Prineville is a city in and the seat of Crook County, Oregon. It was named for the first merchant to establish businesses in the present location, Barney Prine. The population is about 10,429 residents. Located on the Crooked River, Prineville is a combination of fascinating history and scenic pristine outdoors with a variety of recreational opportunities including golfing, rockhounding, fishing, hiking, and boating. Surrounded by hills and rock formation, Prineville literally sits on a volcano. The caldera’s diameter of about 22 miles x 15 miles that makes it one of the biggest in the United States and the city is nestled almost right in its middle.
The oldest city east of the Cascades, Prineville was incorporated in 1872. The citizens raised money and built their own railway, which connected the town to the main line 19 miles away. It's approximately 153 miles southeast of Portland and has an elevation of 2,868 feet.