North Bend, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
North Bend, Oregon
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North Bend from above, looking toward the Pacific Ocean
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Location in Oregon
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Oregon | |
| County | Coos | |
| Incorporated | 1903 | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 5.09 sq mi (13.19 km2) | |
| • Land | 3.93 sq mi (10.18 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.16 sq mi (3.01 km2) | |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • City | 10,317 | |
| • Density | 2,623.86/sq mi (1,013.01/km2) | |
| • Urban | 31,995 | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific) | |
| ZIP code |
97459
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| Area code(s) | 458, 541 | |
| FIPS code | 41-53000 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411269 | |
North Bend is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, about 10,317 people live here. North Bend is special because it's surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay. This is a unique S-shaped water area where the Coos River meets the Pacific Ocean. The city also shares a border with its neighbor, Coos Bay, to the south. North Bend officially became a city in 1903.
Contents
Discovering North Bend's History
Early Native American Life
Long before Europeans arrived, Native American tribes called the Coos Bay area home. For thousands of years, groups like the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw, and Coquille lived here. They fished, hunted, and gathered food along the bay, rivers, and in the forests.
European Explorers and Settlers
About 400 years ago, British and Spanish explorers first sailed near the Oregon coast. Some stories say that Sir Francis Drake might have found shelter for his ship, the Golden Hind, near Cape Arago in 1579. Later, explorers like Jedediah Smith came looking for furs. The Hudson's Bay Company also sent Alexander Roderick McLeod to find a way inland.
In 1852, a ship called the Captain Lincoln got stuck on the North Spit. The people who survived set up camp, and their rescue brought attention to the area. Soon, gold prospectors arrived, hoping to find gold on the beaches. In 1853, the Coos Bay Commercial Company helped create paths for new settlers.
How North Bend Got Its Name
A man named Thomas Symons founded a settlement called Yarrow in 1863. Later, in 1902, Louis J. Simpson bought Yarrow. He combined it with his father's sawmill site in Old Town. In 1903, these areas officially became the city of North Bend.
Growing Industries and Trade
Empire City was another important settlement and served as the county's main government center until 1896. People were drawn to the area because of its rich natural resources. Sawmills and shipyards in Old Town North Bend and Empire City helped the economy grow. These businesses also attracted many workers.
Rivers and sloughs (small waterways) were like highways. They helped transport people, timber, farm products, and coal. Towns became important centers for travel further inland. Early industries included cutting timber, building ships, farming, mining coal, and canning salmon.
Before about 1915, the Coos region was quite isolated. It was hard to cross the Coast Range mountains and rivers. So, people often traveled by the Pacific Ocean, which was an easier two-day trip to places like San Francisco. By 1916, trains connected the region to other towns, making trade and tourism much easier.
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A Special Kind of Money
North Bend saw a lot of growth in the 1920s, and even more from the 1930s to the 1950s. During World War II, shipyards built special ships for the U.S. Government, like minesweepers and rescue tugs. Large lumber companies also grew a lot during this time.
In the 1930s, during a difficult economic period, the only bank in North Bend had to close temporarily. This caused a problem for the city because it didn't have enough cash to pay its workers. To solve this, the city came up with a creative idea: they made their own money! They used discs of myrtlewood (a local tree) and printed different values on them, from 25 cents to $10. These wooden coins were used to pay city employees, and the city promised to exchange them for regular cash later.
When the bank reopened, the city asked people to bring back their wooden money. However, many people decided to keep the tokens as souvenirs because they were so unique! The city eventually said that the wooden tokens would always be legal to use in North Bend. Today, these myrtlewood coins are very rare and valuable collector's items.
North Bend's Location and Weather
Where is North Bend?
North Bend covers a total area of about 5.09 square miles (13.19 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.92 square miles (10.18 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 1.17 square miles (3.01 square kilometers), is water.
The Climate of North Bend
North Bend has a very mild climate, meaning the weather doesn't change much throughout the year. It's often described as a very humid Mediterranean climate or a dry-summer oceanic climate. This means winters are rainy, and summers are dry.
Temperatures usually stay between 46.4°F (8°C) in December and 60.1°F (15.6°C) in August. Cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean keep the city's weather pleasant all year. It rains a lot in winter because of moist air coming from the ocean. The city gets about 59.14 inches (1502 mm) of rain each year, but very little in July and August.
Fog often covers the coast in summer. This happens because of the difference in temperature between the cool ocean and the warmer land. Snow almost never falls in the city itself, but it can snow heavily in the nearby Oregon Coast Range mountains.
