Bend, Oregon

Bend is a city in, and the county seat of, Deschutes County, Oregon. It is the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon’s largest city, and despite its modest size, is the defacto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population density of that area. Bend recorded a population of 76,693 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, up from 52,029 at the 2000 census. The estimated population of Bend as of 2012 is 79,109. Bend’s metro population was estimated at 170,705 as of July 1, 2009. The BendMSA is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Oregon.

Bend is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Range along the Deschutes River. Here the Ponderosa Pine forest transitions into the high desert, characterized by arid land, junipers, sagebrush, and bitter-brush. Originally a crossing point on the river, settlement began n the early 1900s. Bend was incorporated as a city in 1905.

Economically, it started as a logging town but is now identified as a gateway for many outdoor sports, including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, whitewater raftering, skiing, and golf. The name Bane was derived from “Farewell Bend”, the designation used by the early pioneers to refer to the location along the Deschutes River where the town was eventually platted, one of the few fordable points along the river.

For more information, please visit www.bendchamber.org