The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is located in southwestern Oregon near North Bend, Eastside, and Charleston, all of which lie on the shores of Oregon’s Coos Bay. The Port of Coos Bay is the biggest harbor between San Francisco and Washington’s Puget Sound, and it is Oregon’s second largest center for maritime commerce.

Some say that Sir Francis Drake found shelter in the Port of Coos Bay in 1579. But when fur trappers first visited the area in the early 19th Century, they found a confederation of indigenous peoples that included the Coos, Siuslaw, and Lower Umpqua peoples.

J. C. Tolman first settled the area in 1854, establishing the village of Marshfield there. With a sheltered harbor amid great forests, the city soon became an important lumber-shipping port, and the shipbuilding industry sprang up quickly. Mansfield was renamed Coos Bay in 1944.

The first automobile arrived in the Port of Coos Bay in 1908, traveling over the Coos Bay Wagon Road. In 1916, the Southern Pacific Railroad came to town, linking the town to Eugene and the west coast. Life progressed smoothly for the community throughout the 20th Century, and by 2007, almost 16 thousand people called it home.

The 21st Century brought tragedy to the Port of Coos Bay. In 1999, the Japanese ship New Carissa ran aground three miles north of the mouth of Coos Bay, spilling 70 thousand gallons of fuel oil. The stern of the ship still lies on the beach. Then in 2002, three Port of Coos Bay firefighters were killed when the roof of a burning auto body shop collapsed.

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay is linked to the Pacific Ocean by a 15-mile, 37-foot deep channel that connects it to international and domestic markets. As a designated State Port, the Port of Coos Bay is governed by a Governor-appointed Board of Commissioners who are residents of the Port District. In 2006, the Port of Coos Bay handled 1.5 million tons in foreign cargo and 451 TEUs of containerized cargo.

The Cape Arago Dock is a utility or work dock with one 500-foot berth with 20-foot draft. D.B. Western, Inc. operates a terminal for vessel repair and construction with one 200-foot berth with 20-foot draft and a 140-foot wharf. Tyree Oil, Inc. operates a terminal for receiving petroleum products and offering barge moorage. It offers one 380-foot berth with 28-foot draft and a 200-foot wharf. Its storage tank farm has a capacity for 70 thousand barrels.

The Oregon Chip Terminal is a private terminal for outbound wood chips. It has one 1000-foot berth with 37-foot draft and 5 acres of open storage. The Bayshore Dock is a private utility/work dock with one 700-foot berth with 30-foot draft, 2.5 acres of storage, and access to adjacent rail line. The Port of Coos Bay Utility/Work Dock, also called the Citrus Dock, is operated by Oregon International Port of Coos Bay. It offers two dolphins with 200 feet berthing space at 20-feet deep and 140-feet of wharf.

The Dolphin Terminal, for in-water loading of outbound logs, has one 750-foot berth with 36-foot draft, a 60-foot dock, and 140-foot floating pier. The US Army Corps of Engineers has moorage at the Port of Coos Bay used as a utility or work dock and for moorage of US government vessels. It has a 350-foot berth, a 125-foot fixed dock, and a 100-foot floating dock with 25-foot draft. Pierce Terminal is a private terminal receiving inbound dry bulk cargo. It has a 600-foot berth with 36-foot draft, storage, and rail siding.

Georgia-Pacific West operates a chip terminal for outbound wood chips. The Coastal Fibre Barge Moorage is used for loading barges with wood chips. It has a 445-foot berth. The Knutson Log Yard Moorage is used for unloading landside inbound logs. It has one 500-foot berth.

Foreign Trade Zone No. 132 contains several facilities. The North Bay Marine Industrial Park, operated by the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, offers developed industrial and marine sites. The Southport Forest Products Sawmill & Barge Facility is a deadload barge slip with capacity for 11 thousand pounds per square foot. It contains one 420 berth with five-foot depth.

Roseburg Forest Products operates the chip terminal used for outbound wood chips. It has one 1000-foot berth with 38-foot depth and a 260-foot wharf. The chip terminal has over 25 acres of storage and is linked to rail and truck. Ocean Terminals Co. operates a terminal for inbound and outbound logs. The terminal has one 750-foot berth with 38-foot draft and a 408-foot wharf. It offers 34 acres of fenced storage and access to rail connections.

The Port of Coos Bay Docks are used for breakbulk general cargo, mainly forest products. The terminal has two berths of 1,326 feet with 37-foot draft. The terminal contains 20 acres of covered dry storage and rail siding.

The Port of Coos Bay is a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Located within the Siuslaw National Forest, the popular Oregon Dunes recreational area is just a few minutes north of the Bay offering off-road vehicles trails and open riding areas like nowhere else. Containing both tall hills and flat areas, riding experiences are unlimited. The Dunes are particularly popular for riders on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

You’ll also find some beautiful beaches at the Port of Coos Bay, including Bastendorff Beach, Sunset Beach, and Horsefall Beach. Don’t miss Cape Blanco Lookout and the Shore Acre Gardens while you’re there.