Woodburn, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodburn
City
Woodburn, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Woodburn Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Marion
Incorporated	1889
Area
• City	5.86 sq mi (15.17 km2)
• Land	5.86 sq mi (15.17 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	184 ft (56 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	26,013
• Density	4,439.84/sq mi (1,714.36/km2)
• Metro	400,408
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific)
ZIP Code	97071
Area code(s)	503/971
FIPS code	41-83750
GNIS feature ID	2412296
Website	www.woodburn-or.gov

Woodburn is a city located in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was officially made a city in 1889. The area was first planned out in 1871 when the railroad arrived. Woodburn is in the northern part of the Willamette Valley, between the cities of Portland and Salem.

Interstate 5 connects Woodburn to other big cities north and south. Other important roads like Oregon routes 211, 214, 219, and 99E also serve the city. Train lines for goods, run by Union Pacific and Willamette Valley Railway, also pass through.

Woodburn is part of the larger Salem city area. In 2020, the city had a population of 26,013 people. This makes it the third-largest city in that area, after Salem and Keizer.

History of Woodburn

The historic Settlemier House in 2007

The land where Woodburn now stands was originally home to the Kalapuya Native American people. Later, the United States took control of much of the Pacific Northwest. In 1848, they created the Oregon Territory. A law called the Donation Land Claim Act was passed in 1850. This law allowed people to claim land in the new territory.

Several people, including Eli C. Cooley and Jesse Settlemier, claimed land in the area. Jesse Settlemier bought 214 acres of land in 1862. He had traveled to Oregon in 1850 and was a successful plant nursery owner. In 1863, Settlemier moved to his new property and started the Woodburn Nursery Company.

There were some legal problems with Settlemier's land ownership. He borrowed money from William Reed, using the land as security. Reed, who was building a railroad, planned to run the tracks through Woodburn. He hoped to get the land if Settlemier couldn't pay back the loan. However, Settlemier won his case in the Supreme Court of the United States in 1878 and kept his land.

Meanwhile, in 1871, a railroad company built tracks through the area. Jesse Settlemier then planned out the first four blocks of the town.

The town and train station were first called Halsey. But the name was changed to Woodburn because another town named Halsey already existed nearby. The name Woodburn came from a large fire in the 1880s. A controlled burn of wood got out of control and burned down a nearby forest. A railroad official saw the fire and renamed the community "Woodburn." The city officially became a city on February 20, 1889.

The corner of 2nd and Garfield streets in Woodburn

Geography and Climate

Woodburn covers a total area of about 5.37 square miles (13.9 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

The city has a mild climate. Summers are warm, and winters are cool and wet. The most rain falls in the winter months. Snowfall is usually light.

People of Woodburn

In 2010, Woodburn had 24,080 people living there. The city had 7,545 households. About 35.9% of these households had children under 18. The average household had about 3 people.

The average age of people in Woodburn was 31.7 years old. About 30.9% of residents were under 18. About 15.4% were 65 years or older.

Diverse Communities

Woodburn is home to a large community of Russian Orthodox Old Believers. This Christian group moved to the United States from Turkey in the 1950s to escape religious persecution. Old Believer women often wear traditional long skirts and headscarves. The men wear beards.

Other groups from the former USSR also live in Woodburn. These include Russian Molokans, Doukhobors, and Ukrainian and Russian Pentecostals and Baptists.

Mexican Immigration and Culture

Mexican immigration to Oregon began to grow in the 1950s. Woodburn became a place where many immigrant farmworkers settled. By the early 21st century, about 59% of Woodburn's population was Latino. This group includes both first-generation immigrants and people who have lived there for a long time.

Woodburn Estates: A Retirement Community

Woodburn is also home to Oregon's largest retirement community for people aged 55 and older. It has 1510 homes and a mobile home park. The community also has a private golf course, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, a fitness center, and many social activities.

