North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States with a population of 10,317 as of the 2020 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay and borders the city of Coos Bay to the south. North Bend became an incorporated city in 1903. Members of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille tribes lived, fished, hunted and gathered along Coos Bay and its estuaries, along rivers, and in meadows and forests. Trader and explorer Jedediah Smith was in the region seeking furs and the Hudson's Bay Company sent Alexander Roderick McLeod to search for an inland passage.
Empire City was established and was the county seat of government until 1896.
However, when the bank reopened and the city appealed for people to bring their myrtlewood money in to redeem it, many opted to keep their tokens as collector's items. After several appeals, the city gave up and announced that the tokens would remain legal tender in the city of North Bend in perpetuity. Until the 1960s, people occasionally did cash in their tokens, but the remaining pieces have become very valuable through scarcity and historical interest. Fewer than 10 full sets are believed to exist.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
The climate in North Bend and surrounds can be described as a very humid version of the Mediterranean climate or a dry-summer version of an oceanic climate. There is very little temperature variation throughout the year, with monthly means ranging from in December to in August, though on the rare occasions continental air masses penetrate they can be much more extreme, with the lowest on record being on December 21, 1990. Conversely, the record high is , set in July 1925. Cool breezes off the Pacific moderate the city's climate year round. Rain is abundant in winter, due to moist low pressure troughs from the Pacific Ocean. The city's annual rainfall is about , but totals are less than an inch in July and August. Fog often blankets the coastal fringe in summer due to the temperature gradient between the cool Pacific Ocean and the warm inland, which serves to keep temperatures markedly cooler than in Eugene or even Seattle. Snow almost never falls in the city, but can be heavy in the adjacent Oregon Coast Range. Nearby Cape Blanco is one of the windiest places on Earth, with gusts of or more achieved during severe winter storms. Annually, the city sees 25 days that fail to reach and just 12 days with a temperature at or below freezing.
The most recent temperature numbers show North Bend to be the northernmost subtropical climate weather station in North America according to the Trewartha climate classification. This is despite the station being higher in latitude than Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are now eight months averaging above 50 °F (10 °C.)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, North Bend had a population of 10,317. The median age was 41.9 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over.
There were 4,294 households in North Bend, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.6% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! 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 Oregon's Bay Area.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 9,695 people, 4,113 households, and 2,495 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,450 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.3% White, 0.3% African American, 2.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.8% of the population.
28.7% of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.87. along with a concrete pier and boardwalk area completed in 2010 per North Bend's regional urban renewal policy. North Bend has a public Olympic-sized indoor pool.
Tribal government
The seat of the Coquille Indian Tribe's tribal government is located in North Bend, which is a United States recognized sovereign tribe of Native Americans who have traditionally lived on the southern Oregon Coast. The Coquille Tribe owns several businesses, including The Mill Casino and Hotel, an organic cranberry growing and packing operation in North Bend, Heritage Place assisted living center, and ORCA Communications, a telecommunications provider.
Education
The North Bend School District provides K–12 public education for residents of the area.
Media
Radio
- KTEE 94.9 FM (commercial)
- KOOS 107.3 FM (commercial)
- KBBR 1340 AM (commercial)
- KMHS 1420 AM (high school)
Notable people
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<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
- Louis J. Simpson (1877–1949) shipping and timber magnate
Transportation
thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge (in North Bend), also known as the "North Bend Bridge", as seen from the east]]
Air
The Southwest Oregon Regional Airport near North Bend and Coos Bay is the only commercial airport on the Oregon Coast.
Road
The Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge is located in North Bend. It carries U.S. Route 101, which runs between Tumwater, Washington and Los Angeles, California.
Rail
The city is served by the Coos Bay Rail Line, which runs from Coquille to Eugene. The route is freight only, and is owned by the Port of Coos Bay.
See also
thumb|North Bend City Hall
- Coast Guard Air Station North Bend
- Steamboats of Coos Bay (historical)
- Steamboats of the Oregon Coast (historical)
References
External links
<!-- ATTENTION! Please do not add links without discussion and consensus on the talk page. Undiscussed links will be removed. -->
- City of North Bend (official website)
- Entry for North Bend in the Oregon Blue Book