Sunriver, Oregon 
Often equated in the minds of many visitors as the primary initial reason for traveling to Central Oregon, Sunriver has evolved into the Pacific Northwest’s premier destination resort. In addition to four award-winning golf courses, 30 miles of paved bike trails (many more for mountain biking) and several meandering miles of the Deschutes River, the community offers some of the region’s finest dining and shopping.
Population
The Pacific Northwest’s greatest destination resort, Sunriver has proven to be a popular residential community as well – growing to a town of over 15,000 people during the summer peak season. Non-residents who vacation here or have properties for investment purposes own approximately 83 percent of the homes in Sunriver. That equates to approximately 2000 permanent residents. Because Sunriver lies in Deschutes County’s unincorporated area exact permanent resident population figures are not available.
Development
Golf is a big part of development in Sunriver. Sunriver Resort boasts four golf courses totaling 63 holes of championship golf, through varied and picturesque terrain. The crowning piece is the Bob Cupp/John Fought-designed Crosswater Golf Course, touted by Golf Digest as one of “America’s 100 Best Golf Courses”. In 2007, Crosswater became the site of the PGA Tour's JELD-WEN Tradition Tournament, held each August. Other outstanding courses in Sunriver include the Meadows and Woodlands courses and the resort's course, Caldera Links, with 9 holes.
The current residential property inventory for the resort is at approximately 2800 homes and over 850 condominiums within the development’s 3,300 acres. Sunriver Resort serves as a destination for business groups, conferences, tradeshows and corporate retreats. The resort sports 28 tennis courts, 35 miles of paved bike paths, three swimming complexes, horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, fly fishing, skiing and snowboarding at nearby Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Plus, there’s the resort’s Sage Springs Club & Spa, first-class programs for youths and teens, a nearby shopping village and nature center.The Great Hall, featuring exposed beams and magnificent fireplaces, is a truly great architectural testimony to Oregon’s wood products heritage.
The resort boasts an executive airport with a 5,500’ runway for residents on working vacations or business retreats, or who live in Sunriver and commute to jobs in Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco. The privately-owned park hosts commercial, retail and light industrial businesses as well as a public school and library.
Livability
Livability is “job one” at Sunriver, so extra effort has been made to keep the resort area safe with a country feel. A planned resort with the goal of preserving the native environment, Sunriver has a low-key, natural look with no overhead lighting or commercial signage. Property crime and accidents in the development are kept to a minimum with active patrols by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Sunriver Police Department.
Sunriver Resort played a key role in construction of a highway that provides excellent access to Mt. Bachelor, one of the best ski resorts in the West. Sunriver’s proximity to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, both within the resort as well as in 1.6 million adjacent 
acres of publicly-owned Forest Service area, makes fishing, canoeing, hiking, white water rafting, and a plethora of other activities easy to fit all in a single weekend. Just to name a few, visitors can float the Deschutes River, ride bikes to view Benham Falls, take the tram to the summit of Mt. Bachelor in summer, tour Lava Lands Center, and explore Newberry Crater.
With a median home purchase price over $550,000 at the end of 2008, Sunriver is Central Oregon’s most expensive place to live. However, when compared with the stratospheric home prices in other mountain resort communities -- Sun Valley, ID; Jackson Hole, WY; or Aspen or Vail, CO --Sunriver represents a bargain!
History
Sunriver’s first residents were Native Americans attracted to the excellent hunting and fishing along the banks of the scenic Deschutes River and in the Great Meadow. The Sunriver Resort’s origins begin with the Army Corp of Engineers training camp in 1943. Today all that remains of the original Camp Abbot complex is the Great Hall, an impressive officer’s club built of native logs and stone. In 1968 development of the residential community began, including construction of the Lodge, Meadows Golf Course, swimming pool, Lodge Village suites and restored Great Hall. In 1979, the Woodlands golf course was added, and in 1995 the spectacular Crosswater golf course opened just south of Sunriver. That same year a multi-million dollar capital program was launched by resort owners to expand and remodel a host of facilities at Sunriver.
Sunriver Stats at a Glance
| Sunriver, Oregon (Deschutes County) |
| Elevation: |
4100’ |
| Population (2000) |
5,144 |
| Median Resident Age |
46.5 |
| Estimated Median Hh Income (1999) |
$47,083 (in 1999 dollars) |
| Median single family home price (YTD thru Dec 2008) |
$555,738 |
| Average household size |
2.32 |
| Property Tax Rate 2007/2008 |
$13,8229 per $1,000 of assessed value |
| Assessed Property Value 2008 |
$1,119,357,545 |
| Telecommunications Infrastructure |
Chambers Cable (TV), Qwest (Telephone & Internet), Sunriver Telecom (Telephone & Internet) |
| Major Private Employers |
Sunriver Resort, Sunriver Business Park (various businesses), Sunray Vacation Rentals, Village Properties |
| Top 5 Deschutes County Taxpayers in 2008-09 (in order) |
Cascade Natural Gas Corp., Qwest Corp., Gas Transmission Northwest Corp., PacifiCorp (PP&L), Pronghorn Investors LLC |
Sunriver Quick Links
| Sunriver, Oregon (Deschutes County) |
Economic Development for
Central Oregon (EDCO) |
541-388-3236
Roger Lee, Executive Director
Eric Strobel, Business Development Manager
109 NW Greenwood Ave., Suite #102, Bend OR 97701 |
Deschutes County
(Administrative Offices) |
541-388-6570
1300 NW Wall St., Bend OR 97701 |
Sunriver Chamber of
Commerce |
541-593-8149
Physical: Village at Sunriver, Bldg #5, 7100 Beaver Drive, Sunriver OR 97707
Mailing Address: PO Box 3246, Sunriver OR 97707 |
Sunriver Owners Association
(also publisher of Sunriver Scene monthly) |
541-593-2411 / 1-888-284-6639
57455 Abbot Drive, Sunriver (between circles 3 & 4) OR 97707 |
Sunriver Resort and
Sunriver Airport |
541-593-1221 / 1-800-801-8765
Sunriver Resort, L.P., PO Box 3609, Sunriver OR 97707 |
Central Oregon Visitors
Association (COVA) |
1-800-800-8334
661 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 1301, Bend OR 97702 |
Central Oregon Intergovern-
mental Council (COIC) |
541-548-8163
2363 SW Glacier Place - Redmond, OR 97756
|
| Worksource Oregon |
541-388-6070
1645 NE Forbes, Bend OR 97701 |
The Bulletin
Daily newspaper |
541-382-1811
1777 SW Chandler Avenue, Bend, OR 97702 |
| Sunriver Publishing |
541-593-8830
1900 NE 3rd St., #106-316, Bend OR 97701 |