Economy and Shopping

In 1999, the Woodburn Premium Outlets opened in Woodburn. This is a large shopping center with many well-known clothing brands. It was known as the Woodburn Company Stores until 2013.

The MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is located near Woodburn. This facility houses young men who have committed crimes.

Arts, Culture, and Fun Things to Do

Willamette Ballet Academy

Actor Chris Klein filming in downtown Woodburn

The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in 2007

The Willamette Ballet Academy was started in Woodburn in 1982.

Parts of the 2007 movie The Valley of Light were filmed in Woodburn. This movie starred actor Chris Klein.

Museums and Local Attractions

The Jesse H. Settlemier House is a museum located on Settlemier Avenue. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The World's Berry Center Museum was founded in the early 1980s. This museum sometimes puts on plays.

La Fiesta Mexicana is a very important Hispanic event in the Woodburn area. The first fiesta was held in 1964 and lasted one day. Today, the event has grown much larger and lasts for almost a week. This festival started because local farmers and business owners wanted to celebrate the growing Hispanic population in the area.

Sports and Recreation

The Woodburn Dragstrip is a 1/4-mile race track for drag racing. It hosts an annual event for the NHRA Lucas Oil Series. The track is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Woodburn.

The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) Golf Course in Woodburn is a public golf course. In 1996, Golf Digest magazine named it one of the top 10 affordable courses in the United States. It often hosts many amateur and high school golf events.

The Woodburn Golf Club is a 9-hole public course located 2 miles west of Woodburn. It was established in 1925.

Education in Woodburn

Woodburn is served by the Woodburn School District. This district includes four elementary schools and two middle schools. Woodburn High School used to have a "small schools" model. This meant it had several smaller academies within the high school. However, this model was changed at the start of the 2022 school year. Woodburn Success High School is an alternative high school for grades 7–12.

Chemeketa Community College has a branch campus in Woodburn. Pacific University also opened a College of Education campus in Woodburn in 2012.

Local Media

The Woodburn Independent is a weekly newspaper that covers news for the local community. Larger newspapers like the Statesman Journal from Salem and The Oregonian from Portland also serve the area.

Woodburn has two radio stations. KWBY broadcasts regional Mexican music and is known as "La Pantera" (The Panther) 940 AM. KPCN-LP is a low-power community radio station. It is owned by Oregon's largest farmworker union, PCUN. This station broadcasts music, news, and public information in Spanish and several Native Latin American languages. It is known as "Radio Movimiento" (Movement Radio) 95.9 FM, with the slogan "La Voz del Pueblo" (The Voice of the People).

Transportation and Infrastructure

The Woodburn Transit System (WTS) provides bus services within the city during weekdays. They also have a Dial-a-Ride program. This program uses vans for elderly and disabled people who need to reserve a ride. It operates within the local area and for medical appointments between Portland and Salem.

Other public bus systems also stop in Woodburn. These include CARTS (Chemeketa Area Regional Transportation System) and CAT (Canby Area Transit). Both of these also run on weekdays.

Greyhound buses also stop in the city. Amtrak trains like the Coast Starlight and Cascades pass through Woodburn but do not stop. However, the Amtrak-related Cascades POINT bus service does stop at the Woodburn Park & Ride, near the I-5 exit.

Notable People from Woodburn

Kat Bjelland, lead singer of Babes in Toyland, grew up in Woodburn.

• Stacy Allison (born 1958) graduated from Woodburn High School in 1976. She was the first American woman to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1988. A street in Woodburn, Stacy Allison Way, is named after her.
• Kat Bjelland grew up in Woodburn. She is the lead singer of the punk band Babes in Toyland.
• Kate Nauta is a model and actress who grew up in Woodburn. She lived there until 2000.
• Dick Whitman was a baseball player born in Woodburn. He played outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
• Dorothy Olsen was a pilot and a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. She was born in Woodburn.

See also

In Spanish: Woodburn (Oregón) para niños