Oregon Route 218

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Oregon Route 218

Route 218 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length42.08 mi[1] (67.72 km)
Major junctions
West end US 97 in Shaniko
Major intersections OR 293 in Antelope
East end OR 19 in Fossil
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountiesWasco, Wheeler
Highway system
OR 217 OR 219

Oregon Route 218 (OR 218) is an Oregon state highway that runs between the small towns of Shaniko and Fossil in north-central Oregon[2] and is known as the Shaniko-Fossil Highway No. 291 (see Oregon highways and routes). OR 218 is a part of the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway,[3] an Oregon state byway.

Route description

OR 218 eastbound entering Antelope in 1985 (then known as Rajneesh)
Clarno Bridge carrying OR 218 over the John Day River

OR 218 is a fairly short rural highway. Its western terminus is in Wasco County, in the ghost town of Shaniko at U.S. Route 97. The road is very windy and hilly over its entire 43-mile (69 km) length and is a popular destination for motorcyclists. It runs through the small town of Antelope (population 50) and has a junction with OR 293 on the south end of town.[2]

More mountainous terrain follows, and the highway crosses the John Day River into Wheeler County at Clarno. Just east of Clarno is the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Between Clarno and Fossil (the largest town on the route, with a population of about 475), the road has several sharp curves, with a posted speed limit of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) in several places. The eastern terminus is in Fossil at the junction of Washington Street and Seventh Street (OR 19).[2]

Major junctions

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
WascoShaniko0.000.00 US 97 (Sherman Highway) / D Street – Madras, Bend, Grass Valley, Biggs Junction
Antelope7.96–
8.00
12.81–
12.87

OR 293 west (Antelope Highway) – Willowdale, Madras
Eastern terminus of OR 293
John Day River22.9036.85Clarno Bridge
WascoWheeler county line
WheelerFossil42.0867.72 OR 19 (John Day Highway) / Washington Street – Condon, Spray
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ a b "Shaniko-Fossil Highway No. 291" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. June 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Oregon Route 218". Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  3. ^ "Oregon Scenic Byways map" (pdf). ODOT.

External links