Editing Hermiston, Oregon

{{redirect|Hermiston}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Hermiston, Oregon
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| image_skyline            = Riverfront Park & Umatilla River.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Riverfront Park & Umatilla River
| image_flag               = 
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = "Where life is sweet."
| etymology                = [[Hermiston, Edinburgh]] (district of capital of [[Scotland]])
| image_map                = Umatilla_County_Oregon_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Hermiston_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Oregon]]
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
| coordinates              = {{coord|45|49|58|N|119|17|06|W|type:city(15030)_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1167708|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Oregon|County]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Oregon]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Umatilla County, Oregon|Umatilla]]
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date         = 1907
| government_type          = Council-Manager
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = 
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='41'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 21.83
| area_total_sq_mi         = 8.43
| area_land_km2            = 21.83
| area_land_sq_mi          = 8.43
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
| area_urban_km2           = 
| area_urban_sq_mi         = 
| area_metro_km2           = 
<!-- Population -->
| area_metro_sq_mi         = 
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 482
| population_total         = 19696
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_density_km2   = 886.50
| population_density_sq_mi = 2296.12
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_urban         = 
| population_metro         = 92261
| population_note          = 
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 97838
| area_code                = [[Area code 541|541]]
| website                  = [http://hermiston.or.us hermiston.or.us]
| footnotes                = 
|
| timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
| utc_offset               = -8
| timezone_DST             = Pacific
| utc_offset_DST           = -7
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 41-33700<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2410748<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410748}}</ref>
| name                     = 
| population_demonym       = Hermistonian
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| unit_pref                = Imperial
}}

'''Hermiston''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɜːr|m|ə|s|t|ə|n|}}) is a city in [[Umatilla County, Oregon|Umatilla County]], [[Oregon]], United States. Its population of 20,322<ref name="pdx.edu">{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Population Estimate Reports &#124; Portland State University |url=https://www.pdx.edu/population-research/population-estimate-reports}}</ref> makes it the largest city in [[Eastern Oregon]]. Hermiston is the largest and fastest-growing city in the [[Pendleton-Hermiston micropolitan area|Hermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area]], the eighth largest  [[Core-based statistical area|Core Based Statistical Area]] in Oregon with a combined population of 92,261 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="wwwcensusgov" />  Hermiston sits near the junction of [[Interstate 82|I-82]] and [[Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah)|I-84]], and is 7 miles south of the [[Columbia River]], the [[Washington (state)|Washington]] state line, [[Lake Wallula]], and the [[McNary Dam]]. The Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and [[data center]] activity due to the proximity of the I-82 and I-84 interchange, [[Pacific Northwest]] fiber optic backbone, and low power costs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/big-data/article_fcb4f80d-4a1c-51a4-82b8-462f0c3f73eb.html|title=Big Data|website=East Oregonian}}</ref>

== History ==
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2022}}
The historic inhabitants of the area were the indigenous [[Umatilla people|Umatilla]], [[Cayuse people|Cayuse]], [[Walla Walla people|Walla Walla]], and [[Sinkiuse-Columbia|Columbia]] Indians, descendants of peoples who lived in this area for thousands of years. The earliest European settlers established a mission near [[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]] in 1847. The territorial government organized Umatilla County in 1862 from the larger [[Wasco County, Oregon|Wasco County]].

Hermiston's early development was plagued by rivalry between The Maxwell Land & Irrigation Company and developers Skinner & Newport, who both fought to establish their own town of Hermiston in the exact same spot, centrally located in the irrigation district along the [[Oregon Railway and Navigation Company]]'s main line. While Maxwell was able to secure the train depot on the West side of the tracks, initially naming it after themselves, Skinner & Newport filed their own Hermiston plat directly across the tracks in November 1904, beating the Maxwell Company's filing by two days.<ref>{{cite news |title=Call Two Towns Hermiston: Rivalry Between Two Townsite Companies |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1904-11-26/ed-1/seq-1 |access-date=September 27, 2024 |work=The East Oregonian |date=November 26, 1904 |page=1}}</ref> With neither side willing to cede to the other, two separate business districts formed on either side of the tracks, Hermiston Avenue on the West side and East Main street (there is no West Main Street) on the East side, defiantly placed one block off so they didn't align. Each district featured its own bank, hotel and mercantile but East Main street would eventually win out.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hermiston Affairs |url=https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn88086023/1906-12-03/ed-1/seq-10 |access-date=27 September 2024 |work=The East Oregonian |date=December 3, 1906 |page=10}}</ref>

