Eugene (population 173,000 in 2019) is a city inOregon at the southern end of theWillamette Valley near the confluence of the Mckenzie and Willamette rivers. It is best known for being the home of the University of Oregon.
Citizens of Eugene are environmentally aware people who love their coffee and their microbrews. Residents range from arch-conservative Republicans to militant anarchists, and are generally tough, yet forgiving people. The population is typical Pacific Northwest, i.e., leaning toward a greater degree of social responsibility, respect for nature, and diminished consumerism. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, aka "The Fighting Ducks". Eugene was the second home to the rock band the Grateful Dead, and author Ken Kesey, a U of O grad, lived in nearby Springfield, leading some to see this city as a "hippie Mecca".
Along with neighboringSpringfield and surrounding towns, Eugene forms part of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area.
Saturday Market has been continuously in operation since 1970, rain or shine and claims to be the oldest open-air market of its type in the United States.
Additional domestic & international connections are made inChicago O'Hare,Portland,Seattle,San Francisco,Los Angeles andSalt Lake City depending on the airlines you choose.
There is no public transportation (Lane Transit District (LTD) buses) to/from the airport, so you'll have to hire a cab, shuttle, or rent a car. The nearest public transit available is the 95-Junction City bus line which has a stop2 mi (3.2 km) from the terminal at the intersection of Airport Rd. and Highway 99.
Portland International Airport (PDX IATA), is the next closest airport with commercial service, located122 mi (196 km) north. It is common for travelers to fly intoPortland at a more competitive airfare and rent a car to drive to Eugene. If you do not plan to rent a car,Groome Transportation offers regularly scheduled shuttles from Portland International Airport into town (SeeBy bus in the below).
Travel time by destination and route:
Intercity buses stop in front of the University of Oregon School of Law, across street from Hayward Field, at 1515 Agate St and/or the Amtrak Station on 433 Willamette St. Some may have additional bus stops in other parts of the city to or in Springfield. Check schedules and tickets:
Eugene has an excellent system ofbike routes, and has bike friendly streets, and its bike paths allow you to ride along rivers, mountain trails and through covered bridges.
Eugene is a great city for outdoors enthusiasts and cyclists. There are many well-maintained hiking trails, and there are bike lanes on most major roads.
Eugene Weekly is a good source for 'what's happening' in the area.
Eugene's main bar scene is centered around Broadway and Olive St (the "barmuda triangle") in downtown. Alternatives can be found in the Whiteaker neighborhood (Blair Blvd), which is experiencing a brewery renaissance of sorts, and around the UO campus. Expect crowds every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, especially during the school year when college students fill the streets.
Eugene has a thriving brewery scene, largely in the Whiteaker neighborhood, northwest of downtown.
Eugene has an excellent variety of coffeeshops.
The wineries of the Willamette Valley pride themselves in offering a relaxing and inviting experience for guests from downtown Eugene tasting rooms to vast countryside vineyards.
The area codes for Eugene and Springfield are 458 and 541. 10-digit dialing is required throughout the region, i.e., the 541- or 458- area codes must be dialed with all numbers.
The Eugene Hotel, whose large sign is a prominent feature of Eugene's skyline, is actually a retirement community.
If you have access to a car, there are different outdoor recreational opportunities available within an hour's drive from town.
Routes through Eugene |
Portland←Salem ←Albany← | N ![]() | →Creswell→Roseburg →Medford |
Splits into![]() ![]() | N ![]() | →Creswell→Cottage Grove |
Salem←Albany← | N ![]() | →merges onto![]() |
McMinnville←Corvallis← | N ![]() | →merges onto![]() |
Florence←Veneta← | W ![]() | →Sisters→Prineville |
Portland←Salem ←Albany← | N ![]() | →END |
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