The incorporated City of The Dalles is the largest community in the Columbia Gorge, with a current population of 11,700 residents. It's the county seat of Wasco County . Today, there are several local historical museums in The Dalles. The city is also home to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center , official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The Discovery Center is part of a larger facility, which also comprises the Wasco County Historical Museum.
Major industries are aluminum smelting, cherry growing and processing, wheat farming and timber.
Newspaper of record is The Dalles Chronicle . Both the Long Narrows and Big Eddy have since been inundated behind The Dalles Dam. The Dalles derives its name from a French word referring to the natural rock features in the river.