The rival developers eventually settled their differences and on July 10, 1907, the two towns were incorporated as a single Hermiston. Colonel J. F. McNaught, an early settler in the region, is credited with originally coming up with the Hermiston name, which was taken from [[Robert Louis Stevenson]]'s unfinished novel ''[[Weir of Hermiston]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=McArthur |first=Lewis A. |title=Oregon Geographic Names |edition=3rd |year=1965 |page=298 |language=English}}</ref>

The greater Hermiston region began to see irrigated agriculture in 1908, with the completion of the [[United States Bureau of Reclamation|U.S. Bureau of Reclamation]]'s Umatilla Basin Project in the form of Cold Springs Reservoir.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ingle|first=Ronald|title=Oasis in the desert: The story of Hermiston from sagebrush to city|year=2002|isbn=0971733902|language=English}}</ref>  The region saw modest growth until the outbreak of [[World War II]], when the [[Umatilla Chemical Depot|Umatilla Army Depot]] was constructed, causing Hermiston's population to jump from 803 at the 1940 US Census to 3,804 in 1950. The region continued to experience modest growth for the next several decades until the 1970s, when low power costs coupled with the development of [[Center pivot irrigation|center-pivot irrigation]] resulted in a significant expansion in agricultural acreage put in to potato production. The expansion of potato production coincided with the development of large potato processing plants by [[Lamb Weston|Lamb-Weston]] and [[Simplot]], focusing on frozen potato products. The associated economic development drove Hermiston's population to nearly double from 4,893 in 1970 to 9,408 by 1980. The 1990s brought additional large employment developments to the Hermiston region in the form of [[Two Rivers Correctional Institution]], a Wal-Mart [[Distribution center|Distribution Center]], expansion of the Union Pacific Hinkle Rail Yard, and beginning of the [[Umatilla Chemical Depot|Umatilla Army Depot]]'s Chemical Weapon Incineration process. The 2000s have seen continued growth and diversification of the regional economy as Hermiston has grown to a population of 19,354 at the 2020 Census and has become a regional center for commercial and professional services.

The city is also known for its [[Watermelon]]s, which are part of its branding.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carlton|first1=Jim|title=A Town Known for Watermelons Is Suddenly Ripe for Change|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=February 7, 2015|pages=A1, A8}}</ref>

== Economy ==

=== Retail ===
[[File:Former Roemark's Building in Downtown Hermiston.jpg|thumb|Downtown Hermiston]]
Hermiston serves as the retail and services center for much of western Umatilla County,<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.hermiston.or.us/sites/hermiston.or.us/files/File/economic-development/2011-CoH-retailanalysis.pdf|title = Hermiston Retail Market Analysis 2011}}</ref> as well as [[Morrow County, Oregon|Morrow County]] and parts of [[Gilliam County, Oregon|Gilliam county]]. Hermiston's Local Trade Area, which describes the area where people will travel to purchase items on a weekly basis, stretches from [[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]] on the East, the [[Columbia River]] to the North, [[Heppner, Oregon|Heppner]] to the South, and Gilliam County to the West. There were 46,000 people living within Hermiston's Local Trade Area based on 2010 U.S. Census data.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.hermiston.or.us/sites/hermiston.or.us/files/File/economic-development/2011-CoH-retailanalysis.pdf|title = Hermiston Retail Market Analysis 2011}}</ref>  Despite a relatively robust local retail & services market, Hermiston experiences significant retail sales leakage to the [[Tri-Cities, Washington|Tri-Cities]] for items purchased on less than a weekly basis. The Tri-Cities, located approximately 30 minutes north of Hermiston in Washington, had a metro-area population of 275,740 as of April 1, 2014, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ofm.wa.gov/POP/april1/ofm_april1_population_final.pdf|title=April 1, 2015 Population of Cities Towns and Counties Used for Allocation of Selected State Revenues State of Washington|access-date=March 8, 2016|archive-date=January 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120165945/http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/april1/ofm_april1_population_final.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Workforce ===
Hermiston has the largest 30-mile-radius workforce in Eastern Oregon. According to 2018 U.S. Census estimates, there were 135,503 people actively employed within a 30-mile radius of Hermiston;<ref name="hermiston.or.us">{{Cite web|date=2021-06-11|title=On The Map - US Census Bureau|url=https://onthemap.ces.census.gov/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.hermiston.or.us}}</ref>  in comparison, there are 75,075 in the next-largest regional Labor Shed in Bend.<ref name="hermiston.or.us"/>  Hermiston-area employers benefit greatly from the proximity of the Tri-Cities in Washington which, based on light traffic, and easy freeway access, is approximately 30–35 minutes to the north of Hermiston. This proximity also allows dual-income households good access to employment opportunities for both wage earners.

