| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The Willamette rises in three separate forks in the mountains south and southeast of Eugene, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. The Middle Fork and North Fork rise on the western side of the Cascades between Three Sisters south to Diamond Peak , with the Middle Fork receiving the North Fork northwest of Oakridge and flowing northwest through the mountains to the southern end of the Willamette Valley. The Coast Fork rises in the lower mountains south of Cottage Grove, flowing north to join the Middle Fork 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast of Eugene.
From Eugene, the combined river flows NNW across the plain of the southern Willamette Valley to CorvallisCorvallis is a city located in Benton County in central western Oregon. Originally called Marysville, probably for the nearby Mary's River, the state legislature changed the city's name to Corvallis in 1853, from the Latin phrase cor vallis meaning "heart, then follows a zigzag course past AlbanyAlbany is a city in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,852. Albany was named for Albany, New York by the brothers Walter and Thomas Monteith, a family of early prominence in the area, in 1 and around the isolated hills in the central valley, passing west of downtown SalemSalem is the capital of the state of Oregon in the United States of America, and county seat of Marion County. As of 2003 it has a population of 142,940. It lies in the center of the fertile Willamette Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regio. From Salem it flows north in a meanderThe word meander has a number of senses. Some places in Tasmania, Australia: Meander, Tasmania Meander River, Tasmania Meander Valley A bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. This usage derives from the name of the Maeander River in Turkey. To meaning course across the northwest plain of the valley, reaching the hills at NewbergNewberg is a town located in Yamhill County, Oregon. A tradition holds that this town was named by its first postmaster, Sebastian Brutscher, for his former hometown of Neuberg in Germany. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,064., where it turns sharply ENE along the hills, passing through an opening in the hills at Oregon CityOregon City is the first city in the United States incorporated west of the Rockies. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 25,754. Known in recent decades as the site of several large, the location of the Falls of the WillametteThe Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon. It is a horseshoe shaped block waterfall caused by a basalt shelf in the river floor. The 40 ft (12m) high and 1500 ft (457m) wide falls occur 1 and the head of navigationHead of navigation is a term used to describe the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. Obviously this term can be somewhat subjective on many streams, as this point may vary greatly with the size of the ship being cont. From Oregon City it flows northwest, past Lake Oswego and Milwaukie on the south edge of Portland, then passing between east and west Portland, where it is spanned by a series of urban bridges. Northwest of downtown Portland it flows northwest, splitting into two channels around Sauvie Island, both of which hook around to enter the Columbia from the west, with the main channel entering on the north edge of Portland and the smaller Multnomah Channel entering approximately 15 mi (24 km) NNW at St.Helens.
The river's many tributaries drain the surrounding valley and well as portions of the Cascades and the Coastal Range. Downstream from the confluence of its forks, it is joined by McKenzie on the north side of Eugene, and by the Long Tom River from the southwest approximately 10 mi (16 km) south of Corvallis. It is joined by the Calapooia from the southeast 5 mi (8 km) northeast of Corvallis. It is joined by the Santiam from the east and the Luckiamute from the west within 1 mi (1.6 km) of each other approximately 5 mi (8 km) north of Albany. It is joined by the Yambill from the west at Dayton, by the Molalla from the southeast near Canby, by the Tualatin from the west at West Linn, and by the Clackamas from the southeast at Gladstone.
The river forms part of the boundary of the following counties: Benton, Linn, Polk, Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas. Tributaries of the Willamette River also drain some or all of Lane, Washington and Multnomah counties.
Although riverboats navigated the upstream part of the Willamette into the first decades of the 20th century, currently there is no commercial traffic on the river above the Willamette Falls. The Willamette Falls Locks allow boat traffic, primarily recreational vessles, around the falls.
The river is crossed by serveral ferries along its route in the Willamette Valley.