Florence is a coastal city in Lane County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies at the mouth of the Siuslaw River on the Pacific Ocean and about midway between Newport to the north and Coos Bay to the south along U.S. Route 101. As of August 14, 2023, the city had a total population of 9,553.[6][7]
Florence, Oregon | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Aerial view of Florence | |
 Location in Oregon | |
| Coordinates: 43°58′30″N 124°6′9″W / 43.97500°N 124.10250°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lane |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rob Ward[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.22 sq mi (16.11 km2) |
| • Land | 5.53 sq mi (14.33 km2) |
| • Water | 0.69 sq mi (1.78 km2) |
| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 9,396 |
| • Density | 1,698.17/sq mi (655.68/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP Code | 97439 |
| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-26050[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410511[3] |
| Website | www.ci.florence.or.us |
History
editThe Florence area was originally inhabited by the Siuslaw tribe of Native Americans. Some claim that the city was named after state senator A. B. Florence, who represented Lane County from 1858 to 1860; another claim is that Florence was named after a French vessel that was wrecked at the mouth of the Siuslaw River on February 17, 1875.[8]
Exploding whale
editOn November 12, 1970, Florence was the site of a famous scene when town authorities used 20 cases of explosives to try to blow up a dead beached whale, with unintended consequences.[9][unreliable source?][10][11][12] In 2020, residents voted to name a new park Exploding Whale Memorial Park.[13]
Accidental ban on sex
editThe Florence City Council brought national attention to Florence after it approved a poorly-worded ordinance at its regular meeting on November 26, 1977. Intending to prevent people from having sexual intercourse in view of bystanders, the council approved a measure that made it illegal to have sex "while in or in view of a public or private place." Days later, a re-reading of the ordinance showed that it applied to sex in private. According to the United Press International report that followed days later, "City officials said they would not enforce the new ordinance until it could be amended."[14]
Geography and climate
editFlorence is located on the Oregon Coast, at the mouth of the Siuslaw River, just north of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. It is situated at nearly the same latitude as Eugene, and is located roughly midway between the other main central-coast cities of Newport and Coos Bay. Florence annexed Driftwood Shores Hotel and Conference Center, north of town, in Heceta Beach, in 2008.[15]
To the south of Florence, the unincorporated community of Glenada lies just across the Siuslaw River on U.S. Route 101; the city of Yachats is 23 miles (37 km) to the north.[16]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.87 square miles (15.20 km2), of which 5.30 square miles (13.73 km2) is land and 0.57 square miles (1.48 km2) is water.[17]
| Climate data for Florence, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2006–2020 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
68 (20) |
77 (25) |
82 (28) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
84 (29) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
82 (28) |
70 (21) |
62 (17) |
93 (34) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.1 (9.5) |
51.1 (10.6) |
52.9 (11.6) |
55.5 (13.1) |
60.1 (15.6) |
63.5 (17.5) |
67.9 (19.9) |
67.4 (19.7) |
66.3 (19.1) |
60.7 (15.9) |
53.4 (11.9) |
47.5 (8.6) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
45.7 (7.6) |
47.7 (8.7) |
51.8 (11.0) |
54.9 (12.7) |
58.7 (14.8) |
58.3 (14.6) |
56.4 (13.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
46.9 (8.3) |
42.5 (5.8) |
50.3 (10.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.7 (3.7) |
37.2 (2.9) |
38.5 (3.6) |
39.8 (4.3) |
43.5 (6.4) |
46.4 (8.0) |
49.5 (9.7) |
49.3 (9.6) |
46.5 (8.1) |
44.0 (6.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
37.4 (3.0) |
42.6 (5.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 22 (−6) |
22 (−6) |
12 (−11) |
27 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
35 (2) |
37 (3) |
39 (4) |
34 (1) |
27 (−3) |
23 (−5) |
17 (−8) |
12 (−11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 10.22 (260) |
9.35 (237) |
9.33 (237) |
6.36 (162) |
3.87 (98) |
2.85 (72) |
0.51 (13) |
1.07 (27) |
2.26 (57) |
5.95 (151) |
11.25 (286) |
12.50 (318) |
75.52 (1,918) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.3 (0.76) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 20.1 | 20.4 | 21.5 | 18.7 | 13.0 | 10.4 | 3.8 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 15.3 | 19.9 | 21.3 | 179.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[19] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 68 | — | |
| 1900 | 222 | — | |
| 1910 | 311 | 40.1% | |
| 1920 | 317 | 1.9% | |
| 1930 | 339 | 6.9% | |
| 1940 | 458 | 35.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,026 | 124.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,642 | 60.0% | |
| 1970 | 2,246 | 36.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,411 | 96.4% | |
| 1990 | 5,162 | 17.0% | |
| 2000 | 7,263 | 40.7% | |
| 2010 | 8,466 | 16.6% | |
| 2020 | 8,921 | 5.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6][4] | |||
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: New information is available from the 2020 Census report.. (August 2021) |
2010 census
editAs of the census[20] of 2010, there were 8,466 people, 4,226 households, and 2,374 families living in the city. The population density was 1,597.4 inhabitants per square mile (616.8/km2). There were 5,103 housing units at an average density of 962.8 per square mile (371.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.5% White, 1.4% Pacific Islander, 1.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% African American, 0.3%, Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.
There were 4,226 households, of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.51.
The median age in the city was 57 years. 13.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.4% were from 45 to 64; and 36.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.
2000 census
edit
Per the census[5] of 2000, there were 7,263 people, 3,564 households, and 2,145 families living in the city. The 2007 population estimate was 8,270.[21] The population density was 1,476.3 people per square mile (570.0 people/km2). There were 4,174 housing units at an average density of 848.4 per square mile (327.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.88% White, 0.28% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,564 households, out of which 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.52.
