Deschutes County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes River, which itself was named by French-Canadian trappers of the early 19th century. It is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. Deschutes comprises the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Deschutes is Oregon’s fastest-growing county.
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population density of that area. Bend recorded a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 76,693 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, and 52,029 at the 2000 census. The Bend metro population was 198,253 as of the 2020 census. It is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Oregon.
The Deschutes River in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the drier, eastern flank of the mountains. The Deschutes provided an important route to and from the Columbia for Native Americans for thousands of years, and then in the 19th century for pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The river flows mostly through rugged and arid country, and its valley provides a cultural heart for central Oregon. Today the river supplies water for irrigation and is popular in the summer for whitewater rafting and fishing.
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south towards Klamath Falls. These three counties have a combined population of 200,431 as of the 2010 census, with Deschutes the largest of the three counties, having approximately four times the population of the other two counties combined. As of 2015, the most populous city in the region is Bend, with an estimated 87,014 residents. As defined by the three county definition, Central Oregon covers 7,833 square miles (20,290 km2) of land. Central Oregon has had 3 record tourism years beginning in 2012. Over 2.2 million people visited Central Oregon in 2012 and again in 2013.
Tumalo State Park is a well-developed state park in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Established in 1954, the park is located northwest of the city of Bend and along the Deschutes River at a site home to many bird species. The park is popular for picnics, swimming, fishing, hiking, and camping, and is open year-round.
The Reid School is a historic school building in Bend, Oregon, United States. Built in 1914, it was the first modern school building constructed in Bend. The school was named in honor of Ruth Reid, Bend's first school principal. The building remained part of the public school district until 1979, when ownership was transferred to Deschutes County for use as a local history museum. Today, the Reid School is the home of the Deschutes Historical Museum. Because of its unique architecture and importance to the history of Bend, the Reid School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The O’Kane Building is a historic commercial building in Bend, Oregon, United States. The structure was built in 1916 by Hugh O’Kane, a Bend businessman. The two-story building originally housed six retail stores and a theater on the first floor with twenty offices and an apartment upstairs. The building is located on the west corner of Oregon Avenue and Bond Street in downtown Bend. It has been in continuous use as a commercial building since it first opened. Today, the O’Kane Building is still the largest commercial structure in downtown Bend. Because of its importance to the history of Bend, the O’Kane Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The N. P. Smith Pioneer Hardware Store is a historic commercial building in Bend, Oregon, United States. The structure was built in 1909 by Nichols P. Smith, a Bend businessman. The two-story building originally housed a hardware business on the ground floor with family quarters on the second floor. The building is located on the Northwest Wall Street in downtown Bend. It has been in continuous use as a commercial building since it first opened. Today, the Smith Hardware Store is the only wood-frame structure that remains in downtown Bend. Because of its importance to the history of Bend, the Smith Pioneer Hardware Store is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The New Redmond Hotel is a historic commercial hotel in Redmond, Oregon, United States. The hotel was built in 1928 after the original Redmond Hotel, was destroyed in a fire. It is a three-story Georgian-style brick masonry building located on 6th Street in downtown Redmond. It has been in continuous use as a commercial hotel since it first opened. Today, the New Redmond Hotel is a major landmark in downtown Redmond. Because of its importance to the history of Redmond, the New Redmond Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On August 1, 2019, Soul Community Planet announced that after a two-year, $7 million renovation, The New Hotel Redmond by SCP opened in the Fall of 2019. The 41,000 square-foot, 49-room hotel, was redeveloped in partnership with the city of Redmond. The Rooftop, a 1,500 square-foot rooftop social garden, was added, opened in August. The redevelopment was made possible through a public-private partnership between the city of Redmond and the developer – a partnership managed by Alpha Wave Investors and RevOZ Capital. The city of Redmond, through its Redmond Urban Renewal Agency, provided a $3.53 million investment in the project.
The Charles Boyd Homestead is a group of three buildings that make up a pioneer ranch complex. It is located in Deschutes County north of Bend, Oregon, United States. The ranch buildings were constructed by Charles Boyd between 1905 and 1909. Today, the three surviving structures are the only ranch buildings that date back to the earliest period of settlement in the Bend area. The Boyd Homestead is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Milton Odem House is a small bungalow home located in Redmond, Oregon. The house was built in 1937 by Ole K. Olson for Milton Odem, a local theater owner. It is one of the best examples of residential Streamline Moderne architecture in Oregon. The Milton Odem House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Central Oregon Irrigation District is a municipal corporation to provide irrigation water for Central Oregon, U.S. The canals serve agricultural and industrial users in the arid lands between Alfalfa, Bend, Redmond, Terrebonne, and Powell Butte. Among its 4,000 or so individual customer accounts, it also provides municipal water to the city of Redmond, neighboring subdivisions, and parks and schools in Bend. The district manages more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of canals serving about 70.3 square miles (182 km2) of lands within a rough area of 280 square miles (730 km2).
The Milo Academy Bridge is a covered bridge located in the town of Milo, in the southern region of Douglas County, Oregon. The original bridge at this location was a wooden covered bridge constructed in 1920, before being replaced by a steel truss bridge in 1962, spanning the South Umpqua River allowing access to Milo Adventist Academy. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places November 29, 1979.
Redmond–Bend Juniper State Scenic Corridor is a collection of ten unimproved land parcels administered for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The parcels are located along U.S. Route 97 between Bend and Redmond, Oregon, United States. It is named for the large western juniper trees found on the parcels. The scenic corridor is completely undeveloped with no trails or park facilities of any kind.
The Elk Lake Guard Station is a United States Forest Service cabin located in the Deschutes National Forest southwest of Bend, Oregon. The guard station was built in 1929 on the north shore of Elk Lake. It was used as a home base for Forest Service personnel who protected forest resources, maintained facilities, and aided summer visitors in the Cascade Lakes area of Central Oregon. After decades of use, the cabin was renovated in the late 1990s. Today, the historic guard station serves as a Forest Service visitor information center along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. The Elk Lake Guard Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic Sisters High School was built in 1939 as a public secondary school for the community of Sisters in central Oregon. It was constructed using United States Federal Government funds provided through the Public Works Administration. The old Sisters High School was listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Today, the facility has been converted into an administration building for the local school district.
The Swalley Irrigation District supplies water to irrigators through a network of pipes and canals fed by the Deschutes River near Bend in the U.S. state of Oregon. The network, begun in 1899, is a closed system with an intake behind North Canal Dam in Bend and a main canal, the Swalley Canal, that runs north from the city for about 13 miles (21 km). The only covered bridge east of the Cascade Range in Oregon crosses the Swalley Canal.
The Goodwillie–Allen House is a small American Craftsman-style bungalow located in Bend, Oregon. The house was constructed in 1904 by Arthur Goodwillie, the first mayor of Bend. Today, the building is owned by the City of Bend. It is the oldest structure inside the city limits of Bend, the oldest American craftsman style house in Deschutes County, Oregon, and the second oldest craftsman-style bungalow in Oregon. The Goodwillie–Allen House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
