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Supposedly the weather station at Laurel Mountain (3,592') is the wettest place in Oregon, with about 120" of rain a year average (and a record 220"). It's in the coast range, just west of Dallas/Salem.
ETA: no idea why that link fails, as I copied and pasted it 4 separate times - you can follow the link from the error page, though
Valsetz was a legend for a rainfall, when there was still a town of Valsetz. It was a company town, and when the company moved out they closed the town, tore down all the buildings, dug up the foundations, and planted it to trees.
We've come to the realization that we may have to leave SoCal within the near future. We are in a fire-prone area that is overdue for a catastrophe, just having luckily missed an evacuation order by a thread a few weeks ago. Very, very scary situation that we want to avoid in the future. SoCal weather has changed a lot and it's become hotter for much longer time periods. We haven't had any measurable rain since last February. It's also gotten very expensive and now more so for us with the new tax laws coming into effect. Many people want to leave but can't because they'll be bankrupted by capital gains taxes. Sort of like being between a rock and a hard place. Home prices continue their climb through the roof with a serious housing shortage. Then there's the increased traffic, congestion and constant road rage. It can be hours to get places that used to take minutes. It's unfortunately not the beautiful and affordable California I witnessed for the first time a few decades ago.
As far as climate goes in Oregon, we don't want an inordinate amount of rain and wind - as in the kind that Brookings and the Oregon Coast get. We do know that a good nine months out of the year it's drizzly, rainy and foggy in much of Oregon. That's just the reality (and which makes it so beautiful and green) and we're willing to compromise on that - we just don't want 50+ inches of it. We're keeping track of temperatures and amounts of rain and snow in the areas we're interested in. We traveled to So. Oregon last year and liked Ashland, Jacksonville, parts of Medford, Talent, Phoenix, etc. In May of this year we're planning a trip to visit friends and look seriously at the Corvallis area. We like that it's a small college town, is outdoor-oriented with biking/hiking and lots of nature, and is near to Eugene for the oh-so-important medical care. We realize that no place is perfect; it's just a matter of what you can tolerate and what you can't. We also realize that once we leave California we can never come back. And that's why we're doing a lot of research and taking our time.
Anyone have any thoughts on the Corvallis area? Commentary will be much appreciated!
I too am focusing on Corvallis as my retirement destination (I expected to be there by now, but winding up various matters in CA is taking longer than I anticipated).
Some impressions:
It's a very scenic city, tucked against the foothills of the Coast Range, and with lots of greenery in the neighborhoods.
It has a nice walkable downtown, with some fun little restaurants, and it's right alongside the Willamette River.
It's about an hour's drive from the coast, 90 minutes from the Cascades, 90 minutes from Portland.
If you need a product or service that's not available locally, but don't want to travel all the way to Portland, you're not far from Salem or Eugene/Springfield.
The biggest unknown for me (and for anyone moving to the Willamette Valley) is: will you have allergies (to the pollen)? Each time I visit, I try to ask anyone I talk to, "are you bothered by allergies in the spring?" But the answers are all over the map, from "oh yeah, it can be nasty" to "no, not a problem for me." I suppose the only sure way to know whether you'll have trouble is to live there. And of course there are meds that help.
If you haven't done so already, you might also want to explore the CA Central Coast (San Luis Obispo) or the North Coast (Eureka/Arcata)... California is not all freeways and megacities!
I too am focusing on Corvallis as my retirement destination (I expected to be there by now, but winding up various matters in CA is taking longer than I anticipated).
Some impressions:
It's a very scenic city, tucked against the foothills of the Coast Range, and with lots of greenery in the neighborhoods.
It has a nice walkable downtown, with some fun little restaurants, and it's right alongside the Willamette River.
It's about an hour's drive from the coast, 90 minutes from the Cascades, 90 minutes from Portland.
If you need a product or service that's not available locally, but don't want to travel all the way to Portland, you're not far from Salem or Eugene/Springfield.
The biggest unknown for me (and for anyone moving to the Willamette Valley) is: will you have allergies (to the pollen)? Each time I visit, I try to ask anyone I talk to, "are you bothered by allergies in the spring?" But the answers are all over the map, from "oh yeah, it can be nasty" to "no, not a problem for me." I suppose the only sure way to know whether you'll have trouble is to live there. And of course there are meds that help.
If you haven't done so already, you might also want to explore the CA Central Coast (San Luis Obispo) or the North Coast (Eureka/Arcata)... California is not all freeways and megacities!
Talk to an allergist. There is an allergy test panel that will tell you in advance if allergies will be a problem, before you spend big bucks relocating.
