Redmond is a perpetually growing community.

With the ever-increasing population has come better parks, an improved downtown, a state-of-the-art accessible playground, lots of public art, and an ever growing business community. And the list gets longer every year — for the city located at the heart of Central Oregon.

Its central geographic location makes Redmond a major retail hub, with centers located at the North end of the City, anchored by Walmart, Home Depot, and Good Will Industries; downtown anchored by Fred Meyer and Lowes; and the west side with Logan’s Market and True Value at Nolan Town Center. In addition, the city is home to the largest commercial airport in Oregon, east of the Cascades, and the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, which hosts a number of large events including the Deschutes County Fair — the largest county fair in Oregon. Redmond, home to more than 27,000 people, has good reason to call itself the Hub of Central Oregon.

Downtown Redmond received a major face-lift in recent years, including a complete replacement of Fifth and Sixth streets, the major thoroughfares through downtown. Commerce has been revitalized, after The Great Recession, with new eateries and shops filling empty storefronts. Redmond also boasts the largest splash park east of the Cascades, which resides in the city core at Centennial Park near City Hall. City Hall will move to the newly renovated Evergreen building Spring 2017 located a block away from Centennial Park, which was the city’s high school in the 1950s and most recently was Evergreen Elementary. Central Oregon Community College’s satellite campus in Redmond has a state-of-the-art technology center, adding to the campus lecture and manufacturing classrooms.

One element that keeps Redmond improving is its citizens spirit of voluntarism, which makes possible things such as kids sports leagues and many civic improvements, the latest of which was Hope Playground at Sam Johnson Park. The playground is Oregon’s largest accessible playground.

As the city grows, one thing remains the same — the abundance of outdoor activities available to residents and visitors alike. The Deschutes County Fair is a hit every summer, even in blazing heat, and sports and entertainment are held year-round at the Expo center. Mountain biking trails are available in town at the RadLands near the High Desert Sports Complex, and skiing and snowboarding are less than an hour away at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo resorts.

Climbing and hiking trails are everywhere in Central Oregon including the Dry Canyon Trail, which goes through the middle of Redmond, and Smith Rock State Park North of Redmond, which is a international mecca for rock climbers and offers several good hikes. A popular climbing route that snakes its way up a support arch of Maple Street Bridge opened last year. But the city closed it this summer because of liability concerns. Watersport enthusiasts can enjoy numerous lakes and Reservoirs located in the High Desert as well as the Cascades.

Redmond was founded in 1910, and in the last 20 years has been one of the fastest-growing communities in Oregon. Wonderful weather, amazing natural beauty and the sincerity of a small town make Redmond an awesome place to live.