My Site Map

• Small Town Oregon takes you to communities and small towns throughout Oregon with history, pictures, maps and personal observations. Ghost towns and crossroads towns, rodeos and county fairs are all included.
• Small Town Oregon
• Small Town Oregon
• Towns by Name
• Towns by Name
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• Towns by Area
• Towns by Area
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• Small Town Oregon takes you to small Oregon communities with history, pictures, maps and personal observations. Ghost towns, small towns, rodeos and county fairs are all included.
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• 01northcoast

  • The north Oregon coast includes Clatsop and Tillamook counties.
  • Bay City, Oregon is named for Tillamook bay, a fabulous marine estuary with five rivers.
  • Cannon Beach, Oregon has a well known annual sand castle contest, it has Haystack Rock, and it has a crowd of tourists from Portland.
  • Cloverdale, Oregon used to be Indian country before the white man arrived. Now it is Holstein cow country.
  • Elsie, Oregon is home to the old Tillamook Burn. Its neighbors are Jewel, Hamlet, Lukavilla, and Vinemaple.
  • Garibaldi, Oregon on Tillamook bay is an old logging and commercial fishing town but tourism is more important now.
  • Gearhart, Oregon used to be served by a passenger rail line running from Astoria to Seaside.
  • Hammond is the last place in Oregon you can get on a boat to go over the Columbia River bar into the Pacific Ocean.
  • Manzanita, Oregon is hidden just off Highway 101 on the north side of Nehalem bay.
  • Mohler, Oregon has a history of wheelborrows and automobiles.
  • Nehalem, Oregon is away from the beach but still floods on high tide.
  • Neskowin, Oregon is close to Cascade Head.
  • Netarts, Oregon () snuggles between Cape Mears to the north and Lookout Cape to the south.
  • Oceanside, Oregon is just another piece of the beautiful Oregon Coast.
  • The dory fleet at Pacific City, Oregon is unique. The boats launch directly from the beach.
  • Rockaway Beach, Oregon is a long straigh stretch of beach and includes Lake Lytle.
  • In Tillamook, Oregon dairy farming is a way of life.
  • Warrenton, Oregon is protected from Pacific storms by Young's Bay.
  • Wheeler, Oregon is a one-sided town. Highway 101 and the railroad separate it from Nehalem Bay.

• 02centralcoast

  • From Cascade Head to Tenmile Lakes the central Oregon coast is a land of rivers, estuaries, lakes and sand dunes.
  • Depoe Bay bills itself as the smallest port in the world.
  • Dunes City is located on the shore of Siltcoos lake.
  • Gardiner has some of the finest old sea captain homes on the Oregon coast.
  • Mapleton, Oregon, is at the head of tidewater on the Siuslaw river in Lane county.
  • Otis, Oregon is a wide spot on the Salmon River Highway.
  • Reedsport, Oregon is about 10 miles up the Umpqua River from the Pacific ocean.
  • The town of Siletz is located on the uppen end of the Siletz estuary.
  • The town of Toledo, Oregon is built on a hillside. Most of the homes look down on the Yaquine River estuary.
  • Waldport, Oregon is a nice little town on the Alsea River bay.
  • Winchester Bay, Oregon claims to be the Salmon Capitol of the world.
  • Yachats, Oregon sprawls along Highway 101 on the north side of the Yachats River estuary.

• 03southcoast

  • The south Oregon coast runs from the massive Coos Bay estuary to the Bookings Easter lily fields.
  • Bandon, Oregon has revitalized its Old Town district.
  • Brookings, Oregon lies about as far south as one can go in Oregon and the weather shows it.
  • Coquille, Oregon lies inland just out of reach of the worst Pacific weather.
  • Gold Beach, Oregon, is where the famous Rogue River meets the ocean.
  • Lakeside, Oregon is the commercial center for Ten Mile Lakes.
  • Myrtle Point, Oregon, the hub of Coos County, is named for the native Myrtlewood trees.
  • Port Orford, Oregon supplied the name for Port Orford cedar.
  • Powers, Oregon is one of the most remote towns in western Oregon.

