Pendleton is a city of 17,000 people (2019) in Eastern Oregon. The city is set in a pleasant valley set among hilly cropland on the I-84 several hours east of Portland. It is the location of one of the manufacturing plants of Pendleton Woolen Mills.
Understand
The town is the cultural center of Eastern Oregon. Pendleton's "Old town" is listed as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have their property nearby. They have established the Wildhorse Resort & Casino and golf course on the reservation to generate revenue for development and welfare. They have also built the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, for education and interpretation of their cultures.
History
A European-American commercial center began to develop here in 1851, when Dr. William C. McKay established a trading post at the mouth of McKay Creek. The city was named Pendleton, after politician and diplomat George H. Pendleton (1825–1889), who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator from Ohio.
By 1900, Pendleton had a population of 4,400 and was the fourth-largest city in Oregon. The Pendleton Woolen Mills and Pendleton Round Up became features of the city captured in early paintings by Walter S. Bowman. Like many cities in Eastern Oregon, where thousands of Chinese immigrant workers built the transcontinental railroad, it had a flourishing Chinatown that developed as the workers settled here. The sector is supposed to have been underlain by a network of tunnels, which are now a tourist attraction. The authenticity as a Chinese tunnel system has been questioned.
Climate
Pendleton has a semi-arid climate with short, cool winters and hot summers.
Get in
By plane
- 1 Eastern Oregon Regional Airport (PDT IATA), ☏ 1 541 276-7754. Located 4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of town in Pendair Heights neighborhood via Airport Rd. From I-84 it accessible through Exit #207. It is a general aviation airport with limited commercial service by Boutique Air to and from Portland.
More distant airport options include:
- Walla Walla (ALW IATA) (40 miles away on OR-Hwy 11/WA-Hwy 125) with Alaska/Horizon service to Seattle
- Pasco's Tri-Cities Airport (PSC IATA) (70 miles away via divided Interstate highways) with multiple connections on Alaska, Allegiant, Delta, and/or United Express.
By bus
- Greyhound, (Bus stop) Pendleton Market/Unocal 76 @ 2101 SE Court Ave, ☏ 1 541 276-1551, toll-free: 1 800 231-2222. Greyhound travels primarily on Interstate 84 (Portland, Hood River, The Dalles, Baker City, Stanfield/Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, Ontario, Nampa, Boise, Twin Falls, Burley, Tremonton, Ogden and/or Salt Lake City). Passengers transfer buses in Portland, Salt Lake City, Boise and Stanfield, OR to reach additional destinations. Buses going towards Seattle (via Yakima & Ellensburg) and Spokane (via Tri-Cities) leave from Stanfield.
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation (CTUIR) (Kayak Public Transit), (bus stops) Wal-Mart @ SW 20th; Pendleton City Hall @ SW Dorian & 4th; and Til Taylor Park @ SE 8th & Emigrante, ☏ 1 541 429-7519. Connections to Walla Walla, Hermiston, La Grande and Mission (on Umatilla Indian Reservation).
Distances
- Walla Walla: 40 miles
- La Grande: 48 miles
- Kennewick: 64 miles
- Baker City: 92 miles
- The Dalles: 127 miles
- Yakima: 140 miles
- Spokane: 197 miles
- Portland: 210 miles
- Boise: 219 miles
- Seattle:
- via I-90: 282 miles
- via US-12: 297 miles
- Eugene: 332 miles
Get around
See
- 1 Pendleton Underground Tours, 37 SW Emigrant Ave, toll-free: 1-800-226-6398. 9:30AM-3PM. Knowledgable and enthusiastic guides. A definite must, if you're into underground tours. $15.
- 2 Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame, 1114 SW Court Ave, ☏ 1 541-278-0815. M– Sa 10AM – 4PM.
- 3 Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, 47106 Wildhorse Blvd, ☏ 1 541-429-7700. M-Sa 10AM - 5 PM. Exhibits & videos detailing the impact of the Oregon Trail & pioneer settlement on Native tribes.
- 4 Heritage Station Museum (Umatilla County Historical Society), 108 SW Frazer (Old train station building along Frazier between 4th & Main in downtown), ☏ 1 541 276-0012. Tu-Sa 10AM- 4PM. Museum complex featuring an old schoolhouse, barn, caboose & more, with exhibits on local history. Adults $5, Seniors (62 ) $4, Students $2.
- 5 Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N Main St, ☏ 1 541 278-9201.
Do
- 1 Wildhorse Resort and Casino, 46510 Wildhorse Blvd. (I-84, Exit 216), toll-free: 1-800-654-9453, ✉[email protected].
