Bend sits on the Deschutes River at the eastern foot of the Cascades, and two US highways carry most of its traffic. US 97 runs north and south through the city as the Bend Parkway, a freeway-style route toward Redmond and La Pine, and US 20 heads northwest toward Sisters and Santiam Pass and east across the high desert toward Burns. The Cascade Lakes Highway climbs west from town toward Mt. Bachelor and the lakes. The river cuts through the middle of town, with the west side rising toward the mountains and the east side spreading across open high desert.
Inside the city, 3rd Street carries the old highway route north and south, Greenwood Avenue carries US 20 east past Pilot Butte, and Reed Market Road and Empire Boulevard cross the south and north sides. Bend is known for its many roundabouts, which keep traffic moving but can confuse visitors. The Parkway backs up at rush hour, and a breakdown on its narrow shoulders is dangerous.
Redmond Municipal Airport, north on US 97, handles airline flights for all of Central Oregon, while Bend's own airport east of town serves general aviation. Cascades East Transit buses serve the city, and OSU-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College sit on the west side. The regional hospital on the east side draws daily traffic from across the region, and summer brings a wave of visitors with trailers and RVs that slows the Parkway and the roads to the lakes.
For a mobile mechanic, Bend is a city of driveways and garages, with plenty of trucks, vans and all-wheel-drive wagons. The west side's newer neighborhoods have attached garages and wide streets, while older blocks near downtown have narrow lots and alleys. Rural properties around Tumalo and Deschutes River Woods just need clear directions.