Pendleton, County seat in Umatilla County, Oregon.
Pendleton is a small town in northeast Oregon and the seat of Umatilla County, sitting on the Umatilla River and surrounded by rolling hills covered with wheat fields. The downtown area consists of several parallel streets lined with historic brick buildings, many small shops and galleries offering saddles, wool blankets, and local crafts, plus a few cafés and restaurants along the main avenue.
The first European traders arrived at this spot on the river in the 1850s, and the town grew as a supply post for ranchers and gold seekers moving farther inland. After the railway line was built in the 1880s, the place developed into a trade hub for wheat and wool from the surrounding area.
The town takes its name from early settler Senator George H. Pendleton, and the local woolen mills continue producing the famous wool blankets woven with patterns borrowed from Nez Perce and Cayuse traditions. Visitors can watch fabric being made on old looms in several workshops, and the patterns often show geometric shapes and animal forms that reflect the original craft of the region.
Most shops and workshops are concentrated within a few blocks in the center, which is easy to explore on foot. Anyone wishing to see the surroundings should bring a car, as the wheat fields and nearby hills spread out widely and there is no public transport outside the town core.
Old tunnels run beneath the streets where Chinese immigrants lived and operated laundries and shops in the late 19th century, when they were not welcome above ground. Today, parts of these underground rooms can be visited on guided tours, and you can still see old stoves, tables, and tools that were left behind.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
