If you’re trying to decide on a perfect place where you are going to relocate to, you’re probably dazzled by all the various, equally charming parts of the USA. Today, we’re here to tell you what’s life in Morrow County, Eastern Oregon like. Moving there, either as an individual (of course, possibly with a family) or with your business, definitely has its appeal. A diverse geography, great opportunities for recreation, rising tourism and technology industries, as well as an already heavily developed agricultural industry, all contribute to make Eastern Oregon a very attractive moving destination.
General information about Morrow County
Before we go into details on what’s life in Morrow County like, we’ll provide some general information for people who haven’t heard of or don’t know much about this county. Morrow is one of the eight counties that make Eastern Oregon. The beautiful state of Oregon, found on the West Coast, is among the only three states in the USA that touch the Pacific Ocean. While Salem is the capital city of Oregon, the biggest city in this state is Portland. However, being the center city of the Portland Metropolitan Area, of which Morrow County is not a part of, means that Portland is not among the most interesting cities for people looking to find their dream home in Morrow County.
The Morrow County seat is a town called Heppner, and the largest town in Morrow County is Boardman. Some other important towns include Pendleton, the county seat of Morrow County’s neighbors from the Umatilla County, Hermiston, another Umatilla County town, La Grande, belonging to the Union County, and the Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, Richland) located in the state of Washington, which is little over an hour away to the north of Eastern Oregon.
Morrow County is not that big (its population amounts to 11,173 people), so a large part of life in Morrow County is influenced by the neighbor counties and towns. Interesting opportunities, both in terms of business and recreation, are shared by all of these counties, with many people commuting to work in another county or enjoying fun activities all over the area. Thanks to this spirit of togetherness, it’s not surprising that quite a few towns in Morrow County have made it on our list of top family cities in Oregon.
Agriculture is heavily developed here
So, what’s life in Morrow County like? As we said, this county’s primary industry is agriculture. People here are heavily involved in their livestock and crop enterprises. With the dignified Blue Mountains nearby, life here is beautiful and peaceful. People attend to over 840 farms, with 66 percent of the county’s ground being designated as farmland. All sorts of different livestock and crop enterprises exist, and they make over 60 million dollars every year in farm commodity sales. Agriculture here is generally highly diversified, but soybeans, hog, and corn enterprises bring the most of those 60 millions. Of course, you’re not limited to these crops, as farming options here are plentiful.
The Milton-Freewater area (of the Umatilla county) and the Walla Walla Valley (located in the state of Washington, under an hour away from Pendleton) are both well-known for their winery community. People from the Morrow County can easily visit these areas and enjoy some excellent wine.
Life in Morrow County is defined by the beautiful surroundings
On another day, they can visit the Blue Mountains or the Columbia River. Apart from being strikingly beautiful and serene, they are also great places for hunting and fishing. However, if you move to Morrow County with the help of reliable movers such as the Big Apple Movers NYC, you will have plenty of other options to enjoy nature, as amazing natural sights will be all around you, as far as the eye can see. You can, for example, visit the Mt. Gilead State Park, located right here in Morrow County. People from this park have regularly been organizing interesting events, in addition to the always available hiking, picnicking, and fishing options.
Then, you can also head east of Pendleton and see the Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla. The Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, once renowned for their exquisite horsemanship, make up this reservation. So, if a bit of “tribal tourism” sounds like a fun way to spend your time, or you’re interested in Native American history and culture, you can always easily visit the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla after renting or buying a home in Morrow County.
Tourism and technology are on the rise
Tourism and technology industries are also strong here. For example, Amazon has established presence in both Morrow and Umatilla County, with two of their data centers in each county. Eastern Oregon’s workforce, natural resources, and tax breaks allowed by the area’s business incentive programs have drawn Amazon here. There’s also a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) testing site in Pendleton. This testing site’s popularity is steadily increasing. In fact, last year their airport ran out of hangar space that’s rented to many aerospace companies.
As for the tourism, people are mostly drawn to this area because of the wonderful nature that we have described. People from all over the world have, in a way, come to know and love the Pacific Northwest (the geographic region where Morrow County is located) due to its presence in pop culture as well. The highly influential TV show, “Twin Peaks”, is set in an eponymous town in the Pacific Northwest, that showcases the natural beauty of this region. The many (many) fans of this show and of its numerous imitators, found in all forms of art, will certainly cherish the opportunity to hire cheap relocation and storage services in NYC and experience this unique atmosphere for themselves.
The Eastern Oregon/Metro Area schism
A sociologically interesting part of life in Morrow County is the divide between the Eastern Oregon and the Metropolitan area. This has happened because the two cultures are surprisingly different. The differences between the two areas are akin to, let’s say, the differences between Arizona or Texas, and California. In fact, there’s even a rising secessionist movement in Eastern Oregon (and its Metro area counterpart as well). Of course, if you move to Morrow County, you won’t have to take part in this schism. Those among our readers who are interested in different cultures will be able to enjoy both of them, finding interesting diversity in Oregon that can break the monotony of everyday life.
(content submitted by Lisa Roberts)
