History
On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, the voters of La Pine approved
the formation of Oregon's newest city. After 96 years as a
community, La Pine is now the 242nd city in Oregon and is no
longer considered the largest unincorporated area in the state.
Congratulations La Pine! Industrial, commercial and
residential development has flourished (and is some of the most
inexpensive) in this part of the region's most southern
border.
Because La Pine is newley incorporated, there are, to
date, no official population figures for the area.
However, because the area offers popular home sites, typically
with larger acreages on flat, wooded mountain valleys, a
majority of new residential building permits in Deschutes
County have been issued in the La Pine area. Estimates
for the La Pine area (south of Sunriver and North of the
Klamath County line) are between 15,000 and 16,000 residents -
making it potentially the second largest population "center" in
the Central Oregon region.
Development
The commercial area of La Pine has several sizeable
developments underway or recently completed including a new
multi-million dollar senior/assisted living facility,
elementary school, and several new commercial/retail
businesses.
Community leaders in the La Pine area have also been working
diligently on development of "municipal" services including a
community water and sewer system. As a result, the area's new
industrial park and surrounding areas have water provided by a
new well, distribution system and 250,000 gallon storage
reservoir managed by La Pine Water District. Sewer services are
also available - provided by the La Pine Sewer District.
Livability
The La Pine area offers some of the least costly housing in the
region. This, combined with the fact that most are wooded,
provides an atmosphere of privacy and seclusion preferred by
many residents of Deschutes County - hence, it is one of the
fastest growing areas in the state. Located only a
half-hour by car from Bend and 15 minutes from Sunriver, it is
also close enough to take advantage of the sizeable
commercial/retail market in Bend.
Schools in the Bend/La Pine District also rank among the best
in the state as indicated by aptitude scores. The
national average for SAT scores in 1999 were 1016, for Oregon
1050*, while the combined Bend/La Pine School District beat
both state and national averages with a score of 1074.
* this ranked in the top three in the country for states
where more than 30% of graduating seniors took the SAT
Fun Facts
La Pine is home to the world's largest Ponderosa Pine, around
which a State Park has been established. The diameter of
its trunk is 8.6 ft. and it is estimated to be 500 years
old.
At 4300 feet, La Pine has the highest elevation of any
community within the Central Oregon region - almost 3000 feet
higher than Warm Springs.
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