Oregon Quarter

The thirty-third state to join the Union, Oregon, is honored with the thirty-third quarter in the 50 State Quarters Program. Oregon joined the Union in February of 1859.

Oregon’s quarter shows part of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world. This lake formed in the crater of a former volcano. The volcano, Mt. Mazama, exploded and then caved in more than 7700 years ago, creating a bowl-shaped crater where water collected. In 1994, scientists found the lake’s water to be clear to 134 feet deep — a record! The main reason that the water is so clear and blue is that it comes from rain and melting snow rather than from streams and rivers.

The scene on Oregon’s quarter also shows Wizard Island, an island of volcanic ash that rises from the lake. Along the rim of the crater, Watchman Peak and Hillman Peak are also depicted, along with some of the trees that grow in the area.

President Theodore Roosevelt established Crater Lake National Park in 1902, which makes it our nation’s sixth-oldest national park. The park provides a home for many animals and plants. It also protects the natural beauty of a place that American Indians from the area have held dear for centuries.

Oregon Facts

Nickname: The Beaver State
Capital: Salem
Statehood: February 14, 1859