The Tiny Town Of New Pine Creek Is Half In California And Half In Oregon

The sleepy little town of New Pine Creek only has around 100 residents, and the people who call this place home deal with some unusual circumstances. The town sits right on the Oregon/California border, and when it comes to things like addresses, property lines, and driver licenses things can get a little bit tricky.

Welcome to the town of New Pine Creek! Depending on where you're standing, you might be in Oregon...or you might be in California.

A mistake by a surveyor way back in the 1800s meant that both states can claim this town. It's said that the surveyor was a heavy drinker, which might explain how he managed to create a fairly wavy state line that varies from the 42nd parallel by as much as a half-mile.

The state line literally runs right through this little town.

It's the southernmost settlement in Oregon, and also the oldest settlement in Lake County. The town has a total population of around 100 residents. Because of the mistakes made by the surveyor, the town is not the northernmost town in California, however.

The town was originally named Pine Creek, but it turned out that another town had already claimed the name. When the post office opened in 1876, folks decided to call the town New Pine Creek to avoid confusion.

Of course, having a New Pine Creek, Oregon and a New Pine Creek, California is confusing anyway.

The post office for the town is on the Oregon side, and residents on both sides of the border share the same zip code of 97635.

Residents on the California side of town have California driver licenses...with Oregon addresses! They can run into issues when they try to order things for delivery, too. Since their address has an Oregon zip code, the computer doesn't recognize that the delivery actually needs to be made in California.

Property lines can be tricky here, as well. The Taylor House was built around 1880. It's in California, but only by a few feet. The state line runs right behind the tree in its front yard.

Other strange issues pop up occasionally here in town, too. Years ago, a clergyman arrived to perform a wedding, only to find that the home was located on the California side of town. His license was only valid in Oregon, so the ceremony was performed right in the middle of the road, just a few feet into Oregon.

Residents from both states, as well as visitors, enjoy relaxing at Goose Lake State Park, which is overseen by the Oregon State Parks system.

The park is just barely on the northern side of the border, but the state line literally runs right through the middle of the lake.

Visitors to Goose Lake State Park enjoy a 48-site campground with flush toilets and hot showers, as well as a beautiful lake that's perfect for fishing...but you'd better make sure you have the appropriate state fishing license.

Law enforcement officials on both sides of the border often have issues. For instance, it might be legal to catch a redband trout in Oregon, but it's not in California, so make sure you're fishing on the northern side of Goose Lake!

New Pine Creek is a quiet, rural little town in both Oregon and California. While logistics can sometimes be tricky, residents here are used to the unique situation, and reportedly just call themselves, "New Pine Creekans."

Have you visited New Pine Creek? Tell us about your trip there!