As Oregon's largest city East of the Cascade Mountain range, Bend is the economic and cultural hub of Central Oregon. Residents and visitors bask in the sunny, dry climate and enjoy the natural beauty and unlimited recreational activities.

Imagine being able to ski or snowshoe in the morning, and golf, bike or reel in a rainbow trout with your fly rod in the afternoon. Locals call this "the sunny side of the mountains" for good reason. The snow-capped Cascades act as a barrier to clouds coming from the Pacific, giving Bend an average of only 12 inches of precipitation per year—three times less than Portland or Seattle.

History

Pioneers such as Peter Skene Ogden and John Fremont came to Central Oregon in the 1800's. A stretch of the scenic Deschutes River was dubbed "Farewell Bend" by early visitors, and in 1904 the City of Bend was incorporated with just a few hundred citizens. Lumber companies began to thrive and timber became the backbone of regional commerce. In the last half of the 1900's, skiing and other tourism activities started to grow in popularity and today have become large industries in the region. In the past decade, Central Oregon has become a preferred location for many high-tech companies. Today, the leading industries in Deschutes County include aviation, high tech, retail services, recreation, wood products and tourism.