Morrow County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,186. The county seat is Heppner. The county is named for one of its first settlers, Jackson L. Morrow, who was a member of the state legislature when the county was created. Half of the Umatilla Chemical Depot, which includes the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, and the Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman are located within the county. Morrow County is part of the Pendleton-Hermiston, OR, Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is located on the south side of the Columbia River and is included in the eight-county definition of Eastern Oregon.
History
Morrow County was created in 1885 from the western portion of Umatilla County and a small portion of eastern Wasco County. It is named for Jackson L. Morrow, a state representative who advocated for the county's formation. Heppner was designated the temporary county seat at the time the county was created and narrowly defeated Lexington in the election held in 1887 to determine the permanent county seat.
Geography
alt=Map of Morrow County|thumb|Map of Morrow County
Morrow County is located in the eastern portion of Oregon, bounded by the counties of Grant, Gilliam and Umatilla. The county's northern border is defined by the Columbia River. Most of the county is dry and flat, but the southern county contains a section of the Blue Mountains, making it fairly mountainous. The highest point in the county is Black Mountain in Umatilla National Forest at . Rivers flow from the mountains into the Columbia River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- Gilliam County - west
- Wheeler County - southwest
- Grant County - south
- Umatilla County - east
- Benton County, Washington - north
- Klickitat County, Washington - northwest
National protected areas
- Umatilla National Forest (part)
- Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge (part)