City of Elgin

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City of Elgin Elgin is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,819 at the 2020 census. The population was 1,711 at the 2010 census.

The community is named after the Lady Elgin, a ship lost on Lake Michigan. The city is known for the Elgin Opera House, originally dedicated in 1912. The area of Elgin was previously called "Fish Trap" and "Indian Valley." The city was platted in 1886 following the washout of Ruckles Road over the Blue Mountains, which caused investors to leave nearby Summerville for Elgin. By 1887 Elgin had general stores, a livery, a hotel, and a church, as well as a nearby sawmill, which continues as a more modern Boise Cascade mill. Between 1887 and 1908, the area around Elgin had 35 sawmills, most transportable water-driven whipsaws (vertical reciprocating saws). Local landowners would sell the trees for 50 centers per thousand board feet, which is about how much the sawmills could handle in a day.[8] Log transportation cost about two dollars per thousand board feet, and a mill could sell the processed lumber for $6–10 per thousand board feet. Growth increased with the arrival of the railroad in 1890, and Elgin was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 18, 1891. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km2), all of it land. Elgin is at the junction of Oregon Route 82 and Oregon Route 204. Jubilee Lake and its campground are 19 miles (31 km) north of Elgin, in the Umatilla National Forest.

10/19/2026

Ballots are arriving in mailboxes! Remember to put your ballots in the Union County Clerk dropbox on the east side of the parking lot. DO NOT put them in the City Hall dropbox. Get out the vote, Elgin!

10/19/2026

POSTPONED: Union County Trail Expansion Interest Meeting - event scheduled for Monday 10/19 in Elgin has been postponed.

A Little More Time for the Trail’s Next Chapter

We’re POSTPONING next Monday’s Union County Trail Expansion Meeting, but our commitment to exploring trail expansion beyond Elgin’s city limits has not changed! The success of the existing trail-with-rail section in Elgin has shown what’s possible when a community works together to foster public spaces. We’re excited to build on that momentum, and we want the next conversation to reflect the interests, ideas, and leadership of the people and organizations who know Union County best. Stay tuned for a new date this winter.

Community information and announcements are streaming on Elgin Channel 11!
10/15/2026

Community information and announcements are streaming on Elgin Channel 11!

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Address

790 South 8th Avenue
Elgin, OR
97827

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15414372253

Website

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