Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population was 21,360 at the 2020 census. The city is the home of Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. These are important to Ashland's economy, which also depends on restaurants, galleries, and retail stores that cater to tourists.