Metolius, Oregon
Metolius is a city of 1,137 people in Jefferson County, Oregon, founded in 1913.
Why visit Metolius
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark in and around town.
Highlights include Oregon Trunk Railway Passenger and Freight Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; December lows average 23°F.
Weather in Metolius
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Metolius
Metolius is a city in Jefferson County, Oregon, United States, named for the Metolius River, a nearby tributary of the Deschutes River. The name for both comes from the Warm Springs or Sahaptin word mitula, meaning white salmon and referring to a light colored Chinook salmon and not a whitefish. The population was 978 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Metolius, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Oregon Trunk Railway Passenger and Freight Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic railway station in Metolius, Oregon, USA
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries10
History
Metolius was founded in the early 1900s. The earliest records are from 1903 and written in German.
In February 1911 the Oregon Trunk Railroad built a depot, turntable and roundhouse in the town. The railroad was connected to Bend, Oregon. Railroad engines at the time needed water at regular intervals, and Metolius was chosen as a servicing spot. Electricity was provided in 1912 from a small dam at the Cove. A high school and grade school were built in 1913. The town continued to prosper during the war years and by 1917, the population was over 1,700, and the town had two banks, two newspapers, a flour mill, hotels, general stores, hardware stores and a railroad maintenance hub.
As railroad technology improved, maintenance stations were required less frequently and the Metolius shop was eliminated. Without the railroad base, the population of Metolius went into decline. A major fire in the 1920s destroyed most of the downtown buildings. Drought from 1924 to 1926 bankrupted many farmers, and the Great Depression almost finished the town off. By 1945 the population was down to about 45 people.
From the History section of Metolius, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Metolius
12 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 24°F | 1.4 in | 5.3 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 1.1 in | 2.2 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 28°F | 0.9 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 31°F | 1.1 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 39°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 44°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 50°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 50°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 43°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 35°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 28°F | 1.2 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 23°F | 1.6 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Madras 2 N (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jefferson County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-07-31: Rowe Creek Fire Complex (Fire)
- 2026-07-23: Akawa Butte Fire (Fire)
- 2025-08-23: Flat Fire (Fire)
- 2025-06-17: Alder Springs Fire (Fire)
- 2024-08-06: Elk Lane Fire (Fire)
- 2020-09-15: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Madras Municipal Airport (MDJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Culver 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Madras 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Crooked River Ranch 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Warm Springs 15 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Terrebonne 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Ochoco West 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
- Redmond 23 mi south, about 36 min by car
- Eagle Crest 23 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Prineville 25 mi southeast, about 41 min by car
- Bend 37 mi south, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Rail depot - Metolius Oregon, Tedder, CC BY 3.0
- Oregon Trunk Station - Metolius Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS029-E-15235 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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