Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon
City
The Plaza
Location of Ashland in Jackson County and in the state of Oregon
Ashland Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Ashland Ashland (the United States) Show map of the United States Ashland Ashland (North America) Show map of North America
Coordinates: 42°11′29″N 122°42′03″W / 42.19139°N 122.70083°W / 42.19139; -122.70083
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Jackson
Settled	1852
Government
• Mayor	Tonya Graham
Area [1]
• Total	6.64 sq mi (17.19 km2)
• Land	6.64 sq mi (17.19 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,949 ft (594 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	21,360
• Density	3,218.81/sq mi (1,242.84/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97520
Area codes	541 and 458
FIPS code	41-03050[4]
GNIS feature ID	1137318[2]
Website	www.ashland.or.us

Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population was 21,360 at the 2020 census.

The city is the home of Southern Oregon University (SOU) and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). These are important to Ashland's economy, which also depends on restaurants, galleries, and retail stores that cater to tourists. Lithia Park along Ashland Creek, historic buildings, and a paved intercity bike trail provide additional visitor attractions.

Ashland, originally called "Ashland Mills", was named after Ashland County, Ohio, the original home of founder Abel Helman, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other founders had family connections. Ashland has a council-manager government assisted by citizen committees. Historically, its liberal politics have differed, often sharply, with much of the rest of southwest Oregon.