Tillamook County, Oregon

Tillamook County is a county in Oregon, United States, on the northern Oregon Coast facing the Pacific. It had a population of 27,390 at the 2020 census and covers 1,103 square miles (2,860 km2) of land plus 230 square miles (600 km2) of water, centred near 45°28′N 123°42′W.

Tillamook is the county seat, and its postal code is 97141. The county has 7 incorporated cities and 14 unincorporated communities, no civil townships, sits in the Pacific time zone, and is reached primarily by U.S. Route 101 running north–south along the coast.

Towns & Villages in Tillamook County

Tillamook County has 7 incorporated cities and 14 census-designated places (CDPs), plus a scatter of small unincorporated communities along U.S. 101 and the coastal bays. Most of the old settlement list below survives: place names tied to logging camps, dairy landings, and beach resorts that grew up around Tillamook, Netarts, and Nehalem bays.

ZIP Codes

• 97141 — Tillamook (also serves Bayside Gardens, Fairview, Pleasant Valley)
• 97136 — Rockaway Beach (also serves Twin Rocks)
• 97107 — Bay City
• 97118 — Garibaldi
• 97130 — Manzanita (also serves Neahkahnie, Nedonna Beach)
• 97147 — Wheeler
• 97131 — Nehalem
• 97135 — Pacific City (also serves Woods)
• 97143 — Netarts (also serves Happy Hollow)
• 97112 — Cloverdale (also serves Oretown)
• 97122 — Hebo
• 97149 — Neskowin
• 97134 — Oceanside (also serves Cape Meares)
• 97108 — Beaver

Several inland logging-era place names (Aldervale, Barnesdale, Batterson, Boyer, Brighton, Enright, Foss, Hathaway Mead, Hobsonville, Jordan Creek, Meda, Mohler, Idaville, Blaine, Hemlock, Sandlake, Tierra Del Mar, Manhattan Beach) sit inside the ZIP territories above and have no separate post office of their own.

Geography

Tillamook County runs along the Pacific Ocean on the west and climbs into the Northern Oregon Coast Range on the east, where Rogers Peak reaches 3,706 feet (1,130 m), the county’s highest point. Five drowned-river estuaries — Nehalem, Tillamook, Netarts, Sand Lake, and Nestucca bays — cut the coastline into dairy-farming lowlands separated by forested headlands. About 17 percent of the county is water. It borders Clatsop County to the north, Washington County and Yamhill County to the east, Polk County to the southeast, and Lincoln County to the south.

Demographics

Tillamook County had 27,390 residents at the 2020 census. Tillamook (5,204) and Rockaway Beach (1,441) are the two largest communities, followed by Bay City (1,389) and Garibaldi (830). The county’s median household income runs well below the Oregon median of $80,160, reflecting an economy weighted toward dairy farming, fishing, and seasonal tourism rather than the wage base of the Portland metro. Population density is roughly 25 people per square mile of land, concentrated along the U.S. 101 corridor and the bay towns.

Economy & Local Life

Dairy farming anchors the county’s economy: the Tillamook County Creamery Association, maker of Tillamook cheese, is the county’s largest private employer and largest business, and its visitor centre north of Tillamook draws tourists year-round. Commercial and charter fishing operate out of Garibaldi’s port, historically tied to Dungeness crab and salmon. Tourism is the other pillar — beach towns from Manzanita to Pacific City fill with visitors chasing the coast, and the county’s annual visitor spending runs in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Tillamook Air Museum, housed in a former Navy blimp hangar, is a regional landmark.

History

Tillamook County was organized on December 15, 1853, the 12th county formed in the Oregon Territory. It takes its name from the Tillamook people, a Coast Salish-speaking tribe who lived around the bays long before European-American settlement. Garibaldi’s harbor grew around lumber milling through the mid-20th century before shifting toward fishing and tourism after the mills closed in the late 1970s. Rockaway Beach was platted as a seaside resort in 1909 and named after its New York namesake.

Getting There

U.S. Route 101 is the county’s spine, running the length of the coast from Clatsop County in the north to Lincoln County in the south. Oregon Route 6 connects Tillamook east to the Portland metro over the Coast Range.

• Portland — 78 miles northeast via OR-6
• Astoria — 50 miles north via US-101
• Lincoln City — 40 miles south via US-101
• McMinnville — 55 miles east via OR-6/OR-18

The nearest commercial airport is Portland International Airport (PDX).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Tillamook County?
It is on the northern Oregon Coast, between Clatsop County to the north and Lincoln County to the south.

What is the population of Tillamook County?
27,390 at the 2020 census.

How big is Tillamook County?
1,103 square miles of land (2,860 km2), plus 230 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Tillamook County?
Tillamook is the county seat.

How many towns are in Tillamook County?
7 incorporated cities and 14 census-designated places, plus a number of small unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Tillamook County?
14 main ZIP codes, from 97141 (Tillamook) to 97149 (Neskowin) — see the ZIP Codes section above.

What is Tillamook County known for?
Tillamook cheese: the Tillamook County Creamery Association’s cheese factory is the county’s largest employer and a major tourist stop on US-101.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oregon.