Linn

Formed December 28, 1847 (8^th county)

Linn County (128,610), Albany (56,464)                

The masonry Neo-Classical Revival structure was erected in 1940.  The courthouse is on 4^th Avenue at Broadalbin Street.  The site is one block to the west of United States Highway 20 in the town.  Tourtellotte and Phillips are the building designers.  The building has been enlarged.  It features columns.  There were 1853 and 1865 courthouses earlier.  Linn County was founded on December 28, 1847 from a part of Marion County as the 8^th county.  Brownsville was the first county seat until 1851 when Albany took over.  The county is named for Missouri Senator Lewis F. Linn.  The county seat is named for Albany, New York. 

Linn County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney, an administrator, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges serve Linn County (judicial.)  The county is in west central Oregon.  Salem, Oregon is directly north and Eugene, Oregon is directly south of the county.  The county center is 25.4 miles East-Southeast of Albany nearer Lacomb.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marion, Jefferson, Deschutes, Lane, Benton, and Polk counties. 

The area of the county is 2291 square miles.  It is 15 out of 36 in the state.  It ranks 8 out of 36 in population in the state.  It has a density of 56.1 persons per square mile making it 12 out of 36 in the state.  Linn County has 70.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 travels north to south from Marion County to Lane County.  United States Highway 20 comes from Jefferson County, east, and goes into Benton County, west.  The county resembles an animal head lying on its nose.  Albany is located in the northwest border of the county and extends into Benton County.  Albany is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 43.9% of the county population.  This county is in the Albany-Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area.