iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Astoria, Oregon

Astoria, Oregon

Seal
Enlarge picture
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clatsop
Incorporated 1876
Government
 - Mayor Willis L. Van Dusen
Area
 - City  10.6 sq mi (27.5 km)
 - Land  6.1 sq mi (15.9 km)
 - Water  4.5 sq mi (11.6 km)
Elevation  23 ft (7.01 m)
Population (2006)
 - City 9,970
 - Density 1,597.6/sq mi (617.1/km)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 97103
Area code(s) 503
FIPS code 41-03150GR2
GNIS feature ID 1117076GR3
Website: www.ci.astoria.or.us
Enlarge picture
Suomi Hall, the meeting hall of Finnish and Scandinavian immigrants, under the Astoria-Megler Bridge


The city of Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. GR6 It is situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, and was named after the American investor (and first millionaire) John Jacob Astor. The population was 9,813 at the 2000 census. A 2006 estimate raises it to 9,970 residents.[1]

History

The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop, a small log structure south and west of modern day Astoria. The expedition had hoped a ship would come by to take them back east, but instead endured a torturous winter of rain and cold, then returned east the way they came. Today the fort has been recreated and is now a national monument.

Several years later, in 1810, John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company sent the Astor Expedition that founded Fort Astoria as its primary fur-trading post in the Northwest, and in fact the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast. It was an extremely important post for American exploration of the continent and was influential in establishing American claims to the land. The company failed, and the fort and fur trade were sold to the British in 1813. The house was restored to the U.S. in 1818, though the fur trade would remain under British control until American pioneers following the Oregon Trail began filtering into the port town in the mid-1840s.

Washington Irving, considered the greatest American writer at the time, was approached by John Jacob Astor to mythologize the three-year reign of his Pacific Fur Company. Irving's book, Astoria (1835), cemented the importance of the region in the American psyche. In Irving's words, the fur traders were "Sinbads of the wilderness", and their venture was a staging point for the spread of American economic power into both the continental interior and into the Pacific.

As the Oregon Territory grew and became increasingly more settled, Astoria likewise grew as an ocean/river port city. The first U.S. Post Office west of the Rocky Mountains was established in Astoria in 1847. In 1876, the community was legally incorporated. It attracted a host of Scandinavian settlers, and the area still holds a high concentration of descendants of these original settlers.

In 1883, and again in 1922, downtown Astoria was devastated by fire, but the city economy was strong enough in both cases to rebuild and thrive. Astoria has served as a port of entry for over a century and remains the trading center for the lower Columbia basin.

In addition to Fort Clatsop, another popular point of interest includes the Astoria Column, a tower 125 feet high built atop the hill above the town, with an inner circular staircase allowing visitors to climb to see a breathtaking view of the town, the surrounding lands, and the mighty Columbia flowing into the Pacific. The column was built in 1926 to commemorate the region's early history by the Astor family.

Eclipsed by Portland and other ports further inland along the Columbia, Astoria's economy centered around fishing, fish processing, and lumber. In 1945, about 30 canneries could be found along the Columbia; however, in 1974 Bumblebee Seafood moved its headquarters out of Astoria, and gradually reduced its presence until 1980 when the company closed its last cannery. The timber industry likewise declined, with Astoria Plywood Mill, the city's largest employer, closing in 1989, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway announcing in 1996 that they were discontinuing service.

In 1966 the Astoria-Megler Bridge was opened completing U.S. Route 101 and linking Astoria with Washington State.

Today, tourism, Astoria's growing art scene, and light manufacturing are the main economic activities of the city. It is a port of call for cruise ships, with many docking in 2004, 2005, 13 in 2006, and 14 already scheduled for 2007.

Astoria is also the western terminus of the TransAmerica Trail, a bicycle touring route created by the American Cycling Association.

Geography and climate

Astoria is located above the equator (46.188825, -123.821007)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.5 km² (10.6 mi²). 15.9 km² (6.1 mi²) of it is land and 11.6 km² (4.5 mi²) of it (42.18%) is water.