• 04lowercolumbia

  • The lower Columbia river flows along the border between Oregon and Washington.
  • Clatskanie, Oregon was named for the local Tlastkanie Indian population.
  • Columbia City, Oregon, nestles along the Columbia river just downstream from St. Helens.
  • Deer Island, Oregon was for years a well kept secret.
  • Gobel, Oregon's main asset is the Gobel Tavern.
  • Knappa, Oregon sprawls over the rolling hill along the Columbia river.
  • Prescott, Oregon, can be hard to find.
  • Rainier, Oregon is directly across the Columbia river from Longview, Washington.
  • Scappose, Oregon is home to Scappose bay near the mouth of the Multnomah Channel.
  • Vernonia, Oregon is nearly lost in the Coast Range mountains.
  • Westport, Oregon, is more an area than a town.

• 05northwillamette

  • The north Willamette valley is the heart of Oregon.
  • Amity, Oregon is a prosperous agricultural community.
  • Aumsville, Oregon, is just half way between Salem and Stayton.
  • Aurora, Oregon continued as a skilled craftsman settlement long after the commune was abandoned in 1883.
  • Banks, Oregon, like several other Willamette valley towns, claims to be nestled in wine country.
  • Barlow, Oregon, is a quiet little town on the flood plain near the confluence of the Molalla and Pudding rivers.
  • Butteville, Oregon is the nearest settlement to Champoeg State park.
  • Carlton, Oregon, lies just north of McMinnville on the Tualatin Valley highway.
  • Small Town Oregon
  • Small Town Oregon
  • Dayton, Oregon is home to several nice Victorian homes and some nice old churches also.
  • Donald, Oregon used to be an important stop on the Oregon Electric railway. Now the catenated power lines are gone and the line sees little use.
  • Dundee, Oregon, is quickly morphing into the slick Sisters of the wine country.
  • Estacada, Oregon, is a mill and lumbering town which like Molalla and Myrtle Creek has fallen upon hard times.
  • Fort Hill, Oregon is the community where General Phillip Sheridan settled and built his home.
  • Gaston, Oregon is a one sided town with the railroad taking up the other side.
  • Gervais, Oregon is surrounded by agricultural enterprises, but does have some industry.
  • Grande Ronde, Oregon built the casino that at first was planned for Donald.
  • Hubbard, Oregon sits astradle of Highway 99E and the Southern Pacific mainline up the Willamette valley.
  • Lafayette, Oregon, is in the heart of Yamhill county wine country.
  • Small Town Oregon
  • Molalla, Oregon sits where the Molalla river exits the Coast Range mountains.
  • Mount Angel, Oregon has a strong German heritage. Businesses have German names and they all support their Oktoberfest.
  • Small Town Oregon
  • North Plains, Oregon, hosts the famous Pumpkin Ridge golf club.
  • Sandy, Oregon, thinks of itself as the gateway to Mt. Hood for the north Willamette valley.
  • Scotts Mills, Oregon is one of the most laid back small towns in western Oregon. They have no sidewalks and no need for them.
  • Sheridan, Oregon puts a lot of effort into its Sheridan Days summer celebration.
  • As a small town Sherwood, Oregon is going by the wayside. Subdivisions are moving in.
  • St. Paul, Oregon, is famous for it's Fourth of July Rodeo.
  • Sublimity, Oregon is close to Salem and is becoming a bedroom community.
  • Small Town Oregon
  • Turner, Oregon, was occupied by the Santiam Kalapuya Indians prior to settlement of the area in 1843.
  • Willamina, Oregon sits at the base of the Coast Range mountains on the west side of the Willamette valley.
  • Yamhill, Oregon, is a small farming town located half way between Portland and the Coast.
  • Small Town Oregon

