Cities in Lane County
Topographic map of Lane County, Oregon
Coburg, Oregon
Coburg
Since 1847, Coburg has maintained a unique preservation of the past. From the Historic Homes to the century-old bell in front of the Coburg Community Charter School, Coburg has a story that is best understood when experienced! Located just 10 minutes north of Eugene and Springfield, Oregon in the heart of the south Willamette Valley. Coburg offers many of the amenities of a larger town while maintaining its small town charm. Separated by its urban neighbors by a stretch of farmland and the McKenzie River, Coburg residents maintain a high quality of life with biking, antique shopping, restaurants, walkability, and historic homes.
Coburg is home to lush vegetation and beautiful scenery. The year-round mild climate makes for an enjoyable visit in all seasons. Coburg is a vital community that welcomes families to make their roots and enjoy small town living. Coburg values its small town attributes and wants to build on and preserve them. The community takes great pride in its unique identity, agricultural, historical and river based heritage and strong sense of community and enjoys lower taxes than the metro area. Coburg is known for its natural beauty and National Historic District. The Coburg Historic Walking Tour is a popular activity with visitors. The south end of the Oregon State Willamette Valley Bikeway rolls through downtown, providing a great stop for touring cyclists. There are several popular annual events to enjoy such as the Coburg Car Classic, Coburg Antique Fair, and Summer Concerts and Farmer's Market in the Park. Coburg welcomes growth and is business friendly. Coburg has substantial light industrial and highway commercial property available along Interstate 5 as well as development opportunities in the quaint downtown. Coburg recently made multi-million dollar investments in water and wastewater systems as well as improvements at the Coburg-I-5 Interchange. Coburg's assets include a well regarded and top-ranked public K-8 charter school, Coburg Community Charter School, a local Police Department, and Fire District.
Cottage Grove
"Discover the All-America City (1968, 2004) of Cottage Grove, Oregon, a charming, small town just twenty minutes south of Eugene - Springfield. Find live music, theatre arts, craft beer and eateries in this city that borders both Oregon Wine Country and the Cascade foothills.
Cottage Grove is a quintessential American town, with a Main Street that seems made for the movies — no wonder it has attracted Hollywood since the '20s when Buster Keaton's "The General" was filmed here. Take a self-guided tour of the town's scenic murals, drive or ride a bike along the Covered Bridges scenic tour route or relax with boating, fishing or a swim in nearby lakes and rivers.
Expand your explorations in Cottage Grove to include the public golf course, the Cottage Grove Speedway, the Oregon Aviation Historical Society and nearby hikes to waterfalls." ~ Eugene Cascades and Coast
Creswell
Creswell, The Friendly City, lies 10 miles south of Eugene-Springfield, north of Cottage Grove, along Highway 99 and Interstate 5. Over the years, Creswell has grown from a farming community into a small city with close ties to the metropolitan area.
Creswell was first settled in 1872 by Alvin Hughes and James Robinett, each with five-acre land donations, located just south of where the railroad traveled from Eugene. In 1873, the Creswell Post Office opened and Ben Holladay of the Oregon-California Railroad Company named the city after John Creswell, who was then the U.S. Postmaster General.In the early years, Creswell’s economy centered around agrist mill in the community. Agriculture included wheat, cattle, and hog farming, with fruit trees adding to the economy by the end of the nineteenth century. By the time of the city’s incorporation in 1909, there were 5,000 acres of producing orchards, a cannery, a packing plant, a fruit dryer, doctors, dentists, and a variety of businesses clustered around Oregon Avenue.
Since the 1930s, Creswell has seen a fairly consistent pattern of growth, with a population boom occurring during and immediately after World War II. The city’s economy has shared an intrinsic link with its historic transportation system. Over the years, the city’s location along the rail line, Highway 99 and, later, I-5 has influenced the type of jobs found locally, which continue to be primarily in agriculture and timber processing.
