Bend At A Glance

The Bend Chamber strives to provide the most current material available in response to your requests. This general information section is designed to answer the most frequently asked questions about our area.

Population

Population 2006

Bend Population by Age
Based on the 2000 Census

Median Age

34.8 years

Assessed Valuation 2005

Bend Property Tax Base

2006 (Per $1000 assessed valuation) $14.98

School Enrollment

More Info

For additional statistical information on Bend and Central Oregon, please see the Economic Development for Central Oregon Web page at www.edforco.org.

Climate

Bend enjoys the predominately dry climate of the high desert. Sunny days, low humidity and cool nights provide the most common weather pattern. The average annual precipitation in Bend is about 12 inches.

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Education

Public Schools

BEND/LAPINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
www.bend.k12.or.us

• Administrative Offices, 520 NW Wall Street, 383-6000.
• Bend: 5 high schools (grades 9-12), 5 middle schools (grades 6-8), 9 elementary schools (grades K-5) and 3 magnet schools.

CENTRAL OREGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• 2600 NW College Way, 383-7700, www.cocc.edu

OSU CASCADE CAMPUS

• 2600 NW College Way, 322-3100, www.osucascades.edu

Private Schools

• There are numerous private, independent schools and preschools in the Bend area, as well as special education, business and vocational schools. The area features a wide range of educational opportunities for youth and adults.

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Emergency Services

The Bend area is served by 9-1-1 Center for Ambulance, Fire. Police, and the Deschutes County Sheriff. Air Life is also available.

Police

The Bend Department has 70 sworn officers and 24 staff. 388-0170 (non-emergency).

Fire Department

(City of Bend and Rural Fire District #2) 76 paid staff, 20 volunteers (4 stations). 322-6300 (non-emergency).

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Employment

Primary Industries in Central Oregon

Bend Top Employers

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Financial Institutions

There are 17 banks with 65 branches throughout Central Oregon.
 

Most major investment firms have offices in the Bend area.

Click here for a list of Financial Institutions

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Geography

Bend, county seat of Deschutes County, is located near the center of Oregon at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Bend covers 32 square miles with an altitude of 3,628 feet. It is noted for its scenic setting, mild climate, year-round recreational opportunities and growing economy.

• 160 miles southeast of Portland
• 131 miles southeast of Salem
• 128 miles northeast of Eugene
• 496 miles northeast of San Francisco
• 319 miles west of Boise
• 343 miles southeast of Seattle
• 398 miles north of Reno

Neighboring Communities

• LaPine: 30 miles south
• Redmond: 16 miles north
• Sisters: 18 miles west
• Sunriver: 15 miles south

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Government

The City of Bend adopted the City Manager-Council form of government in 1929. The current system includes a hired City Manager and seven elected councilors with one serving as Mayor.
710 NW Wall St, Bend, 97701, 541-388-5505

www.ci.bend.or.us

Deschutes County Office - 1130 NW Harriman St, Bend 97701, 541-388-6570
www.deschutes.org

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Health Services

Top-notch professionals and superb facilities are the hallmark of Bend’s health care system. The community’s patient/physician ratio assures timely access to professional care, whatever the need.

Hospital:

St. Charles Medical Center, 2500 NE Neff Road, 382-4321; a modern, comprehensive 181 bed facility incorporating the latest medical technology. A total of 250 physicians are members of the St. Charles Medical Center staff. Specialties include radiation oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, open heart surgery, radiology, urology, pathology, emergency medicine, rehabilitative medicine, family practice, cardiology, dermatology, orthopedics, psychiatry and men’s and women’s health services, maternity, neonatology and critical care among others. St. Charles is also a Level II trauma center and operates Air Life.
www.scmc.org

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History

Until the winter of 1824, this area was known only to native Americans who hunted and fished here. Members of a fur trapping party led by Peter Skene Ogden were the earliest visitors. John Fremont and other Army survey parties came next. Then pioneers heading further west came through and forded the Deschutes River at "Farewell Bend". A small community developed around the bend in the river and in 1905 a city was incorporated with approximately 300 citizens. The Oregon Trunk Railroad was completed in 1911 and the community of Bend began to grow. 1914 brought two major lumber companies and timber became the mainstay of the local economy. Mt. Bachelor ski area became the catalyst for the visitor industry which simultaneously generated industrial and commercial expansion. Wood products are still the leading economic factors with tourism also being the second largest industry. Other diversified industries are developing. Bend is also the retail center of Central Oregon.

