Voters elect four at-large councilors who serve four-year terms, and a mayor that serves two-years. The city operates under a council–mayor form of city government. Much of the former census-designated area lies outside the city limits. The city occupies 7 square miles (18 km 2), and at the time of incorporation in December 2006, had 1,585 residents. The La Pine measure passed, creating the City of La Pine. In the elections of 2006, another incorporation measure was placed on the ballot (one of two such measures in Oregon that year the other being for Bull Mountain, Oregon). A measure to incorporate in the 2000 elections was rejected by a 2–1 ratio. La Pine had remained an unincorporated community for many years. In 2000, a branch of the Deschutes Public Library was built in the community. 97 was completed in 1917, which used the right of way of the Oregon Trunk Line that had not been built south of Bend. The line was built to Bend, with the railroad later buying a line owned by the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company that continued to La Pine.

The route was designed to follow the Deschutes River, and the line later became part of BNSF Railway. Construction on the Oregon Trunk Railroad started in 1908 by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway at the Columbia River. A post office by that name was started in 1897, followed by a townsite in 1900. The original name for the community was Rosland. La Pine was founded in the 19th century with Huntington Road as the main street. The area was first settled by European-Americans in the 1800s by French fur trappers.

La pine oregon