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Warrenton, Oregon
Warrenton marina
Warrenton marina
Motto(s): 
"Making a Difference through excellence of service"
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clatsop
Incorporated 1899
Area
 • Total 17.03 sq mi (44.11 km2)
 • Land 12.66 sq mi (32.78 km2)
 • Water 4.37 sq mi (11.33 km2)
Elevation
8 ft (2.4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 6,277
 • Density 453.42/sq mi (175.07/km2)
Time zone UTC−08:00 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−07:00 (Pacific)
ZIP code
97146
Area code(s) 503 and 971
FIPS code 41-78900
GNIS feature ID 1136879
Website www.ci.warrenton.or.us

Warrenton is a small, coastal city in Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Named for D.K. (Daniel Knight) Warren, an early settler, the town is primarily a fishing and logging community. The population was 6,277 according to the 2020 US Census. Warrenton is a less urbanized area close to the Clatsop County capital Astoria, Oregon.

History

Warren House - Warrenton Oregon
The historic D.K. Warren House (built 1885) on NE Skipanon Dr.

The first settlement within the Warrenton city limits was Lexington, which was laid out in 1848, and served as the first county seat for Clatsop County. The name fell out of use, and this area became known as Skipanon, which is preserved in the name of the Skipanon River which flows through the town. A Lexington post office operated intermittently between 1850 and 1857; a Skipanon post office operated without a break from 1871 to 1903.

Fort Stevens was built in the Warrenton area in 1863. Its remains are preserved as part of Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks.

Warrenton was platted in 1889, and incorporated as a city in 1899. Built on tidal flats, it relied on a system of dikes built by Chinese laborers to keep the Columbia River from flooding the town.

The pioneers, or first settlers, on the land covered by the town were Jeremiah Gerome Tuller, J. W. Wallace, D. E. Pease, Ninian A. Eberman and George Washington Coffinberry, who located here during the period from 1845 to the early 1850s. Very few improvements were made to the land, however, until the early 1870s, when D. K. Warren bought out some of the first settlers and, with the help of Chinese labor, reclaimed a large tract of the land by constructing a dike about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length, which was completed in 1878. Warren laid out the town in about 1891, and in the following year built the first schoolhouse, at a cost of $1,100, and gave it to the school district.

Geography

Warrenton Marina (Clatsop County, Oregon scenic images) (clatDA0042a)
The marina at Warrenton

Warrenton is 8 miles (13 km) west of Astoria, across the Youngs Bay bridge spanning over 4,200 feet (1,300 m) of the Youngs Bay estuary at the mouth of the Columbia River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.66 square miles (45.74 km2), of which 12.77 square miles (33.07 km2) is land and 4.89 square miles (12.67 km2) is water.

Warrenton has two charter fishing boat ports.

Neighborhoods

Warrenton includes the former communities of Flavel, Fort Stevens, Hammond, Lexington, and Skipanon. Fort Stevens post office operated at the Fort Stevens military post from 1899 to 1949. Hammond voted to disincorporate in November 1991 and merged with Warrenton on December 5. Hammond was named for lumberman Andrew B. Hammond. Hammond, originally the site of a Clatsop village called Ne-ahk-stow, is separated from Warrenton and has its own zip code of 97121.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Warrenton has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1900 332
1910 339 2.1%
1920 730 115.3%
1930 683 −6.4%
1940 1,365 99.9%
1950 1,896 38.9%
1960 1,717 −9.4%
1970 1,825 6.3%
1980 2,493 36.6%
1990 2,681 7.5%
2000 4,096 52.8%
2010 4,989 21.8%
2020 6,277 25.8%
source:

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,277. There were 2,715 housing units, of which 2,497 were occupied and 218 were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 82.1% White, 0.6% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 4.1% from other races, and 10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.1% of the population. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,989 people, 1,948 households, and 1,287 families residing in the city. The population density was 390.7 inhabitants per square mile (150.9/km2). There were 2,196 housing units at an average density of 172.0 per square mile (66.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 0.6% African American, 1.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.

There were 1,948 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 37.6 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

Education

Warrenton High School is a small school with a total enrollment of between 300 and 400. Warrenton Grade School is a K-8 school with a total enrollment of about 700 students.

Notable people

  • Brian Bruney, Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Clara C. Munson, first woman elected mayor in Oregon during the 19th century
  • Janet Stevenson, writer

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Warrenton (Oregón) para niños

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