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Housing

Homes:

The 2006 average price for a home in Bend was $399,543. The median price was $351,016.

Rentals:

The approximate range for monthly cost of rentals in the Bend area for a three bedroom, two bath home is $965 and up.

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Libraries

DESCHUTES PUBLIC LIBRARY: 507 NW Wall Street, 388-6677.
 

COCC LIBRARY: 2600 NW College Way, 383-7560.
 

DESCHUTES COUNTY LAW LIBRARY: located in 1100 NW Bond St Ste 101, (541) 388-6690

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Media

NEWSPAPERS:

The Bulletin, 1777 SW Chandler Ave. published every day  - 382-1811 www.bendbulletin.com
 

Cascade Business News, 3404 NE Norton published twice monthly  388-5665 www.cascadebusnews.com
 

The Source Weekly, 704 NW Georgia published every Thursday 383-0800 www.tsweekly.com

Bend Bugle, 829 NW Delaware Ave, published weekly 

389-6886 www.bendbugle.com

RADIO:

There are 13 radio stations based in Bend and additional stations in the Bend reception area.
 

TELEVISION:

Bend KTVZ-Channel 21/Cable 5 an NBC affiliate; KOHD-TV ABC - Channel cable 9 an ABC affiliate; KOAB-TV: A part of the Oregon Public Broadcasting State Television and Radio Network, Channel 3/Cable 7; KFXO - Channel 39, a Fox affiliate.

BendBroadband: Local provider of 100% Digital Cable, High-Speed Internet and Phone Service in Central Oregon.

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Places Of Worship

There are almost 100 congregations in the Bend area representing a wide variety of faiths and denominations.

Click here for a list of Churches

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Recreation and Culture

There are 37 developed city parks, including: Drake Park, 11 acres of lawn and trees bordering the Deschutes River, on Mirror Pond in downtown Bend and Juniper Park, with indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool and sauna, weight room, playground, tennis courts, horseshoes, etc. For further information, contact Bend Metro Park & Recreation, 200 Pacific Park Lane, 389-7275.

There are numerous fitness/health clubs available to provide workouts from weightlifting to indoor tennis courts. Central Oregon Community College offers a gym and free public use of sports equipment.

SPORTS:

Community teams are popular and leagues are formed for a number of sports including; basketball, skiing, softball, soccer, and tennis.  For more information on how to participate click here.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Two theater groups provide plays and entertainment year-round. Concerts, ranging from jazz to classical, are held throughout the year with many held outdoors at Drake Park.

Two museums feature exhibits portraying the cultural and natural heritage of the area. There is a thriving art community supporting more than ten art galleries, juried expositions and art hop walking tours.

Other entertainment options include nightclubs, dance halls, movie theaters and coffee houses.

Bend has two regional shopping malls, several smaller malls, a factory outlet center, a thriving downtown shopping area and abundant specialty shops.

ANNUAL EVENTS:

Pole, Pedal, Paddle race (May), Cascade Festival of Music (August), Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration (July), Bend Summer Festival (July), Sunriver Music Festival (August).  For a list of community events please click here, and for a list of Bend Chamber events, please click here.

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Taxes

Sales Tax:

Oregon has no sales tax.
 

Property Tax 2005:

This year, the total tax on a home with an assessed value of $100,000 in Bend is $1,516.
 