• 06midwillamette

  • The mid Willamette valley includes the counties of Marion, Linn, Benton and Polk.
  • Scio, Oregon: Their claim to be the covered bridge capital of the world has some validity.
  • Adair Village, Oregon, then named Camp Adair was first a World War II military base.
  • Brownsville, Oregon, is one of the best known historical towns in Oregon.
  • Detroit, Oregon, sits on the upper end of Detroit Reservoir on the beautiful Santiam river.
  • Falls City, Oregon,is a coast range mill town on the Little Lakiamute river.
  • Gates sits part in Marion and part in Linn county giving it I suppose a bit of a split personality.
  • Halsey, Oregon is surrounded by grass seed production fields.
  • Idanha, Oregon is near Breitenbush hot springs in the Santiam River corridor.
  • Independence, Oregon's downtown is on the national historic register.
  • Jefferson, Oregon, is just southeast of Salem, the capital city. in the fertile Willamette Valley.
  • Lyons, Oregon has a great city park.
  • Mill City, Oregon, has a great pedestrian bridge across the Sanitam river.
  • Millersburg, Oregon could have been part of Albany.
  • Prosperity departed Monroe, Oregon when the I-5 freeway pushed up the valley center.
  • Philomath, Oregon is home to Gazelle Art Glass.
  • Scio, Oregon: Their claim to be the covered bridge capital of the world has some validity.
  • Shaw, Oregon is just a wide spot in the road along the Silver Falls Hiway 224.
  • Shedd, Oregon is home to the Shedd Cafe, the restaurant the local farmers refused to let close.
  • Sodaville, Oregon is just off the Sanitam highway south of Lebanon.
  • Tangent, Oregon was originally inhabited by mound builder Indians whose mounds still line the local rivers.
  • Waterloo, Oregon lies along the Santiam river after it exits the Cascade mountains.

• 07southwillamette

  • The southern Willamette Valley is like a giant box canyon with the only outlet to the north.
  • The hamlet of Blue River, Oregon, is easy to miss on the busy Highway 126.
  • Coburg, Oregon is well known for it annual outdoor antique show.
  • Creswell, Oregon, is close enough to the I-5 freeway to benefit but far enough away to survive.
  • Harrisburg, Oregon: The Willamette river rolls quietly by as it has since 1866 when the town was established.
  • Junction City, Oregon has a successful Scandanavian festival and proud Scandanavian heritage.
  • Lowell, Oregon is a worthwhile stop if you want to know about covered bridges.
  • Oak Ridge, Oregon was once a major logging and milling center.
  • Veneta, Oregon is commonly called Fern Ridge by outsiders, and some of the locals!
  • Westfir, Oregon () has the longest covered bridge in Oregon.

• 08umpquavalleys

  • Canyonville, Oregon is the last place on I-5 going south that relates to the Umpqua River basin.
  • Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua
  • Dillard, Oregon is home to the giant Roseburg Lumber milling operation.
  • Drain, Oregon is near the junction of I-5 and Highway 38 leading to Reedsport at the coast.
  • Elkton, Oregon is on Highway 38 running along the main Umpqua river.
  • Glendale, Oregon is still a lumber mill town, one of the few left in Oregon.
  • Glide, Oregon is near the confluence of the North Umpqua and Little rivers.
  • Myrtle Creek, Oregon was bypassed when they built I-5 with predictable results.
  • Oakland, Oregon has a brick building downtown area, the legacy of turn-of-the(prior)-century fires that destroyed the place.
  • Riddle, Oregon is close to Nickel Mountain, at one time the site of the only nickel smelter in the United States.
  • Sutherlin, Oregon straddles I-5 just north of Roseburg.
  • Tenmile, Oregon is not to be confused with Lakeside and Tenmile Lakes.
  • Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua
  • Umpqua, Oregon is just downstream from where the North and South Umpqua rivers meet.
  • The Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua river is a mountainous area with many small river valleys.
  • Winchester, Oregon is the site of an old dam on the North Umpqua river. One can see migrating salmon there in the fish ladder.
  • Winston, Oregon has long been famous as the home of Wildlife Safari.
  • Yoncalla, Oregon is on a small cut-off road between Rice Hill and Drain.

