National Oregon Day Date in the current year: March 8, 2025

Oregon is a state in the Western United States, bordered by Washington State, Idaho, California, and Nevada. Its nickname, The Beaver State, originated in the early 19th century, when fur hats were in fashion and Oregon’s streams were a major source of beaver pelts. The beaver is also the official state animal of Oregon and is featured on the state flag.

Before the first European explorers arrived in the region, the land now known as Oregon was home to numerous Native American tribes, including the Chinook, Coquille, Bannock, Kalapuya, Klamath, Klickitat, Molala, Nez Perce, Shasta, Takelma, Umatilla, and Umpqua.

Spanish explorers reached the west coast of North America as early as the 16th century, but most ships bypassed present-day Oregon and sailed directly to Cape Mendocino in California. Among the first Europeans to explore the Oregon Coast were the Spaniards Juan José Pérez Hernández in 1774 and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra with Bruno de Heceta in 1775.

In 1778, the British explorer James Cook mapped the coast in search of the Northwest Passage. By the late 18th century, ships from several nations arrived in the Pacific Northwest for the fur trade. In 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition established a winter fort near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Throughout the early 19th century, both the United States and Britain claimed the region, disregarding Indigenous land rights. Under the Anglo-American Convention of 1818, the two nations agreed to “joint occupation” and established a provisional boundary along the 49th parallel north.

James K. Polk, inaugurated as the 11th U.S. president in 1845, supported expansionism and initially favored extending U.S. territory to 54°40′. Some Americans even urged war with Great Britain over the issue, but Polk recognized that the U.S. was not in a position to fight. Britain also wanted to avoid conflict, which led to negotiations.

On June 15, 1846, the United States and Great Britain signed the Oregon Treaty, finalizing the border at the 49th parallel north. The U.S. gained the southern portion of the disputed region, which was organized as the Oregon Territory in 1848.

The new territory included present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. In 1853, part of it was carved off to form Washington Territory. Oregon voters approved a state constitution in November 1857, fulfilling a key requirement for statehood. Oregon officially joined the Union as the 33rd state on February 14, 1859, although news of its admission did not reach the state until March 15.

In 2017, National Day Calendar introduced National State Days to celebrate the diverse cultures and histories of all 50 states in the order they joined the Union. Celebrations begin on July 13 with National Delaware Day, and then occur every week except for the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. In this cycle, National Oregon Day falls on March 8.

National Oregon Day should not be confused with Oregon Statehood Day. The latter is celebrated on February 14 to commemorate the actual anniversary of Oregon’s statehood.