Medford OR Community & Homes for Sale

Few places in Oregon combine scenic beauty, outdoor recreation, historical, and cultural attractions more successfully than Medford. A major city in southern Oregon, Medford offers a cosmopolitan yet uniquely friendly environment. Medford, is also the county seat of Jackson County, and is the industrial, retail, and professional center of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Medford is famous in the US for its succulent pears. Bosc, Comice, d'Anjou, Bartlett, and Winter Nellis pears are all grown here.

Medford is situated in the heart of Southern Oregon's beautiful Rogue River Valley midway between Portland, OR, and San Francisco, CA. Just 27 miles from the northern California border, Interstate 5 links Medford to major population centers north and south. Highway 62 north is the main route out of the valley to Crater Lake and Central Oregon. Pear orchards bloom profusely in the spring, surrounded by snow-capped peaks still white with the last snows of winter. The summers are very warm and fall colors are beautiful.

History of Medford

In 1883 the Oregon & California Railroad reached Southern Oregon. Jacksonville, the county seat at the time, expected to be the next station between Portland and Sacramento. But when the railroad company requested a $25,000 "bonus" for the privilege, Jacksonville refused to pay and the railroad built a station at Middle Ford on Bear Creek. A proposed town site was plotted at Middle Ford and the name was shortened to Medford. Miners flocked to the valley in search of a fortune in gold nuggets, followed by farmers lured to the valley by the fertile soil and favorable growing conditions. Small towns seemingly sprang up overnight, and as the California-Oregon Stage Road grew dusty with increasing loads of goods and supplies, the communities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Central Point also grew prosperous as trading centers.

Today Its economy is centered around agriculture and timber products, and visitors will see miles and miles of fruit and timber trees in the area. It is a popular place to live in Southern Oregon. Its proximity to Ashland and Jacksonville draws many who wish to take advantage of Medford's lower room and restaurant rates while visiting those cities.

Recreation and Attractions in Medford

Outdoor living and recreation is encouraged by the warm summers and mild winters. Within an 80 mile radius of Medford, there are 153 stocked streams for fishing, 17 lakes, boating and fishing on the Rogue River, and hunting and camping in 56 forest camps. Medford is also in a central location for visitors who wish to access recreational areas such as Oregon Caves National Monument, Crater Lake, and the Rogue River Valley.

The Medford Railroad Park is a great place for train buffs to visit. Located near Berrydale Ave. and Table Rock Road, the historic park features a vintage Medford Corp. logging train and other rolling stock.

Medford Education

Medford is served by Medford School District 549c and has two main high schools: South Medford High School and North Medford High School. In addition to the two public high schools, Medford has several private high schools. Two of the largest are St. Mary's School and Cascade Christian High School. In addition, there are 14 public elementary schools and two public middle schools. In 1997, Grants Pass-based Rogue Community College (RCC) completed construction on a seven-building campus spanning five blocks in downtown Medford. Nearby Ashland-based Southern Oregon University collaborated with Rogue in 2007 on the construction of an eighth building which will offer third- and fourth-year courses to students. Pacific Bible College, formerly named Dove Bible Institute, was founded in Medford in 1989.