Reedsport, Oregon

Reedsport is a coastal town in northwest Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310. It is located about 73 miles northwest of Roseburg, the county seat.

History

Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912. The post office was established July 17, 1912. According to fishing reports small-mouth bass became the most abundant fish in the river. Every few years, high water induces city employees to close the dikes to prevent low-lying areas of the city from flooding.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, Reedsport struggled with the collapse of the Oregon timber industry. In the last two decades, Reedsport has seen an increase of tourism. Part of this is due to its close proximity to the fishing of the Umpqua River. Another part of the recent surge in tourism is due to the sand dunes that are near Reedsport.

Although the U.S. Forest Service maintains a local office in the town, Reedsport's historic connection with the timber industry ended in 1999 with the closing of the International Paper plant in nearby Gardiner.

Recently, Reedsport has seen a rise in tourism due to recreation at the nearby Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Winchester Bay. A number of businesses catering to all-terrain vehicles have opened in Reedsport to serve the needs of this growing activity.

Geography and climate

Reedsport is at the junction of Oregon Route 38 and U.S. Route 101, north of Winchester Bay and northwest of Roseburg.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Reedsport has a rainy Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), with mild dry summers and mild, very wet winters. Although 26.3 mornings will fall below , only 0.9 afternoons reach , and the hottest temperature recorded is only on August 29, 1944, and September 5, 1973. Only 0.2 afternoons fail to top freezing each year, and the coldest temperature is on December 8, 1972. The wettest month record is November 1973 with , whilst June to September have on occasions been rainless.

</div>

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Reedsport had a population of 4,310. The median age was 51.5 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 31.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males age 18 and over.

99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,954 households in Reedsport, of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.0% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 3,748 || 87.0%

| Black or African American || 10 || 0.2%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 40 || 0.9%

| Asian || 46 || 1.1%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 7 || 0.2%

| Some other race || 116 || 2.7%

| Two or more races || 343 || 8.0%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 299 || 6.9%

2010 census

thumb|right|Railway bridge over the [[Umpqua River at Reedsport]]

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,154 people, 1,948 households, and 1,138 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,207 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 0.3% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 1,948 households, of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.68.

The Dean Creek Wildlife Area is east of Reedsport on Oregon Route 38. This preserve jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife provides an opportunity to view 60 to 100 Roosevelt elk in their natural habitat year round.

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area interpretive center is located at the intersection of Oregon Route 38 and U.S. Route 101. It features interpretive panels, short films, and information about the local area and attractions.

Loon Lake is southeast of Reedsport.

On July 20, 2016, Alex Hirsch, creator of the Disney animated series Gravity Falls, released clues for a global scavenger hunt known as Cipher Hunt to find a real-life statue of the show's villain, Bill Cipher. The statue was finally discovered on August 2, 2016, in the woods south of Reedsport Community Charter School, but it was removed from the property the next morning. It was formerly located at . It was later moved to Bicentennial Park and then it was moved again to Confusion Hill.

Education

Reedsport is served by the two-school Reedsport School District, which includes Highland Elementary School and Reedsport Community Charter School.

Media

Radio

KDUN (1030 AM)
KJMX (99.5 FM)
KSYD (92.1 FM+HD)

Renewable energy

Plans for a 100-buoy commercial wave park in the ocean near Reedsport fell through in 2014, when Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), a renewable energy company based in New Jersey, abandoned the project. The park, which would have been built in an area known for high-value fishing and crabbing, was opposed by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. OPT listed high costs, technical challenges, and complicated negotiations with governments and stakeholders among its reasons for cancelling the project. As of 2014, OPT still had plans for a much smaller project near Reedsport.