Lake County

Contact

little birds walking on sand and lake and brown plains in distance
Crump Lake in the Warner Valley. (Oregon State Archives Photo)
County Seat: Courthouse, 513 Center St., Lakeview 97630
Phone: 541-947-6006 (General); 541-947-6051 (Court Administrator)
Fax: 541-947-6015

About 

Established: October 24, 1874
Elev. at Lakeview: 4,800'
Area: 8,359 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 28.4° July 67.0°
Assessed Value: $968,362,522
Real Market Value: $2,083,205,062
(includes the value of non-taxed properties)
Annual Precipitation: 15.80"
Economy: Livestock, forest products, agriculture and recreation

Related Resources

"County QuickFacts" (population and economic data from U.S. Census Bureau)
County Seat Map (from Google Maps)
County Map (from ODOT)

Incorporated Cities

Points of Interest

Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, Fort Rock and Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum, Abert Lake and Rim, Goose Lake, Hunter’s Hot Springs, Old Perpetual Geyser, Schminck Memorial Museum and Lake County Museum, Lake County Round-Up Museum, Warner Canyon Ski Area, Gearhart Wilderness, Lost Forest, Crack-in-the-Ground, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Summer Lake Hot Springs, Hole-in-the-Ground, sunstones (Oregon’s state gemstone) near Plush, Warner Wetlands, Summer Lake Wildlife Area

History and General Information 

Lake County was created from Jackson and Wasco Counties by the 1874 Legislature. It then included the present Klamath County and all of the present Lake County except Warner Valley. In 1882, Klamath was removed, and in 1885, the Warner area from Grant County was added.

Linkville, now Klamath Falls, was the first county seat. M. Bullard gave 20 acres as the Lakeview townsite. In the 1875 election, the county seat was moved to Lakeview. The Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge is a 270,000 acre wildlife haven for antelope, mule deer, bighorn sheep and upland birds. A number of migratory waterfowl flyways converge on Goose Lake, south of Lakeview, the Warner Wetlands near Plush and the Summer Lake Wildlife area. Lakeview has been deemed the hang- gliding capital of the West.

County Officials

Commissioners—Chair James Williams 2027; Mark Albertson 2027, Barry Shullenberger 2025; Dist. Atty. Ted K. Martin 2025; Assess. Dave Knowles 2025; Clerk Stacie Geaney 2025; Sheriff Michael Taylor 2027; Surv. Darryl Anderson 2027; Treas. Ann Crumrine 2025​