Eugene, Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
City
Clockwise from top: Panorama taken from Skinner Butte, the Lane County Farmers Market, Whilamut Passage Bridge, University of Oregon Autzen Stadium
Seal
Nicknames: Emerald Valley, The Emerald City, Track Town USA
Motto(s): A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors
Interactive map of Eugene
Eugene, Oregon Show map of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Show map of the United States Eugene, Oregon Show map of North America
Coordinates:44°3′8″N123°5′33″W / 44.05222°N 123.09250°W /44.05222; -123.09250
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Lane
Founded	1846
Incorporated	October 17, 1862
Government
• Type	Council–manager
•Mayor	Lucy Vinis(D)
• City manager	Sarah Medary[citation needed]
Area [1]
•City	44.29 sq mi (114.70 km2)
• Land	44.22 sq mi (114.52 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation [3]	413 ft (126 m)
Population ( 2020) [4]
•City	176,654
• Rank	US:155th
• Density	3,995.07/sq mi (1,542.50/km2)
•Urban	270,179 (US:151st)[2]
• Urban density	3,676.6/sq mi (1,419.6/km2)
•Metro	382,971 (US:146th)
Demonym(s)	Eugenean; Eugenian; Eugenite[5][6][7][8]
Time zone	UTC−08:00(PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00(PDT)
ZIP Codes	97401–97405, 97408, 97440
Area code(s)	458 and 541
FIPS code	41-23850
GNISfeature ID	2410460[3]
Website	www.eugene-or.gov

Eugene(/juːˈdʒiːn/yoo-JEEN) is a city in and thecounty seatofLane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of theWillamette Valley, near the confluence of theMcKenzieandWillametterivers, about 50 miles (80 km) east of theOregon Coast.^[9]

Thesecond-most populous cityin Oregon, Eugene had a population of 176,654 as of the2020 United States census^[10]and it covers city area of 44.21 sq mi (114.5 km²). TheEugene-Springfield metropolitan statistical areais the second largest in Oregon afterPortland.^[11]In 2022, Eugene's population was estimated to have reached 179,887.

Eugene is home to theUniversity of Oregon,Bushnell University, andLane Community College.^[12][13][14]The city is noted for its natural environment, recreational opportunities (especiallybicycling,running/jogging,rafting, andkayaking), and focus on the arts, along with its history of civil unrest, riots, and green activism. Eugene's official slogan is "A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors".^[15]It is also referred to as the "Emerald City" and as "Track Town, USA".^[16]TheNike corporationhad its beginnings in Eugene.^[17]In July 2022, the city hosted the 18thWorld Athletics Championship.^[18]

The first people to settle in the Eugene area were theKalapuyans, also written Calapooia or Calapooya. They made "seasonal rounds," moving around the countryside to collect and preserve local foods, including acorns, the bulbs of thewapatoandcamasplants, and berries. They stored these foods in their permanent winter village. When crop activities waned, they returned to their winter villages and took up hunting, fishing, and trading.^[19][20]They were known as the Chifin Kalapuyans and called the Eugene area where they lived "Chifin", sometimes recorded as "Chafin" or "Chiffin".^[21][22]

Other Kalapuyan tribes occupied villages that are also now within Eugene city limits. Pee-you or Mohawk Calapooians, Winefelly or Pleasant Hill Calapooians, and the Lungtum or Long Tom. They were close-neighbors to the Chifin, intermarried, and were political allies. Some authorities suggest the Brownsville Kalapuyans (Calapooia Kalapuyans) were related to the Pee-you. It is likely that since the Santiam had an alliance with the Brownsville Kalapuyans that the Santiam influence also went as far at Eugene.^[23]

According to archeological evidence, the ancestors of the Kalapuyans may have been in Eugene for as long as 10,000 years.^[24]In the 1800s their traditional way of life faced significant changes due to devastating epidemics and settlement, first by French fur traders and later by an overwhelming number of American settlers.^[25]

French fur tradershad settled seasonally in the Willamette Valley by the beginning of the 19th century. Their settlements were concentrated in the "French Prairie" community in Northern Marion County but may have extended south to the Eugene area. Having already developed relationships with Native communities through intermarriage and trade, they negotiated for land from the Kalapuyans. By 1828 to 1830 they and their Native wives began year-round occupation of the land, raising crops and tending animals. In this process, the mixed race families began to impact Native access to land, food supply, and traditional materials for trade and religious practices.^[26]

In July 1830, "intermittent fever" struck the lower Columbia region and a year later, the Willamette Valley. Natives traced the arrival of the disease, then new to thePacific Northwest, to theUSS Owyhee, captained by John Dominis. "Intermittent fever" is thought by researchers now to bemalaria.^[27]According to Robert T. Boyd, an anthropologist at Portland State University, the first three years of the epidemic, "probably constitute the single most important epidemiological event in the recorded history of what would eventually become the state of Oregon". In his bookThe Coming of the Spirit PestilenceBoyd reports there was a 92% population loss for the Kalapuyans between 1830 and 1841.^[28]This catastrophic event shattered the social fabric of Kalapuyan society and altered the demographic balance in the Valley. This balance was further altered over the next few years by the arrival of Anglo-American settlers, beginning in 1840 with 13 people and growing steadily each year until within 20 years more than 11,000 American settlers, including Eugene Skinner, had arrived.^[29]

As the demographic pressure from the settlers grew, the remaining Kalapuyans were forcibly removed toIndian reservations. Though some Natives avoided transfer into the reservation, most were moved to theGrand Ronde reservationin 1856.^[30][31]Strict racial segregation was enforced and mixed race people, known asMétisin French, had to make a choice between the reservation and Anglo-American society. Native Americans could not leave the reservation without traveling papers and white people could not enter the reservation.^[32]

Eugene Franklin Skinner, after whom Eugene is named, arrived in theWillamette Valleyin 1846 with 1,200 other settlers that year. Advised by the Kalapuyans to build on high ground to avoid flooding, he erected the first pioneer cabin^[33]on south or west slope of what the Kalapuyans called Ya-po-ah. The "isolated hill" is now known asSkinner's Butte.^[34]The cabin was used as atrading postand was registered as an official post office on January 8, 1850.^[35]

At this time the settlement was known by settlers as Skinner's Mudhole. It was relocated in 1853 and named Eugene City in 1853.^[36]Formally incorporated as a city in 1862, it was renamed to Eugene in 1889.^[37][36]Skinner ran a ferry service across theWillamette Riverwhere theFerry Street Bridgenow stands.

