Welcome to Corvallis, Oregon, the county seat and largest city (population about 55,000) in Benton County. Corvallis is located in the west-central Willamette Valley next to the Willamette River and is an hour's drive from the coast and the Cascade Mountains and an hour and a half from the high desert of central Oregon. Home of Oregon State University, Corvallis still maintains something of a small-town feel. The streets are safe (we were recently named the most secure small town in America), unemployment is low (although that's been changing lately), traffic jams are rare, and housing is relatively expensive.

The weather is mild - the winters tend to be long, gray, and wet, and the spring and summers are warm, green, and glorious. When the sun comes out, so do the the bicycles (Corvallis is an official gold award-winning Bicycle Friendly Community) and the city maintains one of the most extensive bike trail systems in Oregon. All-electric vehicle sightings are increasingly commonplace and we'll soon be getting our own local recharging stations. We also have the distinction of being named the West Coast's first Green Power Community by the EPA, were rated first in the nation (2008) by Country Home Magazine for "Best Green Places", and made the short list of favorite eco-friendly towns in Sunset Magazine. You can also join the New Economy here in Corvallis and, to top it off, Corvallis made the Forbes' top 10 list of Smartest Cities in America. To see what the Mother Earth News says about Corvallis, click HERE.