More historic than 15% of U.S. towns · #106 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it
Most of Oakridge was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1961. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1925 on, and the census since 1940.
The Oakridge post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Hazeldell (1888), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 520 in 19402020 census: 3,206114 years
How historic is Oakridge?
C−
More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Oakridge post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Oakridge’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oakridge is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #106 of 142 in Oregon. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Oakridge’s overall grade.
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 Oakridge’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.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.1 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Oakridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area now known as Oakridge was first explored by Euro-Americans in 1852 as a possible route for pioneers coming from Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley. Before that Oakridge was the land of the Kalapuya who had villages on the rivers since time immemorial. A post office was named "Hazeldell" in 1888, and the place's name later changed to "Big Prairie", and then "Oak Ridge". In 1912, a new community was formed and officially named Oakridge. Since its beginnings as a mountain ranch, Oakridge has been a railroad boomtown, a loggers' haven, and an outdoor enthusiast's destination.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Oakridge post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Oakridge rank for history?
Oakridge is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #106 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 Oakridge?
9% of Oakridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1961.
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 the Library of Congress (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.
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