Corvallis | ||
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City | ||
Corvallis, Oregon | ||
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Motto(s): Enhancing Community Livability | ||
Location of Corvallis within Benton County (left) and Benton County within Oregon (right). |
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Coordinates: 44°34′N 123°17′W / 44.567°N 123.283°WCoordinates: 44°34′N 123°17′W / 44.567°N 123.283°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Oregon | |
County | Benton | |
Founded / Incorporated | 1845 / 1857 | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Biff Traber (D) | |
Area | ||
• City | 14.30 sq mi (37.04 km2) | |
• Land | 14.13 sq mi (36.60 km2) | |
• Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.44 km2) | |
Elevation | 235 ft (72 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• City | 54,462 | |
• Estimate (2013) | 55,298 | |
• Density | 3,854.4/sq mi (1,488.2/km2) | |
• Urban | 62,433 (US: 436th) | |
• Metro | 86,591 (US: 367th) | |
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | |
• Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | |
ZIP codes | 97330-97331, 97333, 97339 | |
Area code(s) | 541, 458 | |
FIPS code | 41-15800 | |
GNIS feature ID | 1140162 | |
Website | City of Corvallis |
Corvallis /kɔːrˈvælɪs/ is a city 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. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462. Its population was estimated by the Portland Research Center to be 55,298 in 2013. Corvallis is the location of Oregon State University, a large Hewlett-Packard research campus, and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.
At a longitude of 123° 17' west, the city is the westernmost city in the contiguous 48 states with a population larger than 50,000.
In October 1845, Joseph C. Avery arrived in Oregon from the east. 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 Corvallis 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 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 would prove to be brief and in January 1849 Avery returned to Oregon with a small stock of provisions with a view to opening a store.