Issues Climate and Topography Corvallis, a city with a population of 50,008, is located 85 miles south of Portland in the beautiful Willamette Valley. The Willamette Valley begins at Portland and extends about 130 miles southward. To the east are the Cascade Mountains, a chain of mountains formed by volcanic activity in relatively recent times. To the west lies the Coast Range, separating the Willamette Valley from the Pacific Coast.
Summers are warm and dry.
In a recent poll, Corvallis ranked second in the country in terms of living quality for a small city. Nearly any kind of outdoor activity imaginable can be enjoyed in Oregon. Several snow skiing facilities are available within a three-hour drive of Corvallis, including Mt. Bachelor, where past U.S. Olympic ski teams have trained. Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails are also available at several sites in the Cascades. The Rogue, Umpqua, Snake, and Deschutes rivers are legendary for white-water rafting .