===Top employers===
[[File:GSMP.jpg|thumb|Good Shepherd Medical Plaza]]

According to the City of Hermiston's ''2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,''<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Hermiston, Oregon, Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022 |url=https://www.hermiston.or.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/finance_amp_utility_billing/page/3941/audit_findings.pdf |access-date=November 27, 2023 |publisher=City of Hermiston}}</ref> the top employers in the area are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
|1
|[[Amazon Web Services]]
|2,058
|-
|2
|[[Walmart|Wal-Mart]] Distribution Center
|1,050
|-
|3
|Good Shepherd Healthcare System
|767
|-
|4
|First Coast Security
|750
|-
|5
|[[Lamb Weston]] - Hermiston
|625
|-
|6
| [[Hermiston School District]]
|623
|-
|7
|[[Two Rivers Correctional Institution]]
|440
|-
|8
|Wal-Mart Supercenter
|356
|-
|9
|[[Union Pacific Railroad]]
|300
|-
|10
|Marlette Homes
|250
|}

== Parks ==
[[File:Riverfront Park & Umatilla River.jpg|thumb|Riverfront Park features open grassy space, and access to more than 2 miles of paved walking trails.]]
The City of Hermiston Parks Department maintains 15 parks, 15 landscape areas, and 100-plus acres for the enjoyment of the community. In addition to the developed parks, the department also has 50 additional acres planned for future development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parks & Trails |url=https://www.hermiston.or.us/parksrec/page/parks-trails |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Hermiston, OR |language=en}}</ref>  Recent major enhancements include the additions of Riverfront Park, the Oxbow Trail, and continual additions to the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center. Riverfront Park features 16 acres of open grassy areas alongside the Umatilla River, as well as nearly a mile of paved walking paths, with picnic shelters, restrooms, and fishing access. A 1.8-mile paved walking path, named the Oxbow Trail, was added in 2015 to connect Riverfront Park with the north side of town near Good Shepherd Medical Center. The Trail winds through protected wetland area for nearly the entirety of its length and also connects to Harrison Park.

==Geography==
[[File:Hatrock.jpg|thumb|left|220px|[[Hat Rock State Park|Hat Rock]], located on the [[Columbia River]] near Hermiston, was one of the first landmarks of the area noted by [[Lewis and Clark]] in their journals.<ref name="lcjournals_051019">{{Cite web|url=http://libtextcenter.unl.edu/examples/servlet/transform/tamino/Library/lewisandclarkjournals?&_xmlsrc=http://libtextcenter.unl.edu/lewisandclark/files/xml/1805-10-19.xml&_xslsrc=http://libtextcenter.unl.edu/lewisandclark/LCstyles.xsl|title=October 19, 1805|access-date=2006-12-10|publisher=University of Nebraska Lincoln|author=Lewis, Meriweather & William Clark|work=The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online}}</ref>]]
[[File:Hermiston Butte.jpg|thumb|The [[Hermiston Butte]] features several easy hiking trails accessible from Butte Park, the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center, and Good Shepherd Medical Center]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.81|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>

