Klamath Falls, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Klamath Falls, Oregon
City
Nickname(s):  Oregon's City of Sunshine
Motto(s):  "Working For You"
Location in Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Klamath Falls, Oregon Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Klamath
Incorporated	1905
Area
• Total	20.96 sq mi (54.27 km2)
• Land	20.08 sq mi (52.01 km2)
• Water	0.88 sq mi (2.27 km2)
Elevation	4,094 ft (1,248 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,813
• Density	1,086.30/sq mi (419.43/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific)
ZIP codes	97601, 97603
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-39700
GNIS feature ID	2411554
Website	City Website

Klamath Falls (/ˈklæməθ/ KLAM-əth) is a city in, and the county seat of, Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The city was originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867. It was named after the Link River, on whose falls the city was sited. The name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1893. The population was 21,813 at the 2020 census. The city is on the southeastern shore of the Upper Klamath Lake. It is located 80 miles (130 km) east of Medford, 250 miles (400 km) northwest of Reno, and approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of the California–Oregon border.

Logging was Klamath Falls's first major industry.

History

Etymology

At its founding in 1867, Klamath Falls was named Linkville. The name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892–93. The name Klamath (/ˈklæməθ/) may be a variation of the descriptive native for "people" (in Chinookan) used by the indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau to refer to the region.

History

The Klamath and Modoc peoples were the first known inhabitants of the area. The Modocs' homeland is about 20 miles (32 km) south of Klamath Falls, but when they were forced onto a reservation with their adversaries, the Klamath, a rebellion ensued and they hid out in nearby lava beds. This led to the Modoc War of 1872–1873, which was a hugely expensive campaign for the US Cavalry, costing an estimated $500,000, the equivalent of over $8 million in 2000. 17 Indigenous people and 83 Americans were killed.

The Applegate Trail, which passes through the lower Klamath area, was blazed in 1846 from west to east in an attempt to provide a safer route for emigrants on the Oregon Trail. The first non-Indigenous settler is considered to have been Wallace Baldwin, a 19-year-old civilian who drove fifty head of horses in the valley in 1852. In 1867, George Nurse, named the small settlement "Linkville", because of Link River north of Lake Ewauna.

The Klamath Reclamation Project began in 1906 to drain marshland and move water to allow for agriculture. With the building of the main "A" Canal, water was first made available on May 22, 1907. Veterans of World War I and World War II were given homesteading opportunities on the reclaimed land.

During World War II, a Japanese-American internment camp, the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, was located in nearby Newell, California, and a satellite of the Camp White, Oregon, POW camp was located just on the Oregon–California border near the town of Tulelake, California. In May 1945, about 30 miles (48 km) east of Klamath Falls, (near Bly, Oregon) a Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb killed a woman and five children on a church outing. This is said to be the only Japanese-inflicted casualty on the US mainland during the war.

Timber harvesting through the use of railroad was extensive in Klamath County for the first few decades of the 20th century. With the arrival of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1909, Klamath Falls grew quickly from a few hundred to several thousand. Dozens of lumber mills cut fir and pine lumber, and the industry flourished until the late 1980s when the northern spotted owl and other endangered species were driving forces in changing western forest policy.

On September 20, 1993, a series of earthquakes struck near Klamath Falls. Many downtown buildings, including the county courthouse and the former Sacred Heart Academy and Convent, were damaged or destroyed, and two people were killed.

Klamath Falls, 1909

Geothermal heating

Klamath Falls is located in a known geothermal resource area. Geothermal power has been used directly for geothermal heating in the area since the early 1900s. A downtown district heating system was constructed in 1981 and extended in 1982. There was public opposition to the scheme. Many homes were heated by private geothermal wells, and owners were concerned that the city system could lower the water level and/or reduce water temperatures. System operation was delayed until 1984 following an aquifer study. Full operational testing showed no negative impact on the private wells. The system was shut down again in 1986 after multiple distribution piping failures were discovered. By 1991, the distribution piping had been reconstructed, and the system was again operating. The system has been expanded since then, and according to the Oregon Institute of Technology, the operation is "at or near operational break-even". The system is used to provide direct heat for homes, city schools, greenhouses, government and commercial buildings, geothermally heated snowmelt systems for sidewalks and roads, and process heat for the wastewater treatment plant.

