[5] The name was chosen by the first postmaster, Thomas B. Hoover, who had found some fossil remains on his ranch.

A county-wide election held in 1900 to determine the permanent county seat yielded 436 votes for Fossil, 267 for Twickenham, and 82 for Spray.

In the 1920s, William Jennings Bryan was one of the guest speakers at a Chautauqua meeting in Fossil.

[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.79 square miles (2.05 km2), all of it land.

[12] Butte Creek, a tributary of the John Day River, flows through the city.

[13] The Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is 18 miles (29 km) west of the city along Route 218.

[21] For more than 30 years, the American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) of Oregon has held motorcycle rallies in the area in late May.

[23][24] The field is located behind Wheeler High School,[25] where fossils of animals and plants such as the Metasequoia can be found.

[27] The Oregon Paleolands Institute (OPLI) headquarters and exhibition hall are in Fossil, near the courthouse.

OPLI is an educational, community-based non-profit that offers tours, hikes, and workshops related to the region's geology and paleontology.