Climate

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since September 2007.
The climate is one of the most solidly maritime climates in the continental United States, with relatively mild (for Astoria's latitude), generally above freezing, wet winters and very cool summers, although short heat waves can and do occur. Rainfall is most abundant in late fall and winter, and lightest in late summer. Snowfall is relatively rare.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 6772738391931009695857164
Norm High °F 48.150.853.356.16063.667.268.367.56153.148.4
Norm Low °F 36.737.638.640.845.449.852.953.249.544.140.137.1
Rec Low °F 1192229303739393326156
Precip (in) 9.627.877.374.933.282.571.161.212.615.6110.510.4
Source: USTravelWeather.com[2]

Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 9,813 people, 4,235 households, and 2,469 families residing in the city. The population density was 617.1/km² (1,597.6/mi²). There were 4,858 housing units at an average density of 305.5/km² (790.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.08% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 1.14% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 2.67% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. 5.98% of the population were Hispanic American or Latino of any race. 14.2% were of German, 11.4% Irish, 10.2% English, 8.3% United States or American, 6.1% Finnish, 5.6% Norwegian, and 5.4% Scottish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 4,235 households out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 35.4% 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 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,011, and the median income for a family was $41,446. Males had a median income of $29,813 versus $22,121 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,759. About 11.6% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Enlarge picture
John Jacob Astor Elementary
The Astoria School District has five schools, each of which serves a different age group of students:
  • Captain Robert Gray Elementary School
  • John Jacob Astor Elementary School
  • Lewis & Clark Elementary School
  • Astoria Middle School
  • Astoria High School

Media

Astoria in popular culture

Astoria was the setting of the 1985 hit movie The Goonies, which was filmed on location. Other movies filmed in Astoria include Overboard, Short Circuit, The Black Stallion, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Benji the Hunted, The Ring,[3] and The Ring Two.

The early 1960s television series Route 66 filmed the episode entitled "One Tiger to a Hill" [1] in Astoria; it was broadcast on September 211962.

An album by the rock band The Ataris, So Long, Astoria, has cover art and a title song depicting the city.

Astoria is mentioned in Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash as the best place at that point in the novel to get to the USS Enterprise.

Astoria was also mentioned in the movie Eight Below; it was the current hometown of character Jerry Shepherd. Most recently it was mentioned in the movie about the Coast Guard "The Guardian" with Kevin Costner.

Other points of interest

Sister city

Astoria has one sister city[4], as designated by Sister Cities International:

Notable residents

Further reading

  • MacGibbon, Elma (1904). Leaves of knowledge. Shaw & Borden Co.  Elma MacGibbons reminiscences about her travels in the United States starting in 1898, which were mainly in Oregon and Washington. Includes chapter "Astoria and the Columbia River."

References

External links

 •  • [ e]
State of Oregon
Salem (capital)
Flag | Governors | Government | Constitution | Law | Congress | Ballot measures | Parks | Fair | Flower | Tree | Bird | Oregon Trail | Rivers | Misc
Regions The Cascades | Central Oregon | Columbia Gorge | Columbia Plateau | Columbia River | Eastern Oregon | Harney Basin | Inland Empire | Mount Hood Corridor | Oregon Coast | Palouse | Portland Metro | Rogue Valley | Southern Oregon | Treasure Valley | Tualatin Valley | Western Oregon | Willamette Valley
Metros Bend-Redmond | Eugene-Springfield | Medford-Ashland | Portland | Salem-Keizer
Cities Albany | Astoria | Baker City | Beaverton | Brookings | Coos Bay | Corvallis | Florence | Grants Pass | Gresham | Hillsboro | Hood River | Independence | Klamath Falls | La Grande | Lake Oswego | Lakeview | Madras | McMinnville | Milwaukie | Monmouth | Newberg | Newport | Ontario | Oregon City | Pendleton | Prineville | Roseburg | Sandy | The Dalles | Tigard | Tillamook | Tualatin | Umatilla | West Linn
Counties Baker | Benton | Clackamas | Clatsop | Columbia | Coos | Crook | Curry | Deschutes | Douglas | Gilliam | Grant | Harney | Hood River | Jackson | Jefferson | Josephine | Klamath | Lake | Lane | Lincoln | Linn | Malheur | Marion | Morrow | Multnomah | Polk | Sherman | Tillamook | Umatilla | Union | Wallowa | Wasco | Washington | Wheeler | Yamhill
State of Oregon

