Oregon Facts for Kids

A Map of the U.S. state Oregon
  • U.S. State: Oregon
  • Abbreviation: OR
  • Joined the USA: February 14th, 1859 (33rd State)
  • Located: Western United States
  • Capital City: Salem, OR
  • Most Populated City: Portland, OR

36 Oregon Facts for Kids

  1. Oregon is a state in the United States of America.
  2. Oregon is in the western region of the United States.
  3. Oregon became a U.S. state on Monday, February 14th, 1859.
  4. Oregon was the 33rd state to join the United States.
  5. The U.S. state of Oregon covers 98,381 square miles.
  6. Oregon is the 9th largest state by area in the United States.
  7. In 2019, the population of Oregon was estimated to be 4,218,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  8. In 2019, Oregon was the 27th most populated state in the United States.
  9. A person who is from or lives in Oregon is called an Oregonian.
  10. The capital city of Oregon is Salem.
  11. The eight most populated cities in Oregon are Portland, Salem, Eugene, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Bend and Medford.
  12. The largest city by population in Oregon is Portland.
  13. The largest metropolitan area in Oregon is the Portland metropolitan area.
  14. The U.S. state of Oregon has 36 counties.
  15. The most populated county in Oregon is Multnomah County with 812,855 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
  16. The largest county by area in Oregon is Harney County with 10,135 square miles.
  17. The highest elevation point in Oregon is Mount Hood at 11,249 feet above sea level.
  18. The lowest elevation point in Oregon is the coastline of the Pacific Ocean at sea level.
  19. The average precipitation (rain and snow) in Oregon is 43.6 inches.
  20. Oregon is the 20th wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
  21. The average temperature in Oregon is 51.2 °F.
  22. Oregon is the 27th warmest state in the United States.
  23. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Oregon was 117 °F on July 27th, 1939.
  24. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Oregon was -54 °F on February 10th, 1933.
  25. A few natural disasters that can affect Oregon are earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires.
  26. Oregon is in two time zones, Pacific Time Zone (PT) and Mountain Time Zone (MT).
  27. The USPS abbreviation for Oregon is OR.
  28. Oregon is also known as the Beaver State.
  29. The motto for the U.S. state of Oregon is “She flies with her own wings”.
  30. The official state insect of Oregon is the swallowtail butterfly (Papilionidae).
  31. The official state fish of Oregon is the chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
  32. The official state animal of Oregon is the beaver (Castor).
  33. The official state bird of Oregon is the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).
  34. The official state gemstone of Oregon is the sunstone.
  35. The official state flower of Oregon is the Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium).
  36. The official state tree of Oregon is the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Additional Resources on Oregon

  • About Oregon – Discover more about Oregon, United States on the Mental Floss website.
  • History of Oregon – Learn about the history of the U.S. state of Oregon on the Duckster website.
  • Facts About Oregon – Find more awesome facts about Oregon on the 50 States website.
  • Oregon – Britannica – Read the article about Oregon on the Britannica website to learn more about it.

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