Coos Bay

Coos Bay was established in the 1850’s as Marshfield, but changed its name to Coos Bay in 1944. Year’s later, the cities’ of Empire and Eastside merged with Coos Bay making Coos Bay the largest city on the Oregon Coast with a current population of 16,292. Coos Bay is also the birthplace of legendary runner, Steve Prefontaine .

The name Coos Bay is derived from area’s Native American tribes' word for “South” (Kuukuus or Kuukwis) in the Hanis and Milluk languages. Several Native American Tribes called the Coos Bay region their ancestral homeland including the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, and the Coquille Indians. For more information on this topic, read this great blog from Milluk Language expert, Patty Phillips.

Today, you’ll find intriguing restaurants, gourmet coffee houses, antique shops, gift shops, the Coos History Museum, and the Coos Art Museum, the 3rd oldest art museum in Oregon. Thanks to Coos Bay’s progressive vision, you’ll find a rejuvenated and quickly changing downtown area with growing retail and service sectors. The downtown area known as the Old Marshfield district is adjacent to the Coos Bay Boardwalk where locals and visitors alike can often be seen enjoying the waterfront views. The best way to enjoy the downtown area is on foot, view a historical walking tour here.

Explore Our Downtown Walking Maps

Explore our Coos Bay & North Bend Downtown Walking Maps by clicking here. Find a mapped list of restaurants, public spaces, retail and entertainment, in our walkable downtowns.

OREGON’S ADVENTURE COAST TOWNS

This beautiful section of the Oregon coastline is known as Oregon’s Adventure Coast for several reasons and when you arrive in the area, you will easily see why. Check out more information below to see what makes each of our towns unique.