Madras, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 High school in Madras | |
 Location inOregon | |
| Coordinates:44°37′50″N121°7′45″W / 44.63056°N 121.12917°W /44.63056; -121.12917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Jefferson |
| Incorporated | 1911 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mike Lepin |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.16 sq mi (21.13 km2) |
| • Land | 8.16 sq mi (21.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,241 ft (683 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,867 |
| • Density | 914.0/sq mi (352.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code | 97741 |
| Area code | 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-45250[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1145724[4] |
| Website | ci.madras.or.us |
Madras (/ˈmædrʌs/MAD-russ) is a city in and thecounty seat ofJefferson County, Oregon, United States.[5] Situated inCentral Oregon, it is located whereUS Route 26 andUS Route 97 interset, with the later serving as the main north-south road in the city with traffic split into aone-way pair. Originally called "The Basin" after the circular valley the city is in, it is unclear whether Madras was named in 1903 for the cotton fabric called "Madras" that originated in the city of Madras (nowChennai) inTamil Nadu,India, or the city itself. The population was 7456 at the2020 census.[6]
The originalplat for Madras was filed on July 18, 1902, by Scandinavian immigrant John A. Palmehn, for whom the town was originally named "Palmain". The name was rejected by theU.S. Postal Service over its similarity to apost office namedParmen, and the name "Madras" was adopted, inspired by thecloth fabric of the same name, itself named for the city of Madras (nowChennai) in India.[7][8]
Madras was incorporated as a city in 1911. AnArmy Air Corps base, Madras Army Air Field, was built nearby duringWorld War II. This airfield now serves as theMadras Municipal Airport. Homesteads approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of the city onAgency Plains were based on dryland wheat.
In 2003, aScotts Company large field trial ofGMObentgrass near Madras resulted in pollen spreading thetransgene, which isRoundup-resistant, over an area of 120 square miles (310 km2).[9] Because the grower could not remove allgenetically engineered plants, theU.S. Department of Agriculture fined the grower $500,000 for non-compliance with regulations in 2007.[10]
The centerline of the path of totality of thesolar eclipse of August 21, 2017, ran through the center of Madras. Because the city is located in a high desert environment and has consistently clear skies in August, it was considered a prime eclipse viewing location. All of the hotel and motel rooms in the area had been reserved for several years. The town had prepared for an influx of about 100,000 visitors for the eclipse.[11]
Madras is home to theErickson Aircraft Collection, a privately owned collection ofairworthy vintage aircraft. The collection is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.[12] The Jefferson County Fair is held on county property along Fairgrounds Road in Madras.[13] The annual fair takes place in late July.[13]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.02 square miles (13 km2), all land.[14]
Madras has asteppe climate (BSk) according to theKöppen climate classification system, also known as semi-arid.
| Climate data for Madras | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) | 76 (24) | 82 (28) | 91 (33) | 101 (38) | 111 (44) | 112 (44) | 109 (43) | 104 (40) | 93 (34) | 80 (27) | 68 (20) | 112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.7 (5.4) | 47.6 (8.7) | 55.2 (12.9) | 62.2 (16.8) | 70.3 (21.3) | 77.7 (25.4) | 87.1 (30.6) | 86.0 (30.0) | 77.9 (25.5) | 65.3 (18.5) | 50.6 (10.3) | 42.5 (5.8) | 63.7 (17.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.1 (−5.5) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 35.9 (2.2) | 41.6 (5.3) | 45.1 (7.3) | 43.6 (6.4) | 38.0 (3.3) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 27.1 (−2.7) | 23.2 (−4.9) | 32.5 (0.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −40 (−40) | −34 (−37) | −7 (−22) | 6 (−14) | 11 (−12) | 19 (−7) | 26 (−3) | 21 (−6) | 9 (−13) | −2 (−19) | −15 (−26) | −45 (−43) | −45 (−43) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.15 (29) | 0.82 (21) | 0.74 (19) | 0.7 (18) | 0.95 (24) | 0.8 (20) | 0.34 (8.6) | 0.33 (8.4) | 0.48 (12) | 0.71 (18) | 1.28 (33) | 1.26 (32) | 9.56 (243) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.8 (12) | 2.1 (5.3) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.4 (3.6) | 3 (7.6) | 12.1 (31) |
| Average precipitation days | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 72 |
| Source:[15] | |||||||||||||
As of the2020 census, Madras had a population of 7,456. The median age was 33.8 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.4 males age 18 and over.[16]
97.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.1% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 2,706 households in Madras, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.4% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 2,878 housing units, of which 6.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 50.4% were owner-occupied and 49.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%.[16]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,262 | 57.2% |
| Black or African American | 20 | 0.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 597 | 8.0% |
| Asian | 72 | 1.0% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 1,501 | 20.1% |
| Two or more races | 996 | 13.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 2,795 | 37.5% |
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 6,046 people, 2,198 households, and 1,430 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,204.4 inhabitants per square mile (465.0/km2). There were 2,569 housing units at an average density of 511.8 per square mile (197.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.4%White, 0.7%African American, 6.9%Native American, 0.8%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 19.7% fromother races, and 5.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 38.5% of the population.[3]
There were 2,198 households, of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% weremarried couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.9% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.31.[3]
The median age in the city was 31.2 years. 30.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 21.6% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.[3]
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,078 people, 1,801 households, and 1,251 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,326.9 inhabitants per square mile (898.4/km2). There were 1,952 housing units at an average density of 894.5 per square mile (345.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.55% White, 0.59% African American, 6.14% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 24.56% from other races, and 4.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.74% of the population.[3]
There were 1,801 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.32.[3]
In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.1% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.[3]
The median income for a household in the city was $29,103, and the median income for a family was $33,275. Males had a median income of $27,656 versus $19,464 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $12,937. About 15.2% of families and 19.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.[3]
In addition to the publicCity-County Airport, Madras has several private-use airports in the area:
Madras has onesister city,[22] as designated bySister Cities International:
Tōmi, Nagano,Japan (Tōmi was formed in 2004 by merger ofKitamimaki, which was already twinned with Madras, andTōbu.)
Municipalities and communities ofJefferson County, Oregon,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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