| Climate data for North Bend, Oregon (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
82 (28) |
86 (30) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
78 (26) |
70 (21) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.6 (18.1) |
65.5 (18.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
69.3 (20.7) |
71.3 (21.8) |
71.6 (22.0) |
72.5 (22.5) |
76.0 (24.4) |
79.7 (26.5) |
76.4 (24.7) |
67.2 (19.6) |
62.9 (17.2) |
84.5 (29.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.5 (11.9) |
54.1 (12.3) |
55.1 (12.8) |
56.7 (13.7) |
60.5 (15.8) |
63.5 (17.5) |
66.1 (18.9) |
67.3 (19.6) |
66.7 (19.3) |
62.8 (17.1) |
56.8 (13.8) |
52.9 (11.6) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.3 (8.5) |
47.6 (8.7) |
48.5 (9.2) |
50.4 (10.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
57.4 (14.1) |
59.8 (15.4) |
60.4 (15.8) |
59.0 (15.0) |
54.9 (12.7) |
50.2 (10.1) |
46.7 (8.2) |
53.0 (11.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 41.0 (5.0) |
41.0 (5.0) |
41.9 (5.5) |
44.0 (6.7) |
48.0 (8.9) |
51.2 (10.7) |
53.6 (12.0) |
53.6 (12.0) |
51.3 (10.7) |
47.0 (8.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
40.4 (4.7) |
46.4 (8.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
33.3 (0.7) |
35.7 (2.1) |
38.7 (3.7) |
44.0 (6.7) |
47.5 (8.6) |
46.9 (8.3) |
43.7 (6.5) |
37.9 (3.3) |
32.8 (0.4) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 16 (−9) |
14 (−10) |
18 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
35 (2) |
35 (2) |
30 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
20 (−7) |
13 (−11) |
13 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 9.43 (240) |
6.99 (178) |
7.49 (190) |
5.40 (137) |
2.95 (75) |
1.55 (39) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.42 (11) |
1.55 (39) |
4.24 (108) |
8.30 (211) |
10.47 (266) |
59.14 (1,502) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 19.2 | 17.5 | 19.0 | 17.3 | 12.4 | 9.1 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 12.8 | 18.9 | 19.6 | 159.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in North Bend?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 84 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,078 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,268 | 57.3% | |
| 1930 | 4,012 | 22.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,602 | 14.7% | |
| 1950 | 6,099 | 32.5% | |
| 1960 | 7,512 | 23.2% | |
| 1970 | 8,553 | 13.9% | |
| 1980 | 9,779 | 14.3% | |
| 1990 | 9,614 | −1.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,544 | −0.7% | |
| 2010 | 9,695 | 1.6% | |
| 2020 | 10,317 | 6.4% | |
| source: | |||
Population Snapshot (2020)
According to the 2020 census, North Bend had a population of 10,317 people. The average age of residents was about 41.9 years old. About 21.4% of the people living in North Bend were under 18 years old. Also, about 22.2% of residents were 65 years or older.
There were 4,294 households in North Bend. A household means all the people living together in one home. About 28.6% of these households had children under 18 living in them. Many different types of families and individuals make up the community of North Bend.
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 8,573 | 83.1% |
| Black or African American | 57 | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 231 | 2.2% |
| Asian | 247 | 2.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 40 | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 265 | 2.6% |
| Two or more races | 904 | 8.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 749 | 7.3% |
North Bend is the second largest city in the Coos Bay Area of Oregon.
Fun Things to Do and Learn
North Bend offers several fun activities. You can use the public boat ramp to get out onto Coos Bay. There's also a concrete pier and a boardwalk area, which was finished in 2010, perfect for a stroll. If you like swimming, North Bend has a public indoor pool that's Olympic-sized!
For shopping, you can visit the Pony Village Mall, an indoor shopping center. The Mill Casino is another entertainment spot. It's owned by a Native American tribe and includes a hotel, games, and restaurants.
You can also see a piece of history in Simpson Park. Oregon's freight wagon from the Merci Train is on display there. The Merci Train was a gift of gratitude from France to the United States after World War II.
The Coquille Indian Tribe
The main office for the Coquille Indian Tribe's government is located in North Bend. The Coquille Tribe is a sovereign tribe recognized by the United States. This means they have their own government and traditions. They have lived on the southern Oregon Coast for a very long time.
The Coquille Tribe owns several businesses. These include The Mill Casino and Hotel, an organic cranberry farm in North Bend, and Heritage Place, which is an assisted living center. They also own ORCA Communications, a company that provides telecommunications services.
Schools in North Bend
The North Bend School District is responsible for public education in the area. It provides schooling for students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
Staying Connected: Media
North Bend has several radio stations that keep residents informed and entertained:
- KTEE 94.9 FM (commercial radio)
- KOOS 107.3 FM (commercial radio)
- KBBR 1340 AM (commercial radio)
- KMHS 1420 AM (a high school radio station)
Famous People from North Bend
- Louis J. Simpson (1877–1949) – He was a very successful businessman in shipping and timber.
Getting Around North Bend
By Air
The Southwest Oregon Regional Airport is located near North Bend and Coos Bay. It's the only commercial airport along the entire Oregon Coast, making it an important travel hub.
By Road
The Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge is a famous landmark in North Bend. This bridge carries U.S. Route 101, a major highway that stretches from Tumwater, Washington all the way down to Los Angeles, California.
By Rail
The city is served by the Coos Bay Rail Line. This railway runs from Coquille to Eugene. It's used for carrying freight (goods), not passengers, and is owned by the Port of Coos Bay.
See also
In Spanish: North Bend (Oregón) para niños
- Coast Guard Air Station North Bend
- Steamboats of Coos Bay (historical information about old boats)
- Steamboats of the Oregon Coast (more historical information about old boats)