Distance to major cities:
* [[Tri-Cities, Washington]] - {{convert|30|to|45|mi|km}}
* [[Portland, Oregon]] - {{convert|181|mi|km}}
* [[Seattle, Washington]] - {{convert|259|mi|km}}
* [[Spokane, Washington]] - {{convert|204|mi|km}}
* [[Boise, Idaho]] - {{convert|259|mi|km}}
* [[Salt Lake City, Utah]] - {{convert|587|mi|km}}
* [[Missoula, Montana]] - {{convert|367|mi|km}}

Hermiston's recent population growth is due to its proximity to large cities in the [[Pacific Northwest]] and its location along two major freeways.<ref>{{cite news
 | last = Hutchinson-Talaski
 | first = Karen
 | title = Hermiston growth leads the way
 | work = [[The Hermiston Herald]]
 | publisher = Western Communications
 | date = 2006-11-24
 | url = http://www.hermistonherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=2776
 | access-date = 2006-12-10
}}</ref><ref name="city_poptrends">{{Cite web
 |url=http://www.hermiston.or.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B915F09C5-C53D-4BBD-88B4-44287549123D%7D
 |title=Population Trends
 |access-date=2006-12-10
 |publisher=City of Hermiston
 |year=2006
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925105234/http://www.hermiston.or.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B915F09C5-C53D-4BBD-88B4-44287549123D%7D
 |archive-date=2006-09-25
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Hermiston has a [[steppe climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] BSk). This gives the area hot dry summers with high daytime temperatures which do cool considerably overnight, and relatively cold winters which typically yield several snow storms per year with relatively minimal accumulation. On June 29, 2021, a max temperature of {{convert|118|°F}} was recorded in Hermiston, which is just one degree below the new all-time record high temperature for the State of Oregon, which was set at the nearby [[Pelton Dam]], which is also in Jefferson County, on the same day.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hasenstab |first=Alex |date=2022-02-10 |title=Oregon's 2021 heat dome notches another record |work=Oregon Public Broadcasting |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/10/oregons-2021-heat-dome-notches-another-record/#:~:text=The%20National%20Weather%20Service%20in,maximum%20temperature%20of%20119%20degrees.}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = ([[Hermiston Municipal Airport]]), Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898, 1998–present
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 68
|Feb record high F = 71
|Mar record high F = 79
|Apr record high F = 90
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 118
|Jul record high F = 119
|Aug record high F = 110
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 88
|Nov record high F = 78
|Dec record high F = 72
|Jan avg record high F = 59.5
|Feb avg record high F = 61.7
|Mar avg record high F = 70.0
|Apr avg record high F = 81.3
|May avg record high F = 93.2
|Jun avg record high F = 99.1
|Jul avg record high F = 104.9
|Aug avg record high F = 102.8
|Sep avg record high F = 93.3
|Oct avg record high F = 79.2
|Nov avg record high F = 69.3
|Dec avg record high F = 61.3
|year avg record high F = 106.2
|Jan high F = 43.3
|Feb high F = 49.4
|Mar high F = 59.1
|Apr high F = 66.6
|May high F = 76.2
|Jun high F = 82.2
|Jul high F = 92.7
|Aug high F = 91.0
|Sep high F = 81.2
|Oct high F = 66.5
|Nov high F = 50.7
|Dec high F = 42.1
|year high F = 66.8
|Jan mean F = 36.0
|Feb mean F = 39.3
|Mar mean F = 46.4
|Apr mean F = 52.8
|May mean F = 61.2
|Jun mean F = 67.6
|Jul mean F = 75.6
|Aug mean F = 73.9
|Sep mean F = 64.6
|Oct mean F = 52.7
|Nov mean F = 41.5
|Dec mean F = 35.2
|year mean F = 53.9
|Jan low F = 28.7
|Feb low F = 29.2
|Mar low F = 33.7
|Apr low F = 38.9
|May low F = 46.3
|Jun low F = 53.0
|Jul low F = 58.6
|Aug low F = 56.8
|Sep low F = 47.9
|Oct low F = 39.0
|Nov low F = 32.3
|Dec low F = 28.2
|year low F = 41.1
|Jan avg record low F = 10.8
|Feb avg record low F = 12.3
|Mar avg record low F = 18.1
|Apr avg record low F = 24.8
|May avg record low F = 31.5
|Jun avg record low F = 41.6
|Jul avg record low F = 45.3
|Aug avg record low F = 44.5
|Sep avg record low F = 34.7
|Oct avg record low F = 22.6
|Nov avg record low F = 13.8
|Dec avg record low F = 7.8
|year avg record low F = -1.0
|Jan record low F = -12
|Feb record low F = -1
|Mar record low F = 0
|Apr record low F = 16
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 38
|Jul record low F = 38
|Aug record low F = 38
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 7
|Nov record low F = -8
|Dec record low F = -16

