Washington County, Oregon

Washington County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon and part of the Portland metropolitan area. The 2020 census recorded the population as 600,372,[1] making it the second most populous county in the state and most populous "Washington County" in the United States. Hillsboro is the county seat and largest city,[2][3] while other major cities include Beaverton, Tigard, Cornelius, Banks, Gaston, Sherwood, North Plains, and Forest Grove, the county's oldest city.[4] Originally named Twality when created in 1843, the Oregon Territorial Legislature renamed it for the nation's first president in 1849 and included the entire northwest corner of Oregon before new counties were created in 1854. The Tualatin River and its drainage basin lie almost entirely within the county, which shares its boundaries with the Tualatin Valley. It is bordered on the west and north by the Northern Oregon Coast Range, on the south by the Chehalem Mountains, and on the north and east by the Tualatin Mountains, or West Hills.

Washington County
County
From top, left to right: Washington County courthouse, Meier Road Barn, a canola field in rural Washington County
Official seal of Washington County
Seal
Map of Oregon highlighting Washington County
Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
Map of the United States highlighting Oregon
Oregon's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 45°34′N 123°05′W
Country United States
State Oregon
FoundedJuly 5, 1843 (as Twality District)
Named forGeorge Washington
SeatHillsboro
Largest cityHillsboro
Area
 • Total726 sq mi (1,880 km2)
 • Land724 sq mi (1,880 km2)
 • Water2.2 sq mi (6 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total600,372
 • Estimate 
(2022)
600,176 Decrease
 • Density830/sq mi (320/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional districts1st, 6th
Websitewww.washingtoncountyor.gov

Major roads include sections of Interstate 5 and 205, the Sunset Highway, Oregon Route 217, 47, 10, 6 and 8. Public transportation is primarily operated by TriMet and includes buses, the Westside Express Service commuter rail, and MAX Light Rail. Other transportation includes air travel at Hillsboro Airport, private airfields and heliports, and heavy rail cargo on rail lines.

History
County jail in Hillsboro
See also: David Hill, Tabitha Moffatt Brown, and Joseph Meek

The Provisional Legislature of Oregon created the county as Twality District on July 5, 1843. Twality was one of the original four districts of the Provisional Government of Oregon in Oregon Country along with Clackamas, Champooick (later Marion), and Yamhill counties. Columbia, later known as Hillsboro, was selected as the county seat in 1850. Washington County lost significant portions of its original area when Columbia and Multnomah counties were created in 1854. The county area was increased by 160 acres (65 ha) in 2014 when a section of Multnomah County was attached to Washington.[5] The area was returned to Washington County to allow for property development.[6]

The construction of Canyon Road to Beaverton helped Portland to consolidate its position as the primary port of Oregon, and defeat the rival efforts of settlements such as Oregon City and Milwaukie.

In November 2004, the County and the City of Beaverton agreed to a plan where the city would annex both unincorporated residential neighborhoods as well as high-value areas of land. This would result with Cedar Hills, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, West Slope being incorporated by 2010, and the communities of Aloha, Bethany, and Cedar Mill at some point after that.

Those plans have since been put on hold after Beaverton attempted to annex Nike, Inc.'s World Headquarters, which would have increased Nike's taxes substantially. Nike successfully lobbied the legislature for a law that would prohibit their annexation for 99 years. Since that decision, annexation plans have been halted, and Washington County started urban planning to provide city-level services to the unincorporated urban areas in the county.[7]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 726 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 724 square miles (1,880 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (0.3%) is water.[8] It is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the west of Portland. The Portland Metro Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) bisects the county. The county's highest point is South Saddle Mountain at 3,464 feet (1,056 m) above sea level in the Northern Oregon Coast Range.[9]

Most of the county is in the Tualatin Valley, formed by the Tualatin Mountains to the east and north, the Chehalem Mountains to the south, and the Northern Oregon Coast Range to the west and north. The Tualatin River, located almost entirely within the county, flows through the Tualatin Plains. The northern and western portions of the county are forested, while the remainder of the county includes urban areas, agricultural lands, and floodplains.[10]

Waterways

The Tualatin River is the main river in Washington County. Henry Hagg Lake, southwest of Forest Grove, is the largest lake. The Willamette River lies to the east, the Columbia River to the northeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the west of the county.

