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Corvallis ( ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Benton County in central western
Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 59,922. Corvallis is the location of
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degree ...
and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Corvallis is the westernmost city in the contiguous 48 states with a population larger than 50,000.


History


Establishment

In October 1845, Joseph C. Avery arrived in Oregon from the east.David D. Fagan
''History of Benton County, Oregon: Including... a Full Political History, ...Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Citizens...''
Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, Printer, 1885; pg. 422. Note that a clear typographical error in the original source has Avery's date of arrival as "October 1846", but beginning of his residence in "June 1846."
Avery took out a land claim at the mouth of Marys River, where it flows into the
Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...
, and in June 1846 took up residence there in a log cabin hastily constructed to hold what seemed a potentially lucrative claim. Avery's primitive 1846 dwelling was the first home within the boundaries of today's Corvallis and his land claim included the southern section of the contemporary city.Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' pg. 423. Avery was quickly joined by other settlers along the banks of the Willamette River, including a claim directly to his north taken in September 1846 by William F. Dixon. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 temporarily stalled development of a township, with Avery leaving his Oregon claim to try his hand at mining in the fall of that year. His stay proved to be brief, and in January 1849, Avery returned to Oregon with a small stock of provisions with a view to opening a store. During 1849, Avery opened his store at the site,
platted In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...
the land, and surveyed a town site on his land claim, naming the community Marysville.Howard M. Corning, ''Dictionary of Oregon History.'' Portland: Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. The city was possibly named after early settler Mary Lloyd, but now the name is thought to be derived from French fur trappers' naming of
Marys Peak Marys Peak (formerly Mary's Peak and sometimes still spelled this way) is a mountain in Benton County, Oregon, United States, just southwest of Philomath. According to the Benton County Historical Society, the native Kalapuya called the peak tc ...
after the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
. In the summer of 1851, Joseph Avery and William Dixon each granted back-to-back land parcels from their land holdings for the establishment of a county seat.Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' pg. 424. Avery's holding lay to the south and Dixon's to the north, with the Benton County Courthouse marking the approximate line of demarcation between these two land parcels.


Name change

In December 1853 the 5th Oregon Territorial Legislature met in
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, where a petition was presented seeking to change the name of that city to either "Thurston" or "Valena".Charles H. Carey, ''A General History of Oregon Prior to 1861: In Two Volumes: Volume II: To the Civil War.'' Portland, OR: Metropolitan Press, 1936; pg. 662. At the same time, another petition was presented seeking to change the name of Salem to "Corvallis", from the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
meaning "heart of the valley", while a third resolution was presented to the upper house seeking to change the name of Marysville to Corvallis. A heated debate followed, with the name ultimately awarded to Corvallis in an act passed on December 20 of that same year. By way of rationale, the name "Marysville" was successfully argued to duplicate the moniker of a town in California, located on the same stagecoach route and that a name change was thus necessary to avoid confusion.


Incorporation

A faction within the deeply divided legislature sought to make Corvallis the capital of the Oregon Territory, and in December 1855 the 6th Territorial Legislature initially convened there before returning to Salem later that month—the town which would eventually be selected as the permanent seat of state government. Corvallis was incorporated as a city on January 29, 1857.


19th-century growth

Corvallis had a three-year boom beginning in 1889, which began with the establishment of a privately owned electrical plant by L.L. Hurd.Bruce Martin, "Bushrod Washington Wilson," ''Oregon Historical Quarterly,'' vol. 39, no. 3 (Sept. 1938), pp. 283-284. A flurry of publicity and public and private investment followed, including construction of a grand county courthouse, planning and first construction of a new street railway, construction of a new flour mill along the river between Monroe and Jackson Avenues, and construction of the Hotel Corvallis, today known as the Julian Hotel. In addition, a carriage factory was launched in the city and the town's streets were improved, while the size of the city was twice enlarged through annexation. Bonds were issued for a city-owned water works, a sewer system, and for public ownership of the electric plant. A publicity campaign was launched to attempt to expand the tax base through new construction for new arrivals. This effort proved mostly unsuccessful, however, and in 1892, normality returned, with the city saddled with about $150,000 in bonded debt.


