Junction City, Oregon

Junction City, Oregon
—  City  —
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°13′14″N 123°12′15″W
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Lane
Incorporated	1872
Government
• Mayor	David Brunscheon
Area
• Total	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
• Land	1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	325 ft (99.1 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	5,392
• Density	3,900/sq mi (1,500/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code	97448
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-38000
GNIS feature ID	1166668
Website	www.junctioncityoregon.gov

Junction City is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The population was 5,392 at the 2010 census.

History

Junction City hotel block in 1908

Junction City circa 1920

In the 1870s, Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided this would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail line on the west side. The westside line, however, was not built according to plan, although Junction City later was where the two main branches of U.S. Route 99 (which divided in Portland) would rejoin.

Junction City gained media attention in 2003, when a number of local men posed in the nude for "The Men of the Long Tom Grange Calendar" to raise money for the local school district. The project raised $225,000.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,721 people, 1,823 households, and 1,170 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,405.1 people per square mile (1,311.4/km²). There were 1,921 housing units at an average density of 1,385.5 per square mile (533.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.21% White, 0.30% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.66% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.28% of the population. There were 1,823 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,347, and the median income for a family was $43,875. Males had a median income of $31,044 versus $21,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,155. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Junction City is home to a large and eclectic farming community, the bulk of which is made up of several large family-owned farms.^{[citation needed]} Lochmead Farms, one of the largest privately owned dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest,^{[citation needed]} is owned and operated by the Gibson family. Stroda Farms, a high-volume Christmas tree and general crop farm, is privately owned and operated by the Stroda family. The city was the home of Country Coach, a large luxury motorcoach manufacturer, which went bankrupt in November 2009. It was also the home of Monaco Coach Corporation prior to their move to nearby Coburg.

Annual cultural events

A car show in Junction City

Junction City is home to the Scandinavian Festival, an annual four-day event which pays homage to the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.

Education

The city is served by the Junction City School District, which includes Junction City High School.

Public safety

The Junction City Police Department serves the city.

Notable people

• Bobby Doerr, Major League Baseball player
• Kate Elliott, fantasy and science fiction writer
• Ty Harden, Major League Soccer player
• Eric Hays, basketball player and coach
• Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society
• Walter McClure, track and field athlete
• Dmae Roberts, public radio producer, writer, actress, and playwright
• John N. Williamson, politician

External links

• Entry for Junction City in the Oregon Blue Book