Flag of Oregon (front) Seal
Nickname(s): Beaver State
Motto(s): Alis volat propriis

Official language(s) (none)[1]

Capital Salem
Largest city Portland

..... Click the link for more information.
country, state, and nation can have various meanings. Therefore, diverse lists of these entities are possible. Wikipedia offers the following lists:

..... Click the link for more information.
Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
..... Click the link for more information.
United States of America

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
the United States


Federal government
Constitution
Taxation

President Vice President
Cabinet


Congress
Senate
..... Click the link for more information.
State of Oregon

Flag of Oregon (front) Seal
Nickname(s): Beaver State
Motto(s): Alis volat propriis

Official language(s) (none)[1]

Capital Salem
Largest city Portland

..... Click the link for more information.
OR and its FIPS state code is 41.

FIPS county code County
name

001 Baker County
003 Benton County
005 Clackamas County
007 Clatsop County
009 Columbia County
011 Coos County
013 Crook County
015 Curry County
017 Deschutes County
..... Click the link for more information.
Clatsop County (IPA: [klæt səp] is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement.
..... Click the link for more information.
A municipal corporation is a legal definition for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs.
..... Click the link for more information.
18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1840s  1850s  1860s  - 1870s -  1880s  1890s  1900s
1873 1874 1875 - 1876 - 1877 1878 1879

:
Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
..... Click the link for more information.
A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "larger", "greater") is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer.

In many systems, the mayor is an elected politician who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of
..... Click the link for more information.
Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. The term Surface area is the summation of the areas of the exposed sides of an object.

Units

Units for measuring surface area include:
square metre = SI derived unit

..... Click the link for more information.
city is an urban settlement with a particularly important status which differentiates it from a town.

City is primarily used to designate an urban settlement with a large population. However, city may also indicate a special administrative, legal, or historical status.
..... Click the link for more information.
square mile is an imperial and US unit of area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. It should not be confused with the archaic miles square, which refers to the number of miles on each side squared.
..... Click the link for more information.
Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
  • 1,000,000 m²
  • 100 ha (hectare)
Conversely:
  • 1 m² = 0.

..... Click the link for more information.
elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, often the mean sea level. Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height
..... Click the link for more information.
1 foot =
SI units
0 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 yd 0 in
A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′
..... Click the link for more information.
1 metre =
SI units
1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
..... Click the link for more information.
20th century - 21st century - 22nd century
1970s  1980s  1990s  - 2000s -  2010s  2020s  2030s
2003 2004 2005 - 2006 - 2007 2008 2009

2006 by topic:
News by month
Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun
..... Click the link for more information.
city is an urban settlement with a particularly important status which differentiates it from a town.

City is primarily used to designate an urban settlement with a large population. However, city may also indicate a special administrative, legal, or historical status.
..... Click the link for more information.
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, humans in particular.

Biological population densities


..... Click the link for more information.
time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. Most adjacent time zones are exactly one hour apart, and by convention compute their local time as an offset from UTC (see also Greenwich Mean Time).
..... Click the link for more information.
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-8). The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th degree meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory.
..... Click the link for more information.
UTC−8 is a band of timezones separated from the Universal Coordinated Time by 8 hours.

Timezones

  • Pacific Standard Time
  • Alaska Daylight Time
  • Clipperton Island Standard Time


..... Click the link for more information.
Daylight saving time (DST; also summer time in British English) is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less.
..... Click the link for more information.
UTC−7 can be observed in:
  • Mountain Standard Time Zone
  • Pacific Daylight Time Zone
  • Canada
  • The portion of the Peace River Valley in British Columbia.

..... Click the link for more information.
ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The letters ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan,[1]
..... Click the link for more information.
North American telephone area codes 503 and 971 service several locations in Oregon, including Portland, Salem, McMinnville, Tillamook, Astoria, and other locations in northwestern Oregon.
..... Click the link for more information.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military government agencies and by government contractors.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories.
..... Click the link for more information.
city is an urban settlement with a particularly important status which differentiates it from a town.

City is primarily used to designate an urban settlement with a large population. However, city may also indicate a special administrative, legal, or historical status.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter