Oregon County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,635. Its county seat is Alton. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named for the Oregon Territory in the northwestern United States.
Home to a large area of the Mark Twain National Forest, Oregon County contains more national forest acreage than any county in the state of Missouri. It also contains the Irish Wilderness, the largest federally protected wilderness area in the state. Hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding opportunities abound on the Ozark Trail and the White’s Creek Trail. Canoeing, kayaking, jonboating, and fishing are popular on the Eleven Point River, which is Missouri’s only National Wild and Scenic River.
Eleven Point State Park is under development east of Alton, Missouri that includes 6 miles of Eleven Point River frontage.
Grand Gulf State Park, just west of Thayer, includes a karst window, a collapsed karst canyon.
Name: | Oregon County |
---|---|
FIPS code: | 29-149 |
State: | Missouri |
Founded: | February 14, 1845 |
Named for: | Oregon Territory |
Seat: | Alton |
Largest city: | Thayer |
Total Area: | 792 sq mi (2,050 km²) |
Land Area: | 790 sq mi (2,000 km²) |
Total Population: | 8,635 |
Population Density: | 11/sq mi (4.2/km²) |
Time zone: | UTC−6 (Central) |
Summer Time Zone (DST): | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Oregon County location map. Where is Oregon County?
History
Oregon County was created in 1845, at a time when the Oregon boundary dispute was a major issue.
Oregon County Road Map
Geography
The county has a total area of 792 square miles (2,050 km), of which 790 square miles (2,000 km) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km) (0.2%) is water. Arkansas is located to the south of Oregon County.
Adjacent counties
- Shannon County (north)
- Carter County (northeast)
- Ripley County (east)
- Randolph County, Arkansas (southeast)
- Sharp County, Arkansas (south)
- Fulton County, Arkansas (southwest)
- Howell County (west)
Major highways
- U.S. Route 63
- U.S. Route 160
- Route 19
- Route 99
- Route 142
National protected area
- Mark Twain National Forest (part)