Linn County, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linn County
U.S. county
Linn County Courthouse in Albany
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Oregon
Founded	December 28, 1847
Seat	Albany
Largest city	Albany
Area
• Total	2,309 sq mi (5,980 km2)
• Land	2,290 sq mi (5,900 km2)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km2)  0.8%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	128,610
• Estimate  (2021)	129,839
• Density	56/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional district	4th
Adjacent Counties north-west   Polk County north   Marion County east   Jefferson County south-east   Deschutes County south   Lane County west   Benton County

Sign welcoming visitors to the county

Linn County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 128,610. The county seat is Albany. The county is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American settlement of the Oregon Country. Linn County comprises the Albany, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the Willamette Valley. In 2010, the center of population of Oregon was located in Linn County, near the city of Lyons.

History

On December 28, 1847 the Provisional Legislature created Linn County from the southern portion of Champoeg (later Marion) County. The boundaries were altered in 1851 and 1854 with the creation of Lane and Wasco Counties. The county seat was originally located in Calapooia (later known as Brownsville), but in 1851 the Territorial Legislature passed an act establishing Albany as the county seat. A special election in 1856 reaffirmed Albany as the county seat.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,309 square miles (5,980 km²), of which 2,290 square miles (5,900 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Marion County (north)
• Benton County (west)
• Lane County (south)
• Deschutes County (southeast)
• Jefferson County (east)
• Polk County (northwest)

National protected area

• Willamette National Forest (part)

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 116,672 people, 45,204 households, and 30,976 families living in the county. The population density was 50.9 inhabitants per square mile (19.7/km²). There were 48,821 housing units at an average density of 21.3 per square mile (8.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.6% white, 1.3% American Indian, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.9% were German, 14.1% were English, 12.7% were Irish, and 7.1% were American.

Of the 45,204 households, 32.1% had children under age 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.5% were non-families, and 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 39.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,832 and the median income for a family was $55,320. Males had a median income of $44,450 versus $32,055 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,165. About 11.0% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

The racial makeup of the county was 81% non-hispanic white, .5% African American, 1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 5.9% of two or more races, and 9.8% Hispanic.

Natural history

A variety of flora and fauna occur in Linn County. Fauna include mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Trees include a variety of oaks and conifers as well as other species such as Salix sessilifolia. The Rough-skinned Newt is a common amphibian occurring in the oak woodlands of the county. Carpenter Mountain, one of the highest points in the western Cascades is located in Linn County, although road access to the peak is only possible through Lane County.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

• Foster
• Jordan
• Kingston
• Marion Forks
• Riverside
• Santiam Junction

Economy

Principal industries are wood products, agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. Linn County's economy relies heavily on the lumber and wood products industry; in 1990, this industry accounted for 40% of the county's manufacturing jobs. The climate and soil conditions provide one of Oregon's most diversified agriculture areas, allowing a wide variety of specialty crops such as common and perennial ryegrass. Linn County is also home to the only emery mine in the United States, and the production of manufactured and motor homes.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Linn (Oregón) para niños