Deschutes County, Oregon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Deschutes County, Oregon | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Oregon |
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 Oregon's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1916 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Bend |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
3,055 sq mi (7,912 km²) 3,018 sq mi (7,817 km²) 37 sq mi (96 km²), 1.20% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
115,367 39/sq mi (15/km²) |
| Website: www.deschutes.org | |
Deschutes County (pronounced /dəˈʃuːts/) is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2000, its population was 115,367. 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 nineteenth century. It is part of the Bend, Oregon, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. The county seat is Bend.
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[edit] Economy
During the 1990s, Deschutes County experienced the most rapid growth of any county in Oregon largely due to the availability of recreation activities year-round, and its location as the nearest population center to much of the central Cascade Range. Beyond tourism, principal industries in the county are lumber, ranching and agriculture -- chiefly potatoes. The Forest Service owns 51% of the lands within the county boundaries.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,055 square miles (7,912 km²), of which, 3,018 square miles (7,817 km²) of it is land and 37 square miles (95 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.20% water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Jefferson County, Oregon - (north)
- Crook County, Oregon - (east)
- Harney County, Oregon (southeast)
- Klamath County, Oregon - (south)
- Lake County, Oregon - (south)
- Lane County, Oregon - (west)
- Linn County, Oregon - (northwest)
[edit] National protected areas
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 54,583 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.85% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.83% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 3.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.4% were of German, 13.2% English, 11.4% Irish and 9.1% American ancestry.
There were 45,595 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,847, and the median income for a family was $48,403. Males had a median income of $34,070 versus $25,069 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,767. About 6.30% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Geology
The overall defining landscape of Deschutes County is primarily marked with that of lava flows. Most of the lava found in Deschutes County issued forth from Newberry Volcano located just south of Bend. Because of this, many lava tubes are located within. As a consequence, the county is the most cave-rich in the state of Oregon.[2] Other prominent lava flows exist too, especially those related to the Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain which consists of Mt. Bachelor as well as three smaller shield volcanoes, and a series of cinder cones.
Larger volcanoes dot the entire landscape of Deschutes County, ranging from the prominent Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top, Newberry, Tumalo Mountain, Maiden Peak and others. Recently, a group of geologists from the University of Oregon have discovered that Smith Rock State Park is actually a part of a gigantic ancient volcano where exposed remnants of the crater rim reveal a crater with dimensions nearly twice as big as that of Newberry Volcano. However, this ancient volcano has long gone extinct and is barely recognizable as its fragments mark portions of Powell Buttes, Gray Butte, and portions of Crook County.
On the eastern side of the county, it is mostly characterized by large buttes of much older volcanic origin. Most of these did not create any proper lava flows, or at least none that are known to exist. Some of the prominent buttes include: Horse Ridge, Powell Buttes, Pine Mountain, Cline Buttes, China Hat, and several others on the county border.
Two main types of lava flows are found within the county. The most common are the pahoehoe flows which have been partially buried by volcanic ash, tephra deposits, and dirt over tens to hundreds of thousands of years. The aa flows are fewer, but are much more prominent, with the most notable being associated with Lava Butte in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
[edit] History
On December 13, 1916 Deschutes County was created from the southern part of Crook County. Bend has been the county seat since the county's formation.
[edit] Communities
[edit] Incorporated cities
[edit] Unincorporated communities and CDPs
[edit] References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Oregon High Desert Grotto
[edit] External links
- Deschutes County, Oregon (official site)
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