Adjacent counties
Map of Washington County

Major highways

National protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18502,652—
18602,8015.6%
18704,26152.1%
18807,08266.2%
189011,97269.0%
190014,46720.8%
191021,52248.8%
192026,37622.6%
193030,27514.8%
194039,19429.5%
195061,26956.3%
196092,23750.5%
1970157,92071.2%
1980245,80855.7%
1990311,55426.7%
2000445,34242.9%
2010529,71018.9%
2020600,37213.3%
2022 (est.)600,176[11]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14]
1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[1]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 529,710 people, 200,934 households, and 134,323 families residing in the county.[16] The population density was 731.4 inhabitants per square mile (282.4/km2). There were 212,450 housing units at an average density of 293.3 per square mile (113.2/km2).[17] The racial makeup of the county was 76.6% white, 8.6% Asian, 1.8% black or African American, 0.7% American Indian, 0.5% Pacific islander, 7.5% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.7% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 20.8% were German, 12.4% were English, 12.1% were Irish, and 3.2% were American.[18]

Of the 200,934 households, 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 35.3 years.[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $62,574 and the median income for a family was $76,778. Males had a median income of $54,417 versus $40,254 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,522. About 6.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.[19]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 445,342 people, 169,162 households, and 114,015 families in the county. The population density was 615 people per square mile (237 people/km2). There were 178,913 housing units at an average density of 247 units per square mile (95/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.19% White, 1.15% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 6.68% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 5.86% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. 11.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.2% were of German, 9.9% English, 8.2% Irish, and 6.7% American ancestry. 81.7% spoke only English at home, while 9.6% spoke Spanish and 1.2% Vietnamese.

There were 169,162 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.

The county population contained 26.90% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 34.10% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,122, and the median income for a family was $61,499. Males had a median income of $43,304 versus $31,074 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,969. About 4.90% of families and 7.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 5.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county is governed by an elected board of five commissioners. The county is divided into four commissioner districts. One commissioner sits for each district, and the fifth commissioner is at-large and is the chair of the board.[20]

Politics

Like all of the Willamette Valley and Oregon Coast, Washington County was in its pre-Depression history strongly Republican. After Oregon achieved statehood in 1859, Washington County voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every presidential election from 1860 to 1928, except in the 1912 presidential election when the county supported Progressive Party candidate and former Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt.[21] In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first Democrat to carry the Washington County vote, and he repeated this in 1936 and 1940. Between 1944 and 1988, Washington County was never won by a Democrat except in Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide. As late as 1976, Washington County was the second-most Republican county in the state of Oregon behind remote Malheur,[22] with Gerald Ford's 17,529 vote victory in the county being decisive in carrying the state of Oregon for him during that year's presidential election.

Since the 1990s, the increasing drift of the Republican Party nationally towards the South and evangelicalism, along with urbanization, has resulted in a strong shift of Washington County towards the Democratic Party. No Republican presidential candidate has carried Washington County since George Bush Sr. did so in 1988, and in three of the past four Presidential elections, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have carried the county by over twenty percentage points. The last Republican to win a statewide election in Washington County was Gordon H. Smith in the 2002 Senate contest. In the 2008 Senatorial election Democrat Jeff Merkley won 48.8 percent of the county's vote (111,367) while Republican incumbent Smith won 46.5 percent (106,114),[23] but no subsequent Republican Senate candidate has won 40 percent of the county's vote. In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden hit 65.5% of the county's vote, the highest ever for a Democratic presidential nominee.

United States presidential election results for Washington County, Oregon[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 99,073 30.93% 209,940 65.54% 11,313 3.53%
2016 83,197 30.90% 153,251 56.92% 32,784 12.18%
2012 93,974 39.65% 135,291 57.08% 7,758 3.27%
2008 89,185 37.69% 141,544 59.82% 5,903 2.49%
2004 107,223 46.36% 121,140 52.37% 2,945 1.27%
2000 86,091 46.29% 90,662 48.75% 9,221 4.96%
1996 65,221 40.83% 76,619 47.96% 17,915 11.21%
1992 57,146 34.18% 67,528 40.39% 42,521 25.43%
1988 67,018 51.87% 59,837 46.31% 2,356 1.82%
1984 75,877 62.76% 44,602 36.89% 417 0.34%
1980 57,165 51.34% 37,915 34.05% 16,275 14.62%
1976 52,376 57.80% 34,847 38.46% 3,388 3.74%
1972 43,958 58.43% 27,890 37.07% 3,390 4.51%
1968 34,105 56.99% 22,943 38.34% 2,794 4.67%
1964 20,813 41.48% 29,081 57.95% 287 0.57%
1960 25,415 58.85% 17,736 41.07% 35 0.08%
1956 22,001 61.07% 14,027 38.93% 0 0.00%
1952 20,250 64.11% 11,191 35.43% 143 0.45%
1948 11,455 53.06% 9,424 43.65% 710 3.29%
1944 9,362 50.13% 9,110 48.78% 205 1.10%
1940 8,367 48.92% 8,626 50.44% 110 0.64%
1936 4,148 30.47% 8,641 63.48% 823 6.05%
1932 4,201 36.30% 6,824 58.96% 548 4.74%
1928 6,162 62.37% 3,544 35.87% 173 1.75%
1924 4,203 45.98% 2,103 23.01% 2,835 31.01%
1920 4,947 64.74% 2,262 29.60% 432 5.65%
1916 4,888 56.16% 3,363 38.64% 452 5.19%
1912 1,261 27.07% 1,429 30.67% 1,969 42.26%
1908 2,319 61.96% 1,153 30.80% 271 7.24%
1904 2,296 73.19% 492 15.68% 349 11.13%
1900 1,655 56.14% 1,114 37.79% 179 6.07%
1896 2,082 56.15% 1,566 42.23% 60 1.62%
1892 1,587 53.27% 293 9.84% 1,099 36.89%
1888 1,249 57.93% 838 38.87% 69 3.20%
1884 946 51.22% 766 41.47% 135 7.31%
1880 880 58.86% 578 38.66% 37 2.47%

