Oregon
Oregon Road
Oregon’s Scenic Byways
Oregon’s scenic byways highlight a variety of breathtaking natural features, including lava flows, meadows, alpine lakes, and snow tipped peaks. The prevalence of American history attracts many visitors each year, as several of Oregon’s scenic byways cross paths with the historic Oregon Trail, traveled by many famous frontiersmen such as Lewis and Clark and Kit Carson.
Key Points
- Oregon is home to 44 scenic byways, including four All-American Roads, six national scenic byways, and 34 state or federal agency byways.
- A 2020 study found that in total, the Oregon travel industry employed 117,500 people.
- Research indicates that travel-generated employment serves a higher importance in the rural counties of Oregon. The two other largest export-orientated industries in Oregon include agriculture/food processing and logging/wood products.
- According to a study from 2016, the average overnight visitor spends $147 per day.
- In 2019, a total of 29.4 million overnight visitors traveled to Oregon destinations.
Oregon Byways
Map Key:
- All-American Roads
- National Scenic Byways
- Federal Agency Byways
- State Scenic Byways
Federal Agency Byways
State Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
Oregon byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including five national parks, 254 state parks, 17 national historic landmarks, 11 national natural landmarks, 362 miles of ocean shore front, one national geologic trail.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.