Geography

Corvallis is at river mile 131–32 of the Willamette River. Corvallis is bordered on the northwest by the foothills of the
Oregon Coast Range The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. This north-south ru ...
, with Bald Hill providing a view of the town. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and is covered by water.


Climate

Corvallis falls within the dry-summer temperate climate zone, also referred to as warm-summer Mediterranean ( Köppen '' Csb''). Temperatures are mild year round, with warm, dry, sunny summers and mild, wet winters with persistently overcast skies. Spring and fall are also moist seasons with varied cloudiness, and light rain falling for extended periods. Winter snow is rare, but occasionally does fall, and amounts can range between a dusting and a few inches that do not persist on the ground for more than a day. The northwest hills will often experience more snow. During the midwinter months after extended periods of rain, thick, persistent fogs can form, sometimes lasting the entire day. This can severely reduce visibility to as low as . The fog often persists until a new storm system enters the area. This fog could be seen as a type of tule fog. Rainfall totals within the town itself are surprisingly variable, due to Corvallis lying right on the eastern edge of the
Oregon Coast Range The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. This north-south ru ...
, with a small portion of the town inside of the range. Rainfall amounts can range from an average of per year in the far northwest hills, compared to per year at
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degree ...
, which is located in the center of Corvallis. Because of its close proximity to the coastal range, Corvallis can experience slightly cooler temperatures, particularly in the hills, than the rest of the Willamette Valley. The average annual low temperature is , less than that of Portland just to the north. Despite this, temperatures dropping far below freezing are still a rare event.


Demographics

Corvallis is the largest principal city of the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon CSA, a
Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
that includes the Corvallis metropolitan area (Benton County) and the Albany-Lebanon micropolitan area (Linn County), which had a combined population of 202,251 at the 2010 U.S. Census. As of the 2000 U.S. Census the median income for a household in the city was $35,437, and the median income for a family was $53,208. Males had a median income of $40,770 versus $29,390 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $19,317. About 9.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.


2010 census

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 54,462 people, 22,283 households, and 10,240 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 4004.5 people per square mile (1,547.2/km2). There were 23,423 housing units at an average density of 1,722.3 per square mile (665.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.8%
White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 7.3% Asian, 1.1%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.69% Native American, 0.33% Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...
, 2.8% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 7.4% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race. There were 22,283 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.0% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.9% under the age of 18, 32.4% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.4 years. For every 100 males there were 98.7 females.


Religion

In 1903,
Franz Edmund Creffield Franz Edmund Creffield, commonly known as Edmund Creffield and by the pseudonym Joshua (c. 1870–1906), was a German-American religious leader who founded a movement in Corvallis, Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon, that became known locally as the "Holy ...
, commonly known as Edmund Creffield (''circa'' 1870–1906), a German-American religious leader who called himself Joshua, founded a movement in Corvallis which became known locally as the "Holy Rollers". Corvallis lies in the middle of the Unchurched Belt. A 2003 study, released once every 10 years, listed Benton County (of which Corvallis makes up the majority of the population) as the least religious county per capita in the United States. Only one in four people indicated that they were affiliated with one of the 149 religious groups the study identified. The study indicated that some of the disparity, however, may be attributed to the popularity of less common religions (ones not included as an option in the study) in the Pacific Northwest.