Income Tax:

City Tax Information:

1 (541) 388-5581
 

State Tax Information:

1 (503) 378-4988
 

Federal Tax Information:

1 (800) 829-1040

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Transportation

Highways:

Bend is situated on Highway 97, which provides a direct route north and south. State Highway 20 provides convenient access west to Salem, Eugene and Interstate 5 and east to the Idaho border.
 

Air Service:

Redmond Municipal Airport: (Commercial & General Aviation) 16 miles north of Bend. Three airlines, Horizon Airlines, United Express and Delta Airlines provide daily non-stop flights to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  National, Hertz, Avis and Budget car rentals have outlets at the airport.
For a flight schedule see their Web site at www.flyrdm.com.

Horizon Airlines
Phone: 1-800-547-9308
www.horizonair.com
 

United Express operated by Skywest Airlines
Phone: 1-800-241-6522
www.united.com

Delta Air Lines
Phone: 1-800-221-1212
www.delta.com

Bend Municipal Airport: (General Aviation) 5.5 miles northeast of Bend. Charters, service and car rentals.

Sunriver Resort Airport: (General Aviation) 17 miles south of Bend. Charters, service and car rentals.
 

Railroads:

AMTRAK provides passenger service through Chemult (60 miles south of Bend). Burlington Northern and Union Pacific provide freight services to all points in the country.
Phone: 1-800-872-7245
Web Address: www.amtrak.com
 

Bus Service:

Greyhound Bus Lines has a terminal located in Bend at 1555 NE Forbes Rd.  For fare and schedule information please call 1-800-231-2151.
 

Central Oregon Breeze Serves all of Central Oregon with daily service to Portland. For more information please call 1-800-847-0157

Bend Area Transit is the city's public transportation system. 575 NE 15th St., Bend 541-322-5870

Motor Freight:

Common carrier service is provided by local carriers with service across the continent.
 

Local Transportation:

Dial-A-Ride is a transportation program providing rides to seniors and the disabled community of Bend. Dial-A-Ride is operated Monday through Friday, 7:15 am to 8 pm and on weekends, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  Scheduling is finalized 14 days in advance with a minimum of a 24-hour notice. Scheduling is done on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Rides can be scheduled by calling 389-7433, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday.

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Utilities

Electricity:

Bend relies on a diversified supply of wholesale power generated by the Bonneville Power Administration and other Pacific Northwest sources. Companies servicing the Bend area include:

Central Electric Co-Op 389-1980
Pacific Power (888) 221-7070
 

Natural Gas:

Natural gas service in the Central Oregon area is provided by:

Cascade Natural Gas (888) 522-1130
 

Refuse and Recycling:
 

Bend Garbage & Recycling 382-2263
Cascade Disposal 382-6660

Telecommunications:

Fiber optic transmission facilities, provided by Qwest Communications, link the communities of Bend, Redmond and Madras with Portland.

• Qwest Communications: Residential Services: (800) 244-1111
• Phone Books: Qwest Dex: (800) 244-1111
• YellowBook USA (800) 827-1026
• Phone Directories Co. (541) 383-1600
• Cellular phone service is available through several companies.
   

Water and Sewer:
 

City of Bend www.ci.bend.or.us 388-5515
 

Bend municipal water is of exceptional quality. It exceeds EPA standards by wide margin in all categories. Its pH rating is 7.2; hardness ranges from 20-30; temperature is 36-50 F; no arsenic detected. The City of Bend utilizes both surface water and a large regional aquifer. For detailed information, call the Bend Public Works Department, 388-5540.
 

Private water companies with excellent water quality often supply properties not serviced by the City of Bend. These included Avion Water, Roats Water, Agate-Apache Water and Juniper Utilities depending on the property location. Rates and regulations vary as private water companies are regulated by the Public Utility Commission, (800) 522-2404.
 

The Oregon Health Division Drinking Water Program, (503) 731-4317, regulates all drinking water systems.

Many rural properties have their own on-site wells and cisterns. Water rights are administered by the County Watermaster. Checking water rights is advisable before acquiring property. Call the Water Master at 388-6669.