County outline
Where Lincoln County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 82.1% of Lincoln County’s measured area and water for 17.9%. Its combined area converts to 3,093.9 square kilometers or approximately 764,514 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 980.989 | 2,540.75 | 627,833 |
| Water | 213.564 | 553.128 | 136,681 |
| Total | 1,194.553 | 3,093.878 | 764,513.9 |
How Lincoln County compares
By original Census land area, Lincoln County ranks #27 of 36 in Oregon and #705 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.537 times the Oregon county-equivalent median of 1,826.2 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Oregon ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Lincoln County
The Census Bureau estimates that 50,636 people lived in Lincoln County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,017 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #18 of 36 in Oregon. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 50,402, the population has grown by 234 (+0.5%), compared with +0.9% for Oregon as a whole.
With 981 square miles of land, that is 52 people per square mile (20 per km²), placing Lincoln County #1,517 nationally for density and #14 in Oregon. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Oregon median is 25. Put another way, there are about 12 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 50,509 | 51,019 | 50,747 | 50,811 | 50,753 | 50,636 |
| Change | — | +510 | −272 | +64 | −58 | −117 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
7 incorporated places lie at least partly in Lincoln County. Together they are home to 30,000 people (59.2%); the other 20,636 (40.8%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Newport city, with 10,383 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Lincoln City city grew fastest since then (+3.1%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport cityCounty seat | 10,383 | +1.3% | 9.976 |
| Lincoln City city | 10,117 | +3.1% | 6.05 |
| Toledo city | 3,473 | −2.1% | 2.223 |
| Waldport city | 2,268 | −0.1% | 3.079 |
| Depoe Bay city | 1,533 | +1.6% | 1.811 |
| Siletz city | 1,213 | −1.9% | 0.63 |
| Yachats city | 1,013 | +1.6% | 0.911 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Lincoln County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Lincoln County is a central county of the Newport, OR Micropolitan Statistical Area. Lincoln County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 981 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #186 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #219 by population.
ZIP codes
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lincoln County; 16 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
973249732697341973439735797364973659736697367973689736997376973809738897390973919739497498
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Lincoln County
Lincoln County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Lane County (4,554.1 mi²) and the smallest is Benton County (675.2 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Lincoln County forms a block of 8,054.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Lincoln | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane County | 4,554.1 | 4.6× larger | Compare |
| Tillamook County | 1,103.2 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Polk County | 740.9 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Benton County | 675.2 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Lincoln County compared with U.S. states?
Lincoln County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.1 times as much. Oregon’s county land could hold about 98 areas the size of Lincoln County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 31.3 miles (50.4 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Lincoln County?
Lincoln County has more land than 2,517 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Lincoln County at #593 nationally by total area, 112 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 17.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 16.7 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Lincoln County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #704 | Faulk County, South Dakota | 981.7 | Compare |
| #705 | Lincoln County, Oregon | 981 | This county |
| #706 | McKean County, Pennsylvania | 979.7 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 44.641061, -123.911212. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,540,749,692 m²; AWATER: 553,128,963 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Lincoln County?
Lincoln County, Oregon has 981 square miles (2,540.7 km²) of land and 213.6 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,194.6 square miles. It ranks #705 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Lincoln County the largest county in Oregon?
No. Lincoln County ranks #27 of 36 in Oregon by land area. The largest is Harney County, with 10,134.5 square miles of land.
What counties border Lincoln County?
Lincoln County shares a land border with Benton County, Polk County, Lane County, and Tillamook County.
What is the population of Lincoln County?
The Census Bureau estimates Lincoln County had 50,636 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,017 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 52 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
The county seat of Lincoln County is Newport.
What cities and towns are in Lincoln County?
Lincoln County has 7 incorporated places. The most populous five are Newport city, Lincoln City city, Toledo city, Waldport city, and Depoe Bay city; 20,636 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Lincoln County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Newport, OR Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Lincoln County?
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Lincoln County, and 16 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Lincoln County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Lincoln County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 627,833 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 764,514 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.