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D−History
History · Keizer

Keizer dates to 1982

Among the newest of U.S. towns · #139 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it

Most of Keizer was built recently: 0.9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. Below: maps from 1915 on and the census since 1960.

1982founded
0on the National Register
0.9%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Keizer began

When was Keizer founded?

1982

Keizer dates its founding to 1982 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 5,288 in 19602020 census: 39,37644 years

How historic is Keizer?

D−

Among the newest of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Keizer’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Keizer is among the newest of U.S. towns, #139 of 142 in Oregon. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Keizer’s overall grade.
Founding era1982, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.9% of homes (±0.6) · typical OR town 5.3% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical OR town 2.9 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the newest
NewerOlder
Oregon towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 2%

Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Keizer’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (18% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1982.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Keizer’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Keizer are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19156 editions of the USGS map, 1915 to 1986. Watch Keizer change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Keizer’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Keizer’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Keizer on the map, 1915 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Keizer. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Keizer on the 1915 USGS mapKeizer on the 1940 USGS mapKeizer on the 1957 USGS mapKeizer on the 1969 USGS mapKeizer on the 1975 USGS mapKeizer on the 1986 USGS map1915Eola sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Keizer.

The story

How Keizer came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Keizer.

Read it all →

The original settlement was at Keizer Bottom, near the banks of the Willamette River. The community was named after Thomas Dove Keizur, one of its first settlers. Somewhere in the translation of donation land claim records, his name was misspelled.

The settlement suffered in the flood of 1861, and the inhabitants rebuilt their homes on higher ground. Further floods in 1943, 1945, 1946 and 1948 hampered the growth of the community, and it was not until dams were built in the 1950s to regulate the flow of the Willamette that Keizer began to flourish.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Keizer, 1915 to 1984

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1915On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1982
    FoundingKeizer is established
  4. 1984Born hereGrayson Boucher is born here
By decade

Keizer, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Mayor of2013Mayor ofFinch Flat2012Finch FlatKeizer Station in Oregon2009Keizer Station in OregonKeizer Station in Oregon train2009Keizer Station in Oregon trainKeizer Station in Oregon 32009Keizer Station in Oregon 3Keizer Station in Oregon 22009Keizer Station in Oregon 2
People over time

Keizer, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,000196019802000202039,376

Grew from 5,288 people in 1960 to 39,376 in 2020, 7 times over.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Keizer’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Clear Lake
Gone or out of use
Chemawa BPA SpurlocaleChemawa Stationlocale
1cemetery inside Keizer
Claggett

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Salem70 historic placesA−

Questions about Keizer’s history

What year was Keizer founded?

In 1982, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 5,288 people here.

How does Keizer rank for history?

Keizer is among the newest of U.S. towns, #139 of 142 in Oregon. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Keizer?

0.9% of Keizer’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1981.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.