Portal:Oregon/Selected article/67

Salem /ˈseɪləm/ is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk County, and the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County. Salem had a population of 154,637 at the 2010 census, making it the third-largest city in the state after Portland and Eugene. Salem is the principal city of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Marion and Polk counties and had a combined population of 390,738 at the 2010 census. A 2013 estimate placed the metropolitan population at 400,408, the state's second-largest. Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857. The city is home to Willamette University and Corban University, and the main campus of Chemeketa Community College, and is the main city in the Salem-Keizer School District. Other schools include the Chemawa Indian School, Oregon School for the Blind, and the Oregon School for the Deaf. The state of Oregon is the largest employer in the city, with Salem Hospital as the largest private employer. Transportation includes public transit from Salem-Keizer Transit, Amtrak service, and non-commercial air travel at McNary Field. Major roads include Interstate 5, Oregon Route 99E, and Oregon Route 22 which connects West Salem across the Willamette River via the Marion Street and Center Street bridges.