The city of Salem, Oregon is the capital of the state and is situated along the Pacific Coast. The city of Salem is located in the Willamette Valley with the Willamette River running directly through it. It serves as the county seat of Marion County. The city of Salem is in both Marion and Polk counties, with the river functioning as the boundary between counties. The city of Salem is a mid-sized city - with about 154,600 residents, it is the 3rd biggest in Oregon after Eugen and Portland.
Salem is the main city of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, that has an estimated population of roughly 396,103. The bigger city of Portland is less than an hour away.
Within a decade after its founding in 1842, Salem was named the capital of the Oregon Territory, usurping Oregon City for that title. A few years later, the city of Salem was replaced for nearly a year as capital by the nearby city of Corvallis, before being restored once more to its previous status. Salem was incorporated as a city in the year 1857, making it one of the oldest communities in Oregon. The area's original name was Chemeketa, a Native American word that means "meeting or resting place".
The second and original capital building within the city both were destroyed by fires. One of the capital buildings was fashioned like the U.S. Capitol building and had a dome roof made of copper. The current Oregon State Capitol building was constructed during the year 1938. Its capital dome is surmounted by a gold-plated pioneer statue, called the Oregon Pioneer.
Educational institutions within the city of Salem consist of Willamette University, Corban University, Chemawa Indian School, Oregon School for the deaf and Chemeketa Community College. The city's largest pubic sector employer is the State of Oregon. Salem Hospital is the largest private employer with almost 3,000 employees.
The city of Salem is a major center for agricultural food processing, serving as a key focal point for the neighboring communities. A large number of jobs are provided by the several correctional facilities within Salem. Along with being the home of Oregon State Penitentiary, the only maximum security facility within Oregon, the city of Salem has the head office of the Oregon Department of Corrections and four state correctional facilities.
Significant businesses consist of the T-Mobile Calling Center, GE Security, Wells Fargo Customer Contact Center, NORPAC Foods, Inc., Sanyo and Roth's Family Market. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde operate the Spirit Mountain Casino west of Salem.