The majority of Oregon’s population can be found in one unique regionthe Willamette Valley, a scenic, fertile area nestled between three impressive mountain ranges: the Oregon Coast Range, the Cascade Range, and the Calapooya Mountains. The last of these separates the Willamette from the Umpqua River Valley. The Willamette valley is mostly an alluvial plain formed by the deposits of the Willamette River, a Columbia River tributary.Willamette Valley’s popularity stems from its impressive agricultural capacity, which made it the obvious destination for travelers on the Oregon Trail. This is the result of a series of floods during the last ice age, stemming from Montana’s Lake Missoula. At one point, geologists estimate that the valley was filled to a depth between 300-400 feet above current sea level. When the lake drained, it left behind sediments at a height between 180 and 200 feet. Today, geologists refer to the lake as Lake Allison, after the Oregon State University geologist of the same name. Allison was the first to find a connection between the silt of the Willamette Valley with that in the Lake Lewis lakebed in WashingtonBetween the 1840s and 1880s, numerous wagon trains travelled over 1800 miles across the country to explore this wild frontier. Some would journey more than 2000 miles. The obstacles and hardships that they experienced are emulated in the popular series of Oregon Trail computer games. Among other things, these pioneers founded Willamette University. Dating back to 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States.Today, more than 70 of the state’s population can be found in the Willamette Valley. Agriculture is still closely tied to life in the valley, whether vegetables, nursery stock, berries, or hops. Many wine producers have also set up within the valley, most notably the Eyrie Vineyards. The vineyards’ 1975 Pinot Noir was recognized at the international Wine Olympics in 1979, placing in the top ten.Portland is just one of the cities located within the Valley. Salem, Albany, Eugene, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Dallas, McMinnville, Oregon City, Hillsboro, and St. Helens are also prominent locations, each with their own distinctive feel and personality.

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