Coquille, the seat of Coos County, sits about 15 miles from the coast
Coquille is the seat of Coos County, located about 15 miles from the Oregon Coast along the Coquille River. A mix of older homes and more recent builds sit between dense forests and the river, with easy access to the Pacific Ocean and the larger coastal town of Coos Bay. “Compared to the rest of our area, Coquille is the least expensive in the county,” says Teresa Zamora, a principal broker with eXp Realty, LLC. “You get more for your money, plus it’s warmer. You don’t get as much fog as you do on the coast.”
Older cottages and contemporary, Craftsman-style homes in Coquille
The main residential streets of Coquille are lined with colorful cottages, flowering shrubs and sidewalks. Cottages were largely built between 1900 and 1960, though homes constructed from 1970 onward often resemble the area’s older builds. A few Victorian homes from the late 1800s still stand tall in the community today. These homes range from $115,000 to $500,000, depending on lot size — some properties come with as much as a third or half an acre of land. Recreational vehicles are often parked next to cottages, and backyard sheds provide storage and workspace.
Ranch-style homes constructed between 1960 and 1990 are less common, selling roughly between $300,000 and $350,000. New traditional homes built between the 1980s and the 2010s have strong Craftsman influences, fetching between $515,000 and $530,000. Manufactured homes from the 1990s and the 2010s that cost between $125,000 and $415,000 are also scattered throughout the area.
Salmon fishing, Sturdivant Park, swimming and the Hundred Acre Woods
The Coquille River, a direct tributary of the Pacific Ocean, snakes along the southwestern side of the city. “That’s where they catch salmon,” Zamora says. “Salmon season happens twice a year, and it’s one of the rivers that has [salmon spawning].” Sturdivant Park is nestled in one of the soft bends of the river, with boat and fishing access to the water, as well as a sandy stretch of beach. Once the site of an old mill, the modern-day green space has three baseball diamonds and a horseshoe pit.
The Coquille Pool offers swimming lessons and adult lap swim. On the other side of Coquille, Hundred Acre Wood refers to what is actually 144 acres of Douglas fir, red alder, Myrtle and western hemlock trees. Moss and fern scale sturdy tree trunks that surround the area’s hiking and mountain biking trails. Closer to the center of town, 5th Street Park consists of a large playground, tennis courts and a dog park.
Agriculture and career technical education at Coquille Senior High
Children in Coquille may begin their educational journeys with prekindergarten through first grade at the Lincoln School of Early Learning, which scores a C-plus grade from Niche. They may then move forward to Coquille Valley Elementary School — receiving a B-minus — for grades two through six. Finally, they may conclude their secondary studies at the B-rated Coquille Junior Senior High School, which offers career technical courses, like cosmetology and heavy equipment simulators, as well as an agriculture program. Classes include agricultural mechanics and construction, metal fabrication technology and animal science.
Local restaurants and the Sawdust Theatre are north of Main Street
Main Street traces the crook of the Coquille River, and most of the community’s restaurants and businesses are clustered within a few blocks north of the road. Denny’s Pizza has been serving Coquille since 1977, and Frazier’s Bakery and Restaurant prepares breakfast dishes, espresso drinks and burgers. The bakery’s assortment of pies, cookies and cakes is divided into multiple glass display cases. Gourmet burgers, sandwiches and melts are on the menu at Coquille Broiler, which has pool tables under black-and-white photographs and vintage liquor advertisements. A Safeway is nearby for groceries.
Amidst the restaurants, the Sawdust Theatre puts on over-the-top melodramas with Vaudeville-esque olios and an all-volunteer cast.
Connections to Myrtle Point, Bandon, North Bend and a regional airport
Main Street continues outside of the community and becomes the Coos Bay-Roseburg Highway, or Oregon state Route 42. It passes through Myrtle Point south of Coquille. To the north, it merges with U.S. Route 101, which leads to Coos Bay — about 17 miles away — and follows the entirety of the Oregon coast. Coquille-Bandon Highway, also known as Oregon state Route 425, travels west to the seaside community of Bandon and its rocky beaches.
The Timber Express bus, maintained by Coos County Area Transit, takes passengers from North Bend through Coquille to Myrtle Point and back. The Southwest Oregon Regional Airport, which is about 22 miles away, offers connecting flights to San Francisco and Denver.
