Location

PORT ORFORD is located on the southern Oregon coast about 70 miles north of the border with California on Highway 101.  We are geographically one of the furthest points west in the continental United States. Port Orford was established in 1851 and is the oldest town on the Oregon Coast. We are easily accessible from Highway 101, the Oregon coast highway and are a days drive (450 miles) north of San Francisco and about the same distance south of Seattle. You can also get here from Interstate 5 by taking Highway 42 south in Winston, Oregon. Our nearest commercial airport is North Bend Municipal Airport which is about 55 miles north and has service to most major western cities. Private pilots can use the Cape Blanco State Airport that is located 8 miles north.

Weather

We receive an average of 60 to 85 inches of rain per year. Snowfall occurs rarely in winter and usually only at higher elevations in our coastal mountains. The mean annual temperature is a comfortable 53 degrees with the warmest month being August (average temperature 65 degrees) and the coldest month January with an average temperature of 45 degrees. Generally, during the months of April through October, we have a constant ocean breeze prevailing from the northwest that keeps our temperatures cool.

Size/Population

Curry County is about 1664 square miles in size and has about 70 miles of coastline. Our county is made up of flat lying terraces near the ocean, which are truncated by west flowing coastal rivers. The headwaters to these rivers are in the Klamath Mountains which make up over 2/3'srd of the landform of the county. The Klamath Mountains are a steep, topographically rugged range that provides vast opportunities for primitive wilderness experiences including fishing, big game hunting, hiking, camping and kayaking.

The county is home to about 21,118 people (2001) of which about 1083 currently live in Port Orford. The largest increase to our population in recent years has been from retired professionals who are drawn to our area by our mild weather and less hectic lifestyle. To learn more about the demographics of our area visit the Census Department

Arts/Industry

We have a world-renowned group of authors, glass blowers, painters, sketch artists and micro-scrimshaw who live in our small coastal town. We have several galleries who help to display local art and a local Arts Council who help to advertise and promote them. For more information about our local artists and galleries in Port Orford, please consult our local members section on our web site.

Our local industries are as diverse as the people who work in them. Fishing, ranching, farming, light manufacturing and services are our primary industries. Our single fastest growing industry however is Internet based commerce. With the continued expansion of the Internet, more people are able to live here and still work in their professions. To contact a local employer directly, please view the member' s directory on the chamber of commerce website at Members Directory .

Port of Port Orford

Many people live here because of our proximity to the ocean and because of our natural, deep-water port. We have the only operating open water port between Seattle and San Francisco. Our port allows recreational and commercial fisherman easy access to some of the most prime fishing grounds anywhere on the west coast without having to cross a dangerous river bar. In addition to fishing, our waters are world renowned for their SCUBA diving, whale watching and Dungeness crab fishing. For more information about our port visit their web site at Port of Port Orford.

Recreation

While you are here you can fish the world renowned Elk or Sixes River and hook a 35-pound Chinook salmon on light tackle or race across Floras Lake hanging on to a windsurfer. You can also hike under a canopy of old growth trees in the Siskiyou National Forest or dig for clams at low tides along one of our beautiful uncrowded beaches. The southern Oregon coast is a hidden treasure for those who love the great outdoors. Fishing, (both river and ocean), crabbing, claming, windsurfing, surfing, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, hunting, hiking, camping and beachcombing are just a sample of the activities available here.

Education

We are in the 2CJ School District which is comprised of three schools, Driftwood Elementary School, Blanco Middle School and Pacific High School. Approximately five hundred students are enrolled in grades K through 12. Our high school graduates between 20 and 30 seniors each year and consistently ranks high in scholastic aptitude and achievement. To learn more about our school district, visit their web site at Blanco School District

Medical

Our local medical facility is the Curry General Hospital. Two full time physicians, a physician's assistant and several excellent nurses staff the hospital. To learn more about our local hospital, visit their web site at Curry General Hospital  or call them at 1-541-332-3861.

Taxes

Our property taxes are nearly the lowest in the state. And because of recent legislation, the assessed value can only be raised by 3% a year until it equals the real market value. Current rates for taxes in our area (2000-2001) are 10.3322. This means that you will pay $10.3322 per $1,000 of assessed value or $2,066.44 in property taxes on a home assessed at $200,000 in Port Orford. Outside the city limits the tax rates are lower and vary according to the current school, health, port, road, cemetery, water, library and sanitation districts levies. For additional information on taxes on a property in our area, call the local assessors office in Gold Beach at 1-541-247-7011.

Oregonians do not pay any state sales taxes. We do however pay a state income tax. To learn more about Oregon State Income taxes visit the Oregon Department of Revenue's web site at Oregon Department of Revenue.

Electric, gas,  phone, Internet

Electricity was first brought to the southern Oregon coast by FDR's Rural Electrification Administration. Today, the headquarters of the Co-op is located in Port Orford, Oregon. The Co-op buys its power from the Bonneville Power Administration and distributes the electricity over lines that it owns and maintains. The Cooperative is owned and operated by the people it serves and is run by an elected Board of Directors. Currently, both residential and commercial members of the Coos-Curry Electrical Cooperative pay $.051 per KWH (Kilowatt hour) plus $15.00 per month basic charge per meter. The people at the Coos-Curry Electrical Cooperative are very helpful and can be reached at 1-541-332-3931 or visit their web site at Coos Curry Electric .

We have several local propane distributors here on the southern Oregon coast who will help set-up and provide you with a tank. 

Verizon provides our local telephone service. They can be reached by calling 1-800-483-4000 or visiting their web site at Verizon

Our local Internet service provider is Harborside. They can be reached at 1-800-680-8855 or visit them online at Harborside .

Churches/Benevolent Associations/Service Organizations

Following is a list of churches, which are located here;

Christian Center; 332-2561,

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) 332-5501,

First Community Church (332-3664),

Langlois Community Church (348-2301),

St John's Catholic Church (332-1075 or 347-1075)

Zion Lutheran 332-3581

St. Paul's Episcopal

Our benevolent and service organizations include;

Royal Order of Masons

Port Orford Rotary

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Government/Law Enforcement/Fire/Ambulance

Our local government consists of a board of 6 city councilmen and women, a mayor, a city administrator and local support staff. The city council holds monthly meetings at city hall the second Monday of each month. These meetings are open to the public and can be very entertaining. To reach Port Orford City Hall call 1-541-332-3681 or visit them on line at Port Orford City Hall . The county seat for Curry County is Gold Beach, which is 27 miles south of Port Orford. To reach the county offices, call 1-541-247-7011. Building permits, land planning, tax and assessor's information and records are available through the county offices in Gold Beach.

All emergency situations are best dealt with by calling 911. Our local dispatch will "tap out" all of the necessary agencies. For non-emergency situations you can reach the

Port Orford Police Department at 1-541-332-9013, Port Orford Fire Department 1-541-332-9066 and the Port Orford Community Ambulance at 1-541-332-0384.

Newspapers

We have two outstanding weekly newspapers in Port Orford, the Port Orford News 1-541-332-2361 (or online at Port Orford News and Port Orford Today (1-541-332-6565 or Port Orford Today. You can read Port Orford Today online on their website Port Orford Today

Libraries

Port Orford is building a new library which will be open for business by 2004. Our current library is at City Hall and can be reached by 1-541-332-5622. Our neighbors to the north in Langlois have a new library that is located south of town on Highway 101. You can reach them at 1-541-348-2066