Most of Metolius was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. Its Register listing is the Oregon Trunk Passenger and Freight Station. Below: maps from 1963 on and the census since 1920.
Founding year: the first Metolius post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1913.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Metolius’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Metolius is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Metolius’ overall grade.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Metolius’ 8.8 sits above most of its state (67% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1913 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Metolius’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Metolius was founded in the early 1900s. The earliest records are from 1903 and written in German.
In February 1911 the Oregon Trunk Railroad built a depot, turntable and roundhouse in the town. The railroad was connected to Bend, Oregon. Railroad engines at the time needed water at regular intervals, and Metolius was chosen as a servicing spot. Electricity was provided in 1912 from a small dam at the Cove. A high school and grade school were built in 1913. The town continued to prosper during the war years and by 1917, the population was over 1,700, and the town had two banks, two newspapers, a flour mill, hotels, general stores, hardware stores and a railroad maintenance hub.
Metolius had its own post office from 1911 to 1956.
Metolius
1911–1956
19101970today
Gone or out of use
Metolius Post Officepost office
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Metolius’ history
What year was Metolius founded?
The Metolius post office opened in 1911, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1913.
How does Metolius rank for history?
Metolius is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Metolius?
One place: the Oregon Trunk Passenger and Freight Station (listed 1986).
How old are the homes in Metolius?
8% of Metolius’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1991.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2017
2010
2010
2010
2004
