Dayville is a city along

U.S. Route 26 U.S. Route 26 (US 26) is an east–west United States highway that runs from Seaside, Oregon to Ogallala, Nebraska. When the U.S. highway system was first defined, it was limited to Nebraska and Wyoming; by the 1950s, it continued into Idaho and ...

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States *Grant County, Arkansas *Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky *Grant County, Minnesota *Grant County, Nebraska *Grant C ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. It was incorporated in 1913. The population was 149 at the 2010 census.

History

Dayville was named for the John Day River. The original site of the Dayville post office was west of the city's current location. In the mid-19th century, Dayville was along the route of a wagon road, renamed The Dalles Military Road in about 1870, that connected

The Dalles The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...

on the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

with gold mines near Canyon City. Dayville was incorporated in 1913.

Geography

The city is east of Bend and southeast of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, at the confluence of the

John Day River The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It is known as the Mah-Hah River by the Cayuse people, the original inhabitants of the region. Undammed along its entire ...

with the

South Fork John Day River The South Fork John Day River is a tributary of the John Day River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins in the Malheur National Forest in Harney County about north-northwest of Burns and flows generally north to Dayville, where it meets the m ...

runs east–west through Dayville, and South Fork Road, which runs north–south along the smaller river, meets the larger highway in the city. Murderers Creek State Wildlife Area, the

Aldrich Mountains The Aldrich Mountains are a mountain range in Grant County, Oregon, Grant County, Oregon, United States. An east–west range rising south of the John Day River valley, the mountains are bounded on the west by the South Fork John Day River, on the ...

, and parts of the

Malheur National Forest The Malheur National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than in the Blue Mountains (Pacific Northwest), Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest consists of Great Basin ...

are slightly southeast of Dayville. Slightly southwest are the Black Canyon Wilderness, the

Ochoco Mountains The Ochoco Mountains are a mountain range in central Oregon in the United States, located at the western end of the Blue Mountains. They were formed when Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic rocks were slowly uplifted by volcanic eruptions to form t ...

, and parts of the

Ochoco National Forest The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, ...

. Picture Gorge, named for Native American pictographs painted on the canyon walls, is northwest of Dayville at the intersection of Route 26 and

Oregon Route 19 John Day Highway No. 5 is a highway in eastern Oregon. It comprises Oregon Route 19 (OR 19) and U.S. Route 26 (US 26), as well as short segments of OR 206, OR 207, and US 395. Route description The John Day Highway ...

. The Sheep Rock Unit of the

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved l ...

, including the

Thomas Condon Thomas Condon (1822–1907) was an Irish Congregational minister, geologist, and paleontologist who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state of Oregon. Life and career Condon arrived in New York City from Ireland in 1833 and graduated ...

Paleontology Center and the

James Cant Ranch Historic District The James Cant Ranch is a pioneer ranch complex in Grant County, Oregon, Grant County in eastern Oregon, United States. The ranch is located on both sides of the John Day River in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The ranch was origin ...

and museum, are north of Picture Gorge along Route 19. Dayville is above sea level. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The city has a high-desert climate that averages in January and in July. Annual precipitation averages about , and about of snow a year falls in Dayville.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 149 people, 72 households, and 41 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 93 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 3.4% Native American, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.7% of the population. There were 72 households, out of which 19.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.68. The median age in the town was 50.8 years. 14.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 38.3% were from 45 to 64; and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.7% male and 46.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 138 people, 59 households, and 36 families residing in the city. The population density was 269.5 people per square mile (104.5/km²). There were 77 housing units at an average density of 150.4 per square mile (58.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.38% White, 2.17% Native American, 0.72% Asian, and 0.72% from two or more races. There were 59 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $33,438. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $25,417 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,319. There were 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 26.5% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Economy

Dayville is home to Dayville School District, a K−12 system with a total of about 50 students in 2007. As of 2002, the five largest employers in Dayville were the school district, the Dayville Merc (groceries), a cafe, a lounge, and a gas station. The Dayville Presbyterian Church has since the 1970s offered hospitality to bicyclists journeying along the

TransAmerica bicycle trail The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail was the first bicycle touring route to cross the U.S. It was developed and mapped by Adventure Cycling Association, and travels between Astoria, Oregon, and Yorktown, Virginia, along mostly rural, two-lane highways. ...

References

External links

Entry for Dayville
in the ''

Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and on ...

''
Dayville page at Grant County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Oregon Cities in Grant County, Oregon 1913 establishments in Oregon