# Corvallis, Oregon

Corvallis (/kɔːrˈvælɪs/ kor-VAL-iss) is a city in and the county seat of Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2023 Census Population Estimates, the population was 61,087, making it the 9th most populous city in Oregon. This does include the 38,000 Oregon State University students attending classes in Corvallis, over 5,250 of which live in one of 16 residence halls on the main campus. Corvallis is the location of Oregon State University 420-acre main campus, Samaritan Health Services, a top 10 largest non-profit employer in the state, a 84-acre Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center campus, and a 2.2 million square foot, 197-acre Hewlett Packard research and development campus. Corvallis is a part of the Silicon Forest. Corvallis is the westernmost city in the contiguous 48 states with a population larger than 50,000.
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 229,209 at the 2023 U.S. Census Estimates.

## History
### Establishment

In October 1845, Pennsylvanian Joseph C. Avery arrived in Oregon. Avery took out a land claim at the mouth of Marys River, where it flows into the Willamette River, 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 city limits and his land claim included the southern section of the contemporary city.
Avery was quickly joined by other settlers along the banks of the Willamette River, including a 640-acre (260 ha) claim directly to his north taken in September 1846 by William F. Dixon. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 temporarily stalled the township development. Like many of his neighbors, Avery left his Oregon home to try his hand at gold mining in the fall of that year. His stay proved to be brief yet profitable. In January 1849, Avery returned to Oregon with a small stock of provisions with plans to open a store on his land.
During 1849, Avery opened his store at the site, platted the land, and surveyed a town site on his own claim, naming the community Marysville. The early town quickly became a profitable re-supply center/mercantile as one of the leading stop-overs for miners traveling the Willamette River to the California Gold Rush mines. The city was thought to have been originally named after early settler Mary Lloyd, but now the name is credited to early French fur trappers who camped near Marys Peak. The reference to "Mary" is, instead, believed to be named after the Virgin Mary.
In the summer of 1851, Joseph Avery and William Dixon each granted back-to-back 40-acre (16 ha) land parcels from their land holdings for the establishment of a county seat. 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, where a petition was presented seeking to change the name of that city to either "Thurston" or "Valena". At the same time, another petition was presented seeking to change the name of Salem to "Corvallis", from the Latin 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.

### Territorial Capitol

A faction within the deeply divided legislature elected to make Corvallis the capital of the Oregon Territory in December 1855. After the 6th Territorial Legislature convened there, the capital was returned to Salem, 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. 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, with Bald Hill providing a view of the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.30 square miles (37.04 km$^2$), of which 14.13 square miles (36.60 km$^2$) are land and 0.17 square miles (0.44 km$^2$) is covered by water.

