Helix, OR

Helix is a small Umatilla County city in the dry-farm country between Pendleton and Walla Walla. The 2020 census counted 194 residents, and the surrounding fields are used largely for dryland wheat and other grain production. The city was incorporated in 1903; its unusual name was chosen after residents were told the post office could not use Oxford, and a local man's recent ear surgery supplied the winning idea. Helix School sits at the center of town life, serving as both a school and a major local workplace.

Summer brings two very different kinds of gatherings. The Heart of the Country Rodeo fills the arena with a full day of competition and community events, while Wheatstock turns the same rural setting into a two-day music festival with camping, food, vendors, and scholarships for graduating seniors. Helix's motto, Heart of the Country, fits the combination: school and grain fields during the week, rodeo and live music on the calendar when neighbors and visitors gather.