Economy

The campus of Oregon State University, which is the major local employer, is located near the edge of the main downtown area. Other major employers include Samaritan Health Services,
SIGA Technologies SIGA Technologies, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical company founded in 1995, currently based in New York City, which develops and sells pharmaceutical solutions for the antiviral treatment of smallpox, monkeypox, cowpox, and vaccinia compli ...
, Evanite Fiber, ONAMI, and
HP Inc. HP Inc. is an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that develops personal computers (PCs), printers and related supplies, as well as 3D printing solutions. It was formed on Nov ...
, which has a large
printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...
research and development operation in the northeast area of town. Because of this relative concentration of employment and the need for diversity, the city launched a website to attract creative industry to the region by branding it with the slogan "Yes Corvallis". The National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis is a gene bank of the
United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Agricultural Research Service. The gene bank preserves temperate fruit, nut, and agronomic crops from around the world. Corvallis was ranked number 48 on the 100 best places in the US to live and launch a business by ''Fortune'' Small Business 2008. This places Corvallis as the second-best place in Oregon to launch a business, after Portland (number 6). Bend (number 87) and
Eugene Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...
(number 96) were other Oregon localities ranked in the top 100.


Arts and culture


Annual cultural events

* Da Vinci Days festival and kinetic sculpture race * Corvallis Fall Festival Annual Arts Party in Central Park was founded in 1972, with the 39th occurrence in 2011.


Museums and other points of interest

* Benton County Courthouse * Hesthavn Nature Center of the Audubon Society of Corvallis * McDonald State Forest *
Peavy Arboretum Peavy Arboretum (40 acres) is an arboretum operated by Oregon State University and located on Arboretum Road, Corvallis, Oregon. It is open to the public daily without charge. The arboretum was dedicated by the university in 1926, operated as a ...
*
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library is a public library located in the American city of Corvallis, Oregon. The library's motto is "Enrich, excite, explore!" It is part of a city-county system with branches in Alsea, Monroe, and Philomath a ...
* Corvallis Farmers' Market * Vineyard Mountain


Art galleries

* The Arts Center * Giustina and Murdock Galleries * Fairbanks Gallery


Music

Corvallis is home to the Corvallis-OSU Symphony, which celebrated its centennial in 2005. According to the OSU College of Liberal Arts website (as of 2022) the symphony is the oldest continuously operating orchestra in the state of Oregon. Other musical organizations include: *Corvallis Youth Symphony Association *Chintimini Chamber Music Festival *Chamber Music Corvallis *Corvallis-OSU Piano International *Corvallis Guitar Society *Corvallis Community Band *Willamette Valley Symphony *Heart of the Valley Children's Choir *Hilltop Big Band


Sports

As the home of Oregon State University, Corvallis is the home for 17
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...
OSU teams (7 men's, 10 women's) in the
Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
. Corvallis is also the home of the Corvallis Knights baseball team, who play in the summer at OSU's Goss Stadium. The Knights play in the West Coast League, an independent collegiate summer baseball league with teams from Washington, Oregon,
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
and
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.


Parks and recreation

Corvallis is recognized as a
Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
. The city has at least 47 public parks within and adjacent to the city limits. One such park is Avery Park and Natural Area, which is one of Corvallis' most popular parks. The Avery Park Cross Country Course is located in the park. It is the home course for the Oregon State Beavers cross-country teams.
Beazell Memorial Forest Beazell Memorial Forest is a preserve of temperate rainforest west of Corvallis, Oregon, United States in the Central Oregon Coast Range. The forest was donated to Benton County by Fred Beazell in 2000. Geography A mixed forest, Beazell cove ...
, the largest park maintained by Benton County, is located 10 miles from the town.


Parks in Corvallis


Willamette ParkAvery Park
* Wildcat Park
Timberhill Natural Area
* Central Park * Cloverland City Park * Porter Park
Chintimini Park
* Bald Hill


Government

Helen Berg Helen M. Berg (née Helen Sewirr MacDuffee, July 15, 1932 – August 13, 2010) was an American statistician and politician. Berg served as the first female mayor of Corvallis, Oregon, from 1994 until 2006, and was the longest-serving mayor of C ...
served as mayor of Corvallis for three terms from 1994 until 2006. Berg was the first female mayor of Corvallis, and the longest-serving mayor of the city to date. The current mayor is Biff Traber, elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. The City of Corvallis uses the City Council/City Manager form of government with a weak mayor. The City Council is made of nine city councilors who represent their representative wards and are elected to two-year terms. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves at the pleasure of the City Council. The City Manager primary job is to run the administrative day-to-day operations of the City.


