Tillamook cheese is made primarily by the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), a farmer-owned dairy cooperative that produces more than 90 percent of its cheese at two factories in Oregon.
Tillamook is known for its naturally aged cheddar, award-winning cream cheese spreads, and a decades-long commitment to high-quality dairy made without artificial growth hormones.
The Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a certified B Corporation cooperative owned by approximately 80 dairy farming families, headquartered in Tillamook County, Oregon, and not publicly traded on any stock exchange.
Knowing where Tillamook cheese is made helps shoppers understand the brand’s regional roots, its cooperative ownership structure, and how production has expanded to meet national demand.
This article covers TCCA’s primary factory locations, how the cheese is made, what products are produced outside Oregon, and how Tillamook compares to competing dairy brands.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Makes Tillamook Cheese?
Tillamook cheese is made by the Tillamook County Creamery Association, a farmer-owned cooperative founded in 1909 in Tillamook County, Oregon.
The co-op is not a subsidiary of any corporation and has no outside investors.
TCCA is owned by approximately 80 dairy farming families, most of whom have multi-generational roots on the Oregon Coast. The cooperative’s elected board of directors sets strategy and prioritizes quality over profit maximization.
You can read more about the cooperative’s history on the Tillamook County Creamery Association Wikipedia page.
Tillamook has grown into one of the largest dairy processors in North America, reporting annual sales of more than $1.2 billion. It produces cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese spreads sold at major retailers including Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and Publix nationwide.
Where Is Tillamook Cheese Made?
The vast majority of Tillamook cheese is produced at two company-owned factories in Oregon. The flagship facility is the Tillamook Creamery, located two miles north of the city of Tillamook on U.S. Route 101, which also serves as one of the most visited tourist attractions in the state with more than one million visitors annually.
The second major production site is the Boardman Processing Facility, located next to the Columbia River at the Port of Morrow in Boardman, Oregon.
That 85,000-square-foot plant opened in 2001 and can produce up to 170 million pounds of cheese per year. It receives much of its milk locally from Threemile Canyon Farms, a long-term TCCA partner.
The recipe and quality standards are identical across both facilities, so shoppers taste the same cheese regardless of which plant produced it.
A small number of specialty cheeses requiring unique equipment are produced by carefully vetted industry partners outside Oregon.
What Products Are Made Outside Oregon?
While cheese production is almost entirely Oregon-based, Tillamook’s ice cream has been expanding nationally.
Much of the ice cream is still produced at the Tillamook creamery itself, but TCCA has worked with industry partners in California, Arizona, and the Southeast to meet growing national demand.
The most significant expansion came with the June 2025 opening of a new dedicated ice cream facility in Decatur, Illinois.
That $70 million plant is TCCA’s first owned and operated facility outside Oregon and can produce up to 15.5 million gallons of ice cream annually, creating more than 50 jobs and enabling faster distribution to eastern U.S. markets.
Specialty products like yogurt, sour cream, butter, and cream cheese spreads require equipment that TCCA does not own at its core facilities, so those products are made by approved industry partners who follow TCCA’s exact recipes and quality specifications.
How Is Tillamook Cheese Made?
Tillamook cheese starts with fresh milk collected from nearly 80 to 100 member farms, all of which pledge not to use artificial growth hormones.
The co-op has strict animal welfare and environmental standards baked into its Stewardship Charter, first adopted in 2017.
The cheesemaking process follows the same recipe that Tillamook has refined for more than 115 years.
Natural aging is a key part of what sets Tillamook cheddar apart from mass-market alternatives, with some varieties aged for years to develop the sharp, complex flavor the brand is known for.
Quality recognition followed: Tillamook’s Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar won gold at the 2025 World Cheese Awards, and the brand earned three honors at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.
Tillamook vs. Cabot: How Do the Two Co-ops Compare?
Tillamook and Cabot are both farmer-owned dairy cooperatives known for high-quality cheddar, making them natural comparisons for shoppers who care about who is actually behind the cheese they buy.
Tillamook is headquartered on the Oregon Coast and draws its milk primarily from Pacific Northwest farms, giving its cheese a distinct flavor profile shaped by lush coastal grazing.
Cabot Creamery Cooperative, based in Montpelier, Vermont, is owned by approximately 800 farm families across New England and New York. Cabot is also a certified B Corporation and has a strong regional presence in the northeastern U.S., where it is frequently the default cheddar on grocery shelves.
Both brands age their cheese naturally and compete fiercely in national awards. The main practical difference is availability and flavor: Tillamook trends slightly richer and creamier with a West Coast identity, while Cabot leans tangier with a New England dairy tradition behind it.
Neither brand is a subsidiary of a large food conglomerate, which sets both apart from most grocery-store cheddar options.
Is Tillamook Still Made in Oregon?
Yes. The core of Tillamook’s cheese production remains firmly in Oregon, split between the Tillamook and Boardman facilities.
The 2025 Decatur, Illinois ice cream plant is the only company-owned production facility outside the state, and it is dedicated exclusively to ice cream, not cheese.
Some shoppers grew concerned after seeing Tillamook products with labels indicating production outside Oregon, but TCCA has been transparent that industry partners are used for certain products while the cheese itself stays in Oregon.
The cooperative’s ongoing expansion is driven by demand, not outsourcing of its core product.
Tillamook achieved Certified B Corporation status in 2020 and renews that certification by meeting rigorous standards for environmental performance, community investment, and supply chain accountability.
Its B Corp profile is publicly listed in the B Lab global directory. For more on American-made dairy and food brands, see Who Makes Kirkland Dog Food and Who Makes Kirkland Golf Balls.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tillamook Cheese
Is Tillamook cheese made in the USA?
Yes. More than 90 percent of Tillamook cheese is made in Oregon, USA, at the cooperative’s facilities in Tillamook and Boardman. A small portion of specialty cheeses and other dairy products are made by U.S.-based industry partners following TCCA’s exact recipes.
Who owns Tillamook?
Tillamook is owned by approximately 80 dairy farming families organized as the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), a farmer-owned cooperative. It is not publicly traded and has no corporate parent company.
Where is the Tillamook factory located?
The two primary Tillamook cheese factories are in Tillamook, Oregon and Boardman, Oregon. The Tillamook Creamery visitor center attracts more than one million tourists annually and offers factory tours and tastings.
Did Tillamook open a factory outside Oregon?
Yes, but only for ice cream. Tillamook opened its first owned facility outside Oregon in Decatur, Illinois in June 2025. That $70 million plant is dedicated solely to ice cream production and was built to meet growing demand in the eastern United States.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.