[8] Prior to Europeans first visiting the Oregon coast, Native American tribes claimed the Coos Bay region as their homeland for thousands of years.

[9] In 1579, Sir Francis Drake was purported to have sought shelter for his ship, the Golden Hinde, around Cape Arago.

[10][11] Trader and explorer Jedediah Smith was in the region seeking furs, and the Hudson's Bay Company sent Alexander Roderick McLeod to search for an inland passage.

[9] The earliest settlement of European Americans in the area was in January 1852 when survivors of the Captain Lincoln shipwreck established Camp Castaway until they and their cargo could be fully rescued.

[12][13] There has been a permanent settlement on Coos Bay since 1853, when the town of Marshfield was founded there and named after the Massachusetts hometown of its founder, J. C.

On September 18, 1902, the only lynching ever to be documented in Oregon occurred in Coos Bay, of Alonzo Tucker, an African-American man.

The mob considering hanging him inside the store but decided to return him to the site of the alleged rape at a nearby bridge.

[16] Tucker was shot twice and then hanged from the 7th Street bridge, which spanned present-day Golden Field, where high school soccer games are now held.

No charges were ever brought against the mob, as officials determined "the deceased came to his death at the hands of parties unknown while resisting arrest for a felony, and that no crime was committed thereby.

"[17] Despite this claim that those in the mob were unknown, the participation of multiple people, including the husband of the alleged rape victim, was noted in local newspapers.

One newspaper at that time reported the mob was "quiet and orderly" and another paper wrote, "'Well done' is the consensus of public opinion.

[18][19] According to the coroner's report, cause of death was blood loss from the gunshot wound in Tucker's right thigh, in which case he died before being hanged on the Marshfield bridge.

[20] Prior to around 1915, the Coos region was largely isolated from the rest of Oregon due to difficulties in crossing the Coast Range and fording rivers, and the Pacific Ocean was used to link people to other areas, including San Francisco, which was an easier two-day trip compared to traveling inland over rugged terrain.

[9] Per the Oregon Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, during the 1930s to 1950s: Shipyards contracted with the U.S. Government to build minesweepers and rescue tugs for World War II defense purposes.

[22] On February 4, 1999, a Japanese ship named the New Carissa ran aground on a beach 2.75 miles (4.3 km) north of the entrance to Coos Bay, drawing international attention to the area.

The New Carissa was empty of cargo at the time, heading for the Port of Coos Bay to pick up wood chips.

The subsequent US Coast Guard investigation found several other aspects of the ship's company's handling of the situation to have been poor, leading to the conclusion that human error caused the grounding.

The explosives, the heat from the burning oil and the beating of the Pacific Ocean on the ship are what eventually caused the New Carissa to break in two.

[24] The consolidation had been proposed to provide an equal share of services across the Bay Area and retain more tax revenue from major employers in the county.

[27] The worst loss of life for a fire department in modern Oregon history occurred in Coos Bay on November 25, 2002, when three firefighters were killed by a structural failure of the roof in an auto parts store.

Old Marshfield and its surrounding neighborhoods were what comprised the original Coos Bay before the annexations of Empire and Eastside during the 20th century.

[31] The waterfront area of the Marshfield District has a boardwalk with a city dock, bicycling trail and pavilions featuring historical and interpretive displays.

[38][39] This region experiences cool-to-warm summers typical of the Oregon coast, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) which means mild weather usually in the lower 40s to upper 60s Fahrenheit.

[41] Severe coastal storms (or gales) with hurricane-force winds occur frequently during the winter months, while summers can be foggy.

The Coos Bay—North Bend area is in USDA plant hardiness zone 9A, with a frost-free growing season around nine months long.

[5] Mingus Park, near downtown Coos Bay, features a 1-mile (1.6 km)[57] walking path that encircles a large pond with a resident population of ducks and geese.

[59] The ocean beaches near Coos Bay are devoid of the level of development seen on other areas of the Oregon Coast, due to much of the coastline being designated state and county parks.

The Coos Bay City Council is composed of a mayor and six councilors who are elected citywide to serve four-year terms.

[33] In 2012, Ocean Power Technologies proposed a commercial wave park in North America at Coos Bay.

[62][63] Ocean Power Technologies surrendered the project's permit in 2014, citing high costs and "a difficult regulatory process".