Education

Education has had a place in Corvallis since the earliest days of the town, with the first school building constructed in 1848 and put to use in 1850. During the first decade of the 21st century, local boosters claimed that Corvallis had the highest education rate per capita of any city in the state of Oregon."About Corvallis,"
Corvallis Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Bureau, www.visitcorvallis.com/ URL accessed May 11, 2006.
Public schools in the city are administered by the
Corvallis School District The Corvallis School District (509J) is a school district serving an area of about 190 square miles including the city of Corvallis, Oregon and Adair Village along with large portions of unincorporated Benton County. As of 2016, the district had ab ...
, with two acting high schools, Corvallis High School and Crescent Valley. Corvallis is also the home of
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degree ...
and the Benton Center campus of Linn-Benton Community College.


Media

* ''
Corvallis Gazette-Times The ''Corvallis Gazette-Times'' is a daily newspaper for Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon, United States. The newspaper, along with its sister publication, the ''Albany Democrat-Herald'' of neighboring Albany, Oregon, is owned by Lee Enterprise ...
'', daily newspaper * ''The Corvallis Advocate'', free alternative newsweekly * '' The Daily Barometer'', the Oregon State University campus newspaper Corvallis is part of the Eugene, Oregon, radio and television market. Portland area TV stations like KATU, KOIN and KGW are also available on select cable providers.


Infrastructure


Transportation

In 2009, the Corvallis metropolitan statistical area (MSA) ranked as the highest in the United States for percentage of commuters who biked to work (9.3%), and the second-highest percentage of commuters who walked to work (11.2%). More than one of five Corvallis commuters traveled to work via some form of active transportation. In 2013, the Corvallis MSA represented the fifth-lowest mode share for commuting by private automobile (72.6%). During the same period, 8.8% of Corvallis-area commuters biked, another 7.9% walked, and 7.7% worked from home.


Bus

Long-distance bus service is provided in Corvallis by Greyhound. It stops at the Greyhound station in downtown Corvallis (station ID: CVI). Local bus service is provided by Corvallis Transit System (CTS). The Corvallis City Council approved an additional fee on monthly water utility bills in January 2011, allowing all CTS bus service to become fareless. The system runs a total of eight daytime routes Monday through Saturday, covering most of the city and converging at the Downtown Transit Center. Additional commuter routes run in the early morning and late afternoon on weekdays, and midmorning and midafternoon on Saturdays. When Oregon State University is in session, CTS also runs the "Night Owl", a set of late-night routes running Thursday through Saturday. Two other short-distance intercity buses, the Linn-Benton Loop (to Albany) and the Philomath Connection, also stop at the Downtown Transit Center. From 2010 to 2011, CTS has saw a 37.87% increase in ridership, partially as a result of going fareless and "the rising cost of fuel for individual vehicles and the desire for residents to choose more sustainable options for commuting to work, school and other activities" According to
Tim Bates Timothy Bates is an Australian field hockey player. Tim is from Queensland. Field hockey He plays for the Queensland Blades in the Australian Hockey League. He played for the team in the first found of the 2011 season. National team In July ...
, the Corvallis Transit System and Philomath Connection had 3,621,387 passenger miles traveled and 85,647 gallons of fuel consumed in fiscal year 2011, a period that covers July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011. This means that riders in 2011 got 42.28 passenger miles per gallon. In 2019, the local bus system expanded to several more lines throughout the city, and the addition of a minimal Sunday service.


