Jacksonville, Oregon Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jacksonville, Oregon
City
California Street
Motto(s): Always a good time
Location in Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Jackson
Incorporated	1860
Area
• Total	1.89 sq mi (4.90 km²)
• Land	1.89 sq mi (4.90 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	1,569 ft (478 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	3,020
• Density	1,596.19/sq mi (616.31/km²)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97530
Area code(s)	458 and 541
FIPS code	41-37000
GNIS feature ID	1122366

Jacksonville is a cool city in Jackson County, Oregon, USA. It's about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Medford. The city got its name from Jackson Creek, where some of the first gold was found.

Jacksonville is special because it has a Historic District. This area was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1966. In 2020, about 3,020 people lived here.

A Look Back: Jacksonville's History
Where is Jacksonville?
Who Lives in Jacksonville?
- Jacksonville's People in 2010
Learning in Jacksonville
Fun Things to Do and See
- Annual Events and Festivals
- Museums and Historic Places
Local News
Famous People from Jacksonville
Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: Jacksonville's History

Jacksonville started because people found gold there in 1851 and 1852. It became the main town for Jackson County. But in 1927, Medford took over as the county seat.

Jacksonville was also home to Oregon's first Chinatown. Chinese immigrants from San Francisco, California, created it. In 2004, workers found old items from the 1850s and 1860s. These included broken Chinese bowls, tea cups, and old coins.

When the gold ran out, and the railway didn't come through Jacksonville in 1884, the city's growth slowed down. This actually helped save many old buildings! Because of this, Jacksonville became a National Historic District in 1966. Over 100 buildings are part of this district. It's known for its amazing old buildings that show what a busy trading city was like in the mid-1800s.

Where is Jacksonville?

Jacksonville is a small city, covering about 4.90 square kilometers (1.89 square miles) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

Who Lives in Jacksonville?

Jacksonville City Hall, once the Jackson County Courthouse

The city's population has grown over the years. Here's how many people lived in Jacksonville at different times:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	839	—
1890	743	−11.4%
1900	653	−12.1%
1910	785	20.2%
1920	489	−37.7%
1930	706	44.4%
1940	761	7.8%
1950	1,193	56.8%
1960	1,172	−1.8%
1970	1,611	37.5%
1980	2,030	26.0%
1990	1,896	−6.6%
2000	2,235	17.9%
2010	2,785	24.6%
2020	3,020	8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

Jacksonville's People in 2010

In 2010, there were 2,785 people living in Jacksonville. Most residents (95.6%) were White. About 2.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Jacksonville was about 55 years old. About 15.9% of the people were under 18. Many residents were 65 or older (30%).

Learning in Jacksonville

Kids in Jacksonville go to schools in the Medford School District. Jacksonville Elementary School is located right in the city.

Fun Things to Do and See

Jacksonville has been a filming location for several movies:

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1971)
Inherit The Wind (1988)
Canyon Passage (1946)
The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Annual Events and Festivals

Jacksonville is famous for the Britt Festival. This is a music festival held outdoors in a special amphitheater. It started in 1963 because the hills around the area make the music sound great! Many popular music artists perform here. The festival is named after Peter Britt, an early settler who owned the land.

Museums and Historic Places

The former Jackson County Courthouse, now a museum

The Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) was created in 1946. Their goal was to save the old Jackson County Courthouse from the 1880s. They opened the Jacksonville Museum in this building in 1950. While the museum closed in 2006, the courthouse is now owned by the City of Jacksonville.

You can also visit the Beekman Native Plant Arboretum, which is a garden behind the Beekman House. The Beekman House is a house museum that shows what life was like long ago. Other historic buildings in the city include the Beekman Bank and the Catholic Rectory.

The 1859 B. F. Dowell House is the oldest brick house in Oregon built in the Italianate style. The William Bybee House, also known as Bybee's Historic Inn, is another important historic home near Jacksonville.