Benton County

Location and Geography

Benton County stretches from the Willamette River, which forms much of its eastern boundary, west into the forested Coast Range. Corvallis, the county seat and largest city, lies on the west bank of the Willamette, about 135 km south of Portland; other communities include Philomath, Adair Village and Monroe.

Notable Features

Oregon State University, Oregon's land-grant university since 1868, shapes life in Corvallis with its campus, its research centers and Reser Stadium, home of the Oregon State Beavers. West of the city, Marys Peak is the highest summit of the Oregon Coast Range, with views on clear days from the Pacific to the Cascade volcanoes.

Natural Heritage and Conservation

The valley floor is a landscape of farms, orchards and vineyards, and the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, south of Corvallis, protects wetlands, oak savanna and the wintering grounds of the dusky Canada goose.