Prineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city of 11,470 people in Crook County, Oregon, founded in 1880.
Why visit Prineville
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 35 parks and trails, 28 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Pine Theater, A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum, Crook County Bank Building and Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; December lows average 24°F.
Weather in Prineville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Prineville
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant to establish businesses in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 10,429 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Prineville, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Museums and landmarks13
A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum
Museum · 0.7 mi
History museum in Oregon
246 North Main Street, Prineville
Crook County Bank Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic former bank in Prineville, Oregon, USA
Lamonta Compound
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Government facility in Prineville, Oregon, USA
Marion Reed Elliott House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Old First National Bank of Prineville
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Prineville, Oregon, USA
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Thomas M. Baldwin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Prineville, Oregon, USA
U.S. Forest Service
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
1175 Northwest Lamonta Road, Prineville
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds35
Castle Park
Playground · 1.3 mi
Large wooden play structure nicknamed the "castle" located between several play grounds toys such as monkey bars, swings, and slides....
23 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes28
Tastee Treet
Restaurant · Burger, American, Ice Cream · 1.0 mi
Mo-Sa 07:30-20:00; Su 11:00-20:00
16 more on the map.
History
Prineville was founded in 1877 when Monroe Hodges filed the original plat for the city. The post office for the community had been established with the name of Prine on April 13, 1871, but changed to Prineville on December 23, 1872. The city was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on October 23, 1880, and obtained its first high school in 1902.
Long the major town in central Oregon, Prineville was snubbed in 1911 when the railroad tycoons James J. Hill and Edward H. Harriman bypassed the city as they laid track south from The Dalles. In a period when the presence of a railroad meant the difference between prosperity and an eventual fate as a ghost town, in a 1917 election, Prineville residents voted 355 to 1 to build their own railway, and raised the money to connect their town to the main line 19 miles (31 km) away.
Helped by timber harvests from the nearby Ochoco National Forest, the City of Prineville Railroad prospered for decades. The profits from the railroad were so abundant that between 1964 and 1968, the city levied no property taxes. However, with the decline of the timber industry in Oregon, the railroad reported a loss of nearly $1 million between 2002 and 2004.
Since the late 2000s, Apple and Facebook have each invested over $1 billion in multiple data centers located within Prineville city limits.
From the History section of Prineville, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Pioneer Secondary Alternative High School
School · 1.5 mi
1200 Se Lynn Blvd, Prineville
Central Oregon Community College - Prineville
School · 1.0 mi
510 Southeast Lynn Boulevard, Prineville
Healthcare3
Map of Prineville
129 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 25°F | 1.1 in | 1.8 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 26°F | 0.8 in | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 29°F | 0.9 in | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 33°F | 0.8 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 69°F | 40°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 44°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 49°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 48°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 42°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 34°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 29°F | 1.2 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 24°F | 1.3 in | 1.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Prineville Hcn (1 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
Crook County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-07-31: Rowe Creek Fire Complex (Fire)
- 2025-07-13: Highland Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-07: Rail Ridge Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-02-17: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Mudslides, Landslides, And Debris Flows (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Prineville Airport (PRZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Ochoco West 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Juniper Canyon 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Prineville Lake Acres 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Redmond 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Terrebonne 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Crooked River Ranch 22 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Eagle Crest 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Culver 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Metolius 25 mi northwest, about 41 min by car
- Bend 28 mi southwest, about 45 min 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
Loading what members have shared...
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
- PrinevilleOregonPano1, Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prineville, OR (30134661), Kris Arnold from New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pine Theater (Prineville, Oregon), Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prineville Mens Wear, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20210803 17 Prineville, Oregon, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- 20210803 18 Prineville, Oregon, David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Prineville Courthouse - panoramio (1), Jordan W., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prineville Courthouse - panoramio, Jordan W., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lamonta Compound pano - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crook County Courthouse Christmas lights - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Overlook west of Prineville, OR. (1668845825), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Overlooking Prineville, Oregon (1669706530), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Prineville Airport, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Elliott House - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Crook County Bank - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Baldwin House - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet ( User:Werewombat ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- First National Bank - Prineville Oregon, Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834930, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834949, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834911, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297834800, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297835907, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297834781, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834831, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297835996, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834857, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Salvia dorrii 297834883, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297896745, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297896770, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297896759, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Calochortus macrocarpus 297896785, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Crook County Color Guard, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crook County Christian School, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crook County Courthouse, Gregory Pelton (5352568924), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- Inside Crook County Courthouse (10776357003), Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Oregon Route 27 South, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crook County Courthouse, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tastee Treet Lunch Counter, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tastee Treet, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crook County Watermelon Eating Contest, Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0
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