Drain is a half-way stop off of Interstate 5, between Eugene and Roseburg, located at the east end of Hwy 38 along Elk Creek, with Reedsport and the Pacific Ocean 50 miles to the west.

The city of Drain was named after Charles Drain, who arrived in Douglas County in 1860. By 1861 enough settlers had come to warrant the organization of School District #22 and the construction of a log schoolhouse. The area was developing into a prosperous farm community, but there was no town until 1872, when the Oregon and California Railroad reached northern Douglas County. Charles Drain donated sixty acres to the railroad. In exchange, they surveyed and platted a town, named it Drain, and made it a stop on the railroad. Almost immediately two stores and a hall used as a schoolroom and church were built, and a post office was established.

Victorian houses, covered bridges, scenic highways and community activities provide many attractions for tourists in Drain.