• 09roguevalley

  • Oregon's Rogue River valley is a system of river valleys surrounded by mountains.
  • Butte Falls, Oregon is in an area of fantastic scenery including Mt. McLoughlin and the Table Rocks.
  • Cave Junction, Oregon exists because of the Oregon Caves nearby.
  • Eagle Point, Oregon is historically the food producing region for the Rogue Valley.
  • Gold Hill, Oregon is on the opposite side of the Rogue river from the I-5 freeway which is good for the noise level but bad for the economy.
  • Jacksonville, Oregon was the seat of Jackson county until 1927.
  • Kerby, Oregon is listed in some references as a ghost town.
  • Merlin, Oregon gets its name from the local Merlin falcon.
  • Phoenix, Oregon sits astride I-5 between Medford and Talent.
  • Rogue River Valley
  • Rogue River, Oregon, the city, is overshadowed by Rogue River, the river.
  • Shady Cove, Oregon is on the Rogue River between Gold Hill and Lost Creek Lake on the Crater Lake hiway.
  • Talent, Oregon: When Interstate-5 came thru the new route chosen was on the east side of Bear Creek so the whole town lies west of the freeway.
  • Rogue River Valley
  • Wolf Creek, Oregon is famous for the Wolf Creek Inn, a national historic register site.

• 10columbiagorge

  • The Oregon trail passed through Arlington, Oregon before splitting at The Dalles.
  • Biggs, Oregon is now a busy fueling and food stop along the I-84 route, the modern Oregon Trail.
  • Boardman, Oregon is close to the Boardman bombing range of the US Air Force.
  • Cascade Locks, Oregon is built around the Columbia river, its people and its resources.
  • Oregon's Columbia River Gorge displays astonishing geologic features. Once only a hydro power region now it also hosts vast wind machine farms.
  • Hood River, Oregon is famous for its apples and its wind surfing and kiting.
  • Mosier, Oregon is not only on I-5, it also is on the famous Mount Hood scenic highway that was the main road prior to I-5.
  • Rufus, Oregon is about half way between The Dalles and Arlington.

• 11northcentral

  • The north central plateau region of Oregon is host to much of the Oregon Trail story.
  • Founded in 1871 Antelope, Oregon flourished until the rail terminus arrived at Shaniko a few miles to the north.
  • Condon, Oregon sits at the crossroads of the John Day and Wasco-Heppner highways
  • Culver, Oregon has great recreational opportunities with Lake Billy Chinook right next door.
  • Dufur, Oregon is about as interesting as small towns get.
  • Fossil, Oregon is located where the little know Highway 218 intersects the John Day highway.
  • From Grass Valley, Oregon one can take the Sherars Bridge road to the Deschutes river and some great rafting water.
  • Heppner, Oregon is south of Boardman at the junction of four high desert roads.
  • Ione, Oregon is a long way down the Heppner highway from the Columbia Gorge.
  • Irrigon, Oregon lives off the Columbia River irrigation water.
  • Kent, Oregon is a mere wide spot in Highway 97, and only on one side of the road at that.
  • Lexington, Oregon is in grain country and the Morrow County Grain Growers elevators dominate the skyline.
  • Lonerock, Oregon is half way between the John Day hiway and the Heppner-Spray hiway. I am not sure that any of the roads actually go to Lonerock.
  • Madras, Oregon is the first stop heading east after crossing the Deschutes river at the Warm Spring Indian Reservation.
  • Maupin, Oregon sit high above the Deschutes river and is the start of many raft trips.
  • Metolius, Oregon was the terminus of the Great Train Race won by the Oregon Trunk Railroad.
  • Mitchell, Oregon is another high desert town that is subject to flash flooding.
  • Moro, Oregon is the Sherman county seat.
  • Shaniko, Oregon: early settlers named this townsite Cross Hollows and established a post office under that name in 1879.
  • Spray, Oregon is located in the heart of the John Day river valley.
  • Tygh Valley, Oregon is just far enough off of Highway 197 to retain its authenticity.
  • Wamic, Oregon is home to the well-restored Smock Prairie shool house.
  • Wasco, Oregon has the distinction of not being in Wasco county. That's next door.