Dunes City
In a 1957-58 Pacific Coast Recreation Area Survey, the National Park Service (NPS) initiated plans to incorporate a large area for preservation as the Oregon Dunes National Seashore. Various lands were previously acquired by the NPS in the United States for similar purposes. Some of these properties could not be purchased at a “reasonable price” from their owners. Therefore, the properties were condemned and acquired by the government anyway through eminent domain laws at prices set by the government and the property owners lost what they believed was the real value of their property. Residents of Dunes City sought to avoid this by incorporating and becoming a fully functioning municipality.
Dunes City was formally organized in August 1963.
Eugene
"Eugene, Oregon is at the south end of the Willamette Valley where two large rivers and many smaller ones meet. It is also a place of converging ideas.
Eugene is full of artists, academics, innovators and visionaries. Alongside today's developing technology and evolving ideas is the history of the Indigenous Peoples who were here first and are here today. This destination continuously strives for increased accessibility and improved sustainability.
The Eugene community is passionate in many pursuits. Eugene is dubbed "TrackTown USA" by elite athletes around the world, the "Silicon Shire" by leaders in the tech industry, "A Great City for the Arts & Outdoors" by its local residents, "Home of the Ducks" by collegiate sports fans and "Emerald City" by those whom love its many green spaces and lush fern and evergreen forests. Eugene is a renaissance city and the people here have dedication and grit. Visit Eugene and experience the energy of a city alive!" ~ Eugene Cascades and Coast
Florence
WELCOME TO FLORENCE, OREGON Make Florence your coastal playground!
Here you’ll find an abundance of adventure—fun things to do and places to see on the Central Oregon Coast including uncrowded beaches, spectacular dunes, golf, fishing, horseback riding, ATV riding, sandboarding…and that’s just your first few days. Come, relive and share the youthful memories from family trips (remember that epic sandcastle you built?). Make new memories with friends and family—hiking, kite flying, picnicking, crabbing, whale watching, storm watching…so much to do you’re going to need award-winning lodging and dining options. You’ll easily find ALL THAT right here in the middle of the Oregon Coast.
Junction City, Oregon
Junction City
"Visit this small town, agricultural region for u-picks, farm stands, birding, cycling, golfing, archery and wine tasting. Junction City is best known for its annual Scandinavian Festival in the summer, but you can delve into their Scandinavian culture year-round at the local museums, holiday parades and community dances. Conveniently located between Eugene and Corvallis with Highway 99 as its main thoroughfare, and only minutes from the Eugene Airport, this semi-rural community is the perfect place to start leisure road trips. Ringed by wine country and wildflowers, Junction City merges farm life with recreational pursuits. Junction City is an RVing destination with a high concentration of RV service providers and products. Buy, rent or service your RV in town, then head out on Territorial Highway to explore local wineries and farms." ~ Eugene Cascades and Coast
Lowell
"Lowell, Oregon offers a serene natural setting and many fun outdoor activities. Nestled in the foothills of the Cascades along Highway 58, the Lowell area is only 30 minutes southeast of Eugene - Springfield, through Pleasant Hill, and on the way to Oakridge - Westfir.
Lowell is known for its three big and beautiful lakes, numerous hiking and mountain biking trails, five picturesque covered bridges, wildflowers and wild blackberries!" ~ Eugene Cascades and Coast
Oakridge, Oregon
Oakridge
The City of Oakridge is a beautiful area, surrounded by the vast Willamette National Forest, where families and businesses live and grow. Where citizens work and play, live and dream, in a safe and sustainable community. With 500 miles of trails surrounding the city, it truly is a mountain biking and hiking paradise. Oakridge is a scenic place to live, work, and play.
Oakridge is nestled in the foothills of the Western Cascade Mountains. Due to the city's elevation, (1,200-1,700 ft.) the weather is great; above the fog of the valley, and below the heavy snows, on average, Oakridge enjoys over 300 days of sun! The city's population is around 3,500 residents within city limits, but closer to 5,000 when including nearby Westfir and the surrounding areas outside city limits.
With a council-manager form of government adopted in 1972, the City’s residents enjoy a strong supportive government. Oakridge is a full service city providing street, water, wastewater, and park utilities; police, fire, and ambulance services; library, economic development, planning/zoning, and administrative services. The city is funded by property taxes, franchise and other fees. Special projects are funded through grants and loans. Over the past decade, the City has received almost $11 million in grants and loans for community projects, and has an annual budget of around $10 million.
