Rufus is a city in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. The population was 268 at the 2020 census. The city was named for an early settler, Rufus Carrol Wallis. The city is bordered on the northern side by the Columbia River and the John Day Dam. Rufus is located in the high desert and has wildlife such as porcupines, coyotes, ground squirrels, deer, hummingbirds, ospreys, and kestrels. The city has a gas station, post office, tackle shop, market, two restaurants and two hotels.