Umatilla County (/ˌjuːməˈtɪlə/) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,075. Hermiston is the largest city in Umatilla County, but Pendleton remains the county seat. Umatilla County is part of the Hermiston-Pendleton, OR Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has a combined population of 92,261. It is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon.
The county is named for the Umatilla River.
| Name: | Umatilla County |
|---|---|
| FIPS code: | 41-059 |
| State: | Oregon |
| Founded: | September 27, 1862 |
| Named for: | Umatilla River |
| Seat: | Pendleton |
| Largest city: | Hermiston |
| Total Area: | 3,231 sq mi (8,370 km²) |
| Land Area: | 3,216 sq mi (8,330 km²) |
| Total Population: | 80,075 |
| Population Density: | 20/sq mi (9/km²) |
| Time zone: | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| Summer Time Zone (DST): | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| Website: | www.co.umatilla.or.us |
Umatilla County location map. Where is Umatilla County?
History
Umatilla County was created on September 27, 1862, out of a portion of Wasco County. Adjustments were made to the county’s boundaries following the creation of Grant, Morrow, Union, and Wallowa Counties. This legislative act also designated Marshall Station as the temporary county seat. An 1865 election selected Umatilla City, now known as Umatilla, as the county seat. With the development of wheat farming, population shifted to the north and east parts of the county, and a subsequent election in 1868 moved the county seat again to Pendleton.
The Umatilla Indian Reservation was established by the Treaty of Walla Walla in 1855. The Umatillas, Walla Wallas, and Cayuse tribes were resettled there, and is located immediately southeast of Pendleton.
EZ Wireless of Hermiston officially opened on February 4, 2004, one of the largest known Wi-Fi wide area networks in the United States, covering parts of Umatilla County, Morrow County and Benton County, Washington. Although created to facilitate communications among local police, firemen and EMT workers who immediately respond to possible accidents or terrorist attacks on the Umatilla Chemical Depot, where the U.S. Army maintained a national arsenal of nerve gas, the network can be accessed in some places by the public for free.
Umatilla County Road Map
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,231 square miles (8,370 km), of which 3,216 square miles (8,330 km) are land and 16 square miles (41 km) (0.5%) are covered by water. It borders the Columbia River across from Washington.
Adjacent counties
- Benton County, Washington (north)
- Walla Walla County, Washington (north)
- Columbia County, Washington (northeast)
- Wallowa County (east)
- Union County (east)
- Grant County (south)
- Morrow County (west)
National protected areas
- Cold Springs National Wildlife Refuge
- McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge
- Umatilla National Forest (part)
- Whitman National Forest (part)
Umatilla County Topographic Map
Umatilla County Satellite Map
Umatilla County Outline Map
