About this city
Also known as: Dungeness Crab Capital of the World
Superbly positioned on a scenic coastal peninsula where the Yaquina River empties into the Pacific Ocean, Newport is the county seat of Lincoln County and the historic maritime capital of the Oregon coast. Incorporated in 1882, the city originally developed as a wealthy commercial seaport town for timber shipping and deep-sea fishing, later pioneering coastal tourism by constructing early beachfront bathhouses. Newport holds an elite place in international scientific and industrial marine research, hosting NOAA's Pacific fleet headquarters and Oregon State University's world-class oceanography labs. Today, the town presents an enchanting coastal layout, pairing its bustling, historic red-brick working Bayfront harbor—packed with commercial crabbing fleets and sea lions—with state-of-the-art national aquariums and pristine historic lighthouses.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Walk through the high-tech underwater glass tunnels to view giant octopuses and sharks at the world-class Oregon Coast Aquarium. Photograph the sweeping steel arches of the historic 1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge from the scenic cliff paths. Watch real working fishing vessels arrive and explore independent galleries along the cobblestones of the Historic Bayfront.
