An I 84 Driver's Guide to Coffee in Pendleton: Exits and Hours

Thomas Garner

Oct 7

11 min read

Interstate 84 curving through green rolling hills near Pendleton, Oregon, under a blue sky

Photo: Art Bromage from Seattle, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pendleton is the kind of place most people first meet from the interstate. Interstate 84 wraps around the south edge of the city on its way between Portland and the Idaho line, and for a lot of drivers the question is not whether to stop but where, and whether anything will be open. In a city of about 17,070 people by the Census Bureau's 2023 five year count, the answer depends on the day and the hour as much as the exit.

This guide lays out the Pendleton exits in order, then four coffee addresses with the hours each one posts for itself: Buckin Bean Coffee Roasters on NW Despain Avenue downtown, Pendleton Ground Up on SW Emigrant Avenue, and the Dutch Bros and Sorbenots drive thrus on SW 12th Street and SE 9th Street. Exit numbers and highway details come from the published exit list for I 84 in Oregon and from OpenStreetMap. Hours were read from each business's own pages on September 27, 2026.

Pendleton From the Interstate

Interstate 84 runs 378.01 miles across Oregon, from Interstate 5 in Portland to the Idaho state line near Ontario. The stretch from The Dalles to Pendleton was finished in 1964, and the last section between Pendleton and Ontario opened near Baker City on July 3, 1975.

Coming from the west, the freeway follows the Umatilla River and the old Oregon Trail southeast from Stanfield to Pendleton, which sits in a valley the river formed. West of the city, near the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, US 30 leaves the interstate and runs through downtown on city streets. US 395 splits off to the south toward John Day. The interstate itself continues around the south edge of Pendleton, meets Oregon 11, the connecting highway toward Walla Walla, and is rejoined by US 30.

East of the city, I 84 passes through part of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, past the resort casino, and begins its climb into the Blue Mountains on the way to La Grande and Baker City. For a driver heading east, Pendleton is the last city stop before that climb. For a driver heading west, it is the first one after coming down.

The Pendleton Exits, West to East

The published exit list for I 84 in Oregon shows the Pendleton area exits in this order, heading east. Exit 202 is Barnhart Road and Airport Road. Exit 207 is US 30 east, signed for the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, Pendleton City Center and West Pendleton. Exit 209 is US 395 south, signed for Pendleton and John Day. Exit 210 is Oregon 11, signed for Pendleton and Milton Freewater.

Farther east, exit 213 is US 30 west, signed for Pendleton City Center and the National Historic District; it is a westbound exit and an eastbound entrance only. Exit 216 is Oregon 331, signed for Milton Freewater and Walla Walla. Beyond that, exit 224 is Poverty Flat Road and Old Emigrant Hill Road, and exit 228 is the Deadman Pass rest area, up in the Blue Mountains.

West of the city, the interchange that matters most for orientation is exit 188, where US 395 north splits off toward Stanfield, Echo and Hermiston. Between exit 188 and exit 202 the interstate runs along the river country, and from exit 202 east the Pendleton exits come in quick succession.

Two Exits Signed for the City Center

Two exits carry the Pendleton City Center signs: exit 207 from the west and exit 213 from the east. Between them, US 30 runs through downtown on city streets. OpenStreetMap tags Court Avenue and Dorion Avenue as US 30 through downtown, and Court Avenue is also the street the Pendleton Round Up grounds sit on, at 1330 SW Court Ave.

That matters for a coffee stop because the downtown address in this guide, Buckin Bean Coffee Roasters at 405 NW Despain Ave, sits in the downtown grid. A driver who wants a sit down counter, a short walk and a look at a real small city block should plan to leave the interstate at one of the two City Center exits and follow US 30 into downtown.

Exit 213 has one catch worth knowing before you need it. It is a westbound exit and an eastbound entrance only. An eastbound driver cannot leave the interstate there, and should use exit 207 or another Pendleton exit instead.

Four Coffee Addresses and Their Posted Hours

Buckin Bean Coffee Roasters is at 405 NW Despain Ave, on the corner of NW 4th and Despain downtown. It posts hours of Monday through Friday from 7am to 2pm, and its phone number is 541 276 8643. It is a weekday counter, open for the morning and early afternoon.

Pendleton Ground Up is a drive thru at 1803 SW Emigrant Ave. It posts hours of Tuesday through Friday from 6am to 4pm and Saturday from 7am to 4pm, and its phone number is 541 305 5307. For a driver who does not want to park, a drive thru window is the fastest kind of stop.

