Dexter is an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located near Dexter Lake, a reservoir of the Middle Fork Willamette River along Oregon Route 58.A post office was established in the locality in 1872 and named "Butte Disappointment", after a local landmark named in 1848. The post office was renamed "Dexter" in 1875, apparently after the "Dexter" brand cook stove owned by the postmaster's family.Access to Dexter Lake, a popular fishing and boating site, is available at Dexter State Recreation Site. The nearby Dexter Lake Club was used in the filming of the road trip scene in the movie Animal House.The Lost Valley Educational Center is an intentional community near Dexter.The Parvin Bridge, a covered bridge near Dexter, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It carries Parvin Road over Lost Creek, which flows by Dexter.