Lexington is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in Morrow County,

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, United States. The population was 238 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pendleton– Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Lexington was named by early settler William Penland for his hometown of

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

. Lexington post office was established in 1885. In 1886, shortly after Morrow County was created, Lexington lost by 33 votes to Heppner in an election to determine the county seat. The town was incorporated in 1903, and had a population of 185 at the 1910 census. Sheep ranching was important in the region during the days of early settlement by non-natives. It continues in the 21st century and has been joined by wheat farming and cattle ranching as significant uses of the land.

Geography

Lexington is located between the

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

to the north and the Blue Mountains to the southeast. The town is along Oregon Route 74, about northwest of Heppner. Lexington is about southwest of Hermiston and east of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

. Willow Creek flows through Lexington, which is downstream of Heppner and upstream of Ione and Arlington. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all of it land. Route 74 forms part of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway, a set of roads connecting Interstate 84 (I-84) along the Columbia River with the North Fork John Day River in the Blue Mountains. Part of the route follows the Willow Creek drainage through Lexington.

Economy and education

As of 2002, Lexington's largest employers were the Morrow County Grain Growers (farms), the Columbia Basin Electric Co-op in Heppner, a metal fabrication company in Heppner, and a small company in Lexington that repaired farm equipment. The headquarters of the Morrow County School District is in Lexington. The nearest public schools in this district are in Heppner.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 238 people, 94 households, and 70 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 101 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 5.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. There were 94 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.5% were non-families. 17% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the town was 43 years. There were 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.4% were from 25 to 44; 31.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 55% male and 45% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 263 people, 102 households, and 72 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 111 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.96% White, 1.14% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 102 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $50,625. Males had a median income of $37,969 versus $24,688 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $23,152. About 6.7% of families and 12.0% of the population were 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 ...

, including 20.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 or older. Lexington Airport Oregon

Transportation

Lexington Airport, which is open to the public, is about one mile north of the town. Operations involve an average of about 85 aircraft a week, mostly local. Seasonally, many flights are related to agriculture.

References

External links

Entry for Lexington
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 o ...

''
Lexington history
from the illustrated histories of Umatilla and Morrow counties, 1902 {{authority control Cities in Morrow County, Oregon Cities in Oregon Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area 1885 establishments in Oregon Populated places established in 1885