Bicycle

The
League of American Bicyclists The League of American Bicyclists (LAB), officially the League of American Wheelmen, is a membership organization that promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation through advocacy and education. A Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organiz ...
gave Corvallis a gold rating as a Bicycle-Friendly Community in 2011. Also, according to the United States Census Bureau's 2008–12 American Community Survey, 11.2% of workers in Corvallis bicycle to work. The city of Corvallis is ranked third-highest among 'small' U.S. cities (with populations under 200,000) for bicycle commuters, behind Key West, Florida (17.4) and Davis, California (18.6).


Air

Corvallis Municipal Airport Corvallis Municipal Airport is five miles southwest of Corvallis, in Benton County, Oregon. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a '' general aviation'' facility. The airport offers full service a ...
serves private and corporate aircraft. The closest commercial air service is available at Eugene Airport, , or
Portland International Airport Portland International Airport is a joint civil–military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of the state's passenger air travel and more than 95% of its air cargo. It is within Portland's city li ...
, .


Bridges

*
Van Buren Street Bridge The Van Buren Street Bridge is a swing span, steel motor vehicle bridge spanning the Willamette River at Corvallis in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1913, the black colored bridge was the first bridge across the river at Corvallis and is now ...
*Willamette River Bridge (Highway 34) *
Irish Bend Covered Bridge Irish Bend Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge near Corvallis, Oregon, United States. It was constructed in 1954 and originally spanned the Willamette Slough on Irish Bend Road near Monroe. However, in 1975 Irish Bend Road was realigned and ...


Utilities


Water

The city's water system has two water treatment plants, nine processed water reservoirs, one raw water reservoir, and some of pipe. The system can process up to about of water per day. The Rock Creek treatment plant processes water from sources in the Rock Creek Municipal Watershed near Marys Peak. The three sources are surface streams, which are all tributaries of the Marys River. Rock Creek has a processing capacity of of water per day (gpd), though operational characteristics of the , pipeline to the city limits capacity to half that. The Rock Creek Plant output remains steady year round at about . The H.D. Taylor treatment plant obtains water from the Willamette River, and has been expanded at least four times since it was first constructed in 1949. Its output varies seasonally according to demand, producing from per day, though it has a capacity of per day. The total reservoir capacity is , though measures to voluntarily reduce water usage begin when reservoir levels fall below 90% of capacity, and become mandatory at 80% or below. As part of its ongoing water-conservation program, the water department jointly publishes a guide to water-efficient garden plants.


Green power

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency report on its "green power communities", Corvallis is among the top cities in the nation in terms of buying electricity produced from renewable resources. Corvallis purchases more than 126 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which amounts to 21% of the city's total purchased electricity.


Fire department

The Corvallis Fire Department is headed by Fire Chief Ben Janes as of February 14, 2022 and currently has four stations in the City and 1 station located in the Corvallis Rural Fire Protection District staffed by 1 paid Lieutenant and several Resident Interns. A sixth fire station was shuttered several years ago due to budgeting shortfalls and remains closed to date. Corvallis Fire provides ALS ambulance service for all of Benton County with 5 frontline ambulances. In 2021 CFD ran almost 10,000 calls for service. The Corvallis Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 2240 represents all line personnel and prevention staff.


