Junction City, Oregon

History

In the 1870s, Junction City was named by railroad magnate Ben Holladay, who decided this would be where the rail line on the east side of the Willamette Valley would meet the rail line on the west side. The westside line, however, was not built according to plan, although Junction City later was where the two main branches of U.S. Route 99 (which divided in Portland) would rejoin. The city was incorporated in 1872.

Junction City gained media attention from major outlets such as CNN, Fox News, and The Today Show in 2003, when a number of local men posed in the nude for "The Men of the Long Tom Grange Calendar" to raise money for the local school district. The project raised over $265,000 for local schools and brought national attention to the issue of school funding.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.36 square miles (6.11 km²), all of it land.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Junction City has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,392 people, 2,184 households, and 1,394 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,284.7 inhabitants per square mile (882.1/km²). There were 2,323 housing units at an average density of 984.3 per square mile (380.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.4% White, 0.7% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.0% of the population.

There were 2,184 households of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 36 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,721 people, 1,823 households, and 1,170 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,405.1 people per square mile (1,311.4/km²). There were 1,921 housing units at an average density of 1,385.5 per square mile (533.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.21% White, 0.30% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.66% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.28% of the population. There were 1,823 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city, the population was 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,347, and the median income for a family was $43,875. Males had a median income of $31,044 versus $21,757 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,155. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Junction City is home to a large and eclectic farming community, the bulk of which is made up of several large family-owned farms. Lochmead Farms, one of the largest privately owned dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest, is owned and operated by the Gibson family. Stroda Farms, a high-volume Christmas tree and general crop farm, is privately owned and operated by the Stroda family. The city was the home of Country Coach, a large luxury motorcoach manufacturer, which went bankrupt in November 2009. It was also the home of Monaco Coach Corporation prior to their move to nearby Coburg.

Annual events

Education

The city is served by the Junction City School District, which includes Junction City High School.

Public safety

The Junction City Police Department serves the city.

Notable people