### Climate

Like the rest of the Willamette Valley, Corvallis lies in the Marine West Coast climate zone, with Mediterranean characteristics. Under the Köppen climate classification scheme, Corvallis has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (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 20 feet (6.1 m). 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, with a small portion of the town inside of the range. Rainfall amounts can range from an average of 66.40 inches (1,687 mm) per year in the far northwest hills, compared to 43.66 inches (1,109 mm) per year at Oregon State University, 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 42 °F or 5.6 °C, 4.2 °F (2.3 °C) less than that of Portland just 85 miles (137 km) to the north. Despite this, temperatures dropping far below freezing are still a rare event.
Climate data for Corvallis, Oregon (Oregon State University), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 69 (21) | 82 (28) | 91 (33) | 96 (36) | 110 (43) | 109 (43) | 108 (42) | 103 (39) | 92 (33) | 73 (23) | 66 (19) | 110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.8 (14.9) | 61.0 (16.1) | 68.7 (20.4) | 76.2 (24.6) | 84.9 (29.4) | 89.8 (32.1) | 96.9 (36.1) | 97.3 (36.3) | 92.1 (33.4) | 78.5 (25.8) | 64.1 (17.8) | 57.9 (14.4) | 100.1 (37.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.4 (8.6) | 51.3 (10.7) | 56.1 (13.4) | 60.9 (16.1) | 68.1 (20.1) | 73.8 (23.2) | 82.9 (28.3) | 83.7 (28.7) | 77.6 (25.3) | 65.0 (18.3) | 53.2 (11.8) | 46.7 (8.2) | 63.9 (17.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.9 (4.9) | 43.0 (6.1) | 46.5 (8.1) | 50.2 (10.1) | 56.3 (13.5) | 61.2 (16.2) | 67.5 (19.7) | 67.6 (19.8) | 62.9 (17.2) | 53.5 (11.9) | 45.4 (7.4) | 40.3 (4.6) | 52.9 (11.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.3 (1.3) | 34.8 (1.6) | 37.0 (2.8) | 39.5 (4.2) | 44.5 (6.9) | 48.6 (9.2) | 52.1 (11.2) | 51.4 (10.8) | 48.2 (9.0) | 42.0 (5.6) | 37.6 (3.1) | 33.9 (1.1) | 42.0 (5.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 23.6 (−4.7) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 34.7 (1.5) | 39.6 (4.2) | 44.9 (7.2) | 43.8 (6.6) | 38.7 (3.7) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 22.3 (−5.4) | 17.7 (−7.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) | −5 (−21) | 12 (−11) | 22 (−6) | 28 (−2) | 30 (−1) | 36 (2) | 37 (3) | 27 (−3) | 20 (−7) | 10 (−12) | −8 (−22) | −8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.46 (164) | 4.80 (122) | 4.95 (126) | 3.29 (84) | 2.31 (59) | 1.34 (34) | 0.34 (8.6) | 0.39 (9.9) | 1.49 (38) | 3.50 (89) | 6.46 (164) | 7.71 (196) | 43.04 (1,094.5) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.5 (1.3) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (1.8) | 2.9 (7.45) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 21.1 | 17.7 | 19.8 | 17.7 | 12.9 | 8.2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 7.0 | 14.8 | 20.6 | 21.9 | 167.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service ||||||||||||||

## 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 229,209 at the 2023 U.S. Census Estimates.

### 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 59,922 people and 23,952 households in the city. The population density was 4,200.3 people per square mile (1,621.7 people/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 79.4% White, 10% Asian, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.3% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 6.0% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 23,952 households, with an average of 2.24 people per household. 33.8% were married couples living together, 30.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 26.6% had a male householder with no spouse present. 40.1% of housing units were owner-occupied.
In the city, 13.5% were under the age of 18, and 13.1% were over the age of 65. The median age was 26.4 for males, 29.0 for females, and 27.5 for both sexes.

### 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 was 4,004.5 people per square mile (1,546.1 people/km$^2$). There were 23,423 housing units at an average density of 1,722.3 per square mile (665.0/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 83.8% White, 7.3% Asian, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.3% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.8% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. 7.4% of the population were Hispanic 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 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, 14.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 32.4% was from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.4 years. For every 100 males there were 98.7 females.

### 2000 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 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

In 1903, Franz Edmund Creffield, 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, Evanite Fiber, ONAMI, and HP Inc., which has a large printing 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 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 (number 96) were other Oregon localities ranked in the top 100.

