Sunset at Dexter Lake. (Oregon State Archives Scenic Images collection)
County Seat: Courthouse, 125 E Eighth Ave., Eugene 97401
Phone: 541-682-4203 (General); 541-682-4166 (Court Administrator)
Fax: 541-682-4616
About
Established: Jan. 28, 1851
Elev. at Eugene: 422'
Area: 4,620 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 40° July 70°
Assessed Value: $38,119,932,666
Real Market Value: $77,009,875,845
(includes the value of non-taxed properties)
Annual Precipitation: 46"
Economy: Agriculture, higher education, high technology-manufacturing, forest products, recreation, recreational vehicle manufacturing and tourism
Related Resources
Incorporated Cities
Points of Interest
Twenty historic covered bridges, Bohemia Mines, coastal sand dunes, Darlingtonia Botanical Wayside, Fern Ridge Reservoir, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden, hot springs, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Lane Community College, Lane ESD Planetarium, Martin Rapids whitewater, McKenzie Pass, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Old Town Florence, Pac-12 sports events, Proxy Falls, Sea Lion Caves, University of Oregon, vineyards and wineries, Waldo Lake, Carl G. Washburne State Park tide pools, Willamette Pass ski area
History and General Information
Lane County was named for General Joseph Lane, Oregon’s first territorial governor. Pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail in the late 1840s came to Lane County mainly to farm. The county’s first district court met under a large oak tree until a clerk’s office was built in 1852. A few years later, the first courthouse opened in what is now downtown Eugene. With the building of the railroads, the market for timber opened in the 1880s. Today, wood products are still an important part of the economy in addition to high-technology manufacturing and tourism. Lane County government operates under a home rule charter approved by voters in 1962.
Although 90% of Lane County is forest land, Eugene and Springfield comprise the second largest urban area in Oregon.
County Officials
Commissioners—Chair Pat Farr 2025; Ryan Ceniga 2023, Dave Loveall 2027, Heather Buch 2027, Laurie Trieger 2025; Dist. Atty. Patricia Perlow 2025; Assess. Mary Vuksich-Shafer; Clerk ; Justice of the Peace Rick Brissenden 2027; Sheriff Clifton Harrold 2025; Surv. Jay Blomme; Co. Admin. Steve Mokrohisky