State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

When 100,000 People Suddenly Swarm a Rural City of 6,500 Residents

Route Fifty: MADRAS, Ore. — This small city with 6,500 residents doesn’t usually come immediately to mind when you think about Oregon’s top tourist attractions. Much of central Oregon, including the region around Madras, is fairly unpopulated, which makes it surprising that lodging—or even a campsite—will be a very hot commodity come August.

A solar eclipse will cut a relatively narrow swath across of North America on Aug. 21 and this part of Oregon is well positioned to see a total eclipse conditions.

As many as 100,000 people are expected to flock to Madras, according to some estimates, and overall, the state anticipates that 1 million people will head into Oregon’s eclipse-viewing zone. The problem: Madras and many other places like it weren’t built to accommodate such an influx of visitors all at once.

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