Two chain drive thrus cover the longer ends of the day. Dutch Bros at 205 SW 12th St posts hours of 5am to 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 5am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Sorbenots at 402 SE 9th St, part of a drive thru chain with stands across Eastern Oregon, posts that it is open every day from 5am to 7:30pm.

Read the Address Before You Exit

Pendleton's street addresses carry a quadrant prefix, and that prefix is the fastest way to orient before choosing an exit. NW Despain Avenue is on the northwest side of the grid. SW Emigrant Avenue and SW 12th Street are on the southwest side, along with the Round Up grounds on SW Court Avenue. SE 9th Street is on the southeast side.

OpenStreetMap shows part of SW Emigrant Avenue carrying Oregon 37, so Emigrant is a state route in its own right rather than a quiet side street. Downtown Despain sits in the same downtown grid that the City Center route on Court and Dorion runs through. The chain drive thrus sit on numbered streets on the south side of the grid.

A phone map will pick the exact exit for any of these addresses based on your direction of travel. What the prefix does is tell you, before you commit, whether you are heading into downtown, to the southwest side or to the southeast side.

Eastbound Toward the Blue Mountains

For an eastbound driver, Pendleton is the last city on the interstate before the climb into the Blue Mountains. Past exit 216, the exit list shows Poverty Flat Road and Old Emigrant Hill Road at exit 224 and the Deadman Pass rest area at exit 228, then the long run toward La Grande.

That makes Pendleton the natural place to get a coffee before the climb. On a weekday morning, the downtown counter on Despain opens at 7am and the Emigrant Avenue drive thru opens at 6am from Tuesday through Friday. Earlier than that, or later in the day, the chain drive thrus on SW 12th Street and SE 9th Street are the posted options, from 5am.

The exit list shows a rest area up there, not a coffee address. Planning the cup in Pendleton, at an address with posted hours, is the safer bet for a mountain drive.

Westbound Toward the Columbia

For a westbound driver coming down out of the Blue Mountains, Pendleton is the first city stop. Exit 213 is available westbound and is signed for the City Center and the National Historic District on US 30. That is the signed route into downtown, where the Despain counter is open on weekdays until 2pm.

West of Pendleton, the interstate follows the Umatilla River back toward Stanfield, where US 395 north leaves at exit 188, and on toward the Interstate 82 junction near Hermiston and the Columbia River. Each of those places has its own coffee, and none of it is covered here; this guide stays inside Pendleton.

A westbound driver on a weekend should note one thing before leaving the mountains. On Saturday, the Emigrant Avenue drive thru opens at 7am and the downtown Despain counter does not open. On Sunday, the chain drive thrus are the posted options in this guide.

What Day and Hour You Pass Through

The day of the week changes the map more than the exit does. From Tuesday through Friday, all four addresses in this guide post open hours. On Monday, the downtown Despain counter and the two chain drive thrus are open, and the Emigrant Avenue drive thru posts no Monday hours. On Saturday, the Emigrant Avenue drive thru and the two chains are open, and the Despain counter posts no Saturday hours. On Sunday, only the two chains post hours.

The hour matters next. From 5am to 6am, the chain drive thrus are the posted options. From 6am, the Emigrant Avenue drive thru joins them on weekdays from Tuesday through Friday, and from 7am on Saturday. From 7am to 2pm on weekdays, the Despain counter is open too. After 2pm, Despain is done for the day. After 4pm, Emigrant is done. After 7:30pm, Sorbenots is done, and Dutch Bros on SW 12th Street runs until 10pm, or 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

A driver who remembers only one rule should remember this: independent coffee in Pendleton is a daytime, weekday habit, and the chain windows cover the early mornings, the evenings and Sunday.

Round Up Week on the Interstate

One week a year, the traffic pattern changes. The Pendleton Round Up is always held the second full week of September, with its grounds and ticket office at 1330 SW Court Ave, right on the US 30 route through downtown. The Round Up says its grounds have no parking, so visitors use paid lots or side streets, most of which are free.

For a driver passing through during Round Up week rather than attending, the practical advice is to expect more people downtown and plan the coffee stop for the morning, when the posted hours in this guide overlap best. A companion Hillcane post lines up Round Up week's parade, rodeo and Happy Canyon schedule with the same four coffee addresses, day by day.

A Short Checklist for the Pull Off

Before the exit: check the day. Sunday means a chain drive thru. Monday means the downtown Despain counter or a chain. Saturday means the Emigrant Avenue drive thru or a chain. Tuesday through Friday, everything in this guide is open during the day.

