Eugene (pop. 176,654; met. area pop. 382,971) is the second largest city in Oregon. Only Portland has more people. Eugene lies in a timber-rich area at the head of the fertile Willamette Valley in the western part of the state.
Downtown Eugene includes government buildings, retail stores, a conference center, and the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Valley River Center, a large shopping mall, stands northwest of downtown, across the Willamette River. Eugene is the home of the University of Oregon and Bushnell University. Eugene’s major industries include the processing of lumber and the making of wood products. Other industries include food processing, the manufacture of machinery, metal production, and tourism. Eugenians’ long-standing support for the sport of track and field has given the city the nickname “Track Town, USA.”
Eugene developed from a village named for Eugene F. Skinner, a pioneer who settled in the area in 1846. It became an incorporated city in 1862. Eugene grew rapidly after the Oregon and California Railroad was built in 1871. It is the county seat of Lane County and has a council-manager form of government.
