Klamath Falls is an active community with many of the attractions of a larger city, but with the affordable lifestyle of a smaller town. All located in a wondrous natural setting! The downtown area features various shopping, dining, and cultural facilities. On the lakefront, Moore Park overlooks the massive Upper Klamath Lake and offers residents hiking, tennis and boating facilities.

With an annual precipitation average of 13 inches, plus the year-round temperate climate, the Klamath Basin attracts people looking for outdoor adventures throughout the year. Klamath Falls, located at an elevation of 4100 feet, offers a high, dry climate. The area is known for its warm summers in the 80s and 90s, crisp autumns, and mild, but often snowy winters. Klamath Falls enjoys nearly 300 days of sunshine each year.

Transportation: Klamath Falls is located at the junction of US Highway 97, and Oregon Highways 140 and 39. The area is served by both Amtrak passenger rail service and Horizon Airlines with several non-stop, one hour service to Portland, Oregon. Travel from Klamath Falls to: Medford is 1.25 hours west; Bend is 2.5 hours north; Reno, Nevada is 4 hours south.

Health Care: Klamath Falls and the surrounding areas are served by Merle West Medical Center, a 176 bed health care facility. Merle West's full range of services include cancer and heart centers, a center for occupational health, a family practice residency program, a new family birthing center, and a kidney dialysis center. There are numerous general and specialty clinics and urgent care facilities throughout the city. In addition, two regional health care facilities are located in Medford.

Local Communications: The area is served by a local newspaper, The Herald & News; a state-wide newspaper, The Oregonian; several AM and FM radio stations; 6 local or regional television stations; and cable television, satellite & telecommunication service companies.

Tax & Cost of Living Information: Oregon has no sales tax. Property taxes are limited to $15.00 per thousand dollars of valuation, excluding voter-approved bonded debt. Using the ACCRA cost of living index for the 4th quarter of 1999, Klamath Falls had a composite index of 99.6 compared to the national average of 100. That compares with Portland at 111.7 and Los Angeles at 123.0.

Educational Facilities: Local higher education facilities include the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and Klamath Community College (KCC). Southern Oregon University (SOU) is located in Ashland, 70 miles west and offers distance learning programs. Our students consistently score above the national average. Parochial education is available at three schools in the city. Here is some additional information on primary and secondary education options in Klamath County: