The U.S. state capital beside Oregon’s Willamette River is Salem.
Salem lies in the Willamette Valley, one of Oregon’s most productive agricultural regions. The settlement developed during the 19th century and became Oregon’s territorial capital in 1851. It remained the capital when Oregon entered the Union as the 33rd state in 1859.
The city’s name is commonly connected with the biblical word “salem,” meaning peace, although the precise naming history involves several earlier names and spellings. Salem’s location near the valley’s center helped it retain political importance even as Portland grew into Oregon’s largest city.
The Oregon State Capitol stands in downtown Salem. Visitors sometimes mistake Portland for the capital because it is much larger and better known, but Salem has served as Oregon’s seat of government since statehood.