## Arts and culture
### Annual cultural events

* Downtown Corvallis Wine Walk
Previously known as 'Rhapsody in the Vineyard', the annual, sometimes biannual, 'Downtown Corvallis Wine Walk' is hosted by the Corvallis Area Chamber of Commerce and is held in downtown Corvallis since 2012. It pairs local wineries up with, and inside of, downtown local retailers. Attendees get to sample wine and shop local. Anywhere between 15 and nearly 40 wineries and retailers participate annually. It typically takes place in late Spring or early Fall, with the 21st Wine Walk occurring in May 2024.
* Da Vinci Days Festival and Kinetic Sculpture Race
The da Vinci Days Summer Festival is an annual festival held in Corvallis since 1988. The science, technology, and art based festival includes live music, a kinetic sculpture race during the summer event, and lecture series in the spring. The festival is named after Italian inventor, artist, and writer, Leonardo da Vinci. The festival celebrates its 31th anniversary in 2024.
* Red White and Blue Riverfront Festival
The Red White and Blue Riverfront Festival takes place annually on July 4 on the downtown Riverfront Park banks of the Willamette River with food, vendors and a main stage with live bands. The day begins with the "All-American, Everyone-Can-Join, Fabulous, Fantastic 4th of July Parade!" at 9:30 am through Downtown Corvallis and ends at the Commemorative Riverfront Park. The parade began in 1985. At 10pm there is a fireworks display put on by the "Corvallis Jaycees" along the riverfront.
* Philomath Frolic & Rodeo
The Philomath Folic & Rodeo celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2023 and typically takes place in mid-July and is a family-oriented festival and rodeo focused on the traditions the Philomath community was founded, namely American Western heritage and traditions and the history of the logging industry. The Frolic began in 1953, originally called the 'Philomath Western Frolic', then called the 'Philomath Buckaroo and Loggers' Frolic'. In 1983 land was donated and an arena was contracted at Skirvin Park, creating what has since been known as the Philomath Frolic & Rodeo. The rodeo attracts over 5,000 spectators each year and has been distinguished as the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association "Rodeo of the Year" eight times (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007).
* Corvallis Celtic Festival
The Corvallis Celtic Festival is a new summertime celebration held in late July, in and around Central Park in Corvallis. It celebrates Celtic culture through lively music performances, participatory sessions, spirited dancing, and engaging workshops that showcase Celtic traditions. The 2nd annual Corvallis Celtic Festival will be held July 25–28, 2024.
* Benton County Fair & Rodeo
The Benton County Fair & Rodeo was first held in 1859 with it typically held annually since 1913 and has been at its current location at the Benton County Fairgrounds in West Corvallis, since 1956. The Benton County Fair & Rodeo celebrated "100 years of Rides, Ribbons & Rodeos" in 2013. The Fair & Rodeo includes carnival games, rides, animals, food, live music and the rodeo. The Benton County Fair is usually scheduled for the first weekend in August.
* SeptemBeerFest
Septembeerfest (September Beer Festival) is held annually since 2007 in September, "amongst the trees" in Avery Park in Corvallis. Septembeerfest is a family and pet friendly fun-filled community celebration of the local homebrewers and dozens of local breweries from the craft beer industry as well as a successful fundraiser for the "'Heart of the Valley Homebrewers"', a non-profit organization. The 17th annual Corvallis Septembeerfest will be held September 7, 2024.
* Corvallis Fall Festival
The Corvallis Fall Festival is an Annual Arts Party in Central Park and was founded in 1972, with the 50th occurrence in 2022.
* BlockTober Fest
BlockTober Fest celebrated their 10th Anniversary in 2018 and is typically held annually since 2008 to coincide with Oktoberfest, in downtown Corvallis hosted by local craft brew Block 15 Brewing. The Oktoberfest celebration takes place under the traditional big tent occupying one whole city block by their downtown Block 15 brew pub. The celebrations typically feature live German music, German-inspired beer and food, face painting, a Stein Holding Competition, German Spelling Bee, and College Football on the big screen.
* St. Anne Greek Fest
The Saint Anne Greek Fest is held annually since 2003, celebrating their 20th Anniversary in 2023. It is typically held in mid-October in the Corvallis metro area unincorporated community of Lewisburg. The Saint Anne Greek Fest is held at the St. Anne Greek Orthodox Church grounds with live traditional Greek music, traditional Greek dances, face-painting, games and traditional Greek food. All the money raised by the festival goes to maintain the Lewisburg Grange Hall just north of the Corvallis city limits. The grange has been one of Benton County's most prominent historic landmarks. Built by executives of the O&C Railroad as a depot in 1911, trains stopped there for just 14 years until it became the grange hall for the unincorporated community of Lewisburg in 1925. The building faced significant peril by the early 1990s.
* 2 Town's Harvest Party
The 2 Town's Harvest Party has been in place annually since 2010 and typically takes place mid to late October, but before Halloween. It is hosted by 2 Town's Ciderhouse, a national leader in alcoholic hard ciders at their main facility. In 2024 they will celebrate their 14th Anniversary. There are typically over 55 Craft beverages on tap, a "pumpkin bar", hot cider bar, cidery tours, photo-booth, raffle, live music and food trucks to celebrate the harvest of locally grown apples for their award-winning ciders, with proceeds going towards a local non-profit or charity. In 2023 over 3,400 people attended the annual Harvest Party.
* Pastega Christmas Light Display
The Pastega Christmas Light Display typically takes place just after Thanksgiving and last until just after New Years Day. The Pastega Drive-thru Christmas Light Display began in 1981 at a Pepsi Bottling Plant in North Corvallis. It was hosted there for 31 years, until 2013 when the display was moved across town to the Benton County Fairgrounds. The Display features over 200 figures and mechanized scenes. The radiant display of festive lights and mechanized decorations transforms the area into a holiday wonderland enjoyed by thousands. Between 400 and 700 cars visit the display each day it's open. In 2022 over 30,000 people drove through the display. It has been a CorvallisHoliday tradition for over 40 years.