The first major educational institution in the area wasColumbia College, founded a few years earlier than the University of Oregon. It fell victim to two major fires in four years, and after the second fire, the college decided not to rebuild again.^[38]The part of south Eugene known as College Hill was the former location of Columbia College. There is no college there today.^[39]

The town raised the initial funding to start a public university, which later became theUniversity of Oregon, with the hope of turning the small town into a center of learning. In 1872, theLegislative Assemblypassed a bill creating the University of Oregon as a state institution. Eugene bested the nearby town ofAlbanyin the competition for the state university. In 1873, community memberJ.H.D. Hendersondonated the hilltop land for the campus, overlooking the city.^[40]The university first opened in 1876 with the regents electing the first faculty and naming John Wesley Johnson as president. The first students registered on October 16, 1876. The first building was completed in 1877; it was named Deady Hall in honor of the first Board of Regents President and community leader JudgeMatthew P. Deady.^[41]

Other universities in Eugene includeBushnell UniversityandNew Hope Christian College.

Eugene grew rapidly throughout most of the twentieth century, with the exception being the early 1980s when a downturn in the timber industry caused high unemployment. By 1985, the industry had recovered and Eugene began to attract more high-tech industries, earning it the moniker the "Emerald Shire". In 2012, Eugene and the surrounding metro area was dubbed theSilicon shire.

The first Nike shoe was used in 1972 during the US Olympic trials held in Eugene.^[42]

The 1970s saw an increase in community activism. Local activists stopped a proposed freeway and lobbied for the construction of theWashington Jefferson Parkbeneath the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge. Community Councils soon began to form as a result of these efforts.^[43]A notable impact of the turn to community-organized politics came withEugene Local Measure 51, a ballot measure in 1978 that repealed a gay rights ordinance approved by the Eugene City Council in 1977 that prohibited discrimination by sexual orientation. Eugene is also home toBeyond Toxics, a nonprofit environmental justice organization founded in 2000.^[44]

One hotspot for protest activity since the 1990s has been theWhiteakerdistrict, located in the northwest of downtown Eugene. The Whiteaker is primarily aworking-classneighborhood that has become a cultural hub, center of community and activism and home to alternative artists. It saw an increase of activity in the 1990s after many young people drawn to Eugene's political climate relocated there.^[45]Animal rights groups have had a heavy presence in the Whiteaker, and severalveganrestaurants are located there. According toDavid Samuels, theAnimal Liberation Frontand theEarth Liberation Fronthave had an underground presence in the neighborhood.^[46]The neighborhood is home to a number of communal apartment buildings, which are often organized by anarchist or environmentalist groups. Local activists have also produced independent films and started art galleries, community gardens, and independent media outlets.Copwatch,Food Not Bombs, andCritical Massare also active in the neighborhood.^[47]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.74 square miles (113.29 km²), of which 43.72 square miles (113.23 km²) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) is water.^[48]Eugene is at an elevation of 426 feet (130 m).

To the north of downtown isSkinner Butte. Northeast of the city are theCoburg Hills.Spencer Butteis a prominent landmark south of the city.Mount Pisgahis southeast of Eugene and includes theMount Pisgah Arboretumand theHoward Buford Recreation Area, a Lane County Park. Eugene is surrounded by foothills and forests to the south, east, and west, while to the north the land levels out into the Willamette Valley and consists of mostly farmland.

TheWillametteandMcKenzieRivers run through Eugene and its neighboring city,Springfield. Another important stream isAmazon Creek, whose headwaters are near Spencer Butte. The creek discharges into theLong Tom RivernorthFern Ridge Reservoir, maintained for winter flood control by theArmy Corps of Engineers. TheEugene Yacht Clubhosts a sailing school and sailing regattas at Fern Ridge during summer months.^[49]

Eugene has 23^[50]neighborhood associations:

The River Road and Santa Clara sections, which make up the northwestern part of the city, are within the urban growth boundary and generally perceived as part of Eugene, but are largely outside of the city limits.

Like the rest of theWillamette Valley, Eugene lies in theMarine West Coastclimate zone, withMediterraneancharacteristics. Under the Köppen climate classification scheme, Eugene has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen:Csb). Temperatures can vary from cool to warm, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Spring and fall are also moist seasons, with light rain falling for long periods. The average rainfall is 40.83 inches (1,040 mm), with the wettest "rain year" being from July 1973 to June 1974 with 75.59 inches (1,920.0 mm) and the driest from July 2000 to June 2001 with 20.40 inches (518.2 mm).^[51]Measurements taken by NOAA over the past four decades have indicated a significant decline in average annual precipitation. From 1981 to 2010 inclusive, the reported annual average precipitation was 46.1 inches (1,170 mm),^[52][53]but for the thirty-year period ending in 2020, the annual average had declined 5.27 inches (134 mm), to 40.83 inches (1,040 mm).^[54]The figures from the second half of that period, or 2006 - 2020 inclusive, pointed to a further decline of more than 4 inches (102 mm), down to an annual average of 36.58 inches (929 mm).^[53]

Winter snowfall does occur, but it is sporadic and rarely accumulates in large amounts: the normal seasonal amount is 4.9 inches (12 cm), but the median is zero.^[51]The record snowfall was 41.7 inches (106 cm) of accumulation due to apineapple expresson January 25–29, 1969.^[51]Ice storms, like snowfall, are rare, but occur sporadically.

The hottest months are July and August, with a normal monthly mean temperature of 67.8 to 67.9 °F (19.9 to 19.9 °C), with an average of 16 days per year reaching 90 °F (32 °C). The coolest month is December, with a mean temperature of 40.6 °F (4.8 °C), and there are 52 mornings per year with a low at or below freezing, and 2 afternoons with highs not exceeding the freezing mark.^[51]The coldest daytime high of the year averages 32 °F (0 °C), reaching the freezing point.^[51]

Eugene's average annual temperature is 53.1 °F (11.7 °C), and annual precipitation at 40.83 inches (1,040 mm).^[55]Eugene is slightly cooler on average thanPortland. Despite being located about 100 miles (160 km) south and at an only slightly higher elevation, Eugene has a morecontinental climatethan Portland, less subject to the maritime air that blows inland from the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River. Eugene's normal annual mean minimum is 41.9 °F (5.5 °C),^[51]compared to 46.2 °F (7.9 °C) in Portland;^[56]in August, the gap in the normal mean minimum widens to 51.1 and 58.0 °F (10.6 and 14.4 °C) for Eugene and Portland, respectively.^[51]Eugene's warmest night annually averages a modest 62 °F (17 °C).^[51]Average winter temperatures (and summer high temperatures) are similar for the two cities.

