11 Odd Facts About Oregon, from an Exploding Whale to the World’s Biggest Tongue

Oregon Trivia You Probably Didn’t Know

The Beaver state packs enough strange history and “wait what?” moments to make you question everything you thought you knew about the Pacific Northwest. Here are 11 of them.

The Biggest Living Thing on Earth Calls Oregon Home

The Malheur National Forest houses a honey mushroom that spans a mind-boggling 2,300 acres underground. That’s right, the world’s largest living organism is quietly chilling beneath your feet in the Beaver State.

Oregon’s First Dinosaur Was a Tiny Toe-Tapper

Jurassic Park, eat your heart out. Oregon recently joined the dino club with its first confirmed dinosaur fossil.

But don’t expect T-Rex proportions. We’re talking about a teeny-tiny toe bone from an ornithopod discovered near Mitchell. It might be small, but it’s making big waves in the paleontology world.

Exploding Whale Day is a Real Thing

Mark your calendars for November 12th, folks. That’s when Oregonians celebrate the infamous day in 1970 when officials thought it was a brilliant idea to blow up a beached whale with dynamite.

Spoiler alert: It wasn’t. But it did give us a whale of a tale and a park named after the blubber-blasting incident.

Portland’s Name Was Decided by a Coin Flip

Portland got its moniker through good old-fashioned gambling. In 1845, two dudes couldn’t decide between ‘Portland’ and ‘Boston,’ so they flipped a coin. Portland won 2 out of 3, and the rest is hipster history.

Oregon’s the Unofficial Ghost Town Capital of America

If you’re into abandoned buildings and eerie vibes, Oregon’s got you covered like a thick fog on the coast.

The state boasts more ghost towns than any other in the U.S., with deserted settlements scattered throughout Central, Eastern, and Southern Oregon. It’s like a real-life post-apocalyptic playground for urban explorers.

The Two-Faced Flag

Oregon’s state flag is the mullet of vexillology. Business in the front, party in the back. It’s the only U.S. state flag rocking different designs on each side. One side flaunts the state seal, while the other sports a beaver.

Llamas Run This State (Almost)

Move over, sheep. Oregon’s got a thing for llamas. The state, particularly Clackamas County, is home to a surprisingly large chunk of America’s llama population. In total, there more than 16,300 registered alpacas in the state.

Home to the World’s Biggest Human Tongue

Portland’s not just weird, it’s record-breaking weird. A local woman holds the Guinness World Record for the largest female tongue circumference, measuring a whopping 5.21 inches. That’s bigger than a soda can.

Oregon Invented its Own Super Berry

Oregon’s not content with regular ol’ berries. The state birthed the marionberry, a blackberry hybrid, at Oregon State University in the 1950s.

The Shanghai Tunnels

There’s allegedly a network of underground tunnels known as the ‘Shanghai Tunnels’ under Portland. Legend has it these were used for kidnapping unsuspecting victims to work on ships.

The Youngest Crust on the Planet

The earth’s crust, that is. The state is home to some of the youngest geological formations on Earth, particularly in areas like the Josephine ophiolite. This unique feature showcases oceanic crust and mantle brought to the surface, giving geologists a rare glimpse into the Earth’s inner workings.