Wheeler County is a county in Oregon, United States, in the John Day River canyon country of north-central Oregon. It had a population of 1,451 at the 2020 census and covers 1,715 square miles (4,440 km2) centred near 44°44′N 120°01′W — making it, by land area, larger than Rhode Island in total but the least populated county in Oregon.
Fossil is the county seat, and its postal code is 97830. The county has three incorporated cities, several unincorporated communities, and no civil townships. Wheeler County observes Pacific time and carries FIPS code 41069.
Towns & Villages in Wheeler County
Ten named places appear on maps and postal records for Wheeler County: three incorporated cities (Fossil, Mitchell, and Spray) and seven unincorporated communities, most of them river crossings or ranching hamlets along the John Day and its forks. None has its own Census-designated place population count separate from the county total.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fossil | City · seat | 473 | 97830 |
| Mitchell | City | 130 | 97750 |
| Spray | City | 160 | 97874 |
| Clarno | Unincorp. | — | 97830 |
| Richmond | Unincorp. | — | 97830 |
| Service Creek | Unincorp. | — | 97875 |
| Spoos Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twickenham | Unincorp. | — | 97845 |
| Waterman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winlock | Unincorp. | — | — |
Fossil city-limits population (473) and the Mitchell and Spray figures above are 2020 census counts for the incorporated cities; the remaining places are unincorporated crossroads with no separate census tally, so their population cells read —.
ZIP Codes
- 97830 — Fossil (also serves Clarno and Richmond)
- 97750 — Mitchell
- 97874 — Spray
- 97875 — Service Creek
- 97845 — Twickenham
Spoos Mill and Waterman are rural crossroads with no post office of their own; mail there is typically routed through Fossil or Mitchell.
Geography
Wheeler County sits in the canyon and tableland country carved by the John Day River and its North and Middle forks, ranging from river-bottom sagebrush flats near 1,600 feet elevation to forested ridges above 6,000 feet in the Ochoco and Blue Mountain foothills. The John Day National Monument’s Painted Hills and Clarno units lie within the county, and the area is known nationally for its fossil beds, the source of the county’s own name for its seat. Public land, mostly BLM and national forest, covers a large share of the county’s 1,715 square miles.
Wheeler County borders Gilliam County to the north, Morrow County to the northeast, Grant County to the east, Crook County to the south, Jefferson County to the west, and Wasco County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 1,451 residents, with Fossil (473) and Spray (160) the two largest communities. Wheeler County’s population density is under one person per square mile, among the lowest of any county in Oregon. Household income runs well below the Oregon median of $80,160; ranching and timber-dependent counties like Wheeler typically post county-level median incomes in the low-to-mid $40,000s, though no verified current county figure is available here.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching, dryland wheat and hay farming, and timber remain the county’s main industries, alongside a modest but steady flow of visitors drawn by the John Day fossil beds and the Painted Hills. Fossil hosts a small public high school and the Wheeler County courthouse; each June the town holds a swap meet and rockhound gathering tied to the area’s fossil-hunting tradition, and a public fossil-dig site behind the high school lets visitors keep what they find.
History
Wheeler County was organized on February 17, 1899, carved from parts of Grant, Gilliam, and Crook counties, and named for Henry H. Wheeler, an early stage-line operator and rancher who settled near Mitchell. Fossil was platted on land donated by early settler Thomas Hoover and won the county seat at organization; the discovery of extensive fossil beds in the surrounding hills, later protected within the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, gave both the town and the county their identity as a fossil-hunting destination.
Getting There
U.S. Route 26 crosses the county east–west through Mitchell, and Oregon Route 19 runs north–south through Fossil and Service Creek, meeting at Service Creek.
- Prineville — 46 miles southwest of Mitchell
- The Dalles — 75 miles northwest of Fossil
- John Day — 60 miles southeast of Fossil
- Condon — 30 miles north of Fossil
The nearest commercial airport is Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM), roughly 90 miles southwest of Fossil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wheeler County, Oregon?
It is in north-central Oregon, along the John Day River, between Grant County to the east and Wasco County to the northwest.
What is the population of Wheeler County?
1,451 residents at the 2020 census, the smallest of any Oregon county.
How big is Wheeler County?
1,715 square miles (4,440 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Wheeler County?
Fossil is the county seat.
How many towns are in Wheeler County?
Three incorporated cities — Fossil, Mitchell, and Spray — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Wheeler County?
97830 (Fossil), 97750 (Mitchell), 97874 (Spray), 97875 (Service Creek), and 97845 (Twickenham).
Why is Wheeler County known for fossils?
Its hills contain some of the richest fossil beds in North America, part of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, and the county seat is named Fossil for that reason.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Oregon.