Notable people

:''This list excludes persons whose only connection to Corvallis is attendance or employment at Oregon State University.'' * Lucia H. Faxon Additon (1847-1919), writer, teacher, social reformer * Edward Allworth (1895–1966), Medal of Honor recipient * Debra Arlyn (born 1986), singer-songwriter * Joseph C. Avery (1817–1876), Marysville town founder and politician *
Brad Badger Bradley Thomas Badger (born January 11, 1975) is a former American football guard and tackle. He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford University. H ...
(born 1975), NFL player * Brad Bird (born 1957), animator, writer, and director (''
The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sa ...
'', '' The Iron Giant'', ''
Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...
'') *
Kevin Boss Kevin Michael Boss (born January 11, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Western Oregon University. With the Giants, he won Super Bowl XLII over the ...
(born 1984), NFL
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
,
Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2007 New York Giants season, New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2007 New England Patriots season, New England ...
champion with the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
* Chris Botti (born 1962), jazz trumpet musician * Meredith Brooks (born 1958), singer, songwriter, producer * James Cassidy, member of band
Information Society An information society is a society where the usage, creation, distribution, manipulation and integration of information is a significant activity. Its main drivers are information and communication technologies, which have resulted in rapid info ...
*
Robert Cheeke Robert Cheeke is an American bodybuilder, motivational speaker, and author. He is a vegan activist and spends his time touring the United States for speaking engagements and book promotions. He also runs a fitness site, Vegan Bodybuilding and Fit ...
, bodybuilder and vegan activist * Randy Couture, mixed martial artist and UFC Hall of Fame member *
Edmund Creffield Franz Edmund Creffield, commonly known as Edmund Creffield and by the pseudonym Joshua (c. 1870–1906), was a German-American religious leader who founded a movement in Corvallis, Oregon, that became known locally as the "Holy Rollers". The move ...
, founder of "Bride of Christ Church", also known as "Holy Rollers" * Christopher L. Eisgruber, Rhodes Scholar and 20th president of
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...
* Atta Elayyan (1985–2019), New Zealand futsal player, murdered in the
Christchurch mosque shootings On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosq ...
* Dick Fosbury (1947–), 1968 Olympics gold medalist and innovator of modern back-first method of high jumping * Bob Gilder (1950–), professional golfer, member of
Champions Tour PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many year ...
* Gordon Gilkey (1912–2000), artist and educator * Kevin Gregg (1978–), MLB player *
Les Gutches Leslie Lyle Gutches (born February 21, 1973, Medford, Oregon) is an American former amateur wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include becoming world champion in freestyle wrestling at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, the Dan Hodg ...
(1973–), Olympic wrestler, world champion * Elizabeth Hoffman, actress * Talanoa Hufanga, NFL player * Nick Hundley (1983–), MLB player *
Eyvind Kang Eyvindur Y. Kang (born 23 June 1971) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. His primary instrument is viola, but has also performed on violin, tuba, keyboards and others. In addition to his solo work, Kang has worked extensively with ...
, violinist and composer * Paul Kocher, cryptographer *
Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer (born April 12, 1954) is an American writer and mountaineer. He is the author of bestselling non-fiction books—'' Into the Wild''; '' Into Thin Air''; '' Under the Banner of Heaven''; and '' Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pa ...
, author ('' Into Thin Air'', '' Under the Banner of Heaven'', etc.) and mountaineer *
Wayne Krantz Wayne Krantz is an American guitarist and composer. He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Donald Fagen, Billy Cobham, Chris Potter, David Binney, and Carla Bley. Since the early 1990s, Krantz has focused primarily on ...
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Jane Lubchenco Jane Lubchenco (born December 4, 1947) is an American environmental scientist and marine ecologist who teaches and conducts research at Oregon State University. Her research interests include interactions between the environment and human well-be ...
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* Bernard Malamud, author, writer of '' The Natural''; his book ''A New Life'' was based on Corvallis *
Ben Masters Benjamin Masters (May 6, 1947 – January 11, 2023) was an American actor who is best known for his portrayal of Julian Crane in daytime drama ''Passions'' from July 8, 1999, to the show's final episode on August 7, 2008. Early life Masters was ...
(1947–), actor, notable for soap opera '' Passions'', stage and film works * Ralph Miller (1919–2001), basketball coach, enshrined in
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
*
Barbara Minty Barbara Minty (born June 11, 1953), also known as Barbara Minty McQueen, is a former fashion model who was the third wife and widow of American film star Steve McQueen. Biography Minty was born in Seattle, Washington, and spent several years growi ...
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, broadcast, radio, and print journalist, ''The New York Times'' bestselling nonfiction author * Sara Nelson (1973–), an American union leader who serves as the international president of the
Association of Flight Attendants The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (commonly known as AFA) is a union representing flight attendants in the United States. As of January 2018, AFA represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines. Since 2004, AFA has been part of the Comm ...
- CWA,
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
* Mario Pastega (1916–2012), businessman and philanthropist *
Linus Pauling Linus Carl Pauling (; February 28, 1901August 19, 1994) was an American chemist, biochemist, chemical engineer, peace activist, author, and educator. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific top ...
(1901–1994), 1954
Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...
and 1962
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(graduate of Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State) * Jason Reed, actor, musician * Harold Reynolds (1960–), MLB player and broadcaster * Doug Riesenberg (1965–), former NFL offensive tackle * Mike Riley (1953–), football head coach of Nebraska Cornhuskers, former coach of NFL's San Diego Chargers * Nathan Sexton, professional disc golfer and winner of the 2017 United States Disc Golf Championship *
Jordan Smotherman Jordan LaVallée Smotherman (born May 11, 1986) is a former professional American ice hockey winger and current head coach and General Manager of the Worcester Railers in the ECHL. Playing career Smotherman was born in Corvallis, Oregon and mov ...
, pro hockey player * Robb Thomas, former NFL player * Ernest H. Wiegand, professor of
horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
and developer of modern method of manufacture of the maraschino cherry * Carl Wieman, 2001
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
recipient for creation of Bose–Einstein condensate *
Bushrod Washington Wilson Bushrod Washington "Bush" Wilson (1824–1900) was a pioneer, business leader, and local politician in the American state of Oregon. He is best remembered as one of the pioneer first citizens of the town of Corvallis, Oregon, and as the founder of t ...
(1828–1900), pioneer, railroad executive, and county functionary * Mike Zandofsky, former NFL player


