Yeah, big cities like Portland tend to take up the bulk of attention in Oregon. But really, it’s the small towns that dot the Beaver State that really are the heart of this place. Most of us, even if we grew up in a major metropolis, have roots in smaller communities, where perhaps our grandparents taught us good, old-fashioned values, where everyone knew each other, and where we developed our sense of community. Here are 10 of the most beautiful and charming small towns in Oregon:
- Shaniko
“Barn in Shaniko” by Tedder - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons A century ago this place was a bit of a boom town. Now it’s a ghost town, but it remains an intriguing and hauntingly beautiful place to visit.
- Coburg
“Coburg Oregon antique store” by M.O. Stevens - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons This town in Lane County, has a population of just under 1,100 and is known for its Golden Years parade… Especially great for visiting during the summer. Coburg is a small town in Oregon that will win your heart!
- Cottage Grove
“Cottage Grove Historic District” by Visitor7 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Make sure to actually get off the freeway and get acquainted with this place’s charming downtown. Cottage Grove has been named one of the most charming towns in Oregon, and we totally agree!
- Depoe Bay
“Depoe Bay entrance sign P1905” by EncMstr - EncMstr took this photo, rotated to be vertical, cropped and exposure balanced it. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Your quintessential Oregon beach town, Depoe Bay is famous for fishing, chowder, and for being the filming site of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” starring Jack Nicolson. Depoe Bay is a delightful place to visit!
- Fossil
“Fossil main street” by Finetooth - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Fossil is a tiny town surrounded by the extraordinary scenery of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
- Newport
“Newport, Oregon” by Bernard Gagnon - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Newport is equal parts touristy beach town and home to working-class fishermen, unloading their booty on the docks. It’s also home to some of the best seafood restaurants on the Oregon Coast!
- Wallowa
“Wallowa Oregon IMG 4505” by Williamborg - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons This is a small piece of Eastern Oregon natural beauty. Wallowa is a delight of a town to visit.
- Cannon Beach
“Cow elk near haystack rock, Cannon Beach, OR” by John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA - Dawn at HaystackUploaded by PDTillman. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons This is a haven for Portlanders who want to spend some time on the coast. And why shouldn’t it be? it’s got an artistic vibe, mixed with the vast views of the ocean, with Haystack Rock peaking out. Cannon Beach is one of the most beautiful places in all of Oregon.
- Jacksonville
“Jacksonville,OR”. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikipedia West of Medford, this community is the epitome of small town America. Jacksonville is one of the coolest small towns in all of Oregon!
- Yachats
“Lights of Yachats” by Gritchpop - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Yachats is the quintessential Oregon Coast town, full of seafood shacks, weather-worn architecture, incredible beaches, and amazing vistas!
Have you visited any of these beautiful small towns in Oregon? Tell us about them in the comments below!
“Barn in Shaniko” by Tedder - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A century ago this place was a bit of a boom town. Now it’s a ghost town, but it remains an intriguing and hauntingly beautiful place to visit.
“Coburg Oregon antique store” by M.O. Stevens - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
This town in Lane County, has a population of just under 1,100 and is known for its Golden Years parade… Especially great for visiting during the summer. Coburg is a small town in Oregon that will win your heart!
“Cottage Grove Historic District” by Visitor7 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Make sure to actually get off the freeway and get acquainted with this place’s charming downtown. Cottage Grove has been named one of the most charming towns in Oregon, and we totally agree!
“Depoe Bay entrance sign P1905” by EncMstr - EncMstr took this photo, rotated to be vertical, cropped and exposure balanced it. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Your quintessential Oregon beach town, Depoe Bay is famous for fishing, chowder, and for being the filming site of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” starring Jack Nicolson. Depoe Bay is a delightful place to visit!
“Fossil main street” by Finetooth - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Fossil is a tiny town surrounded by the extraordinary scenery of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
“Newport, Oregon” by Bernard Gagnon - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Newport is equal parts touristy beach town and home to working-class fishermen, unloading their booty on the docks. It’s also home to some of the best seafood restaurants on the Oregon Coast!
“Wallowa Oregon IMG 4505” by Williamborg - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This is a small piece of Eastern Oregon natural beauty. Wallowa is a delight of a town to visit.
“Cow elk near haystack rock, Cannon Beach, OR” by John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA - Dawn at HaystackUploaded by PDTillman. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This is a haven for Portlanders who want to spend some time on the coast. And why shouldn’t it be? it’s got an artistic vibe, mixed with the vast views of the ocean, with Haystack Rock peaking out. Cannon Beach is one of the most beautiful places in all of Oregon.
“Jacksonville,OR”. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikipedia
West of Medford, this community is the epitome of small town America. Jacksonville is one of the coolest small towns in all of Oregon!
“Lights of Yachats” by Gritchpop - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Yachats is the quintessential Oregon Coast town, full of seafood shacks, weather-worn architecture, incredible beaches, and amazing vistas!