- 2 Pendleton Family Aquatic Center, 1901 NW Carden (Next to Pendleton High School), ☏ 1 541-276-0104 (answered during open hours), 1 541-276-8100 (parks office). Summer only: Noon-8 PM. Two tower water slides with open and closed tubes and 3 pools- a zero-depth pool, 50-meter pool, and dive well, plus children`s water features and a picnic area. Adults $6, Youth (3-17) $4.
- 3 Children's Museum of Eastern Oregon, 400 S. Main St, ☏ 1 541 276-1066. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. $5 per person, free under age 1.
- 4 McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge, ☏ 1 509 546-8300. Sunrise to sunset (Except for hunting- access is 1.5 hrs. before, to 1.5 hrs after, legal hunting hours).
Buy
- 1 Pendleton Woolen Mills, 1307 SE Court Pl, ☏ 1 541 276-6911.
Eat
- 1 Roosters, 1515 Southgate Pl (Southbound 395 from exit 209 on the I-84). 7AM- 8PM (Fr-Sa until 8:30PM). Good breakfast menu served until 3PM.
- 2 Great Pacific, 403 South Main (S Main & SW Emigrate), ☏ 1 541 276-1350. M-Th 10AM-9PM; F-Sa 10AM-10PM. Great and friendly atmosphere. Several beers on tap, and quite the wine selection. Not open Sunday.
Drink
- The Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub, 230 SE Court Ave, ☏ 1 541 276-6090, ✉[email protected].
Sleep
A number of hotels presented are clustered around SE Nye St & 3rd off of Exit #210 of I-84 and in the downtown area along Court, Dorian or Emigrant Ave (the main east west streets through town).
- 1 Best Western Pendleton Inn, 400 SE Nye Ave, ☏ 1 541 276-2135, fax: 1 541 278-2129.
- 2 Holiday Inn Express, 600 Se Nye Ave, ☏ 1 541 966-6520.
- 3 Marigold Downtown Hotel, 105 SE Court Ave (SE Court Ave & SE 1st St), ☏ 1 541 276-3132.
- 4 Motel 6, 325 SE Nye Ave, ☏ 1 541 276-3160, fax: 1 541 276-7526. Check-out: =.
- 5 Oxford Suites Pendleton, 2400 S.W. Court Pl (west end of town at SW Court & 23rd. It can be accessed from I-84 at Southgate (US Hwy 395), at Exit #209), ☏ 1 541 276-6000. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 6 Pendleton Inn, 310 SE Dorian St (SE Dorian & SE 3rd), ☏ 1 541 276-6231.
- 7 Red Lion Pendleton, 304 SE Nye Ave, ☏ 1 541 276-6111.
- 8 Travelodge by Wyndham, 411 SW Dorian (SW Dorian & SW 4th), ☏ 1 541 276-7531. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 9 Working Girls Hotel, 17 SW Emigrant Ave (Next to the Pendleton Underground Tours on Main & SW Emigrant Ave), ☏ 1 541 276-0730. An operating bordello until the 1950s, this intimate hotel sits in the center of historic Pendleton, a 5-minute walk from shops, restaurants and the Umatilla River walkway. The hotel is owned & operated by the Pendleton Underground Tours. $75-95 depending on season & room.
Bed and breakfasts
- 10 Pendleton House Historic Inn, 311 North Main (two blocks uphill from the Umatilla River), ☏ 1 541 276-8581, ✉[email protected]. This charming 1910s pink mansion is a delight on many levels. The building combines original drapes and wall coverings with period-appropriate furniture and a collection of spectacular rugs. The five rooms range from luxury suite to comfortable bed with shared bath — where you can choose between a 1930s wrap-around spray shower and a period bathtub. Breakfasts are delicious. The capstone is Tracy, your endlessly friendly and helpful host. His partner Kevin can brief you on the restoration they did, and Kevin's dad might bring produce fresh from his garden. $135-349, plus tax, includes breakfast.
Camping
- 11 Pendleton KOA, 1375 SE 3rd St, ☏ 1 541 276-1041 (info), toll-free: 1-800-562-7560 (reservations). Check-in: Noon, check-out: 11AM.
- 12 Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area, ☏ 1 541-983-2277.
Cope
- Arrowhead Travel Plaza, 72485 Highway 331, ☏ 1 541 276-8080. 24 hrs. Laundry, showers, and WiFi. Free RV dump station.
Go next
| Routes through Pendleton |
| The Dalles ← Hermiston ← | W  E | → La Grande → Boise |
| The Dalles ← Hermiston ← | W  E | → La Grande → Boise |
| Pasco ← Hermiston ← | N  S | → John Day → Burns |
| Walla Walla ← Milton-Freewater ← | N  S | → END |