### Museums and other points of interest

* Benton County Courthouse
* Corvallis Museum (Benton County Historical Society)
* Hesthaven Nature Center of the Audubon Society of Corvallis
* McDonald State Forest
* Peavy Arboretum
* William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge
* Alsea Falls
* Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
* Osborn Aquatic Center
* Corvallis Farmers' Market
* Vineyard Mountain
* The Majestic Theatre
* Whiteside Theatre
* PRAx (Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Performing Arts)

### Art galleries

* The Arts Center
* Giustina and Murdock Galleries
* Fairbanks Gallery
* Art in the Valley
* Pegasus Art Gallery
* Corvallis Art Guild
The Corvallis Art Guild is almost 80 years old.
* Corvallis Mural Project
There are over 30 colorful murals around town, most are within walking distance of each other in downtown Corvallis.

### Music
#### Corvallis

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 (Host annual "Summer Concerts in the Park" series at Central Park)
* Willamette Valley Symphony
* Heart of the Valley Children's Choir
* Hilltop Big Band
Along with these the "Corvallis Environmental Center" offers the "SAGE Live Music Concert Series" every summer at Bruce Starker Arts Park in Southwest Corvallis. In the Corvallis metro area Philomath also host a "Music in the Park" summer concert series held at City Park.

#### Within the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon Combine Statistical Area

* Albany Youth Orchestra
* Albany "River Rhythm's" Concert Series
Named Oregon's best festival of its size in 2014, for over 30 years the River Rhythms concert series draws in acts with a wide variety of musical styles at Albany's Monteith Riverfront Park. From the Dixie Chicks to Herman's Hermits to Sugar Ray and Tower of Power
* Albany "Sounds of Summer"
Live music in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere, the Summer Sounds concert series is a Monday night concert series at Albany's Monteith Riverpark each summer since 1997.
* Lebanon Community Chorus
* Lebanon Summer "Concerts in the Park" Series At Academy Square in downtown Lebanon.
* Lebanon "Summer Bands & Brews" Series' At Strawberry Plaza in South Lebanon.
* Independence "Rivers Edge Summer Concert Series" At Independence's Riverview Riverfront Park.
* Monmouth "Music in the Park Series" At Monmouth's Main Street Park Amphitheater.
* WOU Chambers Singers
* Western Oregon Voices
* WOU Jazz Orchestra

#### Within the Willamette Valley

* Salem Pops Orchestra
* Willamette Master Chorus
* Oregon Symphany Orchestra
* Salem Youth Symphony
* Eugene Symphony
* Eugene Concert Choir
* Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestra
* U of O Chamber Choir
* Organ Symphony

## Sports

As the home of Oregon State University, Corvallis is the home for 17 NCAA Division I OSU teams (7 men's, 10 women's). 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 and Alberta.

## 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. 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, the largest park maintained by Benton County, is located 10 miles from the town.

### Parks in Corvallis

* Willamette Park
* Crystal Lake Sports Fields
* Avery Park
* Wildcat Park
* Crystal Lake Sports Park
* Peavy Arboretum
* Timberhill Natural Area
* Central Park
* Cloverland City Park
* Porter Park
* Village Green Sports Fields & Park
* Chintimini Park
* Bald Hill Natural Area
* Jackson-Frazier Wetlands
* Riverfront Commemorative Park
* Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park
* Bruce Starker Arts Park
* Witham Hill Natural Area
* Arnold Park
* Woodland Meadow Park

## Government

Helen Berg 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 Charles Maughan, elected in 2022.
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.
Corvallis Current Elected Officials :
| Position | Name | Ward/At-large | Term Expires |
| Mayor | Charles Maughan | City (at-large) | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Jan Napack | Ward 1 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Briae Lewis | Ward 2 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Jim Moorfield | Ward 3 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Ava Olson | Ward 4 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor/Council Vice-president | Charlyn Ellis | Ward 5 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Alison Bowden | Ward 6 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor/Council President | Paul Shaffer | Ward 7 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Carolyn Mayers | Ward 8 | December 31, 2026 |
| City Councilor | Tony Cadena | Ward 9 | December 31, 2027 |
The Corvallis Police Department provides law enforcement services to 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.
Public schools in the city are administered by the Corvallis School District, with two acting high schools, Corvallis High School and Crescent Valley High School. Corvallis is also the home of Oregon State University and the Benton Center campus of Linn-Benton Community College.

