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John Day, OR Road Trips

Plan drives from John Day, OR with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

Downtown John Day, OR, OR

Photo: Photo Collections

Trip Routes

1

Longest Drive

323.6 mi

Medford, OR

Quickest Drive

7h 29m

Medford, OR

Plan Around John Day, OR

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if John Day, OR is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

John Day, OR by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

1,543

Median Income

$75,917

Median Home Value

$199,400

Median Age

42.9

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

John Day, OR at a Glance

Founded

1901

Elevation

3,087 ft

Area

2 mi²

City data from Wikidata (Q1282972), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to John Day, OR

John Day is a city in Eastern Oregon.

1 Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site, ☏ +1 541-575-2800. An 1865 stagecoach stop and depot that was purchased by 2 Chinese immigrants in 1887 and functioned as a clinic, general store, and community center for the Chinese community until the 1940s. It is now a museum. Free. (updated Feb 2017) 2 Bates State Park, ☏ +1 541-448-2585. May 1-Oct 31. Primitive site $11, Hiker/biker site $8. (updated May 2018) Grant County Historical Museum, 101 S Canyon Blvd, Canyon City, ☏ +1 541-575-0362, [email protected]. May-Septː Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM. (updated Aug 2025)

Outpost Pizza Pub & Grill, 201 W Main St, ☏ +1 541-575-0250, [email protected]. (updated Mar 2021) Dayville Cafe, 212 Franklin St, ☏ +1 541-987-2122. (updated Jan 2022)

Liquer Store. 1188 Brewing Company, 141 E Main St, ☏ +1 541-575-1188. (updated Mar 2021)

1 Best Western John Day Inn, 315 W Main St, ☏ +1 541 575-1700, toll-free: +1 800 780-7234, fax: +1 541 575-1558. (updated Feb 2017) Dreamers Lodge Motel, 144 N Canyon Blvd, ☏ +1 541-575-0526, [email protected]. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Mar 2021) Victorian Lane Bed & Breakfast, 59728 Ridge Rd, ☏ +1 541-286-5548, [email protected]. (updated Jan 2022) Hotel Prairie, 112 Front St, Prairie City, ☏ +1-541-820-4800, [email protected]. (updated Aug 2025) 2 Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site, ☏ +1 541-932-4453. Seasonal campground (March 1- Nov 30) and year-round picnic area amidst cottonwood trees along the John Day River. 31 electrical sites with water, hiker-biker camp, and 2 tepees with space heater and sleeping pads for 8 people. (updated Mar 2021) Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park, ☏ +1 541-575-1900. Full hook up sites with picnic table, showers, and fire ring, with a walking path by the John Day River. RVs can not be more than 15 years old. Pet friendly. Full hook ups $45/night, Tent camping $10/night, Showers $5. (updated Nov 2025)

From Portland: Take US 26 east for 264 miles (about five hours). From Boise, Idaho: Take I-84 west fifty miles to Ontario; Exit 374 to OR 201 south for five miles to US 26; take US 26 west for 115 miles (total trip about three hours).

Travel tips adapted from John Day on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

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