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Oregon County
Jefferson County, Oregon
Madras - the 2017 Great American Eclipse's totality bull's-eye - from the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse (Madras was positioned directly on the centerline of totality for the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse - the first total solar eclipse to cross the continental United States coast to coast since 1918 - and Jefferson County's clear high desert skies and central position on the eclipse path made Madras the premier viewing destination, drawing 100,000+ visitors to a city of 6,000 for the most concentrated eclipse event in America) and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (the reservation that encompasses much of Jefferson County - whose Warm Springs, Wasco, and Paiute tribal nations operate the Kah-Nee-Ta resort and the Columbia River dip-net fishery).
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Jefferson County Emergency Management – administered by the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff designated Director; Emergency Manager Lt. Bryan Skidgel; uses a 3-level evacuation system (Green/Be Ready, Yellow/Be Set, Red/Go NOW) and Everbridge alerts via Frontier Regional Alert.
Roads: US-97 and US-26 serve Madras, the county seat, in central Oregon.
Notes: Jefferson County includes part of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Jefferson County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via jeffersoncountyor.gov.
Notes: Madras is genuinely, nationally documented as one of the best viewing locations in the country for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse – NASA published its official composite eclipse imagery from Madras, and eclipse meteorologists identified the Deschutes River Valley near Madras as having the best statistical chance of clear skies anywhere along the eclipse’s path across the U.S. The town of roughly 6,700 people hosted an estimated 70,000-150,000 visitors for the event via the Oregon SolarFest festival at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Jefferson County’s agricultural economy is also notable for specialty crop production, including carrot seed.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Jefferson County Veterans’ Service Office – Jefferson County Community Center, 860 SW Madison Street, Madras, OR 97741 | (541) 475-5228 | Fax: (541) 475-4261 | [email protected] | Hours: Mon & Wed 9 AM-12:30 PM & 1:30-5 PM, by appointment only, closed Thu/Fri; Lead CVSO Laura Moore; serves veterans throughout Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Tribal: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Veteran Advocate – 1114 Warm Springs St., Warm Springs, OR 97761 | (541) 588-0619.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Jefferson County Library District – 241 SE 7th Street, Madras, OR 97741 | (541) 475-3351; serves most of Jefferson County and parts of Wasco County; participates in the shared catalog hosted by Deschutes Public Library.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Jefferson County Fairgrounds (site of Oregon SolarFest 2017) and access to the Cascade Range and Mount Jefferson are the county’s signature attractions.
Notes: The genuine, NASA-documented 2017 total solar eclipse viewing heritage is a distinctive, nationally recognized local fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Jefferson County Assessor – confirm current phone via jeffersoncountyor.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
County: Jefferson County contracts animal control services to the Madras Humane Society; Animal Shelter – 1694 SE McTaggart Rd, Madras, OR 97741 | (541) 475-6889 | Hours: Tue-Sat 10 AM-5 PM, closed Sun-Mon; report animal complaints via Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, (541) 475-6520 or dispatch (541) 475-2201.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Jefferson County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via jeffersoncountyor.gov.
NOTES: Jefferson County is the second county in the Oregon v2 redo’s third batch (Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln). The genuine, NASA-documented 2017 total solar eclipse heritage in Madras is a distinctive, nationally recognized local fact. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Jefferson County
Jefferson County was the bull’s-eye of the 2017 Great American Eclipse – Madras’s position on the centerline of totality and its clear high desert skies drew 100,000+ visitors to a city of 6,000, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ reservation anchors the county’s cultural and economic landscape.
Madras (the county seat, population ~6,500) serves central Oregon’s high desert plateau communities between Bend and The Dalles.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Jefferson County Assessor at 66 SE D Street, Madras, OR 97741, phone 541-475-4253. OR Measure 50 limits assessed value increases.
Courts & Legal
Jefferson County Circuit Court at 129 SW E Street, Madras, OR 97741, phone 541-475-3317, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
66 SE D St, Madras, OR 97741
(541) 475-4451
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Jefferson County Circuit Court, Madras (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Jefferson County includes part of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation, making tribal genealogical resources especially relevant.
Local societies
No dedicated Jefferson County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Jefferson County Circuit Court 129 SW E Street, Suite 101, Madras, OR 97741 (541) 475-3317 Jefferson County is in central Oregon, seated in Madras.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Oregon has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own independent probate code under ORS Chapters 111 through 117. Probate is handled in the probate department of the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent lived (ORS 111.085). Oregon does not offer a separate unsupervised/informal probate track – its “simple estate” process and formal administration are the two paths.
Simple Estate Affidavit (ORS 114.505–114.560) – available when the total fair market value of the estate is $275,000 or less, made up of no more than $75,000 in personal property and no more than $200,000 in real property. The affidavit (“Affidavit of Claiming Successor”) cannot be filed until at least 30 days after death and must be filed with the clerk of the probate court. It requires a detailed asset description, a list of known creditors, and notice that claims are barred unless presented within 4 months of filing.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates that exceed the simple estate limits or don’t otherwise qualify. A personal representative is appointed by the court and administers the estate under ongoing court oversight.
Step 2: filing for administration
A petition for probate is filed in the Circuit Court in the county where the decedent resided (or, for simple estates, an Affidavit of Claiming Successor is filed with the probate clerk at least 30 days after death).
If a will exists, it’s filed with the petition or affidavit.
For full administration, the court appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice is given to heirs, devisees, and creditors; claims against the estate must generally be presented within the statutory period.
The personal representative (or affiant, for simple estates) inventories assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains according to the will or Oregon’s intestacy laws.
Full administration closes once a final account is filed and approved by the court; simple estates close once assets are distributed and any required notices are filed.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Jefferson County directly for current fees.
Oregon imposes a state estate tax on estates exceeding approximately $1,000,000, with rates ranging from 10% to 16%. No state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
675 NW Cherry Ln, Madras, OR 97741
(541) 475-6520
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
66 SE D St, Madras, OR 97741
(541) 475-4451
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
75 SE C St, Madras, OR 97741
(541) 475-4456
Department of Human Services
250 SE Fairgrounds Rd, Madras, OR 97741
(541) 475-6131
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Jefferson County Public Health – 500 NE A Street, Suite 102, Madras, OR 97741 | (541) 475-4456 | Fax: (541) 475-0132 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-5 PM | After-hours non-emergency: (541) 384-2080.
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Madras
Population: 24,000
Established: 1914
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Jefferson County residents.
