Lake

Formed October 24, 1874 (23^rd county)

Lake County (8,158), Lakeview (2,424)                

The red brick Modern structure was built in 1954.  The courthouse is on Center Street at E Street.  United States Highway 395 passes one block west of the site.  Morrison & Howard are the building architects.  There was a classic 1904 courthouse previously.  Lake County was established on October 24, 1874 from Jackson and Wasco counties as the 23^rd county.  Linkville was the first county seat.  The county is named for the numerous lakes in the county.  The county seat is a geographical name for its location on Goose Lake. 

Lake County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an attorney, an administrator, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One District Court Judge serves Lake County (judicial.)  Lake County is on the southern border with both California and Nevada.  Bend, Oregon is north and Eugene, Oregon is northwest of the county.  The county center is 42.8 miles North-Northwest of Lakeview nearer Paisley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Deschutes and Harney counties and Nevada and California and Klamath County. 

The area of the county is 7940 square miles.  It is 3 out of 36 in the state.  It ranks 30 out of 36 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.0 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 36 in the state.  Lake County has 32.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 clips the northeast corner of the county from Deschutes County, north, to Harney County, east.  United States Highway 395 enters from Harney County, east, and exits to California, south.  The county is shaped like a capital letter Z.  Lakeview is located in the southern quarter of the county.  Lakeview is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.7% of the county population.