Rufus, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 Rufus, with the fire department in foreground | |
 Location in Oregon | |
| Coordinates: 45°41′30″N 120°44′37″W / 45.69167°N 120.74361°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Sherman |
| Incorporated | 1965 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Daniel L. Pehlke, Jr.[citation needed] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.34 sq mi (3.48 km2) |
| • Land | 1.18 sq mi (3.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2) |
| Elevation | 235 ft (71.6 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 268 |
| • Density | 226.35/sq mi (87.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code | 97050 |
| Area code | 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-64200[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411013[4] |
Rufus is a city in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. The population was 268 at the 2020 census. The city was named for an early settler, Rufus Carrol Wallis.[5] The city is bordered on the northern side by the Columbia River and the John Day Dam. Rufus is located in the high desert and has wildlife such as porcupines, coyotes, ground squirrels, deer, hummingbirds, ospreys, and kestrels. The city has a gas station, post office, tackle shop, market, two restaurants and two hotels. Rufus is also home to Giles French waterfront park and a no-fee boat launch on the Columbia River. Giles French park is an excellent location for birdwatching and short term free camping.
Rufus is also home to archaeological site 35SH119, where various Native American groups quarried petrified wood and other materials for stone tool creation. Although petrified wood is not as desirable as obsidian for such tools, the proximity of this site made it a location that was regularly visited over thousands of years. The quarry site is located on the west end of Rufus in what is now the Gorge Vista subdivision. The lack of human remains and datable artifacts meant that this archeological site was not recommended for inclusion in the national register of historic sites and only the original survey post marks the location of the quarry.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnlywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rufus, Oregon
- ^ "Mrs. Mary Wallis dies in Portland". The Goldendale Sentinel (via ancestry.com). December 30, 1937. p. 2. Retrieved November 19, 2007.