At the exit: use 207 from the west or 213 from the east for the City Center and downtown, remembering that 213 is westbound only as an exit. Use the address prefix to know which side of town you are heading to. Before the climb east, get the cup in Pendleton, since the next exits are the Blue Mountain roads and the Deadman Pass rest area.

Travel Pendleton sells the city under the line Rich Traditions, Fine Craftsmanship, and a short stop off the interstate is a fair way to see some of it. A coffee on Despain Avenue on a weekday morning puts a driver in the middle of that downtown, with time for a walk around the block before getting back on I 84.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which I 84 exits serve Pendleton?

The published exit list for I 84 in Oregon shows exit 202 at Barnhart Road and Airport Road, exit 207 for US 30 east and Pendleton City Center, exit 209 for US 395 south toward John Day, exit 210 for Oregon 11 toward Milton Freewater, exit 213 for US 30 west and the National Historic District, and exit 216 for Oregon 331 toward Walla Walla.

Which exit goes to downtown Pendleton?

Two exits are signed for Pendleton City Center: exit 207 from the west and exit 213 from the east. Between them, US 30 runs through downtown on city streets, and OpenStreetMap tags Court Avenue and Dorion Avenue as US 30. Exit 213 is a westbound exit and eastbound entrance only, so eastbound drivers should use exit 207 or another Pendleton exit to reach downtown.

Where is Buckin Bean and when is it open?

Buckin Bean Coffee Roasters is at 405 NW Despain Ave, on the corner of NW 4th and Despain in downtown Pendleton. It posts hours of Monday through Friday from 7am to 2pm, and its phone number is 541 276 8643. It posts no weekend hours, so drivers passing through on a Saturday or Sunday should plan on another stop from this guide.

Where is Pendleton Ground Up and when is it open?

Pendleton Ground Up is a drive thru at 1803 SW Emigrant Ave, on the southwest side of the city. It posts hours of Tuesday through Friday from 6am to 4pm and Saturday from 7am to 4pm, and its phone number is 541 305 5307. It posts no Sunday or Monday hours, so it suits a midweek or Saturday stop off I 84.

What coffee is open in Pendleton on a Sunday?

Among the four addresses in this guide, only the chain drive thrus post Sunday hours. Dutch Bros at 205 SW 12th St is open from 5am to 10pm on Sundays, and Sorbenots at 402 SE 9th St is open every day from 5am to 7:30pm. The downtown Despain counter keeps weekday hours, and the Emigrant Avenue drive thru runs Tuesday through Saturday.

What is the earliest coffee in Pendleton?

The two chain drive thrus open first, at 5am every day: Dutch Bros at 205 SW 12th St and Sorbenots at 402 SE 9th St. Pendleton Ground Up at 1803 SW Emigrant Ave opens at 6am Tuesday through Friday and 7am on Saturday. Buckin Bean at 405 NW Despain Ave opens at 7am Monday through Friday.

Where can I get coffee in Pendleton in the evening?

After 4pm, both independent stops in this guide are finished for the day: the Despain counter at 2pm and the Emigrant Avenue drive thru at 4pm. Sorbenots at 402 SE 9th St posts hours until 7:30pm every day. Dutch Bros at 205 SW 12th St posts hours until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

Should I get coffee in Pendleton before driving east over the Blue Mountains?

Pendleton is the last city stop on I 84 before the climb into the Blue Mountains. East of exit 216, the exit list shows Poverty Flat Road and Old Emigrant Hill Road at exit 224 and the Deadman Pass rest area at exit 228, then the long run toward La Grande. Getting a coffee in Pendleton, at an address with posted hours, is the safer plan.

How do Pendleton street addresses help a driver?

Pendleton addresses carry a quadrant prefix. NW Despain Avenue is on the northwest side of the grid, SW Emigrant Avenue and SW 12th Street are on the southwest side along with the Round Up grounds at 1330 SW Court Ave, and SE 9th Street is on the southeast side. The prefix tells a driver which side of town a stop is on before choosing an exit.

Does this guide cover Hermiston or Walla Walla coffee?

No. This guide covers Pendleton only, a city of about 17,070 people by the 2023 Census five year count. Exit 188 west of town leads to US 395 north toward Stanfield, Echo and Hermiston, and exit 216 east of town leads to Oregon 331 toward Milton Freewater and Walla Walla. Those places have their own coffee and are not part of this list.

Work with Hillcane

On I 84, the exit number is the easy part. The hard part is knowing which Pendleton coffee is open on the day and hour you pull off.

If your Pendleton coffee stop wants I 84 drivers to find your address and hours before they reach the exit, reach Hillcane at hillcane.co/contact or call (256) 384-2449.