Salem

Salem, Oregon 

Salem, the county seat of Marion County, and the state capital of Oregon are both located in the United States. It is situated alongside the Willamette River, which flows north through the city, in the middle of the Willamette Valley. The West Salem section of the city is located in Polk County, which is separated from Marion County by the river. Salem was established in 1842, chosen as the Oregon Territory's capital in 1851, and incorporated in 1857. 

According to the 2020 census, Salem had a population of 175 535, making it the third-largest city in the state behind Portland and Eugene. The main city in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Polk and Marion counties and had a total population of 433,353 in 2020, is Salem. The Portland-Vancouver-Salem Combined Statistical Area includes this region as well. 

Willamette University, Corban University, and Chemeketa Community College are located in the city. The largest public employer in the city is the State of Oregon, while the biggest private employer is Salem Health. Transportation options include Amtrak service, non-commercial air travel at McNary Field, and public transportation from Cherriots (officially known as Salem Area Mass Transit District). Interstate 5, Oregon Highway 99E, and Oregon Route 22, which crosses the Willamette River to connect West Salem to the city, are all important thoroughfares. 

Location and Climate 

Salem is situated in Marion and Polk counties in the north-central region of the Willamette Valley. Inside Salem's city borders is the 45th Parallel, which is nearly midway between the North Pole and the Equator. 

The city has a total area of 48.45 square miles (125.48 km2), of which 47.90 square miles (124.06 km2) is land and 0.55 square miles (1.42 km2) is water, according to the United States Census Bureau. 

Salem's main source of drinking water is the North Santiam River watershed, despite the fact that the Willamette River passes through the city. The Mill Race, Pringle Creek, Shelton Ditch, and Mill Creek are a few additional significant waterways that flow through Salem. Clark Creek, Jory Creek, Battle Creek, Croisan Creek, and Claggett Creek are among the smaller streams in the city's southern and eastern regions. Glen Creek and Brush Creek pass through West Salem. 

Inside the city borders, the elevation varies between 120 and 800 feet (37 to 244 m). Salem is surrounded by the 1,000 ft (300 m) high Eola Hills to the west, the 600 ft (180 m) high Waldo Hills to the east, and the volcanic Salem Hills in the south. Few hills can be found in Salem's north and east. The hilliest parts are in South and West Salem, which also have numerous canyons. From every part of the city, you can see the coast range and the Cascades, which include Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and on the clearest days, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams in Washington. 

Salem has a Mediterranean climate with the majority of the Willamette Valley region (Köppen Csb). About 80% of the yearly precipitation falls between October and April, with a dry season from May through September. Rainfall is highest in the late fall and during the winter. Wintertime sees some light snowfall, although heavy snowfall is uncommon. The rainy season is characterized by mostly gloomy skies and low cloud ceilings. 

Salem experiences an average yearly temperature of 54.1 °F (12.3 °C), and it receives an average of 40.08 inches (1,018 mm) of precipitation, including an average of 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of snow. Yet, it doesn't snow for more than 25% of the time. Despite being located around 47 miles (76 kilometers) south of Portland, the state capital actually has cooler average temperatures (54.4 °F or 12.4 °C) than Portland, in part because of lower daily minimum. 

Salem experiences temperature extremes that range from 117 °F (47 °C) to 12 °F (24 °C). The coldest recorded maximum temperature was 16 °F (9 °C) in three different months and years, although the coldest afternoon of the year typically reaches 32 °F (0 °C) on the freezing point. The warmest yearly night averages 64 °F (18 °C), and the highest recorded night was 74 °F (23 °C) in July 2006. 

Economy 

Salem's primary employment is the state government, although it also acts as a hub for nearby farming areas and a significant agricultural food processing hub. It is located along the I-5 corridor, about an hour's drive from Portland, the largest city in Oregon. 

Kettle Foods, Inc., a manufacturer of potato chips since 1982, is based in Salem. 700 people work for Kettle in Salem and at a facility in Bowthorpe, England. Large food processor NORPAC Foods, Inc. operates in Salem and other areas of Marion County. Its brands include Santiam canned veggies, Flav-R-Pac frozen fruits and vegetables, and West-Pac. Since 1935, Oregon Fruit Products, Inc. has been canning fruits in Salem under the Oregon brand name, including blackberries, marionberries, and other fruits. 

In the 1990s, Salem attracted a number of manufacturing facilities related to computers in an effort to diversify its economic basis. One of these newcomers, the Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon Group (SUMCO), said in November 2003 that it will shut down its two silicon wafer operations at the end of 2004 and lay off 620 workers while shifting production to other facilities. 

Four state correctional facilities, including the Oregon State Prison, the state's sole maximum-security prison, are located in Salem, which also serves as the administrative center for the Oregon Department of Corrections. 

To improve the number of housing options in the downtown area, many developments are now in progress. These developments will offer luxurious office and condominium space in both low- and high-rise buildings. 

Media 

The Gannett-owned Statesman Journal is the only daily newspaper published in Salem. A weekly agricultural newspaper called The Capital Press is distributed all along the West Coast and is published in the city. Government and business are covered in the Salem Business Journal each month. The quarterly publication Salem Magazine, available in print and online, focuses on the city's residents, distinctive culture, downtown, and neighboring neighborhood villages. 

KWVT-LD, KSLM, and KPWC are three television stations owned and operated by Northwest Television with transmitters in Salem that cover a region extending from Longview, Washington, to Eugene, Oregon. KPXG-TV and KRCW are two stations that have a license for Salem but are based in Portland. 

Seven radio stations, including three commercial AM stations, three non-commercial FM stations, and a community radio station, were operating out of Salem as of 2012. From the time it first broadcast in 1957 through the 1960s and 1970s, KBZY was a well-liked Top 40 station. Currently, KBZY still uses live local people and an oldies programming. ABC Radio Network is a partner of KBZY. Conservative talk show hosts are carried by KYKN. KZGD is a sports talk station that broadcasts in Spanish. Conservative discussion programs can be found on KSLM. With a Contemporary Christian format, KSAI is a non-profit station with a license from the Educational Media Foundation. KMUZ, a non-profit community radio station founded in 2012, broadcasts locally generated material in a range of formats. 

The majority of the Portland stations, including the potent AM stations news/talk KEX, CBS Sports Radio affiliate KXTG, and Fox Sports Radio affiliate KPOJ, may be heard in Salem because it is a part of the Portland Arbitron survey region for radio stations. Salem has good reception of stations in Corvallis and Albany to the south. 

Oregon Public Broadcasting, which may be heard on KOAC from Corvallis and KOPB-FM from Portland, carries NPR programming. 

Population 

Oregon's Marion County and Polk County both contain the city of Salem. It serves as Marion County's County seat as well. It is the 152nd largest city in the United States and the third largest city in Oregon, with a projected population of 181,805 in 2023. Salem's population has grown by 3.57% from the most recent census, which showed a population of 175,535 in 2020, and is now rising at a pace of 1.16% yearly. Salem has a population density of 3,734 persons per square mile and a total length of nearly 49 miles. 

Salem has a poverty rate of 18.14% and a $73,609 average household income. The median monthly cost of rent in recent years has been, and the median value of a home is. Salem's population is 35.9 years old on average, with 34.5 years for men and 37.2 years for women. 

The State of Oregon, which offers approximately 21,000 employments, is the city's largest employer. Other significant employers in Salem that offer thousands of employments to locals include the Salem-Keizer School District, Salem Health, Chemeketa Community College, and Marion County.