• 12midcentral

  • The mid-central plateau region of Oregon is host to the famous Deschutes river.
  • Brother, Oregon is about 50 miles east of Bend on Highway 20.
  • LaPine, Oregon has volcanic ash for soil, the legacy of the great Cascade Range volcanos.
  • Millican, Oreogn: the lone store is mostly closed these days.
  • Sister, Oregon takes its name from the Three Sisters peaks to the south.
  • Sunriver, Oregon is developer's creation dropped down in Jack pine country on the banks of the Deschutes river.
  • Terrebonne, Oregon is close to Smith Rock, a rock climbers paradise.
  • Tumalo, Oregon hosts the well known Tumalo Feed Company restaurant. Other than the gravel pit, the restaurant is the main thing in town.

• 13southcentral

  • The south central plateau region of Oregon is vast and sparsely populated. The story of the Fremont expedition played out here.
  • Adel, Oregon: at 4200 ft above sea level the air is either clear and cold or clear and hot depending on the season.
  • Bonanza, Oregon: they grow alfalfa around Bonanza so most of the conversation is about hay and the water it takes to grow it.
  • Chemult, Oregon: Chemult is the name of a Klamath chief who was one of the 26 to sign the treaty of October 14, 1864.
  • Chiloquin, Oregon is home to the tribes of the Klamath Indians.
  • South Central Plateau
  • Crescent, Oregon was originally named Odell for Odell lake.
  • Ft. Klamath, Oregon was established in 1863 ostensibly to maintain the peace during the Civil War and operated as a fort until 1890.
  • Gilchrist, Oregon is a "company" town, built by the Gilchrist Timber Company in 1938.
  • With a population a little over 2000 Lakeview, Oregon is the center of activity in the region.
  • Malin, Oregon is just one irrigation ditch from California.
  • Merrill, Oregon is about the last stop before the California border. If you find yourself in Tule Lake you have gone too far.
  • If you take Highway 395 north out of Reno you will enter Oregon while you are in New Pine Creek. It straddles the border.
  • Paisley, Oregon is just east of the Fremont National Forest on Highway 31 north out of Lakeview.
  • Plush, Oregon has an actual "town" area complete with homes and a general store. I saw no population sign.
  • Silver Lake, Oregon: the "silver" in the name comes from the white alkalai flats that appear as the lake dries in the summer.
  • Summer Lake, Oregon is spread out along the shore the the eponymus lake. Goose hunting lodges are scattered along the road.
  • Valley Falls, Oregon is a junction town with Highway 31 going to Paisley and Highway 395 going to Burns.