Extreme temperatures range from −12 °F (−24 °C), recorded on December 8, 1972, to 111 °F (44 °C) on June 27, 2021; the record cold daily maximum is 19 °F (−7 °C), recorded on December 13, 1919, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 71 °F (22 °C) on July 22, 2006.^[51]

Eugene is downwind of Willamette Valley grass seed farms.^[59]The combination of summer grass pollen and the confining shape of the hills around Eugene make it "the area of the highest grass pollen counts in the USA (>1,500 pollen grains/m³of air)."^[60]These high pollen counts have led to difficulties for some track athletes who compete in Eugene. In the Olympic trials in 1972, "Jim Ryunwon the 1,500 after being flown in by helicopter because he was allergic to Eugene's grass seed pollen."^[61]Further, six-time OlympianMaria Mutolaabandoned Eugene as a training area "in part to avoid allergies".^[62]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,183		—
1870	861		−27.2%
1880	1,117		29.7%
1900	3,236		—
1910	9,009		178.4%
1920	10,593		17.6%
1930	18,901		78.4%
1940	20,838		10.2%
1950	35,879		72.2%
1960	50,977		42.1%
1970	79,028		55.0%
1980	105,664		33.7%
1990	112,669		6.6%
2000	137,893		22.4%
2010	156,185		13.3%
2020	176,654		13.1%
2022 (est.)	179,887	[63]	1.8%
Sources:[64][65][4]

Eugene, Oregon – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[66]	Pop 2010[67]	Pop 2020[68]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
Whitealone (NH)	118,563	128,031	132,159	85.98%	81.97%	74.81%
Black or African Americanalone (NH)	1,644	1,955	2,935	1.19%	1.25%	1.66%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH)	1,115	1,267	1,351	0.81%	0.81%	0.76%
Asianalone (NH)	4,872	6,205	7,083	3.53%	3.97%	4.01%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH)	284	341	516	0.21%	0.22%	0.29%
Other racealone (NH)	315	308	1,157	0.23%	0.20%	0.65%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial(NH)	4,257	5,878	12,724	3.09%	3.76%	7.20%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)	6,843	12,200	18,729	4.96%	7.81%	10.60%
Total	137,893	156,185	176,654	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

According to the2010 census, Eugene's population was 156,185.^[69]The population density was 3,572.2 people per square mile. There were 69,951 housing units at an average density of 1,600 per square mile.^[70]Those age 18 and over accounted for 81.8% of the total population.^[70]

The racial makeup of the city was 85.8%White, 4.0%Asian, 1.4%BlackorAfrican American, 1.0%Native American, 0.2%Pacific Islander, and 4.7% fromother races.^[70]

HispanicsandLatinosof any race accounted for 7.8% of the total population.^[71]Of the non-Hispanics, 82% were White, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 4% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race alone, and 3.4% were of two or more races.^[70]

Females represented 51.1% of the total population, and males represented 48.9%. The median age in the city was 33.8 years.^[72]

The census of 2000 showed there were 137,893 people, 58,110 households, and 31,321 families residing in the city of Eugene. The population density was 3,404.8 people per square mile (1,314.6 people/km²). There were 61,444 housing units at an average density of 1,516.4 per square mile (585.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.15% White, down from 99.5% in 1950,^[73]3.57% Asian, 1.25% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 3.72% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 58,110 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was 20.3% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,850, and the median income for a family was $48,527. Males had a median income of $35,549 versus $26,721 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,315. About 8.7% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Eugene's largest employers arePeaceHealth Medical Group, the University of Oregon, and theEugene School District.^[74]Eugene's largest industries are wood products manufacturing and recreational vehicle manufacturing.^[75]

Corporate headquarters for the employee-ownedBi-Martcorporation andfamily-ownedsupermarketMarket of Choiceremain in Eugene.

Many multinational businesses were launched in Eugene. Some of the most famous includeNike,^[17]Taco Time,^[76]andBroderbundSoftware.^[77]

The footwear repair productShoe Goois manufactured by Eclectic Products, based in Eugene.

Run Gum, an energy gum created for runners, also began its life in Eugene. Run Gum was created by track athleteNick Symmondsand track and field coach Sam Lapray in 2014.^[78]

Burley Design LLCproduces bicycle trailers and was founded in Eugene by Alan Scholz out of aSaturday Marketbusiness in 1978. Eugene is also the birthplace and home of Bike Friday bicycle manufacturer Green Gear Cycling.

Organically Grown Company, the largest distributor of organic fruits and vegetables in the northwest, started in Eugene in 1978 as a non-profit co-op for organic farmers. Notable localfood processors, many of whom manufacturecertified organicproducts, include Golden Temple (Yogi Tea), Merry Hempsters, Springfield Creamery (Nancy's Yogurt), andMountain Rose Herbs.

Until July 2008,HynixSemiconductor America had operated a large semiconductor plant in west Eugene. In late September 2009, Uni-Chem of South Korea announced its intention to purchase the Hynix site forsolar cellmanufacturing.^[79]However, this deal fell through and as of late 2012, is no longer planned.^[80]In 2015, semiconductor manufacturerBroadcompurchased the plant with plans to upgrade and reopen it. The company abandoned these plans and put it up for sale in November 2016.^[81]

Luckey's Club Cigar Store is one of the oldest bars in Oregon. Tad Luckey Sr. purchased it in 1911, making it one of the oldest businesses in Eugene. The "Club Cigar", as it was called in the late 19th century, was for many years a men-only salon. It survived both theGreat DepressionandProhibition, partly because Eugene was a "dry town" before the end of Prohibition.^[82]

The city has over 25 breweries, offers a variety of dining options with a local focus; the city is surrounded by wineries. The most notable fungi here is the truffle; Eugene hosts the annual Oregon Truffle Festival in January.^[83]

In 2012, the Eugene metro region was dubbed theSilicon Shirefor its growing tech industry.

According to Eugene's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[84]the city's top employers are:

#	Employer	Number of employees
1	PeaceHealth Medical Group	5,808
2	University of Oregon	5,549
3	Eugene School District 4J	2,553
4	U.S. Government	1,750
5	Lane Community College	1,650
6	Springfield School District	1,610
7	State of Oregon	1,594
8	Lane County	1,567
9	City of Eugene	1,417
10	McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center	898

Eugene has a growing problem with homelessness.^[85]The problem has been referenced in popular culture, including in the episodeThe 30% Iron ChefinFuturama.^[86]During theCOVID-19 pandemic, the city experienced a controversy over its continuing policy of homeless removal, despite CDC guidelines to not engage in homeless removal.^[87]

Eugene has a significant population of people in pursuit of alternative ideas and a large originalhippiepopulation.^[88]Beginning in the 1960s, thecounterculturalideas and viewpoints espoused by area nativeKen Keseybecame established as the seminal elements of the vibrant social tapestry that continue to define Eugene.^[89]The Merry Prankster, as Kesey was known, has arguably left the most indelible imprint of anycultural iconin his hometown. He is best known as the author ofOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nestand as the male protagonist inTom Wolfe'sThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.^[89]

In 2005, the city council unanimously approved a new slogan for the city: "World's Greatest City for the Arts & Outdoors". While Eugene has a vibrant arts community for a city its size, and is well situated near many outdoor opportunities, this slogan was frequently criticized by locals as embarrassing and ludicrous.^[90]In early 2010, the slogan was changed to "A Great City for the Arts & Outdoors."