Talk to an allergist. There is an allergy test panel that will tell you in advance if allergies will be a problem, before you spend big bucks relocating.
It's a good starting point, but allergies also change over time - when I first moved to Portland, I didn't have any allergy problems, but by about 10 years in they'd really kicked in. By 28 years in, I knew I needed out. On the other hand, I might have developed allergies anywhere else as well, but by then I'd lived in California(LA area, Central Valley, Sierras) New York, New Jersey and Texas without allergy problems. I still have some allergy problems here, but so far (5 years in) they are pretty well-controlled.
My allergist told me that once your system decides to react to one thing, it can start to react to something else. Hence why I developed shellfish allergies about 3 years ago, after eating various shellfish all my life.
It's a good starting point, but allergies also change over time - when I first moved to Portland, I didn't have any allergy problems, but by about 10 years in they'd really kicked in. By 28 years in, I knew I needed out. On the other hand, I might have developed allergies anywhere else as well, but by then I'd lived in California(LA area, Central Valley, Sierras) New York, New Jersey and Texas without allergy problems. I still have some allergy problems here, but so far (5 years in) they are pretty well-controlled.
My allergist told me that once your system decides to react to one thing, it can start to react to something else. Hence why I developed shellfish allergies about 3 years ago, after eating various shellfish all my life.
Yes... one of the people I spoke to in Corvallis said she lived there 7 years without much problem, but then in year 8, she started having allergies.
I too am focusing on Corvallis as my retirement destination (I expected to be there by now, but winding up various matters in CA is taking longer than I anticipated).
Some impressions:
It's a very scenic city, tucked against the foothills of the Coast Range, and with lots of greenery in the neighborhoods.
It has a nice walkable downtown, with some fun little restaurants, and it's right alongside the Willamette River.
It's about an hour's drive from the coast, 90 minutes from the Cascades, 90 minutes from Portland.
If you need a product or service that's not available locally, but don't want to travel all the way to Portland, you're not far from Salem or Eugene/Springfield.
The biggest unknown for me (and for anyone moving to the Willamette Valley) is: will you have allergies (to the pollen)? Each time I visit, I try to ask anyone I talk to, "are you bothered by allergies in the spring?" But the answers are all over the map, from "oh yeah, it can be nasty" to "no, not a problem for me." I suppose the only sure way to know whether you'll have trouble is to live there. And of course there are meds that help.
If you haven't done so already, you might also want to explore the CA Central Coast (San Luis Obispo) or the North Coast (Eureka/Arcata)... California is not all freeways and megacities!
NW4me: Thank you for your insight. Good luck with your move! We're going to visit Corvallis and a couple of other towns in a few months. This trip will be the final deciding factor for us whether to go or to stay in SoCal. Both have big pros and cons. We've yet to feel the "Aha" moment and get a good gut feeling about what direction to go in. It's tough to leave a place (and the "devil" we know) after many, many years and go to another where you don't know anyone and have to start from scratch. But then, again, it can be looked at with optimism as a new experience that may lead to more stability, less climate danger and new friends. You mentioned looking at Central Coast and then Eureka/Arcata. So far, Central Coast - which we love - has proved to be unaffordable as to anything we like. But we haven't given up on it yet. It also has its problems of water supply and fire danger. We nixed Arcata and Eureka mostly because of the crime statistics and the general ambiance.
Here is a piece on Corvallis I posted in 2012 I believe:
Here is the best little article on Corvallis I have ever read.
It appeared in The Mother Earth News probably around early 2000 so it is a bit dated but still accurate in many ways.
I found it when I was living in FL and researching a relocation to Corvallis.
__________________________________________________ __________
If you want to escape "sagebrush subdivisions, coastal condomania and the ravenous rampages of suburbia," as former Oregon Governor Tom McCall so eloquently described urban sprawl in 1973, consider Corvallis.
Nearly 30 years ago the State of Oregon established the Land Conservation Development Commission to help preserve farmland and forests around the cities, and to establish urban growth boundaries to stymie sprawl. This progressive planning program has been a smash success, and Corvallis is a prime example.
Bordered to the west by the green hills of the Oregon Coast Range, and to the east by the banks of the Willamette River, nestled beneath Oregon white oaks and towering Douglas firs, and serenaded by the ethereal song of the Swainson's thrush, the cozy city of Corvallis remains true to its Latin namesake: heart of the valley.