• 14bluemountains

  • The northeast highlands of Oregon stretch from the wheat fields of Pendleton to the epic peaks of the Wallowa Mountains near Joseph.
  • Adams, Oregon is half way between Pendleton and Milton-Freewater on Highway 11.
  • Alicel, Oregon was supposedly named for Alice Ladd way back.
  • Athena, Oregon has a Scottish heritage background and the local proudly display it.
  • Cove, Oregon is nestled at the base of the mountains northeast of La Grande.
  • Echo, Oregon: if you can find Stanfield you can find Echo and it is worth the effort. Well, maybe.
  • Elgin, Oregon is famous for its Elgin Stampede rodeo, but it also has an active Opera House that is on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Enterprise, Oregon is the last outpost of civilization on the way to the Wallowa's.
  • Helix, Oregon is in grain country northwest of Athena.
  • Imbler, Oregon, a quiet town, is not a magnet for modern civilization.
  • In Imnaha, Oregon the locals and tourists mingle and the talk is always interesting.
  • Island City, Oregon, was originally platted on an island between the Grande Ronde river and a slough giving it island status.
  • Joseph, Oregon is the last stop before Wallowa lake. The artists have pretty well taken over the town.
  • Lostine, Oregon is midway on the trip from LaGrande to Wallow lake. Don't give up and turn back now!
  • Minam, Oregon is not really a town. It is a rafting shop, a couple of houses and the two rivers.
  • North Powder, Oregon was established in 1865.
  • Pilot Rock, Oregon is named for one of the landmarks on the Oregon Trail.
  • Stanfield, Oregon is sandwiched between I-84 and the Columbia river.
  • Summerville, Oregon is just a short hop from Imbler off Highway 82.
  • Ukiah, Oregon is great geology field trip country.
  • Umatilla, Oregon is well known as a chemical weapons storage site.
  • Union, Oregon has the still functioning Union Hotel on Main street
  • When you reach Wallowa, Oregon you still have a pretty far piece to go to reach the Wallowa lake.
  • Weston, Oregon sits at the intersection of the Oregon-Washington highway and the Weston-Elgin highway.

• 15centraleast

  • The central Oregon desert area is gold rush country. Historical displays in Sumpter, Canyon City and elsewhere tell the story. Population is sparese unless you count the cattle.
  • Canyon City has a gold rush history, but is now the seat of Grant county.
  • Dayville, Oregon has a lot of fossils and fossil hunters to keep it company.
  • Granite, Oregon is an old gold mining outpost. Prospectors still frequent the place.
  • Greenhorn, Oregon is over a mile high and sits astraddle the Grant and Baker counties line.
  • Haines, Oregon is only a few miles off of Interstate 84 and has good connections.
  • Halfway, Oregon is on Highway 86 on the way to the Oxbow dam on the Snake river where the Hell's Canyon rafting trips start.
  • Huntington, Oregon sits next to the Brownlee reservior on the Snake river and claims to be the catfish capital of Oregon.
  • John Day, Oregon sits long the John Day river where Highway 26 meet Highway 395.
  • Long Creek, Oregon is ranching country.
  • Monument, Oregon is located near the confluence of the North Fork and Middle Fork of the John Day river.
  • Mount Vernon, Oregon is an intersection town although there are only three spokes in the wheel. If you head south you might need your pack mule.
  • Prairie City, Oregon is almost totally surrounded by national forests.
  • Richland, Oregon is where the Powder river widens and becomes part of Brownlee Reservoir.
  • Seneca, Oregon used to be a railhead for logging in the surrounding Malheur National forest.
  • Sumpter, Oregon is an attraction to modern day gold seekers and interested tourists.
  • Unity, Oregon is close to Baker City and a great recreation area.

• 16southeast

  • Adrian, Oregon host the giant Owyhee Reservoir and it recreational opportunities.
  • Burns, Oregon is close to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
  • Hines, Oregon is a cowboy town these days but it used to be logging and milling.
  • Jordan Valley, Oregon has a strong Basqaue flavor and has long been sheep herding country.
  • Juntura, Oregon is a junction of both highways and rivers.
  • Nyssa, Oregon is the Thunderegg Capital of the World.
  • Oregon's southeast desert area has a few people in the Ontario-Nyssa area. The rest is wide open spaces.
  • Vale, Oregon is proud of its Oregon Trail history.

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  • 1 N Ore Coast

  • 10 Col Riv Gorge

  • 11 N Cent Plat

    • Tygh Valley

  • 12 Mid Cent Plat

  • 13 S Cent Plat

  • 14 Blu Mt High

  • 15 Cent E Desert

  • 16 South E Desert

  • 2 Cent Or Coast

  • 3 S Ore Coast

  • 4 Lr Col River

  • 5 N Will Valley

    • Carlton

  • 6 Mid Will Valley

  • 7 Lwr Will Valley

  • 8 100 Umpqua

    • Myrtle Creek

  • 9 Rogue Valley

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