Medford, Oregon

Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. It is the county seat. The city was named in 1883 by David Loring. He worked as a civil engineer for the Oregon and California Railroad. He chose the name after Medford, Massachusetts, a town near his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts.

Medford is located near the middle fork of Bear Creek, which adds to the natural beauty of the area.

History

In 1883, railroad workers led by David Loring came near Gold Hill to find the best path for the Oregon and California Railroad through the Rogue Valley. They chose to build the railroad closer to Bear Creek instead of near Jacksonville, which changed the area’s future. By December 1883, they had planned 82 blocks for a new town.

In February 1884, the first store opened and became Medford’s first post office. Medford became an official town in 1885 and a city in 1905. The early 1900s brought changes like a new bridge over Bear Creek and a library, thanks to a donation from Andrew Carnegie.

In 1927, Medford became the county seat of Jackson County. Over the years, the city grew, especially with the building of Interstate 5 in 1967. Recent efforts have focused on renewing the downtown area, restoring old buildings, and improving streets and parking.

Geography

Medford is about 27 miles north of the top of California. The city covers 25.74 square miles, and almost all of it is land.

Medford is in an area shaped by old volcanic flows. You can see this in the Upper and Lower Table Rock lava formations and nearby Mount McLoughlin and Crater Lake, which comes from Mount Mazama.

Climate

Main article: Rogue Valley § Climate

Medford is in a spot where rain is blocked by mountains, called the Rogue Valley. This makes the city drier and sunnier than nearby areas. It has a warm climate. Summers can get hot, with temperatures often above 90 °F. Winters are mild but can have cold mornings. The city sometimes gets thick fog in winter. Snow is rare and usually melts quickly.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

The 2020 census said Medford had 85,824 people. The median age was 38.8 years. About 22.8% were under 18, and 19.7% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males.

All people lived in urban areas. Most people were White. Smaller groups were Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Other Pacific Islander. Some people were Hispanic or Latino.

2010 census

In 2010, Medford had 74,907 people. The population density was 2,911.3 people per square mile. Most people were White. Smaller groups were Asian, Native American, African American, Pacific Islander, and people from other races. Some were from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 13.8% of all people.

There were 30,079 households. About 31.9% had children under 18. The median age was 37.9 years. Around 24.1% were under 18, and 16.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Economy

Medford's economy is mostly driven by the health care industry. Two big medical centers in the city, Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and Providence Medford Medical Center, employ many people. Because Medford is a popular place for people to retire, services for older adults have also become important.

In the past, Medford's economy relied on farming, like growing pears, peaches, and viticulture grapes, and timber products. The largest company for sending fruit and food gifts in the United States, Harry and David Operations Corp., is based in Medford. It is the biggest employer in Southern Oregon. Since marijuana became legal for fun use in Oregon in 2012, it has also helped the local farming industry. A big car company, Lithia Motors, has been based in Medford since 1970.

Other companies in the city include Benchmark Maps, Falcon Northwest, Pacific International Enterprises, and Tucker Sno-Cat. Medford and the nearby area are also home to the growing Oregon wine industry, which includes the Rogue Valley AVA.

The city's historic downtown has been improving in recent years. This effort helped fix up old buildings and build a new headquarters for Lithia Motors. A hospitality company called The Neuman Hotel Group took over a large downtown motel called The Red Lion. They fixed it up and renamed it Inn At the Commons.

Bear Creek Corporation/Harry & David

Main article: Harry and David Operations Corp.

Medford is where Bear Creek Corporation started. The company is famous worldwide for its gift baskets filled with fruit, especially pears grown locally. People can take tours of the plant.

Arts and culture

The Pear Blossom Run ends near Alba Park, and there is a big fair in the park all day long.

I.O.O.F. Eastwood Historic Cemetery

This cemetery was started in 1890 and covers 20 acres. You can take free tours there.

Medford Carnegie Library

Main article: Medford Carnegie Library

The Medford Carnegie Library is a two-story building in downtown Medford. It was built in 1911 thanks to a gift from Andrew Carnegie. It stopped being used as a library in 2004 when a new one was built near the Rogue Community College. Now, it is used by a children’s museum.

Vogel Plaza

Main article: Vogel Plaza

Vogel Plaza was finished in 1997. It has become a popular spot for many local events.

Parks and recreation

Alba Park

Alba Park is the oldest park in Medford. It is located at the intersection of Holly and Main in downtown Medford. The park was given to the city by a railroad company in 1888. It was first called Library Park but was later renamed after Medford's sister city, Alba, Italy. Alba Park has a gazebo, a statue of a boy with two dogs near a fountain, and a Japanese gun from World War II.

Bear Creek Park

Bear Creek Park is nearly 100 acres and is the second largest park in Medford. It is bordered by Bear Creek and the Bear Creek Greenway. The park has four tennis courts, a skatepark, a dog park, an amphitheater, a large playground, a BMX track, and a community garden.

The Commons

The Commons is a building in Pear Blossom Park, a public park in the historic downtown district of Medford. It has been used for community activities and was completed in 2012.

