Sisters, Oregon

Sisters, Oregon
—  City  —
Cascade Avenue in downtown Sisters
Location in Oregon
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Oregon
County Deschutes
Incorporated 1946
Government
 • Mayor Lon Kellstrom
Area
 • Total 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
 • Land 1.5 sq mi (3.8 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 3,182 ft (969.9 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,038
 • Density 663.0/sq mi (255.4/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code 97759
Area code(s) 541
FIPS code 41-67950[1]
GNIS feature ID 1127008[2]
Website www.ci.sisters.or.us

Sisters is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 959 at the 2000 census, but more than doubled to 2038 as of the 2010 census.[3]

Contents

History

Camp Polk was established as a military post in 1865 in response to the Paiute Indian wars that were raging throughout eastern Oregon during the 1860s and 70s. Named after the Oregon county from which the camp’s commanding officer hailed, it consisted of a group of cabins along the west bank of Squaw Creek, about three miles northeast of Sisters. The troops spent the winter of 1865-66 there. After discovering that there was no Indian problem they left. Around 1870, the area was homesteaded by Samuel Hindeman who also ran the post office. The post office at Camp Polk was moved to the present site of Sisters in 1888, and the name was changed to Sisters after the Three Sisters mountains that dominate its western skyline.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all land.

Whychus Creek runs through the southern half of town.

The Santiam Highway (U.S. Route 20) and the McKenzie Highway (Oregon Route 126) merge briefly to form Cascade Avenue, the main thoroughfare through downtown Sisters. On Cascade Avenue, there is a lot of pedestrian traffic and many specialty stores and galleries. East of Sisters the two highways split, with 126 heading to Redmond and 20 going to Bend.[4] West of Sisters, the road splits once more, with the McKenzie Highway becoming Oregon Route 242[4] and running west over the McKenzie Pass (a summertime-only scenic route over the Cascades.) The Santiam Highway proceeds over the Santiam Pass.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 959 people, 397 households, and 262 families residing in the city. The population density was 663.0 people per square mile (255.4/km²). There were 482 housing units at an average density of 333.2 per square mile (128.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.83% White, 1.56% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 1.36% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.59% of the population.

There were 397 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $43,977. Males had a median income of $35,563 versus $21,771 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,847. About 7.4% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Sisters area is served by Sisters School District, which is responsible for the education of approximately 1,300 students at four schools:

Sisters is also home to Sisters Christian Academy, a non-denominational Christian school.[5]

Media

The local newspaper is the Nugget Newspaper published weekly on Wednesdays. It is free and available at most businesses in town.

Recreation

Sisters is the headquarters of the Sisters District of the Deschutes National Forest. The Sisters Ranger District Office is located at Pine Street and Highway 20.[6] Hiking, biking and horse riding trails go from the city limits into the Three Sisters Wilderness. The Sisters Community Trails Committee is working to improve the trail network.

The Sisters area is also home to several mountain biking trails, including the Peterson Ridge and Suttle Lake trails.

Hoodoo ski resort and many snow parks are nearby.

The Sisters Rodeo has been an annual event since 1941.[7]

Transportation

Notable people

References

External links