Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis (pronounced /kɔrˈvælɨs/) is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. The population was estimated at 51,110 in 2008 by the United States Census Bureau, though other research supports the estimate of nearly 55,000 used by the city itself in 2008. It is the location of Oregon State University.
History
Joseph C. Avery settled a land claim at the mouth of Marys River where it flows into the Willamette River in 1845. In 1849, Avery opened a store at the site, platted the land, and surveyed a town site on his land claim, naming the community Marysville. It is possible that the city was named after early settler Mary Lloyd, but now the name is thought to be derived from French fur trappers' naming of Marys Peak after the Virgin Mary.In 1853, the legislative assembly changed the city's name to Corvallis, from the Latin phrase cor vallis, meaning 'heart of the valley.' Corvallis was incorporated as a city on January 29, 1857. The town served briefly as the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1855 before Salem was eventually selected as the permanent seat of state government.
Geography
Corvallis is located at an elevation of 235 feet. Situated midway in the Willamette Valley, Corvallis is about 46 miles (74 km) east of Newport and the Oregon Coast, 85 miles (137 km) south of Portland, 30 miles (48 km) south of the state capital, Salem, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Albany, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Interstate 5 at its closest point, and 48 miles (77 km) north of Eugene/Springfield. Oregon Route 99W, a secondary north-south route, also runs through Corvallis. U.S. Route 20 (which leads to Newport) and Oregon Route 34 (which leads to Waldport about 56 miles to the west) both secondary East-West routes run through Corvallis from the Oregon Coast.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.8 square miles (35.7 km²), of which, 13.6 square miles (35.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.23% water.
Demographics
Corvallis is the largest principal city of the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Corvallis metropolitan area (Benton County) and the Albany-Lebanon micropolitan area (Linn County), which had a combined population of 181,222 at the 2000 census.As of the census of 2000, there were 49,322 people, 19,630 households, and 9,972 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,625.6 people per square mile (1,400.2/km²). There were 20,909 housing units at an average density of 1,537.0/sq mi (593.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.03% White, 1.16% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 6.42% Asian, 0.29% Pacific Islander, 2.52% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. 5.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 19,630 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.In the city the population was spread out with 17.7% under the age of 18, 28.4% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.The median income for a household in the city was $35,236, 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 for the city was $19,317. About 9.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
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 1 in 4 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 traditional 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, AVI BioPharma, CH2M HILL, Siga Technologies, Evanite Fiber, ONAMI as well as Hewlett-Packard, whose printer cartridge manufacturing and prototyping facility is located 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 'Business is Good Here'.The National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis is a gene bank of the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. The gene bank preserves temperate fruit, nut, and agronomic crops from around the world.Corvallis, Oregon was ranked #48 on the 100 best places in the USA 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. Portland, Oregon (#6); Bend, Oregon (#87) and Eugene, Oregon (#96) were also ranked in the top 100.
Politics
Helen Berg served as mayor of Corvallis for three terms from 1994 until 2006. She holds the distinction of being the first female mayor of Corvallis, as well as the longest-serving mayor of the city to date. Two members of the Corvallis city council are members of the Green Party.
Annual cultural events
da Vinci Daysand the annualkinetic sculpture race
Corvallis Fall Festival:An Arts Celebration. 37th Annual in 2009
Museums and other points of interest
Benton County Courthouse
Hesthavn Nature Center of the Audubon Society of Corvallis
McDonald Research Forest
Peavy Arboretum
Art galleries
Corvallis Arts Center
Fairbanks Gallery
Sports
Corvallis is the home of the Corvallis Knights baseball team. The Knights play in the West Coast League, an independent summer baseball league with teams from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The team plays at Goss Stadium, which is also home to the Oregon State Beavers baseball team.
Parks and recreation
Corvallis is recognized as a Tree City USA. The city has at least 47 public parks within and adjacent to the city limits. Some of them are:Alan Berg Parklocated east of the Willamette River, south of highway 34
Arnold Parklocated at NW Harrison Blvd and NW Merrie Dr.
Avery Parklocated at SW 15th and SW Avery Park Dr.
Bald Hill Parklocated off NW Oak Creek Dr. (behind the Benton County Fairgrounds)
Bruce Starker Arts Park & Amphitheaterlocated on SW 45th St. off SW Country Club Dr.
BMX Tracklocated at Highway 99W and Chapman Place
Central Park located at SW 6th and NW Monroe Ave.
Chepenefa Springs Parklocated at the end of NW Daylilly Ave.
Chintimini Parklocated at NW 27th St. and NW Tyler Ave.
Chip Ross Parklocated at the end of NW Lester Ave.
Cloverland Parklocated at NW 29th Street and NW Garfield Ave.
Corl House3975 NW Witham Hill Dr.
