About Oak Grove
Oak Grove is an historic unincorporated community in Clackamas County and part of the greater Portland metropolitan area. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Oak Grove as a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 16,629 at the 2010 census.
Oak Grove is bordered to the north
by the city of Milwaukie, to the east
by unincorporated Oatfield Ridge, to
the south by unincorporated Jennings
Lodge, and to the west by the Willamette River. Oregon Route 99E runs through Oak Grove as McLoughlin Boulevard; it leads north eight miles to downtown Portland and south four miles through Jennings Lodge and Gladstone to Oregon City. (Read further on Wikipedia).
"I thought I lived in Milwaukie . . ."
Since Oak Grove is not a city, the U.S. Postal Service allows residents to list their addresses as Oak Grove, Milwaukie or Portland, OR. If you are new to the area, you may have been told you moved into or purchased a property in Milwaukie or Portland, when in fact it is in unincorporated Oak Grove. Oak Grove zip codes include 97222, 97267 and 97268 (P.O. boxes). Check CMap to find out in which CPO you reside.
Government, Services and Taxes
Living in an unincorporated area means Oak Grove residents receive their services and government oversight from Clackamas County, its agencies and departments. Oak Grove property owners pay taxes just like neighboring city residents, with rates based on their taxing district. Those services currently include:
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Public safety (Sheriff, Fire)
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Library (Clackamas County - Oak Lodge Library)
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Schools (North Clackamas Schools and Clackamas Community College)
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Clackamas County Extension and 4H
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Soil and Conservation Services
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Water Environmental Services
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Metro (urban growth boundary, region-wide planning and coordination)
For more information on tax districts and property tax breakdowns, see https://www.clackamas.us/at/taxingdistrictexplanation.html
The Oak Grove Community Council
The Oak Grove Community Council (OGCC), like other community planning organizations (CPOs) in Clackamas County, advises the Planning Division, Planning Commission and BCC on local land-use issues.
The county notifies CPOs of proposed land use actions and legislative changes within or near their boundaries. CPOs may review these applications and recommend approval or denial or provide input and ask questions.
Oak Grove History
The Oak Grove town site was first platted in 1890 from the original Creighton and Crow donation land claims (DLCs) of the 1830s and 1840s. Subsequent additions and subdivisions of the Oak Grove plat show clear evidence that the area was marked for investment and growth as a result of the introduction of the Portland Traction Co. trolley line from
Portland to Oregon City through
Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge
that began service in early 1893.
After years of citizen lobbying,
the trolley line was re-imagined
as today's Trolley Trail, a six-mile linear park and safe spine through the community. To learn more about local history, visit the Oak Lodge History Detectives website.
Place Name
The author of Oregon Geographic Names credits a member of the survey team for suggesting the name Oak Grove, based on an area they came upon for lunch -- "a fine grove of oak trees in the northwest part of the tract." The name "Oak Lodge" is frequently used for businesses, organizations or entities that serve both the communities of Oak Grove and Jennings Lodge (such as the Oak Lodge Library). For details, read more here.
Post Office
The Oak Grove Post Office, currently located at 3860 SE Naef Road, first opened in 1904 as "Creighton Station" due to the duplicate use of the name "Oak Grove" as a stop on the old trolley line. The name was changed permanently to "Oak Grove" in 1907 when the confusion was sorted out and corrected.