_(lanD0093).jpg)
In the city, the population dispersal was 16.8% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 16.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 38.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,505, and the median income for a family was $36,784. Males had a median income of $30,962 versus $23,878 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,008. 14.4% of the population and 10.0% of families were below the poverty line. 25.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Economy
editThe former mainstays of Florence's economy were logging, commercial fishing, and agriculture,[22] but today tourism is increasingly significant.[23] Some local businesses include Sand Master Park, Mo's Restaurants and Three Rivers Casino Resort, which is run by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. The Port of Siuslaw promotes commercial fishing, shipping and tourism.[24] About one-third of Florence's population consists of retirees.[25]
Arts and culture
editAnnual cultural events
editFlorence has held an annual Rhododendron festival, flower and garden show since 1908.[22]
Florence has also hosted The Power of Florence, an annual volunteer event, since 2013. According to the group's Facebook page, the event is a "proclaimed city-wide day dedicated to volunteering and giving back".
Museums and other points of interest
editThe Siuslaw Pioneer Museum is located in a historic 1905 schoolhouse.[26][27]
Old Town Florence is located on the Siuslaw riverfront. The Port of Siuslaw marina is to the east, and the Art Deco 1936 Siuslaw River Bridge is to the west. The boardwalk promenade was built along the marina to improve the area.[28] Many businesses are on US101 itself, which runs through the town, north to south.
North of Florence on U.S. Route 101 are the Sea Lion Caves, a tourist attraction that features a sea cave that is the year-round home of a population of Steller sea lions.
Historic buildings
editHistoric buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in the Florence area include the Edwin E. Benedict House, a deteriorating house on the Siuslaw River that is said to have been Ken Kesey's inspiration for the Stamper House in his novel Sometimes a Great Notion,[citation needed] Heceta Head Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters, Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park Historic District, the Siuslaw River Bridge, and the William Kyle and Sons Building in Old Town.[citation needed]
Parks and recreation
edit
There are several parks and other sites managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department near Florence, including Darlingtonia State Natural Site and Heceta Head Lighthouse at Devil's Elbow to the north, and Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park to the south. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, managed as part of the Siuslaw National Forest, begins south of Florence.
Education
editFlorence is served by the three-school Siuslaw School District, which includes Siuslaw Elementary School, Siuslaw Middle School, and Siuslaw High School.[29] Lane Community College has a center in Florence.[30]
Media
edit- The Siuslaw News is a weekly[31] newspaper published in Florence. The Register-Guard, published in Eugene, is also distributed in Florence.
- KXCR, 90.7 FM, is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-commercial, community radio station.
- Locally owned and operated radio stations KCST-FM and KCFM (AM) provide music, news, local and regional sports, and emergency public service programming 24 hours a day.
- Radio translator K211BP rebroadcasts KRVM-FM from Eugene.
- Non-profit organization West Lane Translator, Inc. maintains licenses and transmission facilities for five High Definition television translators, as well as 6 FM radio translators providing free over-the-air programming to the Florence area.
Transportation
edit
Highways
editAir
editHealthcare
editPeace Harbor Hospital serves western Lane County.[32] It is also one of the area's largest employers.
Sister city
editFlorence had one sister city:
See also
edit- Kyllo v. United States, a Supreme Court case involving a Florence resident
References
edit- ^ "City Of Florence Website". 2024. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Florence, Oregon
- ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ "Section 1- Proponent Input" (PDF). August 14, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ "Northwest Magazines". Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ Paul Linnman (KATU TV). "The Exploding Whale - Annotated transcript of the video". www.theexplodingwhale.com. transcribed by Hackstadt, J.; Hackstadt, S. Archived from the original on January 2, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David P. (March 19, 2000). "Thar She Blows!". Critter Country. snopes.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Son of Blubber". Oregon Department of Transportation employee newspaper, TranScript. July 1994. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Video: The exploding whale". YouTube. March 22, 2006. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2006.
- ^ Pietsch, Bryan (June 20, 2020). "'Exploding Whale' Park Memorializes Blubber Blast 50 Years Later". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Ban on Sex Accidentally Imposed in Oregon City". Los Angeles Times. December 2, 1977. p. I-5.
- ^ Penrod, Shawn, Shawn (January 13, 2009). "Beach contamination gains attention from city, county". Siuslaw News. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ "Distance from Florence, Oregon, United States of America to Yachats, Oregon, United States of America". check-distance.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Florence #2, OR". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Portland". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ "PSU:Population Research Center" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2008.
- ^ a b "Florence Area Chamber of Commerce | Visit Florence, Oregon". florencechamber.com. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009.
- ^ "Oregon Coastal Management Program". Archived from the original on October 10, 2006.
- ^ "Port of Siuslaw: About". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009.
- ^ "Florence Area Chamber of Commerce | Visit Florence, Oregon". florencechamber.com. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009.
- ^ "Siuslaw Pioneer Museum | Florence, Oregon Pioneer History". Siuslaw Pioneer Museum.
- ^ "Florence Area Chamber of Commerce | Visit Florence, Oregon". florencechamber.com. March 27, 2024. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009.
- ^ "Florence Oregon Business Development Resources". Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
- ^ "Siuslaw School District". www.siuslaw.k12.or.us.
- ^ "Florence Center | Our Locations | Lane Community College". www.lanecc.edu. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "Siuslaw News to return to weekly news". Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ "Peace Harbor Hospital Foundation". Archived from the original on January 23, 2011.
External links
edit
