Linn County is a county in Oregon, United States, in the Willamette Valley between the Cascade foothills and the Willamette River. It had a population of 128,610 at the 2020 census and covers 2,309 square miles (5,980 km2), centred near 44°38′N 123°05′W.
Albany is the county seat, and its postal code is 97321. The county has 15 incorporated cities, 9 census-designated places, and a further handful of small unincorporated communities. Linn County observes Pacific time and carries FIPS code 41043.
Towns & Villages in Linn County
Linn County’s 128,610 residents are spread across 15 incorporated cities, 9 census-designated places (CDPs), and a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities in the foothills and along the North and South Santiam rivers. Albany, the seat, and Lebanon and Sweet Home are the county’s three largest cities; most of the rest are small farm towns on the valley floor or timber hamlets up the Santiam canyons.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | City · seat | — | 97321, 97322 |
| Brownsville | City | — | 97327 |
| Gates | City | — | — |
| Halsey | City | — | 97348 |
| Harrisburg | City | — | 97446 |
| Idanha | City | — | — |
| Lebanon | City | — | 97355 |
| Lyons | City | — | 97358 |
| Mill City | City | — | 97360 |
| Millersburg | City | — | — |
| Scio | City | — | 97374 |
| Sodaville | City | — | — |
| Sweet Home | City | — | 97386 |
| Tangent | City | — | 97389 |
| Waterloo | City | — | — |
| Cascadia | CDP | — | 97329 |
| Crabtree | CDP | — | 97335 |
| Crawfordsville | CDP | — | 97336 |
| Holley | CDP | — | — |
| Lacomb | CDP | — | — |
| Peoria | CDP | — | — |
| Shedd | CDP | — | 97377 |
| South Lebanon | CDP | — | — |
| West Scio | CDP | — | — |
| Berlin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Foster | Unincorp. | — | 97345 |
| Jordan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marion Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelburn | Unincorp. | — | — |
A few names from older lists are duplicates or informal variants rather than distinct places: Fords Mill, Riverside, Santiam Terrace, Upper Soda, and Whitaker are small crossroads or subdivisions inside the communities above rather than separately recognised places, and New Idanha is a small residential cluster adjoining Idanha. They are omitted here for lack of independent verification.
ZIP Codes
- 97321 — Albany (also serves Millersburg)
- 97322 — Albany
- 97327 — Brownsville
- 97329 — Cascadia
- 97335 — Crabtree (PO Box)
- 97336 — Crawfordsville (PO Box)
- 97345 — Foster
- 97348 — Halsey
- 97355 — Lebanon (also serves Sodaville)
- 97358 — Lyons
- 97360 — Mill City (also serves Gates)
- 97374 — Scio (also serves West Scio)
- 97377 — Shedd
- 97386 — Sweet Home
- 97389 — Tangent
- 97446 — Harrisburg
Idanha, Jordan, Kingston, Marion Forks, Peoria, Shelburn, and Waterloo have no dedicated ZIP code and are served by a neighboring post office.
Geography
Linn County lies in the mid-Willamette Valley and climbs east into the Cascade Range, taking in the North and South Santiam river canyons and part of the Mount Jefferson high country. Of its 2,309 square miles, 2,290 square miles are land and 19 square miles are water — the Santiam River system, Foster Lake, and Green Peter Lake are the main water bodies. The county borders Polk County to the northwest, Marion County to the north, Jefferson County to the east, Deschutes County to the southeast, Lane County to the south, and Benton County to the west.
Demographics
Linn County had 128,610 residents at the 2020 census, an average of about 56 people per square mile of land. Albany and Lebanon are the two largest communities. Household income in the county has historically run below the Oregon median of $80,160, reflecting the county’s heavier reliance on manufacturing and agricultural work compared with the Portland metro area.
Economy & Local Life
Wood products, agriculture, and manufacturing anchor the local economy, alongside grass-seed and nursery-stock farming on the valley floor around Albany, Tangent, and Halsey. Linn County is also home to the only emery mine in the United States, near Sweet Home. Albany hosts Linn-Benton Community College and the annual World of Speed and Linn County Fair & Expo events draw regional crowds.
History
Linn County was created on December 28, 1847, from part of Marion County, one of the original districts of the Oregon Territory. It is named for Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. senator from Missouri who championed American settlement of the Oregon Country in Congress during the 1840s. Albany, founded the same decade at the head of navigation on the Willamette River, became the county seat as the valley filled with settlers along the Applegate and Oregon Trail routes.
Getting There
Interstate 5 runs north–south through the western part of the county past Albany and Millersburg, and U.S. Route 20 crosses east–west through Sweet Home toward the Cascades and Bend. Oregon Route 226 links Scio and Lebanon.
- Salem — 22 miles north
- Eugene — 40 miles south
- Corvallis — 10 miles west
- Bend — 100 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Eugene Airport (EUG); Portland International Airport (PDX) is about 75 miles north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Linn County, Oregon?
It sits in the mid-Willamette Valley of western Oregon, between the Willamette River and the Cascade Range.
What is the population of Linn County?
128,610 at the 2020 census.
How big is Linn County?
2,309 square miles (5,980 km2), of which 19 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Linn County?
Albany is the county seat.
How many towns are in Linn County?
15 incorporated cities plus 9 census-designated places and a handful of small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Linn County?
ZIP codes include 97321 and 97322 (Albany), 97355 (Lebanon), and 97386 (Sweet Home), among others listed above.
What is Linn County known for?
Grass-seed farming, wood products, and the Willamette Valley’s only emery mine, near Sweet Home.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oregon.