Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley () is a 150-mile (240 km) long valley in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, located entirely within the state of Oregon. The valley forms the cultural and political heart of Oregon and is home to approximately 70 percent of its population including Portland, its largest city, as well as Salem, the state capital. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides - the Oregon Coast Range to the west, the Cascade Range to the east, and the Calapooya Mountains to the south.
The valley's numerous waterways, particularly the Willamette River, remain vitally important to the economy of Oregon, as they continuously deposit highly fertile alluvial soils across its broad, flat plain. A massively productive agricultural area, the valley was widely publicized in the 1820s as a 'promised land of flowing milk and honey'. Throughout the 19th century it was the destination of choice for the oxen-drawn wagon trains of emigrants who made the perilous journey along the Oregon Trail.