Statewide elections
Previous gubernatorial election results
Year Democratic Republican Third parties
2018 55.49% 137,886 39.15% 97,286 5.36% 13,307
2014 51.45% 98,203 42.69% 81,484 5.57% 10,600
2010 49.62% 92,811 48.08% 89,926 2.30% 4,296
2006 59.09% 51,195 38.98% 33,777 1.93% 1,674
2002 64.92% 60,095 34.40% 31,844 0.68% 633
1998 66.83% 50,325 33.14% 24,956 0.03% 23
1994 57.68% 45,261 42.32% 33,210 0.00% 1

Economy
The Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro

Washington County is centered on a fertile plain that attracted farmers before the first wagon trains. In 1997, orchards covered 8,403 acres (34.01 km2) of the county's lands and 1,163 acres (4.71 km2) were devoted to vineyards. Agriculture is still a major industry in Washington County, as are lumber, manufacturing, and food processing.

The development of a large electronics industry during the 1980s and 1990s is the dominating factor of the county economy, and contributing to the creation of Oregon's Silicon Forest. California-based Intel, Oregon's largest private-sector employer,[25] has its largest concentration of employees in the county, mainly in Hillsboro.[26] Other technology companies include Electro Scientific Industries, FEI Company, Qorvo, Tektronix, SolarWorld, Planar Systems, and EPSON.[27]

Nike, one of two Fortune 500 corporations based in Oregon, has its headquarters in Washington County. Until it was acquired by IBM, Sequent Computer Systems was headquartered near Nike. Other companies with headquarters in Washington County include optical instruments manufacturer Leupold & Stevens, Columbia Sportswear, and Reser's Fine Foods.

Communities
Part of The Round in Beaverton, with the Beaverton Central MAX light rail station in center.
Downtown Forest Grove in 1920

Cities
City 1990 population 2000 population 2010 population 2020 population Incorporated Notes
Banks 563 1,286 1,777 1,837 1921
Beaverton 53,310 76,129 89,803 97,494 1893
Cornelius 6,148 9,652 11,869 12,694 1893
Durham 748 1,382 1,351 1,944 1966
Forest Grove 13,559 17,708 21,083 26,225 1872
Gaston 563 600 637 676 1914
Hillsboro 37,520 70,187 91,611 106,447 1876 County seat
King City 2,060 1,949 3,111 5,184 1966
Lake Oswego 30,576 35,278 36,619 40,731 1910 Small portion, most in Clackamas County[28]
North Plains 972 1,605 1,947 3,441 1963
Portland 437,319 529,121 583,776 652,503 1851 Small portion, most in Multnomah County[29]
Rivergrove 294 324 289 545 1971 Small portion, most in Clackamas County
Sherwood 3,093 11,791 18,194 20,450 1893
Tigard 29,344 41,223 48,035 54,539 1961
Tualatin 15,013 22,791 26,054 27,942 1913
Wilsonville 7,106 13,991 19,509 26,664 1969 Small portion, most in Clackamas County[30]

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. Proehl, Risa S. (March 2009). "2008 Oregon Population Report" (PDF). Population Research Center. Portland State University. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2009.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. "Incorporation dates". The Hillsboro Argus. October 19, 1976. pp. Communities, p. 21.
  5. "Oregon Secretary of State: Washington County History". sos.oregon.gov. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  6. "County welcomes Area 93 in new year". Hillsboro Tribune. January 10, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  7. "Appellate court rejects Beaverton annexation". The Oregonian. June 16, 2006.
  8. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  9. "South Saddle Mountain - Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  10. ""Washington County OR" (Google Maps - accessed October 19, 2019)".
  11. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  14. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  16. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  17. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  18. "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  19. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  20. "Washington County, Oregon". www.co.washington.or.us. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  21. Menendez, Albert J. (2005). The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004. pp. 284–286. ISBN 0786422173.
  22. David Leip. "1976 Presidential General Election Data Graphs – Oregon by County". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  23. David Leip. "2008 Senatorial General Election Results – Oregon". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  24. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  25. "Intel in Oregon". Intel. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  26. "Oregon's largest private employer, Intel, announces plans to expand in Europe". opb. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  27. "Key Industries | City of Hillsboro, OR". www.hillsboro-oregon.gov. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  28. City of Lake Oswego Archived September 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  29. "PortlandOnline".
  30. City of Wilsonville Archived June 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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