The citizens of the Oakridge area hold their history and culture close with events and productions all year around. The more than half a century old Tree Planting Festival serves as a reminder of Oakridge’s past as a timber town. In more modern productions, the Concerts in the Park hosts free concerts at the Banner Bank Amphitheater in Greenwaters Park. The Zero Clearance Theater Company, an Oakridge-based community theater company, utilizes local performers to stage both classic and original works. Nearby, the Eugene-Springfield metro area provides a diversity of options from its counter-culture history to the symphony, opera, ballet, and of course the University of Oregon, all of which are great places to experience art, music, and local culture.
Springfield
Springfield was settled when Elias and Mary Briggs and their family arrived in 1848. They were among the first party to travel to the region via the “Southern Route” by Klamath Lake, over the Cascades, into the Rogue Valley, then north to the Willamette Valley.
Elias Briggs chose for his home a place convenient to a spring of water and in due time this land was fenced in. This enclosure became known as the “springfield” — hence the name of the town. The Briggs family operated a ferry across the Willamette River at roughly the site now occupied by the Union Pacific railroad bridge.
In 1852, Mr. Briggs began building a town. He dug and built the mill race and he and Mr. Driggs of Linn County formed the Briggs and Driggs Company and began to build a flour mill and a saw mill in 1853 and 1854 respectively.
Springfield was platted in 1856, incorporated as a city February 25, 1885, and received its charter March 17, 1893. In 1891, Springfield had a general merchandise store, two grocery stores, two cigar stores, a drug store, two dress shops, two blacksmiths, a variety store, a meat market, a saloon, a barber shop, a shoe store, three hotels, two schools, and three churches. Also, in 1891, Springfield received its first railroad line. In 1910, Springfield welcomed the Portland, Eugene and Electric Railroad streetcar.
Springfield maintained its small town ways until after World War II. The retail center was still Main Street, industries were northwest of the railroad tracks and residences were to the north. In 1940, the City’s area was only 1.5 square miles and the population only 3,805. By 1998, apartments covered the spring. The City expanded to more than 13 square miles and the population grew to 51,700.
Veneta
Veneta has a population of 5,211, located about twelve miles west of Eugene, and is a small, progressive community with tremendous growth potential. Veneta’s close proximity to the Fern Ridge Reservoir, nearby wineries and farms, as well as its abundance of natural areas and wildlife, makes the city an attractive place to live and visit.
Incorporated in 1962, Veneta has transformed from a bustling timber town to a progressive, visionary city that has both embraced recent growth and continues to prepare for future growth with major projects such as downtown redevelopment, a site-ready industrial park, and upgraded public works facilities.
Veneta serves as a sub-regional center for the unincorporated communities in the Fern Ridge Area:
- Elmira
- Crow
- Noti
- Walton
Veneta’s quiet, small-town community feel, close proximity to an abundance of natural and scenic amenities, and location near the metro area are among the more compelling features attracting residential growth to the city. A comfortable commute from the metropolitan area, Veneta is in relatively close proximity to shopping, services, and jobs in west Eugene.
Westfir
Westfir, home to some 263 people, is nestled along the lower portions of the narrow North Fork river valley, just above its confluence with the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. It is located about one mile east of State Highway 58 and is a four-mile drive west of the City of Oakridge.
Westfir was formed as a mill town at the beginning of the twentieth century, and has quite a history prior to its official incorporation in 1979. The Office Covered Bridge spans the North Fork and is the longest in the state, and the only covered bridge in the state that has a separate covered pedestrian walkway. For more on the history of Westfir, visit our History page.
Westfir is located on the southern edge of the Willamette National Forest. These public lands provide a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities including trail hiking and biking, horseback riding, lake and river fishing, hunting, kayaking, rafting, camping, and off-highway vehicle use at the nearby Huckleberry Flats OHV trail system. Our annual Bridge Lighting event attracts more then 500 people each year. Check out the YouTube video courtesy of Travel Lane County.
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