## Media
### Print

* Corvallis Gazette-Times
The Corvallis Gazette-Times is a daily newspaper for Corvallis. The newspaper, along with its sister publication, the Albany Democrat-Herald of neighboring Albany, Oregon, is owned by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa.
The paper in its current form was created in 1909 as the result of the merger of two competing weekly newspapers, The Corvallis Gazette (established 1863), and The Corvallis Times (established 1888).
* The Corvallis Advocate
The Corvallis Advocate is a free alternative newsweekly
The Corvallis Advocate is self described 'fiercely independent' and maintain separate departments covering area business, local government, social justice, and parenting. The Advocate states: "Our primary purpose is to advocate for our shared community. The Corvallis Advocate is led by an Editorial Board, and is locally owned."
* The Daily Barometer
The Daily Barometer is an independent campus newspaper of Oregon State University. It is published weekly. Also known as "The Baro", the news team covers local news and events and brings awareness to important student issues. Students serve as editors, reporters, and photographers to cover news through the newspaper, website, social media, and online videos.
On March 16, 1896, the first issue of a monthly called The Barometer rolled off the presses at Oregon Agricultural College, today's Oregon State University.

### Radio

Local radio stations serving the Corvallis area:
* Corvallis:
| Channel | Name | Notes/ Slogan |
| 88.7 FM | KBVR | "Award Winning Student Radio" (Oregon State student lead & ran radio) |
| 90.3 FM | KAKK | "CSN International" |
| 92.9 FM | KCCK | "Classical Music Radio" |
| 95.7 FM | KBPK | "All Classical Radio" |
| 101.5 FM | KFLY | "US 101 Country" |
| 103.1 FM | KOPB | "OPB" (Oregon Public Broadcasting/ PBS station) |
| 104.3 FM | KBOO | "Community Radio" (Philomath) |
| 105.9 FM | KORC | "Corvallis' Community Radio" |
| 106.3 FM | KLOO | "Timeless Rock" |
| 550 AM | KOAC | "OPB" (Official Oregon Public Broadcasting and NPR station) |
| 1240 AM | KEJO | "Joe Radio" (Official Oregon State Beavers, Corvallis Knights Baseball, Seattle Mariners Baseball & Fox Sports Radio station) |
| 1340 AM | KLOO | "News Talk Radio" |
* Within the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon Combine Statistical Area:
| Channel | Name | Notes/ Slogan | Location |
| 88.1 FM | KGRI | "Air1" (Christian radio) | Lebanon, Oregon |
| 90.1 FM | KAJC | "Christian Radio" | Monmouth-Independence, Oregon |
| 91.3 FM | KEIK | "Life Talk Radio" | Scio, Oregon |
| 92.5 FM | KCVK | "Life Talk Radio" | Albany, Oregon |
| 94.1 FM | KSHO | "America's Best Music" | Lebanon, Oregon |
| 94.9 FM | KRAD | "Christian Radio" | Millersburg-Albany, Oregon |
| 95.1 FM | KSND | "La Pantera" (Spanish Mix) | Monmouth, Oregon |
| 96.5 FM | KPIK | "The Santiam Community Radio" | Stayton, Oregon |
| 99.9 FM | KRKT | "Kricket Country" | Albany, Oregon |
| 100.5 FM | KAFK | "Kricket Country" | Sweet Home, Oregon |
| 103.9 FM | KGSK | "La Campeona" (Spanish Mix) | Dallas, Oregon |
| 107.9 FM | KHPE | "HOPE 1079, The Valley's Chrisitan Music Station" | Albany, Oregon |
| 720 AM | KFIR | "News Talk Radio" | Sweet Home, Oregon |
| 790 AM | KWIL | "KWIL For Christ" (Christian Radio) | Albany, Oregon |
| 880 AM | KWIP | "La Campeona" (Spanish Mix) | Dallas, Oregon |
| 920 AM | KSHO | "Unforgetable Music" (50's-60's-70's) | Lebanon, Oregon |
| 990 AM | KTHH | "Comedy" | Albany, Oregon |
| 1460 AM | KCKX | "La Pantera" (Spanish Mix) | Stayton, Oregon |
| 1580 AM | KGAL | "News Talk Radio" | Lebanon, Oregon |
* Within the Willamette Valley:
Corvallis is part of the Eugene, Salem and Portland, Oregon radio and television market.