The community of Corvallis is best described as close-knit and progressive. Weathering the long winter months of minnow-breath rain seems to strengthen the feeling of community in this town of 50,000, making it feel more like a village of 500. A cornucopia of sustainability exists in this quaint town: A thriving organic farming community, stable downtown commerce, a state-of-the-art landfill and recycling facility, and a growing" alternative transportation movement are surrounded by verdant open-space. But don't expect to establish your hermitage on these green acres. They've largely been set aside as commons for all to enjoy. Instead, you can be a country mouse in the city, and practice urban homesteading. With its environmental ethic, city living in Corvallis makes for easy living.
The downtown district, reminiscent of cozy New England village centers, is a haven for local businesses and an important component in keeping the community connected. On any given day, you'll find both rural and urban dwellers gathering together at the many coffee shops, bookstores and restaurants of downtown Corvallis. Grass Roots bookstore, a local cornerstone, just celebrated three decades of business. The Beanery, a coffee house, is another popular spot where folks gather for their jolt of java (misty winter days support a brisk business), hear musicians or watch the local belly dancing troupe perform.
Despite its relatively small size, Corvallis has plenty of unique places. Nearly Normal's, located near Oregon State University (OSU), is another time-tested Corvallis business. This vegetarian eatery is a popular draw for college students and professionals alike with its original recipes and almost all organically grown produce. The folks at Nearly Normal's maintain a cooperative work environment (even the cooks do dishes) and work with a local organic farm to provide fresh produce for their partially passive-solar, home-turned-restaurant. Local Corvallis restaurants offer fare to feed any appetite, from fish tacos to whole-grain gourmet pizzas baked in wood-fired earthen ovens. (Intaba's Kitchen, a new restaurant in town, uses these traditional earthen ovens, featured in Oregon builder and sculptor Kiko Denzer's article, "Build Your Own Wood-Fired Earthen Oven," Page 70.)
With an average of 43 inches of rain per year, and winter temperatures rarely dipping below freezing, the mild climate affords local gardeners and farmers with an exceptionally long growing season, the bounty of which fills the bellies of residents with a delicious variety of fresh, organic produce nearly year-round. More than 10 organic farms sink their roots into the rich alluvial soils surrounding Corvallis, and most of them sell their produce at the twice-weekly farmer's market, as well as through several community supported agriculture programs.
A binding force in this community is the First Alternative Grocery Co-op, arguably one of the finest co-ops in the country. With an emphasis on local, organic produce and bulk foods, First Alternative is everything a co-op should be: warm, friendly and full of character (as well as characters). But what makes this co-op unique is not so much the food it provides, but the services it offers the community: a well-used message board for ongoing and upcoming events, a lending library with books on ecological living, a venue for speakers and presentations, and a comprehensive recycling center that includes bins for everything from Styrofoam to used batteries.
Curbside recycling in Corvallis also is available, and Corvallis Disposal even provides free compost bins to encourage residents to compost their organic materials. All nonrecyclable material is trucked to the local Coffin Butte landfill, one of the most progressive and efficient landfills in the country--and perhaps even the world. Using methane gas produced by decaying organic matter to fuel their generators, the Coffin Butte Research Project produces approximately 2.4 megawatts of electricity per year, enough to power 2,000 homes. Not only does the CBRP produce electricity from rubbish, but according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, it also prevents 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 100 tons of sulfur dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year. And Corvallians take their clean air seriously: A comprehensive ban on smoking passed in 1998 allows citizens to breathe deeply, even ink restaurants and taverns.
The community actively participates in seeking solutions to other environmental problems. Several grassroots organizations, including the Corvallis Environmental Center and the Greenbelt Land Trust, work to preserve the city's green spaces. Recently, an alternative fuels co-op has formed with the goal of providing biodiesel, which is a vegetable oil-based fuel rather than petrochemical-based, to power the community's diesel cars and trucks.
For pedal-power proponents, Corvallis has a solid network of bike lanes covering 95 percent of the main roads, for a total of 60 miles. Thirteen miles of multi-use paths wind throughout the town, making Corvallis exceptionally friendly to both pedestrians and cyclists. A 1997 survey indicated that more than 13 percent of area residents regularly commute by bicycle, one of the highest percentages in the country. Residents take their cycling seriously: The kinetic sculpture races, part of the annual art, science and technology festival known as da Vinci Days, allow folks to exercise their mental and physical prowess. Teams spend hours, even months, designing these wild-wheeled contraptions. Sporting names like the Killer Tomato or the Maltese Fulcrum, the teams' creations must survive a challenging course, but also must meet the aesthetic demands of the judges and audience.