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.14
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.86
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.77
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.78
|May precipitation inch = 0.83
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.64
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.12
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.17
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.33
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.80
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.05
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.12
|year precipitation inch = 8.61
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.5
|Feb precipitation days = 8.4
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 6.5
|May precipitation days = 7.7
|Jun precipitation days = 5.3
|Jul precipitation days = 1.5
|Aug precipitation days = 1.9
|Sep precipitation days = 2.8
|Oct precipitation days = 7.5
|Nov precipitation days = 10.3
|Dec precipitation days = 10.5
|year precipitation days = 80.2
|Jan snow inch = 
|Feb snow inch = 
|Mar snow inch = 
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|May snow inch = 
|Jun snow inch = 
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|year snow inch = 
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 
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|Dec snow days = 
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00004113&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Hermiston MUNI AP, OR
|access-date = August 23, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230824024042/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00004113&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = 2023-08-24
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006&ndash;2020)<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=pdt
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Pendleton
|access-date = August 23, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
|1910= 647
|1920= 647
|1930= 608
|1940= 803
|1950= 3804
|1960= 4402
|1970= 4893
|1980= 9408
|1990= 10040
|2000= 13154
|2010= 16745
|2020= 19354
|footnote=Sources:<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/><ref name="Census1910">{{cite web|title=Population-Oregon|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/36894832v3ch4.pdf|work=U.S. Census 1910|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1930">{{cite web|title=Population-Oregon|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch08.pdf|work=15th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=27 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Oregon|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37749197v1p39ch2.pdf|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Oregon: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-39.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=22 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="CensusPopEst">{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=25 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=11 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:41&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}

=== 2023 Portland State University Estimates ===
[[Portland State University|Portland State University's]] Population Research Center (PRC) provides the official annual population estimates for cities and counties to the State of [[Oregon]] for the purposes of state shared funding allocations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 19, 2023 |title=Population Research Center |url=https://www.pdx.edu/population-research/}}</ref>  PSU's 2023 Certified Population Estimate for Hermiston was 20,322.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2023 |title=Population Estimate Reports |url=https://www.pdx.edu/population-research/population-estimate-reports}}</ref>  Due to the PRC's more detailed analysis, these estimates have proven more accurate than the U.S. Census Bureau's annual estimates.

=== 2020 Census ===
As of the U.S. [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 19,354 people residing in the city,<ref name="census.gov">{{Cite web|title=Quick Facts, Hermiston City, Oregon; United States|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hermistoncityoregon,US/PST045219}}</ref> a growth of 2,609 residents since the 2010 Census. Due to its consistent growth registering as an outlier among rural communities across the U.S., the 2020 Census figure far out-paced the Census Bureau's 2019 estimate for the community of 17,782.<ref name="census.gov"/>  This same phenomenon occurred with the community's 2010 Census count far exceeded government estimates from 2009.