Sister cities

Corvallis has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International: * Gondar, Ethiopia * Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine


See also

* Whiteside Theatre


References


Further reading

* Benton County Citizens' League, ''Benton County, Oregon, illustrated: Published under Direction of the Benton County Citizens' League.'' n.c.: n.p., 1904. * Benton County Historical Society and Museum, ''A Pictorial History of Benton County.'' Corvallis, OR: Corvallis Gazette-Times, 2000. * Tim Chandler, ''Street Politics and Bobby Packwood: A Participant's Memoir of the Corvallis, Oregon, Anti-Packwood Demonstration of January 27, 1993.'' Corvallis, OR: 1000 Flowers Publishing, 2003. * Downtown Corvallis Association
"Downtown Corvallis Association Membership Application (1979),"
Corvallis, OR: Downtown Corvallis Association, 1979. —Includes short history of origins and purposes. * David D. Fagan
''History of Benton County, Oregon: Including... a Full Political History, ...Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Citizens...''
Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, Printer, 1885. * Oregon State College, ''Outline History of Oregon State College.'' Corvallis, OR: Oregon State College, 1950. * David A Pinyerd, Bernadette Niederer, and Tony Vandermeer, ''A History of Corvallis High School.'' Corvallis, OR: Corvallis School District 509J, 2005. * Minerva Kiger Reynolds
''Corvallis in 1900.''
Corvallis, OR: Minerva Kiger Reynolds, n.d. 976 * M. Boyd Wilcox, ''Two to Four O'clock at The Beanery : A Journal of Observations, Analyses, Interviews, and Commentary Regarding a First-Rate "Third Place" in Downtown Corvallis, Oregon.'' Corvallis, OR: n.p., 2012.


External links


City of Corvallis official website

Entry for Corvallis
in the ''
Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and o ...
''
Corvallis Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control Cities in Benton County, Oregon Cities in Oregon County seats in Oregon Willamette Valley Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States Populated places established in 1845 1845 establishments in Oregon Country Populated places on the Willamette River