Christmas Valley, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christmas Valley, Oregon
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Old building in Christmas Valley
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 Christmas Valley, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Christmas Valley, Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lake |
| Elevation | 4,321 ft (1,317 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 1,313 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code |
97641
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Christmas Valley is a small community in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It's not an official city, but a group of homes and businesses. The community got its name from nearby Christmas Lake. This lake is usually dry. The first post office for the area was called "Lake" and operated from 1906 to 1943. After World War II, a developer named M. Penn Phillips started building up the area. He called his project "Christmas Valley." A new post office for Christmas Valley opened in 1963.
Contents
History of Christmas Valley
The names Christmas Lake, Christmas Valley, and nearby Peter's Sink come from an early cattle rancher named Peter Christman. He used to graze his cattle in this area. He also had a house in Silver Lake, about 18 miles (29 km) away. These names were used as early as 1877. Former Oregon Governor John Whiteaker mentioned them in a letter. He was interested in the old animal bones found at Fossil Lake nearby. He also had ranching interests in the area.
The name "Christmas" became popular around 1900. It was a simpler way of saying "Christman." The Christman family sometimes spelled their name with a "T" and sometimes without it. Even Governor Whiteaker used both "Christman Lake" and "Christmas Lake" in his letters.
The Penn Phillips Development
In 1961, a developer named M. Penn Phillips planned the town of Christmas Valley. He gave the streets fun, holiday-themed names like Candy Lane and Mistletoe Road. He also built the Christmas Valley Airport, a water system, a golf course, a lodge, and an artificial lake. This lake was first called Christmas Valley Lake and is now known as Baert Lake.
Phillips strongly advertised Christmas Valley in California. He offered free bus tours and flights to young people who wanted to farm and to people who were retiring. He made the land sound green and easy to farm. His company quickly sold all the land plots. However, Phillips had claimed that over 5,000 people would move there, but very few actually did.
In 1966, a judge described the land as "dry, dusty, windy, isolated, [and] subject to temperature extremes." By the early 1970s, Phillips' company faced lawsuits. People felt that the property had been misrepresented. Many people now see this period of development as a time when buyers were misled.
Climate in Christmas Valley
Christmas Valley has hot and dry summers. The average summer temperature is around 71°F (22°C). Summer days can be very hot, often above 90°F (32°C). But the nights can get quite cool, sometimes dropping into the teens. Winters are cold with snow. The average winter low is 19°F (-7°C), and the high is 37°F (3°C). The record low temperature ever recorded was -40°F (-40°C).
| Climate data for Christmas Valley | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
69 (21) |
77 (25) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
101 (38) |
109 (43) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
76 (24) |
67 (19) |
109 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
59 (15) |
68 (20) |
76 (24) |
85 (29) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
97 (36) |
91 (33) |
83 (28) |
66 (19) |
56 (13) |
97 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.6 (5.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
51.1 (10.6) |
57.2 (14.0) |
66.4 (19.1) |
74.8 (23.8) |
86.1 (30.1) |
85.0 (29.4) |
77.0 (25.0) |
63.6 (17.6) |
48.6 (9.2) |
39.8 (4.3) |
61.4 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.2 (−1.0) |
32.9 (0.5) |
37.5 (3.1) |
41.7 (5.4) |
49.5 (9.7) |
56.2 (13.4) |
65.9 (18.8) |
63.6 (17.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
45.3 (7.4) |
35.0 (1.7) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
45.2 (7.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 17.8 (−7.9) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
32.7 (0.4) |
37.6 (3.1) |
43.7 (6.5) |
42.1 (5.6) |
34.4 (1.3) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −10 (−23) |
−1 (−18) |
5 (−15) |
11 (−12) |
17 (−8) |
25 (−4) |
31 (−1) |
29 (−2) |
19 (−7) |
11 (−12) |
3 (−16) |
−7 (−22) |
−13 (−25) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −42 (−41) |
−40 (−40) |
−14 (−26) |
−1 (−18) |
6 (−14) |
12 (−11) |
21 (−6) |
19 (−7) |
4 (−16) |
−7 (−22) |
−27 (−33) |
−40 (−40) |
−42 (−41) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.78 (20) |
0.62 (16) |
0.56 (14) |
0.74 (19) |
0.98 (25) |
1.01 (26) |
0.53 (13) |
0.42 (11) |
0.48 (12) |
0.71 (18) |
0.71 (18) |
0.89 (23) |
8.43 (215) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.2 (13) |
4.0 (10) |
3.1 (7.9) |
1.7 (4.3) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
4.4 (11) |
21.3 (53.5) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Economy and Community Life
Christmas Valley is mainly a farming community, especially known for growing alfalfa. The community has several businesses to serve its residents. These include:
- three grocery stores
- two motels
- four restaurants
- a gas station
- a bakery
- two car repair shops
- a Credit Union
- a medical clinic
- a dental clinic building
- an EV Charging Station at the hardware store
The Christmas Valley Park and Recreation District takes care of several local spots. They maintain a nine-hole golf course and the Christmas Valley Airport. They also look after the Rodeo Grounds, the Community Hall, and Baert Lake. The community's local newspaper, Desert Whispers, is published twice a month.
Former Military Base
The Christmas Valley Air Force Station was once a special radar station. It was used to detect things far away, over the horizon. This station was closed down in 2002.
Things to See and Do
Christmas Valley is close to many interesting natural places. These include:
- Fort Rock–Christmas Lake Valley basin
- Fort Rock
- Four Craters Lava Field
- Crack in the Ground
The community is also very popular with people who love off-road vehicles. Riders from all over the world come to enjoy the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes. Near the Sand Dunes, you can also find the Lost Forest, which has thousands of acres of Ponderosa Pine trees.
Education
Students in Christmas Valley attend schools run by the North Lake School District.
