Oregon Genealogy Search

Oregon family history begins with the Oregon Trail migrations of the 1840s and the Donation Land Claims of 1850 to 1855, whose files name each settler, spouse, marriage date and place, and birthplace, making them the best early record in the Northwest. The Oregon State Archives in Salem holds the provisional and territorial records, the county records of 36 counties on microfilm and the Oregon Historical Records Index, a free online index to births, deaths, marriages, probate and naturalization records. Statewide vital registration began in 1903.

Oregon took territorial and state censuses in 1845, 1849, 1850, 1853 to 1859, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1885, 1895 and 1905, most for only some counties, and the Archives holds them.

Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.

Oregon statewide genealogy links

• Oregon State ArchivesHistorical Records Index
• Oregon Adoption Research
• Oregon Land Records
• Oregon Census Records
• Oregon Naturalization Records
• Oregon Probate Records
• OrgGenWeb Home PageSearch the State GenWeb Site
• University of Oregon Library SystemLibrary Genealogical Resources

Oregon began statewide birth and death registration in 1903, with Portland keeping records from the 1860s, and the Oregon Health Authority's Center for Health Statistics in Portland holds the certificates. Birth records become public after 100 years and death records after 50, and the State Archives holds the public ones with the Oregon Historical Records Index, which also covers the Oregon death index from 1903 to 1970 and marriage records from each county's founding. Marriage records are held by the county clerk, and divorce records sit with the circuit court clerk.

• Oregon Center for Health StatisticsBirth, death, marriage and divorce certificates from 1903
• Oregon Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public

The State Archives holds the Donation Land Claim files with an index, the provisional and territorial government records from 1843, the territorial and state censuses, Oregon's Indian Wars, Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I service records, the Oregon State Penitentiary registers, county records on microfilm and naturalization records from the county courts. The Oregon Historical Society in Portland holds manuscripts, the pioneer biography files and photographs. Federal land patents for Oregon are at the General Land Office site, and the National Archives at Seattle holds Oregon's federal court, land office and Bureau of Indian Affairs records.

• Oregon State ArchivesDonation Land Claims, territorial records, censuses and county records
• National Archives at SeattleFederal court, land and Indian agency records for Oregon

Oregon county clerks hold deeds, mortgages and marriage records from each county's founding, and circuit court clerks hold probate, divorce and civil files, with the State Archives holding older probate and circuit court records for many counties and posting the indexes. Most county clerks post online deed indexes. Oregon's 36 counties formed from the original four districts of 1843, so early records for a family in Lane or Jackson county sit in the books of Linn or the provisional government.

• Oregon County Public RecordsCounty clerks and circuit courts for all 36 counties
• Oregon Court RecordsOregon eCourt case information and probate records

• National Archives, genealogyCensus, military, immigration and land records
• Library of Congress, genealogy guidesResearch guides for family history