Air quality

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in 2012, significant efforts are being made to improve the air quality in the Klamath Basin.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.66 square miles (53.51 km²), of which 19.81 square miles (51.31 km²) is land and 0.85 square miles (2.20 km²) is water. The elevation is 4,094 feet (1,248 m).

Klamath Falls has a high desert landscape. The older part of the city is located above natural geothermal springs. These have been used for the heating of homes and streets, primarily in the downtown area.

Climate

Klamath Falls is known as "Oregon's City of Sunshine" because the area enjoys 300 days of sun per year. The Klamath Falls area is a high desert and features a climate with cold, snowy winters along with hot summer afternoons and cool summer nights. Under the Köppen climate classification the city's climate type is Csb, often described as warm summer Mediterranean. Using the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm preferred by some climatologists, Klamath Falls is a Dsb climate, often described as warm summer humid continental.

Typical of its region, Klamath Falls has a dry season in summertime, with the greatest precipitation occurring in wintertime, a substantial proportion falling as snow. Although it is not arid or semi-arid, total precipitation is still low, at 13.41 inches (340.6 mm) per year, due to Klamath Falls being in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to the west. The wettest "rain year" has been from July 1955 to June 1956 with 21.78 inches (553.2 mm) and the driest from July 1954 to June 1955 with 6.09 inches (154.7 mm). Annual snowfall averages around 36.5 inches (93 cm), with the most on record being 100.6 inches (256 cm) between July 1955 and June 1956; in contrast, only a trace of snow fell between July 1991 and June 1992. The maximum snow depth has been 36 inches (91 cm) on January 3, 1901.

The all-time record high is 105 °F (40.6 °C), set on July 27, 1911, and the all-time record low is −24 °F (−31.1 °C), set on January 15, 1888. The freeze-free season averages around 120 days, with the first freeze in a typical year being on September 21, and the last freeze being on June 1. On average 18.2 days per year reach 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher, and 1.9 nights per year reach temperatures of 0 °F (−17.8 °C) or lower.

Demographics

2010 census

Downtown Klamath Falls

The Oregon Bank Building is one of 13 sites in Klamath Falls listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As of the census of 2010, there were 20,840 people, 8,542 households and 4,876 families residing in the city. The immediate neighboring Census Designated Place of Altamont, Oregon had a population of 19,257. The population density was 1,052.0 inhabitants per square mile (406.2/km²). There were 9,595 housing units at an average density of 484.4 per square mile (187.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White, 1.0% African American, 4.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.5% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.8% of the population.

There were 8,542 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.9% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 33.6 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

Ragland Theater in downtown Klamath Falls

Parks and recreation

Veterans Park on the south shore of the Upper Klamath Lake, downtown Klamath Falls

Moore Park features a multi-use trail network.

OC&E Woods Line State Trail is a rail trail in the city and the longest state park in Oregon.

Veterans Memorial Park is located downtown along Lake Ewauna.

Klamath Falls is located on the Pacific Flyway, and waterfowl, raptors, and American white pelican have been seen.

Education

Klamath Union High School (KU) 2013 football team in action

Colleges and universities

• Oregon Institute of Technology
• Klamath Community College
• College of Cosmetology

Public schools

Klamath Falls and the surrounding area are served by Klamath County School District and the Klamath Falls City School District.