### Television

* Corvallis:
Corvallis has 1 television station within the city and 3 Translator stations. KAOC-TV is an Oregon Public Broadcasting/ PBS station. KLSR-TV (FOX 34 Oregon), KGW (NBC 8 Portland) and KATU (TV) (ABC 2 Portland) have translators within the city.
-KAOC-TV
| Channel | Name |
| 7.1 | PBS TV |
| 7.2 | OBP Kids |
| 7.3 | OBP World |
| 7.4 | OPB-FM Jazz Radio |
Translator stations for:
-KLSR-TV (FOX 34 Oregon) at K14GW-D
| Channel | Name |
| 34.1 | Fox 34 Oregon News |
| 34.2 | MyNet |
| 23.1 | KEVU-CD |
-KGW (NBC 8 Portland) at K16ML-D
| Channel | Name |
| 8.1 | KGW News |
| 8.2 | True Crime Network |
| 8.3 | Quest (American TV network) |
| 8.4 | Nosey TV |
| 8.5 | This TV |
| 8.6 | TheGrio |
-KATU (TV) (ABC 2 Portland) at K08PZ-D
| Channel | Name |
| 2.1 | KATU (TV) |
| 2.2 | Charge! (TV network) |
| 2.3 | Comet (TV network) |
| 2.4 | TBD (TV network) |
* Within the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon Combine Statistical Area:
There is 1 additional television station within the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon combine statistical area and 1 additional Translator station in the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon combine statistical area. KSLM-LD is based in Dallas, Oregon. KPDX (FOX 12 Portland) has a translator in neighboring Albany.
-KSLM-LD (Dallas, Oregon) at KVDO-LD in Albany
| Channel | Name |
| 3.1 | QVC |
| 17.1 | YTA TV |
| 27.1 | Retro TV |
| 37.1 | Azteca América |
-KPDX (FOX 12 Portland) at K20DD-D in Albany
| Channel | Name |
| 49.1 | MyNet TV |
| 49.2 | Ion Mystery |
| 49.3 | Outlaw TV |
| 49.4 | Court TV |
* Within the Willamette Valley:
Corvallis is a part of the Eugene radio and television market with stations such as KVAL, KEZI and KMTR. Corvallis also is within the Salem and Portland area TV market worth stations such as Portland-Salem's CW, 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.

#### Air

Corvallis Municipal Airport (CVO) serves private and corporate aircraft. Many well known celebrities have flown in and out of the Corvallis Municipal Airport over the years including John F. Kennedy in 1960, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.
The closest commercial air service is available at Eugene Airport (EUG), 35 miles (56 km), Salem Airport (SLE), 40 miles (64 km) or Portland International Airport (PDX), 95 miles (153 km).
The Groome Transportation Company provides multiple shuttles daily between Corvallis and the Portland Airport (PDX) with stops in Albany, Salem and Woodburn.

#### Train

Historically Corvallis had a very busy passenger train station and depot that was located downtown. They are no longer in use, but have been moved to other areas in the city, preserved, and repurposed. The Corvallis passenger train station is currently the Corvallis Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant. Passenger service is currently provided by the Amtrak Cascades line at the nearby Albany Amtrak Station (ALY).
There are 2 freight lines that run through the city regularly.