The racial makeup of the city was 56% White, 0.6% African American, 1.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 22.6% from other races, and 17% identified as more than one race. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.2% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race, 2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=hermiston+census&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2010, there were 16,745 people, 6,050 households, and 4,184 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2144.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 6,373 housing units at an average density of {{convert|816.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 74.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 19.0% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 3.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 34.9% of the population.<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=Census Quick Facts|url=https://www.census.gov|access-date=2021-09-08|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

There were 6,050 households, of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.28.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>

The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 20.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>

== Education ==
[[File:EOHEC.jpg|thumb|Eastern Oregon Higher Education Center- Hermiston]]

=== K-12 ===
[[Hermiston School District]] is the largest district in [[Eastern Oregon]], with 5,508 students in the 2020–21 school year.<ref name="DBI Reports">{{Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Student Enrollment Reports |url=https://www.oregon.gov/ode/reports-and-data/students/Pages/Student-Enrollment-Reports.aspx |access-date=2022-07-05 |website=Oregon Department of Education}}</ref>  The district has one high school, [[Hermiston High School]], which hosts 1,703 students.<ref name="DBI Reports"/>  Due to the school's size, it is able to offer comprehensive programming and courses for all students. The district also is composed of two middle schools and six elementary schools. There are also two private schools in Hermiston.

Voters in the Hermiston School District have shown strong support for education as the district has experienced sustained robust enrollment growth. Voters approved a $69.9 million capital construction bond in November, 2008,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hermiston.k12.or.us/apps/pages/2008_general_obligation_bond/|title=2008 General Obligation bond|website=Hermiston School District}}</ref> and another $82.7 million capital construction bond in November, 2019.<ref name="eastoregonian.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local/million-hermiston-school-bond-passes/article_10f7d66c-000a-11ea-a14b-ef5b0722d8bf.html|title=$82.7 million Hermiston school bond passes|website=East Oregonian}}</ref> The 2019 bond added a new elementary school near the intersection of NE 10th and Theater Lane, and replaced the 57-year old Rocky Heights Elementary School on-site with a larger facility. The 2019 bond will also add capacity for an additional 200 students at Hermiston High School.<ref name="eastoregonian.com"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Hermiston School District Facility Inventory By Age<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://4.files.edl.io/6b3d/07/03/18/160309-9eb936e0-1094-4007-803d-0bf577d9cf29.pdf|title=Hermiston School District Facility Master Plan 2018-2040|website=Hermiston School District}}</ref>
!School
!Construction Year
|-
|Loma Vista Elementary
|2022
|-
|Rocky Heights Elementary (Rebuild)
|2022
|-
|Armand Larive Middle
|2011
|-
|Sunset Elementary
|2011
|-
|West Park Elementary
|2010
|-
|Desert View Elementary
|2001
|-
|Sandstone Middle
|1995
|-
|Hermiston High
|1992/2001
|-
|Highland Hills Elementary
|1980
|}

==== High School Sports ====
Hermiston High School competes at the 3A level in the [[Washington Interscholastic Activities Association]]. This cross-state membership was approved by the WIAA in 2017 in recognition of the lack of comparable sized large high schools elsewhere in [[Eastern Oregon]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-06-05 |title=Hermiston to become WIAA full members starting in 2018-19, will be first out-of-state school to join |work=The Oregonian |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/highschoolsports/article/hermiston-to-become-wiaa-full-members-bound-for-tri-cities-based-mid-columbia-conference-starting-in-2018-19/}}</ref>  The second largest High School in Eastern Oregon was [[Pendleton High School (Oregon)|Pendleton]], with only 815 students, compared to Hermiston's 1,703. The WIAA membership allows HHS to compete in the Mid-Columbia Conference against high schools from Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, and Walla Walla, Washington and significantly reduce travel times for conference games.

=== Higher education ===
[[Blue Mountain Community College]] has a branch in Hermiston.  [[Eastern Oregon University]] also hosts [[Undergraduate education|undergraduate]] and graduate-level courses at the Eastern Oregon Higher Education Center in Hermiston.

==Transportation==
[[File:395 Water Tower.jpg|thumb|US Highway 395 entering Hermiston]]
[[File:Wal-Mart DC.jpg|thumb|Wal-Mart's 1.2 million Square Foot Northwest Distribution Center in Hermiston.]]

