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Cave Junction, Oregon
Cave Junction is a city of 1,691 people in Josephine County, Oregon, founded in 1948.
Why visit Cave Junction
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 18 places to eat and 5 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Southern Oregon Bigfoot Experience and Great Cats World Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Cave Junction
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cave Junction
Cave Junction is a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redwood Highway (U.S. Route 199) and Caves Highway (Oregon Route 46). As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,071. Following World War II, timber became the main source of income for residents.
From the Wikipedia article Cave Junction, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes18
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop
115 North Redwood Highway, Cave Junction
Mo-Th 05:00-22:30; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:30; Su 05:00-22:30
Trillium Bakery
Restaurant · Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Donut
Mo-Fr 07:30-14:30; Sa-Su 08:00-15:00
6 more on the map.
Where to stay5
History
For thousands of years, the Takelma Indians inhabited the Illinois Valley. Their culture was destroyed when gold was discovered in the early 1850s, causing the subsequent Rogue River Wars. After an 1853 treaty, most of the Takelmas lived on the Table Rock Reservation. In 1856, after the wars ended, they were forcibly removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation and the Siletz Reservation.
The first gold in Oregon history was found in the Illinois Valley, as well as the largest gold nugget (17 lb or 7.7 kg). In 1904, more than 50 years after prospectors had started combing the valley for gold, an 18-year-old named Ray Briggs discovered what newspapers at the time called "the most wonderful gold discovery ever reported in Oregon history." While hunting along Sucker Creek, he discovered gold lying on the ground. He staked a claim and called it the "Wounded Buck Mine," which produced 1,777 ounces (50.4 kg) of gold. The "mine" was a small vein of gold 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) wide, 12 feet (3.7 m) long and 7 feet (2.1 m) deep.
From the History section of Cave Junction, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.4 mi
592 West Madison Street, Burns
Saint Patrick of the Forest Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic
407 West River Street, Cave Junction
Saint Matthias Episcopal Church
Church · Anglican · 0.4 mi
25904 Redwood Highway, Cave Junction
Shopping7
Illinois Valley Building & Feed Supply
Shopping center · 0.6 mi
434 Caves Highway, Cave Junction
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Kalmiopsis Community Arts High School
School · 0.6 mi
341 E Cottage Park Dr Ste 2, Cave Junction
Healthcare1
Sisikyou Community Health Center - Cave Junction
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
25647 Redwood Highway, Cave Junction
Map of Cave Junction
50 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 32°F | 11.4 in | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 33°F | 8.5 in | 1.2 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 34°F | 8.6 in | 1.5 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 37°F | 4.1 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 76°F | 42°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 46°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 52°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 49°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 44°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 39°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 36°F | 8.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 33°F | 12.9 in | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cave Junction 1 Wnw (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Josephine County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-08-14: Fielder Mountain Fire (Fire)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2020-09-15: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2020-09-10: Slater Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Grants Pass Airport (GTP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- O'Brien 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Selma 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Grants Pass 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Fort Dick 34 mi southwest, about 54 min by car
- Bertsch-Oceanview 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Central Point 40 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Crescent City 40 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Medford 42 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- White City 46 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ashland 49 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cave Junction, Oregon 1, Peregrine Fisher, Public domain
- SouthWest POINT - Cave Junction (49497264168), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- SouthWest POINT - Cave Junction (49497263993), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside (50997365001), BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain
- JCT Bus arriving at CJ (51142277582), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- Gnophaela latipennis 204521396, John Hibbard, CC BY 4.0
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