Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Motto: Enhancing Community Livability
Location of Corvallis within Oregon.
Coordinates: 44°34′14.81″N 123°16′33.59″W /
44.5707806°N 123.2759972°W / 44.5707806;
-123.2759972
Country
United States
State
Oregon
County
Benton
Founded /
Incorporated
1845 / 1857
Government
- Mayor
Charlie Tomlinson
Area
- Total
13.8 sq mi (35.7 km2)
- Land
13.6 sq mi (35.2 km2)
- Water
0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation
235 ft (68.28 m)
Population (2000 census)
- Total
49,332
- Density
3,625.6/sq mi (1,400.2/
km2)
Time zone
PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)
PDT (UTC-7)
Area code(s)
541
FIPS code
41-15800[1]
GNIS feature ID
1140162[2]
Website
www.ci.corvallis.or.us
Corvallis (pronounced /kɔrˈvælɪs/) is a city
located in central western Oregon, United
States. It
is the county seat of Benton
County[3] and the principal city of the "Cor-
vallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area",
which encompasses all of Benton County. The
population was estimated at 49,807 in 2006
by the United States Census Bureau,[4],
though other research supports the estimate
of nearly 55,000 used by the city itself in
2008.[5][6]
History
Joseph C. Avery settled a land claim at the
mouth of Marys River where it flows into the
Willamette River in 1845.[7] 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.[7] 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 trap-
pers’ naming of a local peak after the Virgin
Mary.[8]
Downtown circa 1920
In 1853, the legislative assembly changed
the city’s name to Corvallis, from the Latin
phrase cor vallis, meaning "heart of the val-
ley." Corvallis was incorporated as a city on
January 29, 1857.[9] 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.[7]
Geography
Corvallis is located at an elevation of 235
feet.[10] Situated midway in the Willamett