Coos Bay is a city in Oregon, located on the south coast. It is the largest city in Coos County, although not the county seat. It is also, unsurprisingly, located next to Coos Bay, the bay formed by the Coos River. A pattern might be developing here. Coos Bay is adjacent with, and continuous with, the city of North Bend. Much of what the casual traveler might think of as "Coos Bay" is actually North Bend.
The port of Coos Bay is the largest harbor on the west coast between San Francisco Bay and The Puget Sound, and the city of Coos Bay in some ways resembles San Francisco. The city is on a north facing peninsula with the bay to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. However, in the case of Coos Bay, there is another peninsula of land projecting out between the peninsula and the ocean.
Like just about every other town on the west coast, Coos Bay started as a town based around natural resources. Specifically, the logging of timber in the coast range, and the availability of a great natural harbor. As is also the case, this economic base has changed over the years, and the Coos Bay of today is struggling to find a new economic basis. The city still has many nice commercial and residential buildings from when it was in its prime, but there are areas around town that also feel decrepit.
The population of Coos Bay is 15,000 people, with adjoining North Bend adding another 10,000. Even added together, this makes them about the 20th largest city in Oregon. If it were in the Portland area, this would only qualify as a minor suburb. However, Coos Bay is the largest city on the Oregon Coast, and is also the largest urban area for a large distance: the nearest city that is larger is Eugene, Oregon, 120 miles away. So Coos Bay, although not large, is significant because it is the largest city in a large area.