Eugene'sSaturday Market, open every Saturday from April through November,^[91]was founded in 1970 as the first "Saturday Market" in the United States.^[92]It is adjacent to the Lane County Farmer's Market in downtown Eugene. All vendors must create or grow all their own products. The market reappears as the "Holiday Market" between Thanksgiving and New Year's in the Lane County Events Center at the fairgrounds.

Eugene is noted for its "community inventiveness." Many U.S. trends in community development originated in Eugene. The University of Oregon's participatoryplanningprocess, known asThe Oregon Experiment, was the result of student protests in the early 1970s. The book of the same name is a major document in modern enlightenment thinking in planning and architectural circles. The process, still used by the university in modified form, was created byChristopher Alexander, whose works also directly inspired the creation of theWiki. Some research for the bookA Pattern Language, which inspired theDesign Patternsmovement andExtreme Programming, was done by Alexander in Eugene. Not coincidentally, those engineering movements also had origins here. Decades after its publication,A Pattern Languageis still one of the best-selling books on urban design.^[93]

In the 1970s, Eugene was packed with cooperative and community projects. It still has small natural food stores in many neighborhoods, some of the oldest student cooperatives in the country, and alternative schools have been part of the school district since 1971. The old Grower's Market, downtown near theAmtrakdepot, is the only food cooperative in the U.S. with no employees. It is possible to see Eugene's trend-setting non-profit tendencies in much newer projects, such asSquare One Villagesand theCenter for Appropriate Transport. In 2006, an initiative began to create a tenant-run development process for downtown Eugene.

In the fall of 2003, neighbors noticed "an unassuming two-acre remnant orchard tucked into the Friendly Area Neighborhood"^[94]had been put up for sale by its owner, a resident of New York City.^[95]Learning a prospective buyer had plans to build several houses on the property, they formed a nonprofit organization called Madison Meadow^[96][97]in June 2004 in order to buy the property and "preserve it as undeveloped space in perpetuity."^[96]In 2007 their effort was named Third Best Community Effort by theEugene Weekly,^[98]and by the end of 2008 they had raised enough money to purchase the property.^[94]

The City of Eugene has an active Neighborhood Program. Several neighborhoods are known for their green activism. Friendly Neighborhood has a highly popular neighborhood garden established on the right of way of a street never built. There are a number of community gardens on public property. Amazon Neighborhood has a former church turned into a community center. Whiteaker hosts a housing co-op that dates from the early 1970s that has re-purposed both their parking lots into food production and play space. An unusual eco-village with natural building techniques and large shared garden can be found in Jefferson Westside neighborhood. A several block area in the River Road Neighborhood is known as apermaculturehotspot with an increasing number of suburban homes trading grass for garden, installing rain water catchment systems, food producing landscapes and solar retrofits. Several sites have planted gardens by removing driveways. Citizen volunteers are working with the City of Eugene to restore a 65-treefilbertgrove on public property. There are deepening social and economic networks in the neighborhood.

• Asian Celebration,^[99]presented by the Asian Council of Eugene and Springfield, takes place in late July at Alton Baker Park. The festival was changed to an outdoor venue after the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• TheKLCCMicrobrew Festival^[100]is held in February at the Lane County Fairgrounds. It provides participants with an introduction to a large range of microbrewery and craft beers, which play an important role in Pacific Northwest culture and the economy.^[101][100]
• Mount Pisgah Arboretum, which resides at the base ofMount Pisgah, holds a Wildflower Festival in May and aMushroom Festivaland Plant Sale in October.^[102]
• Oregon Festival of American Music,^[103]or OFAM is held annually in the early summer.
• TheOregon Bach Festivalis a major international festival in July,^[104]hosted by the University of Oregon.^[105]
• The nonprofitOregon Country Fair^[106]takes place in July in nearbyVeneta.
• TheLane County Fair^[107]occurs in July at the Lane County Fairgrounds.
• TheEugene/Springfield Pride Festival^[108]is held annually on the second Saturday in August from noon to 7:00 p.m. at Alton Baker Park. A part ofEugene LGBT culturesince 1993, it provides a lighthearted and supportive social venue for the LGBT community, families, and friends.
• Eugene Celebration^[109]is a three-day block party that usually takes place in the downtown area in August or September. TheSLUG Queencoronation in August, a pageant with a campy spin, crowns a new SLUG Queen who "rains" over the Eugene Celebration Parade and is an unofficial ambassador of Eugene.^[110]

Eugene museums include the University of Oregon'sJordan Schnitzer Museum of ArtandMuseum of Natural and Cultural History, theOregon Air and Space Museum,Lane County History Museum,^[111]Maude Kerns Art Center,Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, and theEugene Science Center.

Eugene is home to numerous cultural organizations, including theEugene Symphony(whose previous music directors includeMarin Alsop,Giancarlo Guerrero, andMiguel Harth-Bedoya); theEugene Ballet, a professional full-time touring company; theEugene Opera, theEugene Concert Choir, the Bushnell University Community Choir, theOregon Mozart Players, theOregon Bach Festival, theOregon Children's Choir, theEugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras,Ballet FantastiqueandOregon Festival of American Music. Principal performing arts venues include theHult Center for the Performing Arts,The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts("The Shedd"), theMcDonald Theatre, andW.O.W. Hall.

TheUniversity of Oregon School of Music and Dancealso attracts world class performers and teaching artists throughout the year, many of whom perform atBeall Concert Hall. The university campus also frequently hosts performances atMatthew Knight Arenaand theErb Memorial Unionballroom.

A number of live theater groups are based in Eugene, includingFree Shakespeare in the Park,Oregon Contemporary Theatre,The Very Little Theatre,Actors Cabaret,LCC Theatre, Rose Children's Theatre, andUniversity Theatre.^[112]Each has its own performance venue.

Because of its status as acollege town, Eugene has been home to many music genres, musicians and bands, ranging fromelectronic dance musicsuch asdubstepanddrum and basstogarage rock,hip hop,folkandheavy metal. Eugene also has growingreggaeand street-performingbluegrassandjug bandscenes. Multi-genre act theCherry Poppin' Daddiesbecame a prominent figure in Eugene's music scene and became thehouse bandat Eugene's W.O.W. Hall. In the late 1990s, their contributions to theswing revivalmovement propelled them to national stardom. Rock bandFloateroriginated in Eugene as did the Robert Cray blues band. Doom metal bandYOBis among the leaders of the Eugene heavy music scene.

