Since the lumber mills closed in the 1980s, the economy has been transitioning, with a new general store opening in 2010, a bakery in 2011, and a brewery and mercantile.

[9][10][11][12] The area now known as Oakridge was first explored by Euro-Americans in 1852 as a possible route for pioneers coming from Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley.

Since its beginnings as a mountain ranch, Oakridge has been a railroad boomtown, a loggers' haven,[13] and an outdoor enthusiast's destination.

While the railroad and Westfir's Hines sawmill began to slow down, the Pope and Talbot mill expanded and eventually employed more than 500 people.

The combined economic base of the railroad and sawmills accounted for the population growth of the 1960s and 1970s, when the community of Willamette City was consolidated into Oakridge.

[18] In February 2019, an Amtrak Coast Starlight train was stranded near Oakridge for over 36 hours, after a rare heavy snowstorm.

[20] Oakridge lies in a small valley in the foothills of the Cascade Range and is completely surrounded by the Willamette National Forest.

The town's two largest employers are the Oakridge School District and the United States Forest Service.

there has been a cultural and economic revival centered on the outdoor recreational activities and local artists and craftspeople in the Oakridge area.

Union Pacific Railroad's main north–south line in the western two-thirds of the United States, with cargo shipping services, runs through Oakridge.

Amtrak shares the rail line and provides passenger train service to nationwide destinations from Eugene.

[28] Lane Transit District's Diamond Express runs three trips inbound and outbound on weekdays to the Eugene/Springfield area.

Eugene Airport, located 45 miles (72 km) west, is the closest regional terminal providing passenger and cargo air services with access to all world markets.