=== Highways and roads ===
Hermiston benefits from being near the exact center of the Pacific Northwest, and at the crossroads of several major interstate highways. Drivers can easily access all four major Northwest metropolitan areas in just a half-day's drive.  [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] is less than 3 hours to the West, and drivers can also reach [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] in less than 3 hours to the northeast, while [[Seattle]] and [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] are both approximately 4 hours away to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Highways serving Hermiston include [[Interstate 84 (west)|Interstate 84]] and [[U.S. Route 30]], both of which run east–west, [[U.S. Route 395]], which runs north–south, and [[Interstate 82]], which has its southern terminus near Hermiston and continues north to [[Ellensburg, Washington]].

Major transportation-related businesses in Hermiston include [[Walmart|Wal-Mart]]'s Northwest Distribution Center, and both [[FedEx]] and [[United Parcel Service]] (UPS) have freight distribution facilities in Hermiston.

=== Rail ===
Hermiston is on the La Grande Subdivision of the [[Union Pacific Railroad]], constructed originally through the area in the 1870s as the [[Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company]]. Railroad facilities include the [[Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility]] and "hump yard" located just outside the city.

=== Airports ===
[[Hermiston Municipal Airport]] is a city-owned airport serving General Aviation pilots, corporate jet traffic, agricultural operations, and cargo operations. There are currently no commercial flights out of Hermiston.

[[Tri-Cities Airport (Washington)|Tri-Cities Airport]] is located approximately 40 minutes north of Hermiston, and offers commercial flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Portland, San Francisco, and Phoenix. In 2014, due to strong growth in demand, the Port of Pasco approved a $42 million renovation and expansion, that will double the size of the current terminal.

==Media==

===Radio===
*[[KOHU]] 1360 AM (Country)
*[[KQFM]] 93.7 FM (AC)
*[[KLKY]] 96.1 FM (Classic Rock) - Licensed to [[Stanfield, Oregon]]
*[[KZLY]] 99.5 FM (Spanish)
*[[KGTS]] 91.3 FM (Christian)
*[[KOLH]] 105.9 FM (Catholic - [[EWTN]] Radio)

===Newspapers===
*''[[The Hermiston Herald]]'' (online-only)
*''[[East Oregonian]]'' ([[Pendleton, Oregon|Pendleton]] paper with coverage of Hermiston, published weekly)

==Notable people==
* [[Tucker Bounds]], public relations professional
* [[Bucky Jacobsen]], baseball player
* [[Chuck Norris (politician)|Chuck Norris]], politician
* [[Shoni Schimmel]], basketball player
* [[Jim Stuart]], football player
* [[Jared Zabransky]], football player

==Annual events==
* [[Columbia Motor Speedway Park|Hermiston Raceway/Super Oval]], {{convert|3/8|mi|km|1|adj=on}} paved oval stock car track, races almost every Saturday from late April through the end of September every year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.racehermiston.com |title=Columbia Motor Speedway Park homepage |access-date=2012-09-13}}</ref>
* [[Farm City Pro Rodeo]], annual rodeo held in August<ref>[http://www.farmcityprorodeo.com FarmCityEntry<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* [[Umatilla County Fair]]

==See also==
* [[Hermiston Butte]]
* [[Hat Rock State Park]]
* [[Oregon Route 207]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

* Ronald E. Ingle, ''The Taming of the Desert: Transforming Landscape and Living in Eastern Oregon.'' Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, 2008.
* Ronald E. Ingle, ''Oasis in the Desert: The Story of Hermiston from Sagebrush to City.'' Caldwell, ID: Caxton Printers, 2002.

==External links==
{{commons category|Hermiston, Oregon}}
* [https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/local/cities/e-k/hermiston.aspx Entry for Hermiston] in the ''[[Oregon Blue Book]]''
* [https://www.hermiston.or.us/ City of Hermiston official website]

{{Umatilla County, Oregon}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Hermiston, Oregon| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Oregon]]
[[Category:Cities in Umatilla County, Oregon]]
[[Category:Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area]]
[[Category:1907 establishments in Oregon]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1907]]