Eric Scott McKinley Skate Parklocated at SW 1st St. and SW B Ave. under Oregon Highway 20/34 Underpass
Crystal Lakes Sports Fields & Kendall Natural Arealocated at the end of Fisher Lane off SE Crystal Lake Dr.
Forest Dell Parklocated at NW Highland Dr. and NW Highland Dell Dr.
Franklin Square Parklocated at NW 15th St. and NW Taylor Ave.
Garfield Park located at NW 11th St. and NW Cleveland Ave.
Riverfront Commemorative Park
Education
Corvallis has a higher education rate per capita than any other city in the State of Oregon.Public schools in the city are administered by the Corvallis School District. Corvallis is also the home of Oregon State University, and the Benton Center campus for Linn-Benton Community College.
Media
Corvallis Gazette-Times, daily newspaper
The Daily Barometer, Oregon State University campus newspaper
The Alchemist, an alternative weekly focusing on art, music, and entertainment from reader contributions for content
Bus
Long-distance bus service is provided by both Amtrak and Greyhound. They both stop at the Greyhound station in downtown Corvallis (station ID: CVI.)Local bus service is provided by Corvallis Transit System (CTS). The system runs a total of eight daytime routes Monday through Saturday, covering most of the city and converging at a Downtown Transit Center. Additional commuter routes also run in the early morning and late afternoon on weekdays, and mid-morning and mid-afternoon on Saturdays. When Oregon State University is in session CTS also runs the 'Beaver Bus,' a set of late-night routes running Thursday through Saturday.Two other short-distance inter-city buses — the Linn-Benton Loop (to Albany), and the Philomath Connection, also stop at the Downtown Transit Center.
Bicycle
Designated a 'Bike-Friendly City,' Corvallis has many miles of bike paths, trails, and roadside bicycle lanes. Many miles of mountain bike trails, ranging from easy to very technical, abound in the outskirts of the city, with the highest concentration present in the Oregon State University research forest (MacDonald and Dunn forests).
Air
Corvallis Municipal Airport serves private and corporate aircraft. The closest commercial air service is available at Eugene Airport or Portland International Airport.
Bridges
Van Buren Street Bridge
Water
The city's water system contains two water treatment plants, nine processed water reservoirs, one raw water reservoir, and some 210 miles (340 km) of pipe. The system can process up to about 19 million gallons of water per day.The Rock Creek treatment plant processes water from sources in the 10,000-acre (40 km2) 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 7 million gallons of water per day (gpd), though operational characteristics of the 9-mile (14 km), 20-inch (51 cm) pipeline to the city limits capacity to half that. The Rock Creek Plant output remains steady year round at about 3 million gpd.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 2 to 16 million gallons per day, though it has a capacity of 21 million gpd.The total reservoir capacity is 21 million gallons, 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 buys more power from renewable resources than any other city in the nation. Corvallis purchases more than 100 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which amounts to 13 percent of the city’s total purchased electricity.
Notable residents
Amadan,Irish musicband
Brad Badger, NFL player
Brad Bird, animator, writer, and director (The Incredibles,The Iron Giant,Ratatouille)
Chris Botti, jazz trumpet musician
Kevin Boss, NFL player for the New York Giants
Meredith Brooks, singer, songwriter, and producer
James Cassidy, member of the bandInformation Society
Randy Couture,mixed martial artistandUFCHall of Fame member
Edmund Creffield, founder of the 'Bride of Christ Church' also known as the 'Holy Rollers'
Dick Fosbury,1968 Summer Olympicsgold medalist and innovator of the modern back-first method of high jumping
Bob Gilder, American professional golfer and currently a member of theChampions Tour
Gordon Gilkey, artist and educator
Kevin Gregg, MLB player
Les Gutches, Olympic Wrestler, World Champion
Nick Hundley, MLB Player
Eyvind Kang, violinist and composer
Jon Krakauer, author (Into Thin Air,Under the Banner of Heaven, etc) and mountaineer
Wayne Krantz, guitarist
Jane Lubchenco, marine biologist, named in 2009 to head theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Bernard Malamud, author, the setting for whose bookA New Lifewas based on Corvallis
Ralph Miller, basketball coach, enshrined in theBasketball Hall of Fame
Deane Ogden, film composer
Linus Pauling, 1954Nobel Prize in Chemistryand 1962Nobel Peace Prizerecipient (Graduated from Oregon Agricultural College, nowOregon State University)
The Wobblies* West coast three piece political punk band
Jason Reed, actor, musician
Harold Reynolds, former MLB player and former ESPN broadcaster
Mike Riley, formerNFLhead coach (San Diego Chargers), currently theOregon State Beavershead football coach
Craig Robinsoncurrently theOregon State Beavershead basketball coach and brother-in-law of U.S. PresidentBarack Obama
Jordan Smotherman, NHL prospect for theAtlanta Thrashers
Robb Thomas, former NFL player
Ernest H. Wiegand, professor ofhorticultureand developer of the modern method of manufacture of themaraschino cherry.
