Visitor information center at Rockaway Beach, Oregon

Rockaway Beach, the Tillamook County town with seven miles of sand

ByCorey Lindqvist

Photo: Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Rockaway Beach took its name from the Rockaway resorts in New York and was promoted early in the 20th century as an easy getaway from Portland. The railroad line along Tillamook Bay brought visitors to the beach, and cottages sprang up along the dunes.

The city has about 1,400 year-round residents and a long, flat beach that stretches roughly seven miles. Twin Rocks, a pair of sea stacks just south of town, is its best-known landmark.

What keeps it going

Rockaway’s economy runs mostly on vacation homes and short-term rentals, with a handful of motels, restaurants, candy and gift shops along U.S. 101. Its wayside, with a red caboose that serves as a visitor information center, sits right on the highway in the middle of town. The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad runs excursion trains through on its route between Garibaldi and Wheeler.

Because it is less expensive than Cannon Beach or Manzanita, Rockaway has attracted families and retirees who buy homes they rent out part of the year. That brings in lodging tax revenue, which supports city services and promotion.

The trade-offs

The share of homes that are not full-time residences is high, and that has made housing scarce for workers and families. Local businesses find it hard to keep staff, and some close during the winter. The city has adopted rules for short-term rentals, including permits and caps, and those rules are a recurring subject of debate.

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