Eugene is home to "Classical Gas" Composer and two-time Grammy award winnerMason Williamswho spent his years as a youth living between his parents inOakridge, Oregonand Oklahoma. Mason Williams puts on a yearly Christmas show at the Hult center for performing arts with a full orchestra produced by author, audio engineer and University of Oregon professorDon Latarski.^[113]

Dick Hyman, noted jazz pianist and musical director for many of Woody Allen's films, designs and hosts the annual Now Hear This! jazz festival at the Oregon Festival of American Music (OFAM). OFAM and theHult Centerroutinely draw major jazz talent for concerts.^[114][115]

Eugene is also home to a largeZimbabwean musiccommunity.Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center, which is "dedicated to the music and people ofZimbabwe," is based in Eugene.

Eugene's visual arts community is supported by over 20 privateart galleriesand several organizations, including Maude Kerns Art Center,^[116]Lane Arts Council,^[117]DIVA (the Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts) and theEugene Glass School.

In 2015 installations from a group of Eugene-based artists known as Light At Play were showcased in several events around the world as part of theInternational Year of Light, including displays at theSmithsonianand theNational Academy of Sciences.^[118][119]

The Eugene area has been used as a filming location for several Hollywood films, most famously for 1978'sNational Lampoon's Animal House, which was also filmed in nearbyCottage Grove.John Belushihad the idea for the filmThe Blues Brothersduring filming ofAnimal Housewhen he happened to meetCurtis Salgadoat what was then the Eugene Hotel.^[120]

Getting Straight, starringElliott GouldandCandice Bergen, was filmed atLane Community Collegein 1969. As the campus was still under construction at the time, the "occupation scenes" were easier to shoot.^[121]

The "Chicken Salad on Toast" scene in the 1970Jack NicholsonmovieFive Easy Pieceswas filmed at theDenny'srestaurant at the southernI-5freeway interchange nearGlenwood. Nicholson directed the 1971 filmDrive, He Saidin Eugene.

How to Beat the High Cost of Living, starringJane Curtin,Jessica LangeandSusan St. James, was filmed in Eugene in the fall of 1979. Locations visible in the film includeValley River Center(which is a driving force in the plot), Skinner Butte andYa-Po-Ah Terrace, the Willamette River and River Road Hardware.

Severaltrack and fieldmovies have used Eugene as a setting and/or a filming location.Personal Best, starringMariel Hemingway, was filmed in Eugene in 1982. The film centered on a group of women who are trying to qualify for the Olympic track and field team. Two track and field movies about the life ofSteve Prefontaine,PrefontaineandWithout Limits, were released within a year of each other in 1997–1998.Kenny Moore, Eugene-trained Olympic runner and co-star inPrefontaine, co-wrote the screenplay forWithout Limits.Prefontainewas filmed in Washington because theWithout Limitsproduction bought outHayward Fieldfor the summer to prevent its competition from shooting there.^[122]Kenny Moore also wrote a biography ofBill Bowerman, played inWithout LimitsbyDonald Sutherlandback in Eugene 20 years after he had appeared inAnimal House. Moore had also had a role inPersonal Best.

Stealing Time, a 2003 independent film, was partially filmed in Eugene. When the film premiered in June 2001 at theSeattle International Film Festival, it was titledRennie's Landingafter a popular bar near the University of Oregon campus. The title was changed for its DVD release.Zerophiliawas filmed in Eugene in 2006.

The 2016Tracktownwas about a distance runner training for theOlympicsin Eugene.

Religious institutions of higher learning in Eugene includeBushnell UniversityandNew Hope Christian College. Bushnell University (formerly Northwest Christian University), founded in 1895, has ties with theChristian Church (Disciples of Christ). New Hope Christian College (formerly Eugene Bible College) originated with the Bible Standard Conference in 1915, which joined with Open Bible Evangelistic Association to createOpen Bible Standard Churchesin 1932.Eugene Bible Collegewas started from this movement by Fred Hornshuh in 1925.^[123]

There are twoEastern Orthodox Churchparishes in Eugene:St John the WonderworkerOrthodox Christian Church in the HistoricWhiteakerNeighborhood^[124][125]andSaint GeorgeGreek Orthodox Church.^[126]

There are six Roman Catholic parishes in Eugene as well:St. Mary Catholic Church,^[127]St. Jude Catholic Church, St. Mark Catholic Church, St. Peter Catholic Church, St. Paul Catholic Church, and St. Thomas More Catholic Church.^[128]

Eugene also has a Ukrainian Catholic Church named Nativity of the Mother of God.^[129]

There is a mainline Protestant contingency in the city as well—such as the largest of theLutheranChurches, Central Lutheran^[130]near the U of O Campus and theEpiscopalChurch of the Resurrection.^[131]

The Eugene area has a sizeableLDS Churchpresence, with three stakes, consisting of 23 congregations (wards and branches).^[132]The Church of Jesus Christ announced plans in April 2020 to build a temple in Eugene.^[133]

The greater Eugene-Springfield area also has aJehovah's Witnessespresence with five Kingdom Halls, several having multiple congregations in one Kingdom Hall.

TheReconstructionistTemple Beth Israelis Eugene's largest Jewish congregation.^[134]It was also, for many decades, Eugene's only synagogue,^[135][136]untilOrthodoxmembers broke away in 1992 and formed "Congregation Ahavas Torah".^[137][138]

Eugene has a community of some 140Sikhs, who have established a Sikh temple.^[139]

The 340-member congregation of theUnitarian UniversalistChurch in Eugene (UUCE)^[140]purchased the former Eugene Scottish Rite Temple in May 2010, renovated it, and began services there in September 2012.

Saraha NyingmaBuddhist Templein Eugene^[141]opened in 2012 in the former site of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

The First Congregational Church, UCC is a large progressive Christian Church with a long history of justice focused ministries and a very active membership. Three years ago, the congregation coordinated with the Connections Program of the St Vincent DePaul organization to provide transitional homes for two unhoused families on the church's property. Through life - skills support and training and a more stable housing situation these families are then able to make their way into independent living.^[142]

Eugene markets itself as "Track Town USA".^[143]There are close links between the University of Oregon's successfultrack & field program, theOregon Track Club, andNike, Inc, who were founded by University of Oregon track athletePhil Knightand his coach,Bill Bowerman.^[144][145]

Eugene's miles of running trails, through its unusually large park system, are among the most extensive in the U.S.^{[citation needed]}Notable trails includePre's Trailin Alton Baker Park,Rexius Trail, theAdidas Oregon Trail, and theRidgeline Trail. There is also an extensive network of trails along the Willamette River that reaches into neighboring Springfield, as well as along Amazon Creek in the southern and western parts of town.

Jogging was introduced to the U.S. through Eugene, brought fromNew Zealandby Bill Bowerman, who wrote the best-selling book "Jogging", and coached the champion University of Oregon track and cross country teams. During Bowerman's tenure, his "Men of Oregon" won 24 individualNCAAtitles, including titles in 15 out of the 19 events contested. During Bowerman's 24 years at Oregon, his track teams finished in the top ten at the NCAA championships 16 times, including four team titles (1962, '64, '65, '70), and two second-place trophies. His teams also posted a dual meet record of 114–20.

