About Phoenix

Discover Phoenix

Phoenix, Oregon is quite different from its namesake in Arizona. Phoenix, Oregon lies within the beautiful Rogue Valley on both sides of Interstate 5. A small city, it slopes down from green, rolling hills into the valley and then winds up into the hills towards the Applegate, dotted with lush green pear orchards and is close to wineries like: 2 Hawk vineyard and winery, Eden Vale, and the Catalyst Wine Collective. On the east side of Phoenix there are several new housing developments with affordable single-family homes and tree-lined streets and townhouses, close to schools, large shopping centers, and the region’s largest, four-star rated medical center. Beautiful pastures and farms give Phoenix a rural feel just minutes from the city of Medford. Because it is a small town, the elementary, middle and high schools have some of the most dedicated, skilled, bilingual teachers in the region. Children receive individual attention.

Like a number of towns along the I5 corridor in southern Oregon, Phoenix sprang up in the 1850’s. It was settled by brothers Hiram and Samuel Colver. Early settlers included Milton Lindley who operated a sawmill and a number of families raised generations of successful landowners who built stately homes that still stand and are on the southern Oregon registry of historic homes. There’s even a quaint museum in town with western artifacts from the time of Phoenix’s founding, and the caretakers are always happy to share a story or two. There are several generations of Hispanic and central American families who also have settled the area, and have contributed to the culture in the form of authentic cuisine, farming and horticulture.

Downtown Phoenix has been completely renewed over the last ten years. There are lovely flower baskets hanging from French lamp posts. Newer restaurants feature designer pizzas and older restaurants serve authentic Mexican dishes. They are within walking distance of the older part of city. On the west side of Phoenix there are quaint sidewalks that lead to older craftsman style houses and ranch-style residences built in the 60’s and 70’s. There is the new Northwest Ceramic Studio in town off Pacific Highway, a hub for many pottery artists in the region. There are parks for children to run and play in, like Colver Road Park and Blue Heron Park and the Bear Creek Greenway is a 20-mile biking and hiking path extending from Ashland to Central Point, running right through Phoenix. In Phoenix there is room to grow. 

And if you occasionally want something different from the rural feel, there are major theaters within 10 miles going south, north and east of Phoenix. The Britt festival in the summer is a short drive and the Britt outdoor theater hosts some of the biggest names in music past and present, each year. Originally founded by actress Ginger Rodgers, the Craterian in Medford hosts similar musical acts and musicals, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland runs almost nine months a year. 

The homes here are affordable, starting in the median range of $300,000. There re new condos and townhouses and even manufactured homes on nice lots, if you desire a low-maintenance lifestyle. What you are gaining are all the gifts of a rural lifestyle, easy-paced living, friendly neighbors, fields, pastures and orchards, low crime and small-town living close to the big city. Like all areas in southern Oregon, the Rogue River, mountain lakes, Ashland skiing and hiking trails are only just minutes away.