#### Bus

Long-distance bus service is provided in Corvallis by Greyhound. It stops at the Downtown Transit Center and at OSU campus Transit stop (station ID: CVI and CVO).
FlixBus provides Regional service from the Downtown Transit Center and OSU campus Transit Center. There are 4 daily trips southbound to Eugene and the U of O campus, and 4 daily northbound trips to Albany, Salem and a Portland.
The Campus Connector – The Groome Transportation Company also provides Shuttle Bus service between the Oregon State University campus and University of Oregon campus in Eugene multiple times daily called the "Campus Connector" with a stop at the Eugene Airport between the two rival university campuses.
Local bus service is provided by 3 different transit systems, the Corvallis Transit System (CTS), the Benton Area Transit System (BAT) and the OSU Transit System "Beaver Bus". 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 CTS system runs a total of 12 daytime routes, 10 within the city limits, 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.
Two short-distance intercity routes are also ran by CTS from the Downtown Transit Center and OSU campus Transit Center. The "Linn-Benton Loop" runs multiple trips daily to the Albany Transit Center/ Albany Amtrak Station (ALY) and Linn-Benton Community College The "Philomath Connection", runs multiple trips daily to downtown Philomath.
Two other intercity routes are run by the Benton Area Transit System (BAT) from the Downtown Transit Center and OSU campus Transit Center. The "99 Express" runs multiple trips daily to Lewisburg and Adair Village. The "Coast to Valley Express" runs multiple trips daily between the Albany Amtrak station (ALY) and the Newport Transit Center with stops in Philomath, Blodgett, Eddyville and Toledo.
The Beaver Bus is run by the Oregon State University Transit System for transportation across the main campus. The Beaver Bus has 3 routes from the Reser Stadium Transit Center and has multiple stops throughout campus. Buses arrive at every stop every 15–20 minutes from 7am-7pm.
From 2010 to 2011, CTS has seen a 37.9% 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, 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. In 2019, the local bus system expanded to several more lines throughout the city, and the addition of a minimal Sunday service.

#### Highways

* Highway 34
Oregon State Route 34 is the main connector from Corvallis to I-5, the main arterial north–south route though the state of Oregon, which lies 10–12 miles to the east of the city. Continuing on OR 34 another 9–10 miles east of I-5 is the city of Lebanon, Oregon the 3rd largest city of the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon CSA. Westward on OR 34 connects Corvallis to Philomath, Marys Peak, Alsea and Waldport on the Oregon Coast.
* Highway 20
US Route 20 is the main connector between the cities of Corvallis and Albany, Oregon, which is the 2nd largest city of the Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon CSA. US 20 runs approximately parallel to the Willamette River for 11 miles Northeast of Corvallis until it reaches North Albany and crosses the Willamette River into Downtown Albany. Westward US 20 connects Corvallis to Philomath, Blodgett, Eddyville, Toledo and Newport and the Oregon Coast.
* Highway 99W
Oregon State Route 99W runs a north–south route and is the main connector between Corvallis and Eugene, Oregon, 44 miles to the South. On Highway 99w in between the cities of Corvallis and Eugene are the cities of Monroe, Oregon and Junction City. To the north on OR 99W from Corvallis are the cities of Adair Village, Monmouth, Independence, Rickreall, Amity and McMinnville.

#### Bridges

There are eight major bridges in the city, all but two traverse the Mary's River or the Willamette River.
* Harrison Street Bridge
* Van Buren Street Bridge
* Willamette River Bridge (Highway 34)
* Mary's River Bridge (Highway 99W)
* 4th Street Bridge (Highway 99W over Mary's River)
* Pacific Highway Bridge (Highway 99W over Railroad in North Corvallis)
* 15th Street Bridge (Over Mary's River to Avery Park)
* Irish Bend Covered Bridge
There are over 100 street and pedestrian crossings that traverse over the tributaries throughout the city. There are 13 creeks and 2 rivers that run through the city.
| Creek | Neighborhoods/ Location | Street/ Pedestrian crossings | Tributary |
| Dixon Creek | Glenridge, Timberhill, Northwest & Central Corvallis | 34 | Willamette River |
| Oak Creek | Cardwell Hill, Bald Hill, OSU campus & Southwest Corvallis | 18 | Mary's River |
| Dunawi Creek | Sunset, County Club & Southwest Corvallis | 15 | Mary's River |
| Sequoia Creek | 9th Street & Northeast Corvallis | 10 | |
| Ryon Creek | Crystal Lake, South Town & South Corvallis | 3 | Willamette River |
| Muddy Creek | Country Club & Southwest Corvallis | 2 | Mary's River |
| Mulkey Creek | Bald Hill & West Corvallis | 4 | Oak Creek |
| Alder Creek | Bald Hill & West Corvallis | 2 | Oak Creek |
| Skunk Creek | Bald Hill & West Corvallis | 2 | Oak Creek |
| Village Green Creek | Village Green, Conifer & Northeast Corvallis | 5 | Jackson-Frazier wetlands |
| Jackson Creek | Crescent Valley & Northeast Corvallis | 3 | Jackson-Frazier wetlands |
| Frazier Creek | Crescent Valley & Northeast Corvallis | 3 | Jackson-Frazier wetlands |
| Owl Creek | Colardo Lake, Eastgate, Peoria & East Corvallis | 3 | Colorado Lake |

