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Salem is the capital city of the U.S. State of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is situated in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. Living in Salem, one is only an hour's drive from Portland, Eugene, the coast, or the mountains. The Willamette Valley is Oregon's leading wine producing region and has two-thirds of the State's wineries and vineyards and is home to nearly 600 wineries. It is recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir producing areas in the world. The Willamette river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County.

Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857. Salem sits on the 45th Parallel, which means it's the center point between the North Pole and the equator. The City is guarded by a Golden Pioneer; he's a 22-foot statue positioned on top of the capitol rotunda and painted in gold leaf. You can see him towards the bottom in the picture below. In the background is Mount Jefferson; about 70 miles to the east in the distance.

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