Bowerman also invented the waffle sole for running shoes in Eugene, and with Oregon alumnusPhil Knightfounded shoe giant Nike. The city has dozens of running clubs. The climate is cool and temperate, good both for jogging and record-setting. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon's Hayward Field track, which hosts numerous collegiate and amateur track and field meets throughout the year, most notably thePrefontaine Classic. Hayward Field was host to the 2004AAU Junior Olympic Games, the 1989World Masters Athletics Championships, the track and field events of the 1998World Masters Games, the 2006Pacific-10track and field championships, the 1971, 1975, 1986, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2009, and 2011USA Track & Field Outdoor Championshipsand the 1972, 1976, 1980, 2008, 2012, and 2016U.S. Olympic trials. Eugene is the host of the delayed2021 World Athletics Championships.^[146]The city bid for the2019 eventbut lost narrowly toDoha,Qatar.

Eugene'sOregon Ducksare part of thePac-12 Conference(Pac-12).American footballis especially popular, with intense rivalries between the Ducks and both theOregon State UniversityBeaversand theUniversity of WashingtonHuskies.^[147]Autzen Stadiumis home to Duck football, with aseating capacityof 54,000 but has had over 60,000 with standing room only.^[148]The basketball arena,McArthur Court, was built in 1926.^[149]The arena was replaced by theMatthew Knight Arenain late 2010.^[150]

TheNationwide Tour's golfing eventOregon Classictakes place at Shadow Hills Country Club, just north of Eugene. The event has been played every year since 1998, except in 2001 when it was slated to begin the day after the9/11terrorist attacks. The top 20 players from the Nationwide Tour are promoted to the PGA Tour for the following year.^[151]

Eugene is also home to theEugene Emeralds, a short-season Class Aminor-league baseball team. The "Ems" play their home games in PK Park, also the home of the University of Oregon baseball team. The Eugene Jr. Generals, a Tier III Junior "A" ice hockey team belonging to the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NPHL) consisting of 8 teams throughout Oregon and Washington, plays at the Lane County Ice Center.Lane United FC, a soccer club that participates in the Northwest Division ofUSL League Two, was founded in 2013 and plays its home games at Civic Park.

The following table lists some sports clubs in Eugene and their usual home venue:

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
University of Oregon Ducks	Football, Basketball,Track and Field,Softball, Volleyball, Golf, Tennis, Baseball,Lacrosse, Ice hockey, Soccer,Ultimate	1876	National Collegiate Athletic Association:Pac-12 Conference	Autzen Stadium,Matthew Knight Arena,PK Park,Hayward Field
Bushnell UniversityBeacons	Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball,Cross Country,Distance Track, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball	1895	National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics,Cascade Collegiate Conference	Morse Event Center
New Hope Christian CollegeDeacons	Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball	1925		Rexius Event Center
Eugene Emeralds	Baseball	1955	Northwest League	PK Park
Lane Community CollegeTitans	Basketball, Cross Country, Track and Field, Soccer, Baseball	1965	Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges	Lane Community College
Eugene Gentlemen	Rugby	1973	Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union
Eugene Chargers	Basketball	2006	International Basketball League	Morse Event Center
Eugene Generals	Ice hockey	2005	Junior A Tier III-League Hockey:Northern Pacific Hockey League	Lane County Ice Center
Lane United FC	Soccer	2013	USL League Two	Civic Park

Spencer Butte Park at the southern edge of town provides access to Spencer Butte, a dominant feature of Eugene's skyline.Hendricks Park, situated on a knoll to the east of downtown, is known for itsrhododendrongarden and nearby memorial to Steve Prefontaine, known asPre's Rock, where the legendary University of Oregon runner was killed in an auto accident.Alton Baker Park, next to the Willamette River, contains Pre's Trail. Also next to the Willamette are Skinner Butte Park^[152]and the Owen Memorial Rose Garden, which contains more than 4,500 roses of over 400 varieties,^[153]as well as the 150-year-oldBlack TartarianCherry tree,^[154]anOregon Heritage Tree.^[155]

The city of Eugene maintains anurban forest. The University of Oregon campus is anarboretum, with over 500 species of trees. The city operates and maintains scenic hiking trails that pass through and across the ridges of a cluster of hills in the southern portion of the city, on the fringe of residential neighborhoods. Some trails allow biking, and others are for hikers and runners only.

The nearest ski resort,Willamette Pass, is one hour from Eugene by car. On the way, alongOregon Route 58, are several reservoirs and lakes, the Oakridgemountain biketrails,hot springs, and waterfalls withinWillamette National Forest. Eugene residents also frequent theHoodooandMount Bachelorski resorts. TheThree Sisters Wilderness, theOregon Dunes National Recreation Area, andSmith Rockare just a short drive away.

In 1944, Eugene adopted acouncil–managerform of government, replacing the day-to-day management of city affairs by the part-time mayor and volunteercity councilwith a full-time professionalcity manager. The subsequent history of Eugene city government has largely been one of the dynamics—often contentious—between the city manager, the mayor and city council.

According to statute, all Eugene and Lane County elections are officially non-partisan, with a primary containing all candidates in May. If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they win the election outright, otherwise the top two candidates face off in a November runoff. This allows candidates to win seats during the lower-turnout primary election.

The mayor of Eugene isLucy Vinis, who has been in office since winning the popular vote in May 2016, and who was re-elected in May 2020.Recent mayorsinclude Edwin Cone (1958–69), Les Anderson (1969–77) Gus Keller (1977–84), Brian Obie (1985–88), Jeff Miller (1989–92),Ruth Bascom(1993–96),Jim Torrey(1997–2004) andKitty Piercy(2005-2017).

Mayor: Lucy Vinis

• Ward 1 – Emily Semple
• Ward 2 – Matt Keating
• Ward 3 – Alan Zelenka
• Ward 4 – Jennifer Yeh
• Ward 5 – Mike Clark
• Ward 6 – Greg Evans
• Ward 7 – Lyndsey Leech
• Ward 8 – Randy Groves^[156]

The Eugene Police Department is the city's law enforcement and public safety agency.^[157]TheLane County Sheriff's Officealso has its headquarters in Eugene.^[158]

The University of Oregon is served by theUniversity of Oregon Police Department,^[159][160]and Eugene Police Department also has a police station in the West University District near campus. Lane Community College is served by the Lane Community College Public Safety Department.^[161]TheOregon State Policehave a presence in the rural areas and highways around the Eugene metro area.^[162]TheLTDdowntown station, and theEmXlines are patrolled byLTDTransit Officers. Since 1989 the mental health crisis intervention non-governmental agencyCAHOOTShas responded to Eugene's mental health 911 calls.^[163][164]

Eugene-Springfield Fire Departmentis the agency responsible for emergency medical services, fire suppression, HAZMAT operations and water/Confined spaces rescues in the combined Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area.^[165]

Eugene used to have an ordinance which prohibited car horn usage for non-driving purposes. After several residents were cited for this offense during the anti-Gulf War demonstrations in January 1991, the city was taken to court and in 1992 theOregon Court of Appealsoverturned the ordinance, finding it unconstitutionally vague.^[166]Eugene City Hallwas abandoned in 2012 for reasons of structural integrity, energy efficiency, and obsolete size. Various offices of city government became tenants in eight other buildings.

