Irrigon, Oregon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Irrigon, Oregon
City
Marina and Columbia River in Irrigon
Location in Oregon
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Morrow
Incorporated	February 28, 1957
Area
• Total	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
• Land	1.30 sq mi (3.36 km2)
• Water	0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2)
Elevation	302 ft (92 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,011
• Density	1,550.50/sq mi (598.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97844
Area code(s)	541
FIPS code	41-36500
GNIS feature ID	2410115
Website	City of Irrigon

Irrigon is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, USA. It sits right on the Columbia River and U.S. Route 730. In 2010, about 1,826 people lived there. Irrigon became an official city on February 28, 1957.

Near Irrigon, about 4 miles (6.4 km) south, are the Umatilla Chemical Depot and the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. The Irrigon Hatchery, a place where fish are raised, is along the Columbia River about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the city.

History of Irrigon

Irrigon is located near an old spot on the Columbia River called Grande Ronde Landing. This spot used to compete with Umatilla Landing, which was 8 miles (13 km) upriver, for river boat business. Umatilla Landing became more successful, and Grande Ronde Landing did not. It was later renamed Stokes.

In 1903, a newspaper editor named Addison Bennett gave the community its current name, Irrigon. This name is a portmanteau, which means it's a word made by blending two other words: Irrigation and Oregon. Bennett thought irrigation, which is how water is supplied to crops, was very important for the city's future. He even started the city's first newspaper, the Oregon Irrigator. This newspaper was later renamed the Irrigon Irrigator.

Before Irrigon got its name, the area called Stokes had a post office from 1876 to 1899. A new post office for Irrigon opened in 1903.

Economy and Education in Irrigon

Irrigon's economy is mostly based on agriculture (farming) and food processing. This means many jobs involve growing crops or preparing food products. The biggest employer in the city is Western Alfalfa. This company makes special livestock feed for farm animals.

Several schools are located in Irrigon. These include Irrigon Junior/Senior High School, Irrigon Elementary School, and A.C. Houghton Elementary School. There is also the Morrow Education Center, which is an alternative school. All these schools are part of the Morrow County School District.

In 2014, the city made news for a unique project. It offered to pay people one dollar for each large trash bag full of puncturevine. This is an invasive plant that the city wanted to get rid of.

Geography and Climate

The city of Irrigon covers a total area of about 1.45 square miles (3.75 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.30 square miles (3.36 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.15 square miles (0.39 square kilometers), is water.

Irrigon has a semi-arid climate. This means it gets very little rainfall, making it a dry place.

Population of Irrigon

2010 Census Information

Evacuation siren in Irrigon for the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility

In 2010, the city of Irrigon had 1,826 people living there. These people lived in 602 households, and 463 of these were families. The city had about 1,405 people per square mile (542 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people in Irrigon were White (76.2%). About 32.0% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many households had children under 18 living with them (44.0%). About 58.0% of households were married couples. The average household had about 3 people.

The average age of people in Irrigon was 33.3 years. About 31.9% of residents were under 18 years old. About 11.2% of residents were 65 years or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.2%) and females (50.8%).

See also

In Spanish: Irrigon (Oregón) para niños