A city full of cultural creatives, Corvallis is home to OSU and its well-established academic programs; Hewlett-Packard's largest campus lies just northeast of town; and CH2M HILL offers its engineering and design services to promote clean water, safe transportation, efficient industry, and life-enhancing technologies and products. Most polluting industries have passed up Corvallis. Instead of an ugly series of industrial smokestacks, a judicious amount of open-space surrounds and exists within the city. Abutting Corvallis to the north is the 11,000-acre MacDonald-Dunn Research Forest, a treasure for hikers, bikers, runners and horseback riders. Within the city limits several parks, totaling 1,700 acres, provide residents with a natural setting to ramble with the family or frolic with the dog--all within biking distance of downtown. But, apparently, to the progressive inhabitants of Corvallis, 1,700 acres isn't enough--last November, voters showcased their ethos of sustainability by passing a $7.9 million bond for future open-space acquisition. You can't find a much greener pasture than that.
Its a great place to live if you are under 25 and/or love riding bikes, drinking beer and slow driving. Oh and have lots of money because you don't get what you pay for in Corvallis. Its wonderful between May and October...
Read your post and was interested to see how you decided on Corvallis for retirement. Did you look at other towns and cities in Oregon? What were your reasons for finally choosing Corvallis? We are considering Corvallis for retirement, also. Can you tell us what you feel are the pros and cons of living there? We used to live in NY (absolutely hated the weather amongst a myriad of other things) and are currently living in SoCal but ready to leave the atmosphere of hot weather, horrendous traffic, fires, etc., etc. You sound very happy and contented in your Corvallis retirement!
We were researching towns we wanted to move to and knew we wanted to be somewhere in the West and not the Blue Ridge or the Smokies. People who get fed up with FL often move to mountain towns in NC or N GA and are referred to as "Half Backs" since they moved from up north to FL and then moved half way back.
We flew to Portland in September of 2005 and thought we might check out Olympia, Bend and Ashland in addition to Corvallis. Our plans were overly ambitious given the amount of time we had.
We spent a couple days in Portland before heading out through Silverton and on to Corvallis.
I had researched Corvallis extensively before we left, both at this forum and at a site called Find Your Spot, and had a pretty positive image of the town but wanted to keep our options open. One thing in it's favor was the Mother Earth News article I posted earlier and the purported bicycle friendliness. My wife and I are both outdoor lovers and bicycling plays a big part in our activities. The League of American Bicyclists had rated Corvallis as a Gold Level bicycle friendly small city.
Once we got here we realized there was something this was going to be the place for us.
Here is a little piece I wrote years ago on this forum about our first days here:
Re the friendliness of Oregonians here is the story I like to tell about how we came to choose to purchase a home in Corvallis on our 2nd day visiting in town.
We were on a corner of 2nd St downtown and were discussing which direction we wanted to go. My wife pointed one way and I pointed another. I looked around and saw traffic stopped in all directions. I said to my wife that we needed to make up our minds as traffic was stopped waiting for us to enter the crosswalk! Mind you, we were on the sidewalk and not even in the crosswalk yet!
In Florida, where we were living at the time, drivers pretty much ignore crosswalks. It has the highest rate of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths per capita of any state in the US so this courtesy, whether state mandated or not, was quite a pleasant surprise to us.
We were so enthused by what we had seen so far that we decided to purchase a house right away even though we would not be ready to move for another couple of years.
We purchased the first house we were shown since we had a very limited amount of time - a smallish 3/2 built in 1974 in the SW section in what is referred to as the Old Country Club subdivision.
Luckily it has turned out to be an excellent choice.
We placed the house with a property management firm and flew back to FL to tie up loose ends.
We moved here permanently in April of 2008.
The neighbors are friendly and there is no active HOA so we tore up our manicured grass & hedge front yard, planting flowers, shrubs and vegetables.
We have made many friends since moving and are involved in a number of activities.
We have no regrets about the move and really cannot come up with any downsides to living here.
We have a mild Mediterranean climate with warm dry summers, a gorgeous fall followed by a cool, wet winter and then a lush vibrant spring.
It does not rain 9 months of the year as some folks say.
Our average annual rainfall is around 45", less than much of the South East. It's just that it comes in brief showers or prolonged drizzle during the wet months but interspersed with a good number of sunny days.
Our bicycle club has rides all year although attendance is down on rainy or foggy days.
I suppose one downside, now that I think of it, is that housing prices have increased quite a bit since we moved here and there is a supply shortage. Many people choose to live in N Albany which is still in Benton County or across the Willamette in Albany itself where housing is more affordable.
I wish you luck in finding your spot,
Bruce Martin
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