Are there ticks in Oregon?

Yes. Oregon has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 302 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Oregon?

Oregon's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Oregon tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Oregon?

In Oregon, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season in Oregon centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in Oregon?

On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Oregon. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.

Ticks in Oregon

Ticks are active in Oregon whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 302 Oregon towns every morning, so risk stays local: pick your town for today's number, a 7-day outlook, and what's driving it.

Tick season in Oregon

Tick season in Oregon peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main human biter across the interior West, quests from March into early summer and largely disappears as the high country dries out. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick (the local Lyme vector) also peaks in spring, and in California's chaparral the Pacific Coast tick holds a late-summer window.

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Western blacklegged tick
Pacific Coast tick
American dog tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the West, where risk peaks in spring and summer drought suppresses it. Activity windows by life stage from TickEncounter (Univ. of Rhode Island) and the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Any warm spell can wake ticks earlier than the calendar suggests.

Summer heat is a low point out West, not a high one. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning, so it is the safer way to time hikes and yard work than the calendar alone.

Highest-risk towns in Oregon (2026)

Oregon's highest-risk towns are spread across several counties, led by Clackamas County. The top 10 towns run 82 to 97 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Dunthorpe Multnomah CountyModerate at peak
2Mount Hood Villages Clackamas CountyModerate at peak
3Rose Lodge Lincoln CountyModerate at peak
4Dunes City Lane CountyModerate at peak
5Saunders Lake Coos CountyModerate at peak
6Rivergrove Clackamas CountyModerate at peak
7Sodaville Linn CountyModerate at peak
8Waterloo Linn CountyModerate at peak
9Metzger Washington CountyModerate at peak
10Idanha Marion CountyModerate at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Oregon towns, by county

Baker County · 7 towns

Benton County · 4 towns

Clackamas County · 23 towns

Clatsop County · 6 towns

Columbia County · 8 towns

Coos County · 10 towns

Crook County · 3 towns

Curry County · 4 towns

Deschutes County · 9 towns

Douglas County · 16 towns

Gilliam County · 3 towns

Grant County · 9 towns

Harney County · 2 towns

Hood River County · 3 towns

Jackson County · 12 towns

Jefferson County · 5 towns

Josephine County · 6 towns · 11/100k Lyme

Klamath County · 7 towns

Lake County · 2 towns

Lane County · 15 towns

Lincoln County · 9 towns

Linn County · 14 towns

Malheur County · 5 towns

Marion County · 21 towns · 2/100k Lyme

Morrow County · 5 towns

Multnomah County · 7 towns · 1/100k Lyme

Polk County · 5 towns

Sherman County · 4 towns

Tillamook County · 9 towns

Umatilla County · 12 towns

Union County · 8 towns

Wallowa County · 4 towns

Wasco County · 7 towns

Washington County · 25 towns

Wheeler County · 3 towns

Yamhill County · 10 towns

Oregon tick questions

Are there ticks in Oregon?: Yes. Oregon has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 302 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Oregon?: Oregon's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the Oregon tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Oregon?: In Oregon, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.
When is flea and tick season?: Flea and tick season in Oregon centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.
Which tick carries Lyme disease in Oregon?: On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across Oregon. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.