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Address: Yachats, OR, USAAddress: Shaniko, OR 97037, USAAddress: Coburg, OR 97408, USAAddress: Cottage Grove, OR 97424, USAAddress: Depoe Bay, OR 97341, USAAddress: Fossil, OR 97830, USAAddress: Newport, OR, USAAddress: Wallowa, OR 97885, USAAddress: Cannon Beach, OR, USAAddress: Jacksonville, OR 97530, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
beautiful small towns in Oregon July 05, 2021 Sarah What are some of the best places to live in Oregon? Oregon is a wonderful place to live, with vibrant cities and lots of classic PNW towns. In terms of best places to live, these are the 10 safest places to live in Oregon. You’ll be pleased to learn that both violent crime and property crime rates are low in Oregon — in fact, the state has the lowest violent crime rate in the Pacific Northwest region. Some standouts on this list include West Linn, Sherwood, Keizer, Independence, and Bend! What are some of Oregon’s most scenic small towns? You can’t beat the coastal views in Yachats, Oregon. Yachats is a charming town on the coast. Located in Lincoln County, it’s home to fewer than 1,000 people, but just about everyone who visits falls in love with this little gem. Nature lovers have plenty to see and do here. The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is an absolute must-visit. Check out Thor’s Well, a huge, 20-foot-deep hole that sucks the ocean down into a terrifying display of power! No matter where you go in Yachats, you’ll have amazing views of the coast, which makes this one of the most beautiful small towns in Oregon, too! Where are some beautiful places to visit in Oregon? The entire state of Oregon is absolutely beautiful, full of natural wonders and splendor. Waterfalls, mountains, temperate rainforests, caves, and rivers… Oregon really is home to some of the most beautiful places in the country, and certainly the Pacific Northwest. Some of the most beautiful places to visit Oregon include Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, the Alvord Desert, the Painted Hills of Oregon, and, of course all 363 miles of the Oregon Coast. The best part? You can visit and experience all of these beautiful places in Oregon for free!
The OIYS Visitor Center
beautiful small towns in Oregon
July 05, 2021
Sarah
What are some of the best places to live in Oregon? Oregon is a wonderful place to live, with vibrant cities and lots of classic PNW towns. In terms of best places to live, these are the 10 safest places to live in Oregon. You’ll be pleased to learn that both violent crime and property crime rates are low in Oregon — in fact, the state has the lowest violent crime rate in the Pacific Northwest region. Some standouts on this list include West Linn, Sherwood, Keizer, Independence, and Bend! What are some of Oregon’s most scenic small towns? You can’t beat the coastal views in Yachats, Oregon. Yachats is a charming town on the coast. Located in Lincoln County, it’s home to fewer than 1,000 people, but just about everyone who visits falls in love with this little gem. Nature lovers have plenty to see and do here. The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is an absolute must-visit. Check out Thor’s Well, a huge, 20-foot-deep hole that sucks the ocean down into a terrifying display of power! No matter where you go in Yachats, you’ll have amazing views of the coast, which makes this one of the most beautiful small towns in Oregon, too! Where are some beautiful places to visit in Oregon? The entire state of Oregon is absolutely beautiful, full of natural wonders and splendor. Waterfalls, mountains, temperate rainforests, caves, and rivers… Oregon really is home to some of the most beautiful places in the country, and certainly the Pacific Northwest. Some of the most beautiful places to visit Oregon include Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, the Alvord Desert, the Painted Hills of Oregon, and, of course all 363 miles of the Oregon Coast. The best part? You can visit and experience all of these beautiful places in Oregon for free!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Oregon is a wonderful place to live, with vibrant cities and lots of classic PNW towns. In terms of best places to live, these are the 10 safest places to live in Oregon. You’ll be pleased to learn that both violent crime and property crime rates are low in Oregon — in fact, the state has the lowest violent crime rate in the Pacific Northwest region. Some standouts on this list include West Linn, Sherwood, Keizer, Independence, and Bend!
What are some of Oregon’s most scenic small towns?
You can’t beat the coastal views in Yachats, Oregon. Yachats is a charming town on the coast. Located in Lincoln County, it’s home to fewer than 1,000 people, but just about everyone who visits falls in love with this little gem. Nature lovers have plenty to see and do here. The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is an absolute must-visit. Check out Thor’s Well, a huge, 20-foot-deep hole that sucks the ocean down into a terrifying display of power! No matter where you go in Yachats, you’ll have amazing views of the coast, which makes this one of the most beautiful small towns in Oregon, too!
Where are some beautiful places to visit in Oregon?
The entire state of Oregon is absolutely beautiful, full of natural wonders and splendor. Waterfalls, mountains, temperate rainforests, caves, and rivers… Oregon really is home to some of the most beautiful places in the country, and certainly the Pacific Northwest. Some of the most beautiful places to visit Oregon include Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake, the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, the Alvord Desert, the Painted Hills of Oregon, and, of course all 363 miles of the Oregon Coast. The best part? You can visit and experience all of these beautiful places in Oregon for free!
