
Wheeler County is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the
U.S. state of
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 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 1,451,
making it Oregon's least populous county. It
is named in honor of Henry H. Wheeler. an early settler who owned a farm near
Mitchell. The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
,
and Wheeler County is known for having Oregon's largest deposit of
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
s.
History
Wheeler County was created on February 17, 1899, from parts of
Grant,
Gilliam, and
Crook Counties. There have been no boundary changes since its creation. Fossil was designated the temporary county seat at the time of the county's creation. In 1900 there was an election to determine the permanent county seat between the three towns of the county, which ended with Fossil winning the election.
Henry H. Wheeler (born September 7, 1826,
Erie County, Pennsylvania - died March 26, 1915,
Mitchell, Oregon
Mitchell is a city in Wheeler County, Oregon, Wheeler County, Oregon, United States. The population was 130 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It was founded in 1873 and was named after John H. Mitchell, a politician.
The Painted Hil ...
) arrived in Oregon in 1862, moved around, and settled near Mitchell, Oregon. He married Dorcas L. Monroe on December 19, 1875.
Geography
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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.03%) is water.
Adjacent counties
*
Gilliam County - north
*
Morrow County - northeast
*
Grant County - east
*
Crook County - south
*
Jefferson County - west
*
Wasco County - northwest
National Protected Areas
*
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (part)
*
Ochoco National Forest (part)
*
Umatilla National Forest (part)
Major highway
*
U.S. Route 26
*
Oregon Route 19
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
2010 census, there were 1,441 people, 651 households, and 408 families living in the county.
The population density was . There were 895 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 92.4% white, 1.2% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.6% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.3% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 28.4% were
German, 24.0% were
English, 20.0% were
Irish, and 8.4% were
American.
Of the 651 households, 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.3% were non-families, and 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 53.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,403 and the median income for a family was $43,167. Males had a median income of $36,328 versus $31,792 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,598. About 9.1% of families and 11.4% 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 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 1,547 people, 653 households, and 444 families living in the county. 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 842 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.34%
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 ...
, 0.06%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.84%
Native American, 0.26%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.49% from
other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 5.11% of the population were
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. 20.6% were of
German, 18.0%
English, 13.6%
American, 8.2%
Irish and 6.9%
Scottish ancestry.
There were 653 households, out of which 21.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% 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, 4.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.90% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 3.40% from 18 to 24, 19.30% from 25 to 44, 31.40% from 45 to 64, and 23.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $34,048. Males had a median income of $29,688 versus $22,361 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 county was $15,884. About 12.70% of families and 15.60% 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 22.20% of those under age 18 and 4.20% of those age 65 or over.
Politics

Though Wheeler County is located in central Oregon, it politically falls in line with the eastern side of the state. The majority of registered voters who are part of a
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...
in Wheeler County, as well as most counties in eastern Oregon, are members of the
Republican Party. The county has only voted Democratic in four presidential elections following its formation.
The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
in
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
. No Democrat has won over 40 percent of the vote in Wheeler County since 1988, with that election having been heavily influenced by drought.
In the
2008 presidential election, 61.33% of Wheeler County voters voted for Republican
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
, while 34.61% voted for Democrat
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
and 4.06% of voters either voted for a
third-party candidate or
wrote in a candidate. In the
2004 presidential election, 69.5% of Wheeler Country voters voted for
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, while 27.8% voted for
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
, and 2.7% of voters either voted for a third-party candidate or wrote in a candidate.
In the
2016 presidential election, 72.25 percent of voters went for Republican
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, 18.95 percent for Democrat
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
, 5.62 percent for Libertarian
Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th List of governors of New Mexico, governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republica ...
, and the remainder were either write-ins or voted for other candidates. In the
2012 presidential election, 63.52 percent of voters went for
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
, 31.00 percent for Obama and 5.48 percent for other candidates.
Economy
Principal industries in this county are agriculture, livestock, and lumber.
Communities
Cities
*
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
(county seat)
*
Mitchell
*
Spray
Unincorporated communities
*
Clarno
*
Richmond
*
Service Creek
*
*
Twickenham
Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...
*
Waterman
*City of Wheeler (had a post office Aug 1890-Sept 1895)
*
Winlock
Former communities
*
Antone Antone is both a surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname:
* Annie Antone (born 1955), American basket weaver
* Bruce Antone (born 1960), American politician
* Clifford Antone (1949–2006), American blues m ...
*
Kinzua
*
Wetmore
Education
School districts include:
*
Condon School District 25J
*
Dayville School District 16J
*
Fossil School District 21J
*
Mitchell School District 55
*
Spray School District 1
The county is not a part of a
community college
A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...
district.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Wheeler County, Oregon
*
Winlock W. Steiwer
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Wheeler County Oregon(official website)
Wheeler County listingin the ''
Oregon Blue Book''
{{authority control
1899 establishments in Oregon
Populated places established in 1899