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Lincoln City is a coastal city of approximately 9,815 residents on the Central Oregon Coast, formed in 1965 by merging five communities: Oceanlake, Taft, Cutler City, Nelscott, and Delake. It stretches along 7.5 miles of beach and is known for its kite festivals and glass-float program. This page aggregates publicly available facts about the community, current real estate market data from RMLS®, and active property listings.
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Searching in: Lincoln City, OR
Facts about Lincoln City compiled from official and public sources. Each data point shows its vintage (when the source published it) so you know what you’re looking at.
Formed in 1965 by merging 5 coastal communities
2020 Decennial Census ·
Newport is county seat
Formed from Oceanlake, Taft, Cutler City, Nelscott, Delake
Single ZIP covers the city
Low-lying coastal plain; hills rise inland
Substantial vacation-home share reflects resort heritage
2020 Census / 2023 ACS ·
Significant seasonal / second-home presence
2020 Census ·
Older than Oregon statewide median
2020 Census ·
Via OR-99W + OR-18 · typically ~2 hours drive
Countywide district; Taft 7-12, Taft Elementary, Oceanlake Elementary
2020 Census ·
25-bed critical access · Level IV trauma · new 2020 facility
Current ·
~85 mi east · local Siletz Bay State (S45) near city
Current ·
Wet — 76" annual precipitation · mild year-round temperatures
Tourism-driven economy; hospitality, retail, healthcare
2023 ACS 5-year ·
One of the longest continuous beaches on the Oregon Coast
Oregon Beach Bill (1967) ·
D River is one of world's shortest rivers; Devils Lake SP
Lincoln City is the second-largest Central Coast real-estate market after Newport, with a housing stock of approximately 6,650 units along 7.5 miles of beach. Because the city was formed in 1965 from five pre-existing communities — Oceanlake (north), Delake, Nelscott, Taft, and Cutler City (south) — the housing character varies meaningfully by district: mid-century cottages dominate Nelscott and Taft; newer construction concentrates in Oceanlake; and Devils Lake offers a separate freshwater-lakefront submarket.
The city supports a blend of year-round residents and vacation-home owners — the resort and tourism economy (hospitality, retail, outlet shopping, gaming at Chinook Winds) provides steady employment, while the long beach and proximity to Portland (only 85 miles) make it one of the most accessible second-home markets on the Oregon Coast.
Market prices and inventory shift quarter-to-quarter based on regional rates and migration trends. The market snapshot at right uses live RMLS® data via our MLS integration rather than static figures that could go stale.
Note: Market statistics activate with our MLS integration and refresh automatically from RMLS® data. The housing units figure (6,650) is from the 2023 ACS 5-year estimate and will remain static until revised.
Lincoln City was formed in 1965 by merging five separate communities, and its informal neighborhoods still reflect that history. Descriptions reflect location only; price ranges populate from live RMLS® data via our MLS integration.
Historic district between Delake and Taft, known for the Nelscott Reef surf break. Mix of mid-century cottages, older ocean-view homes, and recent infill.
Southern Lincoln City along Siletz Bay. Taft has a historic downtown; Cutler City sits on the bay’s east shore. Mix of bay-view and ocean-view single-family homes.
Distances are approximate driving distances from central Lincoln City. The Central Coast forms a chain of small coastal cities along US-101 sharing Lincoln County School District and Samaritan Health Services.
Quick answers about Lincoln City, each backed by an authoritative source. For questions specific to a particular property or listing, call (800) 256-9702 to reach a licensed Oregon broker.
Lincoln City had a population of 9,815 residents as recorded in the 2020 Decennial Census. The city stretches along 7.5 miles of beach — one of the longest continuous beaches on the Oregon Coast.
Lincoln City was officially incorporated on February 24, 1965, per the Oregon Blue Book. The city was formed by merging five pre-existing communities: Oceanlake, Delake, Nelscott, Taft, and Cutler City. The name was chosen from contest entries submitted by local schoolchildren, after Lincoln County was judged less controversial than any of the five community names.
Lincoln City is approximately 85 miles west of Portland — the closest Central Oregon Coast city to Portland. Typical drive time is roughly 2 hours, most commonly via OR-99W through Sherwood and Newberg, then OR-18 through the Coast Range to Otis.
Lincoln City students attend schools in the Lincoln County School District, a countywide district. In-city schools include Taft 7-12 (combined middle and high school), Taft Elementary, and Oceanlake Elementary.
Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital is located within Lincoln City, a 25-bed critical access hospital with a Level IV trauma designation. A new hospital facility was constructed just east of the old hospital in 2020. It is part of the five-hospital Samaritan Health Services system headquartered in Corvallis.
The D River runs for approximately 120 feet from Devils Lake to the Pacific Ocean through Lincoln City’s D River State Recreation Site. For decades Ripley’s Believe It or Not listed it as the world’s shortest river; today the title is contested but the D River remains one of the shortest named rivers on Earth. It is also the site of Lincoln City’s two annual kite festivals (June and October).
The Finders Keepers glass float program, run by Explore Lincoln City, hides hand-blown glass floats along the city’s 7.5 miles of beach from mid-October through Memorial Day each year. Beachgoers who find a float during that window are welcome to keep it. The program has run since 1997 and is one of the city’s signature tourism traditions.
Yes. The entire Oregon shoreline, including Lincoln City’s 7.5-mile beach, is public up to the high-tide line under the Oregon Beach Bill (1967). The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages the beaches.
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