Carl Wieman, 2001Nobel Prize in Physicsrecipient for creation of theBose-Einstein Condensate
Dan Williams, formerMLBplayer & current assistantMLBcoach with theCleveland Indians
The W's, 1990sswing revivalband
Mike Zandofsky, former NFL player
Rankings and recognition
OSU named 'Safest Pac-10 Campus' (University of Southern Californiastudy, 1994.)
Corvallis named 'One of the 13 best towns to be a vegetarian' (Vegan Magazinestudy, 1995.)
An article inParademagazinerated Corvallis as 'One of the 10 best cities in which to live' (1996).
Corvallis School District named one of the top public school systems in the country (Offspring Magazine, 2000.)
Corvallis-Benton County Public Librarynamed one of top ten libraries in the country based on population size (Hennen's American Public Library Ratingsstudy, 2002.)
Corvallis ranked fourth in nation for the highest number of patents issued by city (USA Today, 2002.)
Corvallis ranked 7th out of about 500 U.S. cities for best places to do business (BizDemographics, 2002.)
TheBicycle Transportation Allianceranked Corvallis as Oregon's most bicycle-friendly city (2002).
TheOrange County Registerpicked Corvallis' Oregon State University as the 'Best Pac-10 Campus' (2002).
TheNational Arbor Day Foundationawarded Corvallis a Tree City USA Award in 2002.They also awarded Corvallis the Tree City USA Growth Award in 2003.
Bike USAlisted Corvallis as the 9th most bicycle-friendly city in the nation.
TheLeague of American Bicyclistsgave Corvallis a gold 'Bicycle-Friendly Community' designation in May 2003, one of only four such cities in the nation as of 2006.
Frommer's Travel Guides, Cities Ranked & Ratedranks Corvallis as the 10th best city of any size in the United States and Canada.
The February 2004 issue of theHarvard Business Reviewranks Corvallis as the 15th most creative city in the nation.
Bike at Worklisted Corvallis as the 9th best city in the nation 'As a car free community' (2005).
Men's Journalranked Corvallis as 'The 8th best place in the nation to live' in 2003.In April 2005, they moved Corvallis up one place to 7th.
Expansion Managementselected Corvallis as a 'Five-Star Knowledge Worker Metro', the highest rating achievable (2005).
A survey by theNational Science Foundationfound Corvallis ranks second in the nation for the number of scientists as a percentage of total employment (12.7 percent) as of 2006.
Corvallis was the first city on the West Coast and only the third city in the nation to receive the 'Green Power Community' designation by theEPA(2006).
In 2006, theMorgan Quitno Awardsranked Corvallis as the 20th safest city (of 344) in the13th Annual America's Safest (and Most Dangerous) Citiespublication for metropolitan areas of its size.
In a 2007 report, Farmer's Insurance Group ranked Corvallis as the 'most secure' small city in America, based on (as reported byInsurance Journalmagazine) crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental hazards, terrorism threats, air quality, life expectancy and job loss numbers.
On February 18, 2008, Corvallis was named the fifth smartest city in America by Forbes Online Magazine.
A September 2008 report revealed that Benton County, of which Corvallis makes up the majority of the population, is ranked 5th for longest life expectancy at birth of all counties in the United States, at 80.93 years.
In 2009, Corvallis High School won $20,000 in sustainability contest 'America's Most Eco-Friendly School'.
Notable works of fiction
InBilly Wilder's 1944 film noirDouble Indemnity, the character of Mr. Jackson, played byPorter Hall, is fromMedford, Oregon, but mentions Corvallis in this line to Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray): 'It's the name! There's a family of Neffs in Corvallis!' Walter Neff replies, 'No relation', to which Mr. Jackson says, 'Let me see, this man's an automobile dealer in Corvallis. A very reputable man too I'm told.'
Corvallis plays a major role inThe Postman, in which it is depicted as the center of rebuilding civilization in post-apocalyptic Oregon, due to the university, logistics, and favorable wind patterns, which render it capable of surviving nuclear war.
Corvallis plays a major role inS. M. Stirling's 'Emberverse' series. It's one of the few cities to come through the Change with many survivors, and with some sort of governing infrastructure remaining from the old world. The town's name is used in the title of the third book,A Meeting at Corvallis
Corvallis was the inspiration for 'Cascadia' in theBernard Malamudnovel,A New Life
InAdrian Tomine's graphic novel Shortcomings, Ben Tanaka, who struggles with his Asian-American identity, is from Corvallis, Oregon.
Sister cities
Corvallis has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:Gondar,Ethiopia
Uzhhorod,Ukraine
Antofagasta,Chile
