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Oregon · Rogue Valley · Southern Oregon · #325 Most Populous County in the US
Jackson County, Oregon
Medford, Ashland, and the Rogue Valley - the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Crater Lake's western gateway, Rogue Valley wine country, and the warm, dry climate that has made southern Oregon one of the most appealing destinations for California retirees and remote workers. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Jackson County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Jackson County Emergency Management – 10 S Oakdale Ave, Room 214, Medford, OR 97501 | (541) 774-6821; responsible for mitigation, preparedness, response coordination, and recovery; part of the County Administrator’s Office. Sign up for alerts via “Jackson Alerts” at Ready Jackson.
911/Dispatch: Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (ECSO 911) – Medford, OR | Non-emergency: (541) 776-7206 | Burn Line: (541) 776-7007; a combined PSAP serving all of Jackson County (2,800 sq mi, ~224,000 residents), the Rogue Valley, and Crater Lake National Park, dispatching for over 30 agencies.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-5 and OR-99/62 serve Medford, the county seat and largest city, in southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
Notes: Jackson County, established January 12, 1852 and named for President Andrew Jackson, has 11 incorporated cities including Ashland, Medford, Central Point, and Jacksonville.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jackson County Development Services – confirm current phone via jacksoncountyor.gov.
Notes: Ashland is genuinely, nationally significant as the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), founded 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer, a teacher at what is now Southern Oregon University. OSF grew from a three-day, two-play festival into one of the largest nonprofit regional theatres in the U.S., presenting 800-850 performances annually across three stages (including the outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre) to a total audience approaching 400,000 people a year; it received the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1983 and welcomed its 20-millionth visitor in 2015. Ashland itself began as “Ashland Mills” (1855), supplying gold-rush travelers headed to nearby Table Rock City (now Jacksonville).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jackson County Veteran Services Office – 140 S. Holly Street, 2nd Floor, Medford, OR 97501 | (541) 774-8214 | Fax: (541) 774-8177 | [email protected] | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-12 PM & 1-5 PM (closed 12-1 PM for lunch); by appointment for most services, walk-in for simple issues; Manager/CVSO Rebecca Ward.
Community: Rogue Valley Veterans & Community Outreach (RVVCO) – 601 N Grape St, Medford, OR 97501 | (541) 779-8564; founded 1979, offers free counseling for combat veterans.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Jackson County Library Services (JCLS) – multiple branches including the Ashland Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR 97520; hosts regular community lecture series (e.g., “Windows in Time”) in partnership with the Southern Oregon Historical Society.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival campus (Ashland) and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are the county’s premier cultural and natural attractions.
Notes: The genuine Oregon Shakespeare Festival heritage – a nationally recognized, Tony Award-winning regional theatre – is one of the most culturally significant facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jackson County Assessor – confirm current phone via jacksoncountyor.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
County: Jackson County Animal Services – Shelter: (541) 774-6654 | Enforcement: (541) 774-6655 | Lost/Found Pet: (541) 774-6654; offers a free ride-home program for licensed pets found loose.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jackson County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via jacksoncountyor.gov.
NOTES: Jackson County is the first county in the Oregon v2 redo’s third batch (Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln). The genuine Oregon Shakespeare Festival heritage – one of the largest and most respected regional theatres in the United States – is one of the most culturally significant facts covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Jackson County
Heritage | Ashland is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the oldest and largest professional theater festivals in the country, drawing hundreds of thousands of theater-goers annually since its 1935 founding, while Medford has grown into the commercial hub of southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley; Jackson County’s fertile valley has long supported pear orchards and, increasingly, vineyards Outdoors | Crater Lake National Park’s southern approach lies within the county, offering access to the deepest lake in the United States, while the Rogue River provides whitewater rafting and fishing throughout the valley Notable | The Oregon Shakespeare Festival remains one of the premier theater destinations in the country, and Crater Lake’s striking blue waters draw visitors from around the world to its dramatic volcanic caldera Library | Jackson County Library Services operates numerous branches serving Medford, Ashland, and the surrounding Rogue Valley communities
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
10 South Oakdale Ave, Medford, OR 97501
(541) 774-6152
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jackson County Circuit Court, Medford (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The former 1883 Jackson County Courthouse in Jacksonville once served as the Southern Oregon Historical Society Museum – a significant regional historical resource.
Local societies
Southern Oregon Historical Society confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Jackson County Circuit Court, Justice Building 100 South Oakdale Avenue, Medford, OR 97501 (541) 776-7171
Jackson County was founded January 12, 1852, named for Andrew Jackson, in southwestern Oregon, seated in Medford – Oregon’s 6th most populous county with over 220,000 residents. The 1932 Art Deco Jackson County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the county seat moved from Jacksonville to Medford in 1926.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Oregon has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own independent probate code under ORS Chapters 111 through 117. Probate is handled in the probate department of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent lived (ORS 111.085). Oregon does not offer a separate unsupervised/informal probate track – its “simple estate” process and formal administration are the two paths.
Simple Estate Affidavit (ORS 114.505–114.560) – available when the total fair market value of the estate is $275,000 or less, made up of no more than $75,000 in personal property and no more than $200,000 in real property. The affidavit (“Affidavit of Claiming Successor”) cannot be filed until at least 30 days after death and must be filed with the clerk of the probate court. It requires a detailed asset description, a list of known creditors, and notice that claims are barred unless presented within 4 months of filing.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates that exceed the simple estate limits or don’t otherwise qualify. A personal representative is appointed by the court and administers the estate under ongoing court oversight.
Step 2: filing for administration
A petition for probate is filed in the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent resided (or, for simple estates, an Affidavit of Claiming Successor is filed with the probate clerk at least 30 days after death).
If a will exists, it’s filed with the petition or affidavit.
For full administration, the court appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice is given to heirs, devisees, and creditors; claims against the estate must generally be presented within the statutory period.
The personal representative (or affiant, for simple estates) inventories assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains according to the will or Oregon’s intestacy laws.
Full administration closes once a final account is filed and approved by the court; simple estates close once assets are distributed and any required notices are filed.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Jackson County directly for current fees.
Oregon imposes a state estate tax on estates exceeding approximately $1,000,000, with rates ranging from 10% to 16%. No state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
5179 Crater Lake Hwy, Central Point, OR 97502
(541) 774-6800
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1101 West Main St, Medford, OR 97501
(541) 774-6148
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health and Human Services
140 South Holly St, Medford, OR 97501
(541) 774-8200
Department of Human Services
5 South Central Ave, Medford, OR 97501
(541) 776-6120
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Jackson County Health & Human Services – confirm current contact via jacksoncountyor.gov.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Medford
Population: 223,000
Area: 2,801 mi²
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Jackson County facilities via Amazon.
