Communities

Cities in Gilliam County

Arlington
Condon (This is the county seat)
Lonerock

Smaller Communities

Past Communities

Ajax
Barnett
Blalock
Gwendolen
Heppner Junction
Montague
Quinton
Rhea
Shutler

Economy and Jobs

A wheat field with wind turbines in the background, off Highway 19.

Gilliam County is known for its farming. It is in the middle of the Columbia River Plateau, which is a big area for growing wheat. The main jobs here are in agriculture. Farmers grow wheat and barley, and they raise beef cattle. Farms in Gilliam County are very large, often around 4,200 acres (17 square kilometers) on average.

The biggest employers in the county are two companies that manage waste. They run large landfills for trash disposal. These companies pay a fee for every ton of waste. This money helps Gilliam County pay for many things. It even helps pay the first $500 of property taxes for its residents. For almost half the people in the county, this covers their entire tax bill!

Other important industries include hunting, fishing, and tourism. Transportation also helps the local economy. Two major rivers, the John Day and Columbia, flow through the area. Interstate 84 also crosses the county. Oregon Route 19 connects the main towns from north to south. It also provides access to the John Day Valley.