Being the largest city by far in Lane County, Eugene's voters almost always decide the county's partisan tilt. While Eugene has historically been a counter-culture-heavy and left-leaning college town, the county's partisan leanings have intensified in recent decades, mirroring the general polarization of Oregon voters along urban (pro-Democratic) and rural (pro-Republican) lines.^[167]

Lane County voted forBernie Sandersover eventual 2016 nomineeHillary Clintonby 60.6-38.1%, and Eugene offered Sanders an even larger share of its vote.^[168]

Eugene is home to theUniversity of Oregon. Other institutions of higher learning includeBushnell University,Lane Community College,New Hope Christian College,Gutenberg College, andPacific University's Eugene campus.

All of Lane County is in the Lane Community College district.^[169]

TheEugene School Districtcovers around 85% of the Eugene city limits.^[170]The remainder of Eugene's northwestern neighborhoods are in theBethel School District.^[171]

The Eugene School District includes four full-service high schools (Churchill,North Eugene,Sheldon, andSouth Eugene) and many alternative education programs, such asinternational schoolsandcharter schools. Foreignlanguage immersionprograms in the district are available in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Japanese.

The Bethel School District serves children in the Bethel neighborhood on the northwest edge of Eugene. The district is home to the traditionalWillamette High Schooland the alternativeKalapuya High School. There are 11 schools in this district.

Eugene also has several private schools, including the Eugene Waldorf School,^[172]theOutdoor High School, Eugene Montessori, Far Horizon Montessori, EugeneSudbury School,^[173]Wellsprings Friends School,^[174]Oak Hill School,^[175]and The Little French School.^[176]

Parochial schoolsin Eugene includeMarist Catholic High School, O'Hara Catholic Elementary School, Eugene Christian School, and St. Paul Parish School.^[177]

The largest library in Oregon is the University of Oregon'sKnight Library, with collections totaling more than 3 million volumes and over 100,000 audio and video items.^[178]TheEugene Public Library^[179]moved into a new, larger building downtown in 2002. The four-story library is an increase from 38,000 to 130,000 square feet (3,500 to 12,100 m²).^[180]There are also two branches of the Eugene Public Library, theSheldon Branch Libraryin the neighborhood of Cal Young/Sheldon, and theBethel Branch Library, in the neighborhood of Bethel. Eugene also has theLane CountyLaw Library.

The largest newspaper serving the area isThe Register-Guard, a daily newspaper with a circulation of about 70,000, published independently by the Baker family of Eugene until 2018, before being acquired byGateHouse Media, (now owned byGannett Company).^[181]Other newspapers serving the area include theEugene Weekly, theEmerald, the student-run independent newspaper at the University of Oregon, now published on Mondays and Thursdays;The Torch, the student-run newspaper at Lane Community College, theIgnite, the newspaper at New Hope Christian College andThe Beacon Bolt,the student-run newspaper at Bushnell University.Eugene Magazine,Lifestyle Quarterly,Eugene Living, andSustainable Home and Gardenmagazines also serve the area.Adelante Latinois a Spanish language newspaper in Eugene that serves all of Lane County.

Local television stations includeKMTR(NBC/The CW),KVAL(CBS),KLSR-TV(Fox),KEVU-CD,KEZI(ABC), KEPB (PBS), and KTVC (independent).

• KEZI(channel 9) (ABC)
• KVAL(channel 13) (CBS)
• KMTR(channel 16) (NBC/The CW)
• KEVU-CD(channel 23)
• KEPB(channel 28) (PBS)
• KLSR(channel 34) (Fox)
• KTVC(channel 36) (independent)
• KHWB-LD(channel 38) (TBN)

The local NPR affiliates areKOPB, andKLCC. Radio stationKRVM-AMis an affiliate of Jefferson Public Radio, based atSouthern Oregon University. ThePacifica Radioaffiliate is the University of Oregon student-run radio station,KWVA. Additionally, the community supports two other radio stations:KWAX(classical) andKRVM-FM(alternative).

AM stations

• KOAC550 Corvallis – NPR News/Talk (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• KUGN590 Eugene – NEWS/TALK (Cumulus)
• KXOR660 Junction City – Spanish Religious (Zion Media)
• KKNX840 Eugene – Classic Hits (Mielke Broadcasting)
• KORE1050 Springfield – FOX Sports Radio
• KPNW1120 Eugene – NEWS/TALK (Bicostal Media)
• KRVM1280 Eugene – NPR News/Talk (Eugene School District) (JPR affiliate)
• KNND1400 Cottage Grove – Classic Country (Reiten Communications Inc)
• KEED1450 Eugene – Classic Country (Mielke Broadcasting)
• KOPB1600 Eugene – NPR News/Talk (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

FM stations

• KWVA88.1 Eugene – Freeform (University of Oregon)
• KPIJ88.5 Junction City – Christian (Calvary Satellite Network) (Calvary Chapel)
• KQFE88.9 Springfield – Christian (Family Radio)
• KLCC89.7 Eugene – NPR News/Talk/Jazz (Lane Community College)
• KWAX91.1 Eugene – Classical (University of Oregon)
• KRVM91.9 Eugene – Adult Album Alternative (AAA) (Eugene School District)
• KKNU93.3 Springfield – Country (McKenzie River Broadcasting)
• KMGE94.5 Eugene – Adult Contemporary (McKenzie River Broadcasting)
• KUJZ95.3 Creswell – Sports (Cumulus)
• KZEL96.1 Eugene – Classic Rock (Cumulus)
• KEPW-LP97.3 Eugene - PeaceWorks Community Radio (Eugene PeaceWorks)
• KEQB97.7 Coburg - Regional Mexican (McKenzie River Broadcasting)
• KODZ99.1 Eugene – '90s/'00s Hits (Bicoastal Media)
• KRKT99.9 Albany – Country (Bicoastal Media)
• KMME100.5 Cottage Grove – Catholic Program (Catholic Radio Northwest)
• KFLY101.5 Corvallis - Country (Bicoastal Media)
• KEHK102.3 Brownsville – Hot Adult Contemporary (Cumulus)
• KNRQ103.7 Harrisburg – Alternative Rock (Cumulus)
• KDUK104.7 Florence – Top 40 (CHR) (Bicoastal Media)
• KEUG105.5 Veneta – Adult Hits (McKenzie River Broadcasting)
• KLOO106.3 Corvallis – Classic Rock (Bicoastal Media)
• KLVU107.1 Sweet Home – Contemporary Christian Music (K-LOVE) Educational Media Foundation
• KHPE107.9 Albany – Contemporary Christian Music (Extra Mile Media)