Media

Radio stations

FM stations

• 88.5 FM - KLMF JPR classics & news service
• 88.9 FM - KJKF Contemporary Christian Music K-LOVE
• 89.5 FM - KTEC College Freeform Oregon Institute of Technology
• 89.9 FM - K210BY Christian
• 90.5 FM - K213AI Jefferson Public Radio news & information service
• 90.9 FM - KSKF Jefferson Public Radio rhythm & news service
• 91.5 FM - K218EX Spanish Christian
• 91.9 FM - K220BJ Jefferson Public Radio news & information service
• 92.5 FM - KLAD-FM Country
• 92.9 FM - K225CW News/Talk
• 93.3 FM - K227CU Rock
• 94.9 FM - KAGO-FM Rock
• 96.5 FM - KFLS-FM Country Tulelake
• 97.1 FM - K246BB Christian Keno
• 97.5 FM - KYSF Christian Worship Music Air 1 Bonanza
• 98.5 FM - KHIC Top 40 Keno
• 99.5 FM - KFXX-FM Classic Hits
• 99.9 FM - K260AK Christian
• 100.7 FM - KLKF Contemporary Christian Music K-LOVE Malin
• 101.3 FM - K267CF Christian
• 102.5 FM - K273DF News/Talk
• 104.3 FM - K282CB Sports
• 104.7 FM - KFEG Classic Rock
• 105.5 FM - KKKJ Top 40 Merrill
• 106.5 FM - K293CQ Regional Mexican Altamont
• 106.9 FM - KKRB Adult Contemporary

AM stations

• 960 AM - KLAD Sports
• 1150 AM - KAGO News/Talk
• 1240 AM - KRJW Sports
• 1450 AM - KFLS News/Talk

Television stations

Infrastructure

Transportation

Amtrak's Coast Starlight at Klamath Falls station

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, serves Klamath Falls station, located on a route originally built by the Southern Pacific Railroad – operating its Coast Starlight daily in both directions between Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California.

Fixed-route public transit service is operated by Basin Transit Service, a special service district with an elected board. Oregon POINT connects Klamath Falls with Medford and Brookings, Oregon. Sage Stage provides weekly service to Alturas, California.

The Klamath Falls airport is the location of the Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base; the airport and base are 6 miles (10 km) south of downtown. The nearest commercial airport is Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport, which is 78 miles (126 km) away.

Military airbase

Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, also known as Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport, was established in 1928. It is home to the 270th Air Traffic Control Squadron, 173rd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, stationed at Kingsley Field airbase. The squadron currently flies F-15 C/D variants. It has the second largest runway in Oregon (10,301 by 150 feet (3,140 by 46 meters) wide) and was listed as a backup landing strip for the Space Shuttle. It is normal to hear the aircraft throughout Klamath Falls during daylight hours.

Notable people

• Sharron Angle (born 1949), Nevada politician
• Brenda Bakke (born 1963), actress
• Dennis Bennett (1939–2012), Major League Baseball player
• Harry D. Boivin (1904–1999), speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and two-time president of the Oregon Senate
• Ernest C. Brace (1931–2014), pilot
• Jeff Bronkey (born 1965), Major League Baseball player
• Seth Brown (born 1992), Major League Baseball player for the Oakland Athletics
• Don Pedro Colley (1938–2017), actor
• Ian Dobson (born 1982), Team Run Eugene coach, former Olympic coach for Greek Olympian Alexi Pappas, and retired Olympic 5k runner
• Christine Drazan (born 1972), minority leader of the Oregon House of Representatives and Republican nominee for governor in 2022
• Chris Eyre (born 1968), Sundance Film Festival award winner
• Helen J. Frye (1930–2011), Federal District Court judge
• Chad Gray (born 1971), musician
• Rosie Hamlin (1945–2017), singer-songwriter
• Ralph Hill (1908–1994), Olympic 5000 meters silver medalist
• James Ivory (born 1928), Oscar-winning director, screenwriter and producer
• Charles S. Moore (1857–1915), Oregon politician
• Dan O'Brien (born 1966), Olympic gold medalist in Decathlon
• Charles O. Porter (1919–2006), Oregon politician
• Marty Ravellette (1939–2007), armless hero who lived in Klamath Falls in the 1960s
• Laurenne Ross (born 1988), World Cup alpine ski racer
• Janice Romary (1927–2007), U.S. women's Olympic foilist who was the first woman to appear at six Olympic Games
• Kim Walker-Smith (born 1981), neopentecostal worship leader and recording artist
• Paul Zahniser (1896–1964), Major League Baseball player

Sister city

Klamath Falls has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• Rotorua, New Zealand

See also

In Spanish: Klamath Falls para niños