Motor Freight in central oregon
U.S. Highways 97 and 20, both of which run through Central Oregon, are two of Oregon’s major trucking routes. The 17 plus trucking companies that operate in Central Oregon utilize Highway 97 to access Interstate 5 (north-south) and Interstate 84 (east-west) to reach the Northwest’s metropolitan areas.
Mileage and Drive Time from Central Oregon
to Select Cities |
| City |
Mileage |
Drive Time |
| Los Angeles, CA |
821 |
12 hours, 55 minutes |
| San Francisco, CA |
492 |
8 hours, 25 minutes |
| Seattle, WA |
328 |
6 hours, 10 minutes |
| Boise, ID |
318 |
6 hours, 20 minutes |
| Redding, CA |
277 |
5 hours, 20 minutes |
| Olympia, WA |
254 |
4 hours, 31 minutes |
| Medford, OR |
178 |
3 hours, 40 minutes |
| Portland, OR |
175 |
3 hours, 15 minutes |
Source: Rand McNally
To view Central Oregon's road transportation access to markets on the west coast, you may download a detailed map here.
Rail Service
For freight, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific and the City of Prineville Railway provide direct rail connections for shipping to any market in the United States, Canada and Mexico. BNSF “team tracks” in Redmond offer local access to rail car delivery for those companies that do not have a rail spur to their property. To view the Northwest operating division from Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad and how it serves Central Oregon, you may download a map here.
For passenger rail service, Amtrak provides passenger rail service to Central Oregon via the Chemult station, located approximately 60 miles south of Bend on Highway 97.
Prineville Railroad & Freight Depot
The city of Prineville Railway (COPR) is a customer-oriented short line railroad. Formed in 1918, it remains the oldest continuously 
operated municipal short line in the U.S., directly serving Crook County industry as well as Jefferson and Deschutes Counties. COPR connects with Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads at Prineville Junction, 17 miles from Prineville. Located on 30 acres, the Prineville Freight Depot compliments COPR services. The Freight Depot provides an important multi-modal transportation hub for the entire Central Oregon region, offering services that include transload, reload, storage, managed distribution, truck-to-truck transfer, and a heavy equipment ramp.
In May 2008, The City of Prineville Railroad was notified it would receive $3.5 million in funding from the State of Oregon through Connect Oregon II. The funds are earmarked to further develop the Freight Depot in moving freight in the region. The project was one of four that will benefit the region that made a short list recommended for approval by the Oregon Transportation Commission. Other projects include the intermodal transportation facility in Bend, the aircraft operations base for Butler Aircraft at Madras Airport, and funding improvements at the Redmond Airport.
Bus Service
Bend operates a municipal fixed-route bus transit system (BAT). Bus transportation by Greyhound is available from Bend, Madras, Prineville, and Redmond. CAC Transportation Inc. offers a shuttle service from Central Oregon to Portland. Central Cascade Lines provides shuttle service between La Pine and several points in Bend; the company also serves points in Jefferson County (Madras, Metolius, and Culver), with bus connections to several locations in Redmond and in Bend.
In the Publications section, you may also find EDCO Profiles useful; they contain transporation information for each community.