About Yachats

Yachats nestles on a gentle slope facing the Pacific Ocean on Oregon's central coast. Surrounded by verdant forest on the east, crashing waves on the west and seven miles of pristine, sandy beach to the north, Yachats is often compared to picturesque Carmel.

Pronounced "Yah-hots", Yachats is a small Oregon coastal community with a population of about 620, with about 60% of the residents being actively retired. Located midway between Florence (population 5000) and Newport (population 9000), tourism plays a strong role in the local economy. There are numerous successful motels, restaurants, art galleries, stores and shops.

The U.S. Forest Service describes the weather of the central Oregon coast as a "temperate rain forest," which means the countryside stays green and beautiful year-around. The area enjoys 60-80 inches on annual rainfall, yet has more than 250 days when the sun will shine. Ocean breezes keep the air fresh and clean, and the temperature remains moderate all year, seldom above 75 in the summer or below 32 in the winter.

Yachats is an incorporated city managed by an elected volunteer city council and mayor, with four advisory commissions: streets, parks, public works, and planning. There are five city employees who staff the office and maintain the streets and water/sewer systems.

Yachats has a rural health clinic. In Waldport there are three family practice doctors, three dentists, two chiropractors, and an eye clinic, with both Florence and Newport providing excellent multi-bed hospital facilities. South Lincoln ambulance is based in Yachats, with two emergency vehicles fully equipped and staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians trained in modern life-saving techniques. There is a local volunteer fire department which is well-trained and equipped with two fire trucks.

The old grade school is now a city-owned community center (called the Yachats Commons) which provides facilities for city meetings, community meetings, and other activities such as the annual Smelt Fry and the springtime Arts & Crafts Fair.

Yachats has both Baptist and Presbyterian churches in town, with Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Mormon, and others in Waldport. School children travel by bus to Waldport for grades K-12. The nearest full-time colleges are located in Corvallis and Eugene, about two hours away by car. There are also a variety of classes offered nearby by the Oregon Coast Community College. The community boasts an excellent public library