#### Bicycle

The League of American Bicyclists 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%).

### Utilities
#### Water

The city's water system has 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 US gallons (72,000 m$^3$) of water per day.
The Rock Creek treatment plant processes water from sources in the 10,000-acre (40 km$^2$) 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 US gallons (26,000 m$^3$) 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 US gallons (11,000 m$^3$).
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 US gallons (7,600 to 60,600 m$^3$) per day, though it has a capacity of 21 million US gallons (79,000 m$^3$) per day.
The total reservoir capacity is 21 million US gallons (79,000 m$^3$), 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
* Daniel Atkinson (1921–2024), biochemist at UCLA who spent his retirement years in Corvallis
* Joseph C. Avery (1817–1876), Marysville town founder and politician
* Brad Badger (born 1975), NFL player
* Brad Bird (born 1957), Academy Award-winning animator, writer, and director (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, Ratatouille)
* Kevin Boss (born 1984), NFL tight end, Super Bowl XLII champion with the New York Giants
* Chris Botti (born 1962), jazz trumpet musician
* Meredith Brooks (born 1958), singer, songwriter, producer
* James Cassidy, member of band Information Society
* Meghna Chakrabarti, journalist, radio producer, NPR
* Robert Cheeke, bodybuilder and vegan activist
* Randy Couture, mixed martial artist and UFC Hall of Fame member
* Edmund Creffield, founder of "Bride of Christ Church", also known as "Holy Rollers"
* Meghann Cuniff (born 1983), legal journalist
* Morgan Eckroth (born 1998), barista, winner of the 2022 United States Barista Championship and online content creator
* Christopher L. Eisgruber, Rhodes Scholar and 20th president of Princeton University
* Atta Elayyan (1985–2019), New Zealand futsal player, murdered in the Christchurch mosque shootings
* Dick Fosbury (1947–2023), 1968 Olympics gold medalist and innovator of modern back-first method of high jumping
* Bob Gilder (1950–), professional golfer, member of Champions Tour
* Gordon Gilkey (1912–2000), artist and educator
* Kevin Gregg (1978–), MLB player
* Les Gutches (1973–), Olympic wrestler, world champion
* Elizabeth Hoffman, actress
* Talanoa Hufanga, NFL player
* Nick Hundley (1983–), MLB player
* Eyvind Kang, violinist and composer
* Paul Kocher, cryptographer
* 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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* Bernard Malamud, author, writer of The Natural; his book A New Life was based on Corvallis
* Ben Masters (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
* Barbara Minty, (also known as Barbara Minty McQueen) Vogue model and wife of late actor Steve McQueen
* Rebecca Morris, 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-CWA, AFL–CIO
* Mario Pastega (1916–2012), businessman and philanthropist
* Linus Pauling (1901–1994), 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and 1962 Nobel Peace Prize (graduate of Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State)
* Naomi Pomeroy (1974–2024), chef and restaurateur
* Putsata Reang, journalist, writer
* Jason Reed, actor, musician
* Harold Reynolds (1960–), MLB player and broadcaster
* Doug Riesenberg (1965–), former NFL offensive tackle
* Mike Riley (1953–), former 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, pro hockey player
* Robb Thomas, former NFL player
* Ernest H. Wiegand, professor of horticulture and developer of modern method of manufacture of the maraschino cherry
* Carl Wieman, 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics recipient for creation of Bose–Einstein condensate
* Bushrod Washington Wilson (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