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Grants Pass, Oregon
Motto: Where the Rogue River Runs; It's the Climate!
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 42°26′20″N 123°19′42″W / 42.43889, -123.32833
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Josephine
Incorporated	1887
Government
- Mayor	Len Holzinger
Area
- Total	7.7 sq mi (19.9 km²)
- Land	7.6 sq mi (19.6 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²)
Elevation	960 ft (292.6 m)
Population (2006)
- Total	30,930
- Density	3,032.8/sq mi (1,171.7/km²)
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	97500-97599
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-30550GR2
GNIS feature ID	1142947GR3
Website: http://www.ci.grants-pass.or.us

Grants Pass is a city in, and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States ^GR6. The city is located on Interstate 5, northwest of Medford. Attractions include the Rogue River, famous for its rafting, and the nearby Oregon Caves. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,003. As of 2006, the population is 30,930,^[1] making it one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 2.1 Tourism 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 3.2 The Rogue River 4 Demographics 5 Education 6 Notable people associated with Grants Pass 7 Transportation 8 Sister city 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Early Hudson's Bay Company hunters and trappers, following the Siskiyou Trail, passed through the site beginning in the 1820s. In the late 1840s, settlers (mostly American) following the Applegate Trail began traveling through the area on their way to the Willamette Valley. The name was selected to honor General U.S. Grant's success at Vicksburg and a post office was established on March 22, 1865. The city of Grants Pass was incorporated in 1887, a year after it had become the county seat.^{[citation needed]}

In 1922, a group of local businessmen incorporated the Grants Pass Cavemen. Taking their name from the nearby Oregon Caves National Monument, this group was one of many groups of boosterism common in the United States at the time. For decades afterwards, this group would represent their city in countless public gatherings, dressed in furs and bearing clubs, performing such uncivilized acts as capturing female crowd members and politicians and putting them in their cages. To honor this group, in 1971 a fiberglass statue of a caveman was erected at the corner of Morgan Lane and Sixth Street. Grants Pass High School's mascot is also the caveman. The original monument was damaged by arson in 2004 and repaired in 2005.

Historically the city's economy has been based on timber. However, in recent years the importance of timber on the local economy has decreased and has subsequently been replaced by tourism as the most prominent source of revenue for the city. Tourism is now a very visible part of the city.

During the summer, there are many different attractions for tourists to visit. There is a growers' market, concerts are held in Riverside Park on many summer nights, and there are many other parks to visit. The historic theater downtown has been transformed into a performing arts venue and frequently hosts top name national acts. The historic downtown area is lined with antique and specialty shops and is a destination for collectors and shoppers. Formerly, local artists decorated bear statues; this ended in 2006. From 2006-present, statues of various northwest animals have lined the streets. The Grants Pass Towne Center Association's "Back to the 50's" Celebration includes free concerts, a nearly 600-vehicle Classic Car Cruise, Poker Runs, and thematic shopping.^[2]

During the winter, there are the Christmas murals on many downtown streets, along with Santa's arrival by train to the Town Square and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

Year round, there is First Friday Art Nights. On the first Friday of every month, many the city's stores hold art shows and other showings.^[3]

Grants Pass is located at 42°26′20″N, 123°19′42″W (42.438969, -123.328249)^GR1. U.S. Highway 199 passes through the city, and joins I-5. It is located in the Rogue Valley. The surrounding area is mostly forested, with mountain ranges abundant in the area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.7 square miles (20 km²), of which 7.6 square miles (20 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0 km²) of it or 1.56% is water.

True to its motto, "It's the climate!", Grants Pass enjoys a temperate, four-season version of the Mediterranean climate common in California. Summer days are sunny, dry and hot but it cools down dramatically at night; the average July high temperature is 90°F (32°C) and the low, 53°F (12°C). Winters are cool and fairly rainy with only occasional snow; the average January high temperature is 47.5°F (8.5°C) and the low, 32.5°F (0°C). It receives roughly 30 inches (760 mm) of precipitation per year, with three-quarters of it occurring between November 1 and March 31. The mild winters and long dry summers support a native vegetation structure quite different from the rest of Oregon, dominated by madrone, deciduous and evergreen oak, manzanita, pine, chinquapin, and other species that are far less abundant further north. [1]

The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass and many people come to the city to raft the river's world-class rapids.^{[citation needed]} Visitors can also travel down the river on jetboats.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,032.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,171/km²). There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile (503.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.97% White, 0.33% African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.63% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.37% of the population.

There were 9,376 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,197, and the median income for a family was $16,284. Males had a median income of $11,128 versus $13,579 for females. The per capita income for the city was $6,234. About 12.2% of families and 34.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Grants Pass public schools are served by Grants Pass School District, which includes Grants Pass High School, and Three Rivers School District, which includes North Valley High School and Hidden Valley High School. Rogue Community College has a campus in Grants Pass.

• David Anders, actor
• Charlie Armbruster, baseball player
• Pat Beach, football player
• Tom Blanchard, football player
• Ty Burrell, actor
• Terry Carr, science fiction editor
• Bob Christie, race car driver
• William Dellinger, runner, coach
• The Emmons Sisters, bluegrass gospel group
• David Goines, artist, writer
• Helen Chenoweth-Hage, US Representative from Idaho
• Kevin Hagen, actor
• Jack Lee Harelson
• Mike Johnson, rock musician
• Hub Pernoll, baseball player
• Shelley Shannon, anti-abortion activist
• Craig L. Williams, LGBT activist aka Emperor XVI Craig Hollywood of the Imperial Court of New York
• Ken Williams, baseball player

• Grants Pass Airport

• Rubtsovsk, Russia [2]

• Southern Oregon
• Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
• Jefferson (state), proposed state overlapping Oregon and California

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2006)

• City of Grants Pass
• Oregon Blue Book entry for Grants Pass
• Grants Pass at the Open Directory Project
• Oregon Cavemen - Oregon Cavemen Inc of Grants Pass
• Local Grants Pass weather information

• Grants Pass, Oregon is at coordinates 42°26′20″N 123°19′42″W / 42.438969, -123.328249Coordinates: 42°26′20″N 123°19′42″W / 42.438969, -123.328249

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Josephine County, Oregon
County seat: Grants Pass
Cities	Cave Junction | Grants Pass
CDPs	Harbeck-Fruitdale | Redwood
Unincorporated communities	Galice | Kerby | Merlin | O'Brien | Selma | Takilma | Waldo | Wolf Creek

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