Roxy Ann Peak and Prescott Park

Roxy Ann Peak is a well-known mountain on the east side of Medford. It is about 3,576 feet tall and was named after an early settler. A large part of the mountain, including the top, is inside Prescott Park, Medford's largest park. The park covers 1,740 acres and was named for a police officer named George J. Prescott. One popular trail in the park climbs about 950 feet and offers great views of the Rogue Valley.

Government

Medford has a council-manager style of government. This means the city has an elected mayor and eight council members, two from each of four areas. They hire a city manager to take care of the city's day-to-day work.

The current mayor is Michael Zarosinski, elected in November 2024. The longest-serving mayor was Gary Hale Wheeler, first elected in 2004. The city manager is Brian Sjothun, who previously worked with Medford Parks and Recreation.

Education

Main article: Medford School District (Oregon)

Medford has many schools. The two main high schools are South Medford High School and North Medford High School. There are also special schools like Central Medford High School and the Medford Innovation Academy. Private high schools include St. Mary's School and Cascade Christian High School.

There are 14 public elementary schools and three public middle schools named Hedrick, Oakdale, and McLoughlin. Over 13,000 students attend school in Medford. Other schools include Crossroads School, Rogue Valley Adventist School, Grace Christian, and Sacred Heart School.

Rogue Community College has a campus in downtown Medford with many buildings. Southern Oregon University works with Rogue Community College to offer more classes. Pacific Bible College began in Medford in 1989.

Media

Television

Medford has several television stations. These include KOBI on channel 5.1, an NBC station, KSYS on channel 8.1, a PBS station, KTVL on channel 10.1, a CBS station, and KDRV on channel 12.1, an ABC station. There are also other channels like KMVU on channel 26.1, a Fox station, and KFBI-LD on channel 48.1, which shows MyNetworkTV.

Radio

Medford has many radio stations. Some AM stations include KTMT 580 for sports, KRTA 610 for regional Mexican music, and KSJK 1230 for public radio news. On the FM side, you can find stations like KSRG 88.3 for classical music, KSMF 89.1 for jazz, and KTMT-FM 93.7 for top 40 hits. There are many other options for different types of music and news.

Newspaper

Until early 2023, the main newspaper in Medford was the Mail Tribune. It stopped printing in September 2022 and closed in January 2023. Soon after, a new newspaper called the Rogue Valley Times was planned by EO Media Group. The new paper began printing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays starting February 18, 2023.

Sports

Medford has had many sports teams since 1948. The most famous was the Medford A's, later called the Southern Oregon Timberjacks. They played minor league baseball at Miles Field from 1979 to 1999. They were connected to the Oakland Athletics.

In 2001, Medford had a team called the Southern Oregon Heat that played indoor football. Today, Medford has the Rogue Valley Royals, a Junior A hockey team, and the Medford Rogues, a college baseball team that plays at Harry and David Field.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Medford manages more than 200 miles of city roads.

Major highways

Interstate 5 runs through Medford and has a bridge that lifts traffic above Bear Creek and the downtown area. There are two freeway exits, one on each side of the city. Highway 99 goes through the center, while Highway 62 passes through the northern part of Medford. Highway 238 runs through the northwest.

Air

Main article: Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport

Medford has one of Oregon’s busiest airports, Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport (IATA airport code: MFR). Over one million people use the airport each year. The airport has one runway and handles about sixty flights a day from five airlines.

Bus

Main article: Rogue Valley Transportation District

The Medford area has been served by Rogue Valley Transportation District since 1975. The bus system runs eight routes from Monday to Saturday, and four of these go to nearby cities. All routes meet at the Front Street Transfer Station, which also has the Greyhound Bus stop.

Rail

There are no passenger trains in Medford. Amtrak trains stop in Klamath Falls. People in Medford can take the Southwest POINT Klamath Shuttle Amtrak Thruway from the RVTD Front Street Transfer Station to connect with Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train in Klamath Falls. Direct train service to Portland ended in 1956.

Maritime

The closest port is the Port of Coos Bay, about 167 miles away.

The Rogue River used to have a dam called Gold Ray, but it was removed. Because of this, big ships can’t reach Medford, so the city doesn’t have its own port.

Police Department

As of 2018, the Medford Police Department had 103 police officers, with support from 33 civilian employees and 30 volunteers.

Sister cities

After the sister city program started in 1960, Medford became paired with Alba, a city in Italy. The two cities are far apart—about 5,701 miles—but were matched because they were similar in size, location, and weather.

Every other year, students from Medford and Alba visit each other’s cities. Sometimes, high school students from Medford stay with families in Alba, and other times, students from Alba come to Medford. This exchange helps students learn about different cultures.

Notable people

Medford, Oregon, has been home to many interesting people. Some are famous athletes like Dick Fosbury, who won an Olympic gold medal for high jumping, and Marshall Holman, a professional bowler. There are also actors such as Justin Baldoni and Jason James Richter, as well as musicians like Page Hamilton and Kellin Quinn. Other well-known people include Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, and Ginger Rogers, an Academy Award-winning actress who once lived in Medford. The city has also been home to sports stars, such as NBA player Kyle Singler and football player Bob Newland.