Sandy, Oregon - WikiHQ

Sandy is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, settled 1853 and named after the nearby Sandy River. Located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range, the city serves as the western gateway to the Mount Hood Corridor, and is located approximately east of Portland.

The city of Sandy was originally settled by travelers passing along Barlow Road, one of the final sections of the Oregon Trail, and initially known as Revenue, after settlers Francis and Lydia Revenue. The city subsequently took the name Sandy after the Sandy River, named by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805; the river and previously been named the Barings River, after Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet, following a 1792 expedition in the region.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sandy's local economy was mainly based on logging and the sawmill industry due to the abundance of timber in the area. The city continued to grow with the arrival of German immigrants in the late 19th century, and the city was formally incorporated in 1911. In the latter half of the 20th century, the city's population saw a significant increase in residents, concurrent with the growth of the Portland metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 12,612. It is the home of Sandy High School, founded in 1914, which serves the population of Sandy as well as outlying communities, such as Boring and the Villages of Mount Hood.

History

18th–19th centuries

thumb|left|upright|The [[Sandy River (Oregon)|Sandy River, which runs through the city boundary and from which it takes its name, was originally named the Baring River after Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet.]]

Sandy was founded after pioneer Sam Barlow passed through the area in 1845 and formed Barlow Road, the most widely-used final portion of the Oregon Trail. The first white people to settle the area were Francis and Lydia Revenue, 1853. The river had priorly been named the Barings River after Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet, an English merchant banker, by Lieutenant W.R. Broughton of the Fort Vancouver expedition on October 30, 1792.

21st century

As of the 21st century, Sandy's population has increased significantly with the growth of the Portland metropolitan area. Per a 2018 study completed by Portland State University and Clackamas County, it is the second-fastest-growing city in the state, and is estimated to reach a population of 18,980 by the year 2034. Its elevation is .

Climate

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

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Sandy had a population of 12,612, 4,528 households, and 3,253 families. The population density was 3,532.8 per square mile (1,364.0/km). There were 4,697 housing units at an average density of 1,315.7 per square mile (508.0/km).

99.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas.

Of the 4,528 households, 40.0% had children under the age of 18; 51.9% were married-couple households; 15.5% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present; and 24.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 4,697 housing units, of which 3.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.9% were owner-occupied and 32.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.8%.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census The median household income was $81,262 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,516), and the median family income was $86,750 (+/- $11,814). Males had a median income of $46,312 (+/- $1,437) versus $32,621 (+/- $6,209) for females, and the median income for those above 16 years old was $42,669 (+/- $7,109).

Approximately 6.7% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under the age of 18 and 17.3% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

thumb|upright=1|left|Sandy City Hall in 2007

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,570 people, 3,567 households, and 2,486 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,768 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.0% White, 0.4% African American, 1.3% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.2% of the population.

There were 3,567 households, of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.3% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17. There are also many picnic benches and trails that run through the trees surrounding the area. The entirety of the park structures are constructed from wood. Many reoccurring events take place in Meinig Memorial Park, such as the annual Easter egg hunt, Movies at the Park and shows performed through the Library Summer Reading Program.

Joe's Donuts is a nationally-acclaimed donut shop in Sandy that was established in 1974 and has now become a tourist destination in the northwest. Joe's Donuts sits on the corner of the two major highways that cross through Sandy and is recognized for its red and white checkered exterior, which has been recently retouched by the city's Facade Improvement program. thumb|The remodeled exterior of Joe's Donuts, 2019

The Sandy Mountain Festival is also held at Meinig Memorial Park, a two-day bazaar with over 120 artisans and food booths. It is held on July 11–12 and managed by the Sandy Mountain Festival Association, a nonprofit organization of volunteers.

Transportation

thumb|right|upright=.9|A landslide across [[U.S. Route 26 near Sandy, 2009]]

U.S. Route 26 runs through the middle of Sandy, forming downtown Sandy's Pioneer and Proctor Boulevards. Sandy is the northern terminus of Oregon Route 211.

Mass transit

From around the early 1940s through the 1960s, bus transit service connecting Sandy with Gresham and Portland was provided by a private company named Portland Stages, Inc. In 1970 this service was taken over by a then-new public agency, TriMet, which continued to provide transit service to Sandy until 2000.

Since the beginning of 2000, Sandy has operated its own public transit system, the Sandy Area Metro, which connects with TriMet's bus and MAX light rail system at the Gresham Transit Center. Since 2004, the Mount Hood Express (originally named Mountain Express) has also provided public transit bus service to Sandy, connecting it with communities and resort areas in the Mount Hood Corridor.

Air

Two airports exist in Sandy: the Sandy River Airport and Country Squire Airpark.

Media

The Sandy Post is the community's weekly newspaper, and is the official newspaper of record for the city's legal notices.

Utilities

The City of Sandy operates a municipal Internet Service Provider, called SandyNet. SandyNet is a public utility that has existed since 2001. Since 2015, the City Government offers up to multi-gigabit fiber-optic internet to all of its residents. Gigabit for $60 per month and 500 mbps internet for $44.95 per month.

Notable people

Nan Britton (1896–1991), secretary and mistress of President Warren G. Harding
George Bruns (1914–1983), film composer
Alma Francis (1890–1968), Broadway and silent film actress and singer
Bill Johnson (1960–2016), Olympic skier
Brenda Strong (1960–), film and television actress
Mark Thorson (1983–), football player

References

Sources

External links

Entry for Sandy in the Oregon Blue Book
Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce