Eugene's climate is mild, at an average temperature of 53 degrees F and with an annual rainfall of 43 inches. Fog can be a problem, as it occasionally closes down the city's airport.
History
In 1846, Eugene Franklin Skinner erected the first cabin in what is now known as Eugene. It was used as a trading post and was dubbed as a post office in 1850. Skinner founded Eugene in 1862.
Cultural attractions in Eugene include the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, resident ballet, theater, opera and symphony, Bach Festival, Historic District, walking tours, 23 art galleries and museums, the Willamette Science and Technology Center, and the Festival of Musical Theater. The Three Sisters Wilderness and The Oregon Dunes are just a short drive away. Local events include: Eugene Celebration, Lane County Fair, Asian Celebration, and the Oregon Country Fair.
Eugene is often called Track City, USA by athletes because of its track and field history. It is the hometown of Hayward Field, Nike, Inc, as well as the site for numerous marathons and other competitions. Eugene has one of the heaviest unemployment rates cities in the entire country.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.0 km˛ (40.6 mi˛). 104.9 km˛ (40.5 mi˛) of it is land and 0.1 km˛ (0.04 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 0.10% water.
The Willamette and McKenzie rivers run through Eugene and its sister city Springfield.
The Eugene Airport, also known as Mahlon Sweet Airport, is the fifth largest airport in the northwest.
Unfortunately there have been difficulties with adjusting to the systems: books sometimes aren't checked in properly, and sometimes the security bit on books checked out are not turned off.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,850, and the median income for a family is $48,527. Males have a median income of $35,549 versus $26,721 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,315. 17.1% of the population and 8.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.8% are under the age of 18 and 7.1% are 65 or older.
Government
Mayor: James D. TorreyGeography
Eugene is located at 44°3'28" North, 123°6'37" West (44.057663, -123.110345) (see Geographic references) at an elevation of 426 feet.Transportation
Eugene is home to Lane Transit District (LTD), a large bus company which started in 1970. LTD covers 240 square miles of Lane County, including Creswell, Junction City and [[Veneta, Oregon|Veneta. Operating more than 90 buses at the high activity time, LTD carries riders on 3.7 million trips every year.Parks
To the north of downtown is Skinner Butte park. Hendricks Park is famed for its Rhododendron Garden, while Alton Baker park attracts many to its duck ponds.Hospitals
The Eugene/Springfield area is home to two major hospitals:
Mckenzie/Willamette recently filed a lawsuit angainst PeaceHealth, claiming anti-trust violations on the part of the latter. PeaceHealth, who at the time was based in Eugene, lost the lawsuit. Mckenzie/Willamette, who was at the time a small hospital based in Springfield, has gained thousands from the case.Library
The Eugene Public Library recently moved into a new, larger building. The new library contains state-of-the-art technology such as an automated checking in/out system which sorts the books using small identifying chips. Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 137,893 people, 58,110 households, and 31,321 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,313.9/km˛ (3,403.2/mi˛). There are 61,444 housing units at an average density of 585.5/km˛ (1,516.4/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 88.15% White, 1.25% African American, 0.93% Native American, 3.57% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 3.72% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 58,110 households out of which 25.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% are married couples living together, 9.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% are non-families. 31.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.87. Sports
Colleges and Universities
Notable Citizens of Eugene
See Also
External links