If you’re into ocean sport-fishing, scuba diving, whale-watching or just enjoying ocean sunsets, Coos Bay gives you much to choose from. The dramatic rocky coastline dips and soars above the always-changing Pacific Ocean, and its many coves and promontories dazzle visitors with panoramic views, fiery sunsets and tide pools teeming with life. A short drive in either direction will take you to historic lighthouses, vantage points perfect for watching whales and the area’s many other marine mammals, fascinating estuaries and a stunning expanse of wind-sculpted sand dunes.

In addition to beautiful views and shelter from Pacific storms, the bay offers residents and visitors excellent fishing, crabbing and clamming. The name, derived from one of the area's Native American tribes, means lake or place of pines, and indeed you’ll find massive stands of old-growth forest here, too. Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille Indians lived in the area for thousands of years before European settlers arrived in the early 1800s. J.C. Tolman of the Coos Bay Co. founded the busy port in 1854, and it quickly became a thriving shipping and commercial center.

Today Coos Bay still holds much of its early coastal-frontier character. A walking tour of the central district showcases many turn-of-the-century homes, businesses and public buildings, and the waterfront remains a hub of commerce and leisure. The city is also home to Southwestern Oregon Community College and the University of Oregon’s Marine Biology Institute, offering diverse educational opportunities and a rich program of events, many of which are open to the community.