Cannon Beach, Oregon - Cannon Beach, OR - Coastal Town near Portland Boasts of Natural Wonders

Cannon Beach, Oregon is a town of approximately 2,000 people located between the Pacific Coast and the state's Coastal Mountains. It is just northwest of Portland. The town itself covers less than 2 square miles of territory.

87% of the residents are Anglo and about 10% are Latino in origin. More than 53% of the inhabitants are female.

Of the total of 1,660 housing units here, 716 of them are occupied and 436 of those are lived in by their owners while 289 are rented out.

There are nine miles of flat beach on the coastal side of this small city. Haystack Rock is found here; it is the third biggest natural coastal monolith on the planet, standing 235 ft. tall, formed of basalt. This giant-sized volcanic rock is within the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge which is also designated as a Natural Wilderness Area.

Stretching out from this rock's base for the length of 3 football fields is what is called a Marine Garden, which has boundaries between the highest and lowest tide lines. The tide pools in this garden fill with anemones, sea stars, crabs and other aquatic creatures. These creatures are protected and no shell collecting whatsoever is permitted here.

Above the beach, more than 2,000 birds nest on Haystack rock annually, including the Tufted Puffin.

Ecola State Park begins here and there are trails from the water up through the forests of the park where, eventually, a hiker can turn back and get the broad view of all of Cannon Beach. There are shorter and longer trails right in the Cannon Beach area of this park. This park is open only in the day.

There is no camping permitted in the park area. There is 1 campground and 2 RV camping sites located in Cannon Beach or its immediate surroundings.

The town of Cannon Beach, Oregon is known for its crafts and galleries in addition to its surroundings. There are several bookstores, shops and small eateries.

Hemlock Street is the main commercial area in town and there are numerous benches interspersed among the shops. The town is separated into 3 sections; moving from north to south, they are downtown, mid-town and Tolvana Park. There is a library and 2 post offices are in this town. The economy here is based on tourism.

The town took its name after an 1846 incident when the Shark, a US Navy schooner trying to leave the Columbia River, was wrecked and a piece of the ship's deck with cannon washed up here. Hence, the name Cannon Beach was chosen by local residents. The town was incorporated in 1955. Previously the town had been called Ecola (derived from the Salish word for "Whale'') and also Elk Creek.

The cost of living in Cannon Beach, Oregon is slightly above the national average. The median household income is less than $1,000 above the statewide median income.