Coos

Formed December 22, 1853 (13^th county)

Coos County (64,929), Coquille (4,014), Coos Bay (15,993)

The 1953 Modern style concrete courthouse serves Coos County.  Located on Baxter Street between 2^nd and 3^rd streets, Oregon State Highway 42 is two blocks to the west.  R. D. Kennedy is the architect.  A 1923 Courthouse Annex is in North Bend to augment the courthouse.  There was an 1898 courthouse earlier.  The county was organized on December 22, 1853 from Jackson County as the 13^th county.  Explorers Lewis and Clark coined the name Cook Koose for the area. Coquille is named for the Native American tribe.  It became the county seat in 1896 succeeding Empire City. 

Coos County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney, an administrator, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges serve Coos and Curry counties (judicial.)  The county is on the southwest coast of Oregon.  Eugene, Oregon is northeast and Portland, Oregon is north of the county.  The Pacific Ocean forms its western border.  The county center is 9.1 miles Northeast of Coquille nearer Fairview.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Douglas and Curry counties and the Pacific Ocean. 

The area of the county is 1600 square miles.  It is 23 out of 36 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 36 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.6 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 36 in the state.  Coos County has 59.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 101 passes north to south in the county from Douglas County to Curry County.  The county resembles a booster rocket taking off.  Coquille is located in the western third of the county.  Coos Bay is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Coquille is the county seat and Coos Bay is the largest city.  Coquille is 6.2% of the county population while Coos Bay is 24.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KOOZ.  The county seat is pronounced KOE-KIL.  This county is in the Coos Bay Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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