Lane Transit District(LTD), apublic transportationagency formed in 1970, covers 240 square miles (620 km²) of Lane County, includingCreswell, Cottage Grove,Junction City,Veneta, andBlue River. Operating more than 90 buses during peak hours, LTD carries riders on 3.7 million trips every year. LTD also operates abus rapid transitline that runs between Eugene and Springfield—Emerald Express (EmX)—much of which runs in its own lane, with stations providing for off-board fare payment. LTD's main terminus in Eugene is at theEugene Station. LTD also offersparatransit.

Greyhound Linesprovides service betweenLos AngelesandPortlandon the I-5 corridor.

Cycling is popular in Eugene and many people commute via bicycle. Summertime events and festivals frequently have valet bicycle parking corrals that are often filled to capacity by three hundred or more bikes. Many people commute to work by bicycle every month of the year. PeaceHealth Rides, a bike share system formerly operated by Uber subsidiary JUMP, and currently operated by non-profit Cascadia Mobility, offers 300 city-owned bicycles available to the public for a small fee. Bike trails take commuting and recreational bikers along the Willamette River past a scenic rose garden, along Amazon Creek, through the downtown, and through the University of Oregon campus. Eugene is close to many popular mountain bike trails, and Disciples of Dirt is the local mountain bike club that organizes group rides and promotes trail stewardship.^[182]

In 2009, theLeague of American Bicyclistscited Eugene as 1 of 10 "Gold-level" cities in the U.S. because of its "remarkable commitments to bicycling."^{[183][184][185]}In 2010,Bicyclingmagazine named Eugene the 5th most bike-friendly city in America.^[186][187]The U.S. Census Bureau's annualAmerican Community Surveyreported that Eugene had a bicycle commutingmode shareof 7.3% in 2011, the fifth highest percentage nationwide among U.S. cities with 65,000 people or more, and 13 times higher than the national average of 0.56%.^[188]

The 1908Amtrak depotdowntown was restored in 2004; it is the southern terminus for two daily runs of the AmtrakCascades, and a stop along the route in each direction for the dailyCoast Starlight.

Air travel is served by theEugene Airport, also known as Mahlon Sweet Field, which is the fifth largest airport in the Northwest and second largest airport inOregon. The Eugene Metro area also has numerous private airports.^[189]The Eugene Metro area also has severalheliports, such as theSacred Heart Medical Center Heliportand Mahlon Sweet Field Heliport, and many singlehelipads.

Highways traveling within and through Eugene include:

• Interstate 5: Interstate 5 forms much of the eastern city limit, acting as an effective, though unofficial boundary between Eugene and Springfield. To the north, I-5 leads to the Willamette Valley andPortland. To the south, I-5 leads toRoseburg,Medford, and the southwestern portion of the state. In full, Interstate 5 continues north to the Canada–US border at Blaine, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia and extends south to the Mexico–US border at Tijuana and San Diego.
• Officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Highway: Oregon Route 126 is routed along the Eugene-Springfield Highway, a limited-access freeway. The Eugene portion of this highway begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 and ends two miles (3.2 km) west at a freeway terminus. This portion of Oregon Route 126 is also signed Interstate 105, a spur route of Interstate 5. Oregon Route 126 continues west, a portion shared with Oregon Route 99, and continues west toFlorence. Eastward, Oregon Route 126 crosses the Cascades and leads to central and eastern Oregon.
• Randy Papé Beltline: Beltline is a limited-access freeway which runs along the northern and western edges of incorporated Eugene.
• Delta Highway: The Delta Highway forms a connector of less than 2 miles (3.2 km) between Interstate 105 and Beltline Highway.
• Oregon Route 99: Oregon Route 99 forks off Interstate 5 south of Eugene, and forms a major surface artery in Eugene. It continues north into the Willamette valley, parallel to I-5. It is sometimes called the "scenic route" since it has a great view of the Coast Range and also stretches through many scenic farmlands of the Willamette Valley.

Eugene is the home of Oregon's largest publicly ownedwater and power utility, theEugene Water & Electric Board(EWEB). EWEB got its start in the first decade of the 20th century, after an epidemic oftyphoidfound in the groundwater supply.^[190]The City of Eugene condemned Eugene's private water utility and began treating river water (first the Willamette; later the McKenzie) for domestic use.^{[citation needed]}EWEB got into the electric business when power was needed for the water pumps. Excess electricity generated by the EWEB'shydropowerplants was used for street lighting.^{[citation needed]}

Natural gas service is provided byNW Natural.

Wastewater treatment services are provided by the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, a partnership between the Cities of Eugene and Springfield and Lane County.

Two hospitals serve the Eugene-Springfield area.McKenzie-Willamette Medical CenterandSacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBendare in Springfield. Oregon Medical Group, a primary care based multi-specialty group, operates several clinics in Eugene,^[191]as does PeaceHealth Medical Group.^[192]White Bird Clinic provides a broad range of health and human services, including low-cost clinics.^[193][194]The Volunteers in Medicine & Occupy Medical clinics provide free medical and mental care to low-income adults without health insurance.^[195][196]

Eugene is one of the few municipalities in the US that does notfluoridateits water supply.^[197]

• TheDC Vertigocomic bookseriesiZombieis set in Eugene.^[198]
• Eugene is mentioned inThe SimpsonsepisodeMargical History Tourand theFuturamaepisodeThe 30% Iron Chef.^[199][200]

Eugene has foursister cities:^[201]

• Irkutsk, Russia (suspended in 2022)^[202]
• Jinju, South Korea
• Kakegawa, Japan
• Kathmandu, Nepal

• Equal Vote Coalition
• Oregon portal
• Pacific Northwest portal

• Stan Bettis,Market Days; An Informal History of the Eugene Producers' Public Market.Eugene, OR: Lane Pomona Grange Fraternal Society, 1969.
• Anderson, Wendell (2002).Eugene-Springfield: a contemporary portrait(1st ed.). Montgomery, Ala.: Community Communications.ISBN1-58192-055-5.OCLC50612315.

• Official website
• Entry for Eugenein theOregon Blue Book
• Eugene Register-Guard,Google news archive.—PDFs for 35,126 issues, dating from 1867 through 2008.
• "Eugene".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). 1911.
• "Eugene, Oregon".C-SPANCities Tour. June 2017.