La Pine is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, incorporated on December 7, 2006.
La Pine is part of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,512 people as of the 2020 Census. La Pine is in an isolated area of Central Oregon, consisting of a loose collection of homes and businesses along U.S. Highway 97 about southwest of Bend. Several peaks of the Cascade Range are prominently visible from the community.
La Pine is in the valley of the Little Deschutes River, a tributary of the Deschutes River. The river provides recreational opportunities such as fishing, swimming, canoeing and other leisure activities.
History
The area was first settled by European-Americans in the 1800s by French fur trappers. La Pine was founded in the 19th century with Huntington Road as the main street. The original name for the community was Rosland. A post office by that name was started in 1897, followed by a townsite in 1900. Construction on the Oregon Trunk Railroad started in 1908 by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway at the Columbia River. The route was designed to follow the Deschutes River, and the line later became part of BNSF Railway. The line was built to Bend, with the railroad later buying a line owned by the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company that continued to La Pine. What became U.S. 97 was completed in 1917, which used the right of way of the Oregon Trunk Line that had not been built south of Bend.
In 2000, a branch of the Deschutes Public Library was built in the community. La Pine had remained an unincorporated community for many years. A measure to incorporate in the 2000 elections was rejected by a 2–1 ratio. In the elections of 2006, another incorporation measure was placed on the ballot (one of two such measures in Oregon that year; the other being for Bull Mountain, Oregon). The La Pine measure passed, creating the City of La Pine. The city occupies , and at the time of incorporation in December 2006, had 1,585 residents. Much of the former census-designated area lies outside the city limits.
Government
The city operates under a council–mayor form of city government. Voters elect four at-large councilors who serve four-year terms, and a mayor that serves two-years. As of 2021, Daniel Richer served as mayor, with the other council members being Colleen Scott, Courtney Ignazzitto, Mike Shields, and Cathi Van Damme. Fire services are provided by the La Pine Rural Fire Protection District, and the La Pine Library is a branch of the Deschutes Public Library System.
At the federal level, La Pine lies in Oregon's 2nd congressional district, represented by Cliff Bentz. In the State Senate, the city is in District 28, represented by Dennis Linthicum, and in the House, it lies in District 55, represented by Vikki Breese-Iverson.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Transportation
The main road in the city is U.S. Route 97, which runs north-south through the entire city. Oregon Route 31's northern terminus is approximately one-mile south of the city limits. A rail line of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway also runs through La Pine, parallel to U.S. 97.
Demographics
2020 Census
As of the 2020 Census there were 2,512 people, 1,226 housing units, and 1,220 households. During the 2020 Census, the 2020 American Community Survey was also collected from a subset of Census-taking households.
Population
83.3% of people were 18 years of age and older; 20.4% of people were age 65 and older; 16.7% of people were under 18 years of age, and; 5.0% percent of people were under 5 years of age. The median age was 48.8 years, older than the Oregon-wide median age of 39.5 years.
In 2020, 6.2% of people had moved to La Pine from within the same county; 3.6% had moved from a different county within Oregon; 1.5% had moved from a different state, and; 0.2% had moved to La Pine from beyond the United States.
28.3% of people in La Pine claimed Irish ancestry; 26.9% claimed German ancestry; 6.2% claimed English ancestry; 3.1% claimed Norwegian ancestry; 2.0% claimed Italian ancestry; 1.7% claimed French ancestry; 1.5% claimed Scottish ancestry, and; 0.2% claimed Polish ancestry. 8.9% of people spoke a language other than English at home, compared to the Oregon-wide average of 15.3%.