Welcome to Oregon

Coffee culture is everywhere. Coffee is a big deal in Oregon, with noted purveyors and cafes, including Stumptown, Oblique Coffee Roasters, Oui Presse, and others dot the Portland area. While the city is known as the birthplace of the “third wave” of coffee, it is also home to unique offerings that suggest the evolution of coffee consumption in the United States is still moving. Coffee lovers can experience unique Egyptian-style coffee at Tōv or what has been referred to as coffee with a “casually threatening atmosphere” in the allegedly-haunted Rimsky-Korsakoffee House.

Oregon is all about bicycling. Portland is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country, but the entire state is seemingly obsessed with cycling culture. With cities that embrace the outdoors, people all over the more populated areas of the state are likely to ride to work. And opportunities for longer treks in the picturesque Oregon countryside and forests abound.

Living in Oregon means loving the outdoors. In Oregon, the outdoors are enjoyed by more than just cyclists. Surfing is popular all along the Pacific coastline. Strong waves and Oregon’s unique weather combine for some of the best windsurfing opportunities in the world, too. The state’s five national parks offer history, activities, and nature appreciation.

Oregon is a breadbasket state. Some people mistake Oregon for a state filled with nothing but forests. It also has vast amounts of farming land. Its more than 35,00 farms produce a diverse range of products, including dairy, hops, potatoes, eggs, wine grapes, cherries, sweet corn, and more. Oregon is second only to California in agricultural production. Little-known fact: Oregon is the number one U.S. producer of Christmas trees, blackberries, hazelnuts, peppermint, and cranberries.

No state sales tax helps a slightly high cost of living. Oregon is sometimes referred to as a tax-unfriendly state, especially for retirees. The cost of living is also higher than the U.S. average. However, the state has no sales tax, which offers some financial relief. It can be a source of increased retail activity along the border with Washington, which has one of the highest sales taxes in the nation, and California.

Oregon’s Wine Country excels. Several areas of the Pacific Coast are noted for wine production, such as California’s Napa Valley and Washington’s Columbia Valley. Oregon has six wine-producing regions that are uniquely its own, including North and South Willamette Valley and Rogue Valley. It shares three regions with Washington, and one with Idaho.

Oregon cuisine is hip, fresh, and funky. Oregon’s status as the number two agricultural producer in the country has given rise to a vibrant farm-to-table movement in food. But, there is a unique spin on everything in Oregon. This is, after all, the birthplace of Voodoo Donuts with its delectable bacon-maple bars, and Pine State Biscuits’ famous monster chicken and biscuits.

Crater Lake is a collapsed volcano. In the south-central region of the state, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. This breathtaking lake was formed 7,700 years ago after a volcano erupted and collapsed. Today this area is a National Park, and the volcano is “just resting.”

Portlandia. Today, you cannot mention Oregon without discussing the hipster culture of Portland, as satirized in Portlandia, a critically-acclaimed comedy show that aired on the IFC channel from 2011 to 2018. Portland in real life may be a little less extreme, but fans of the show can see famous landmarks from the show like Burnside Skatepark and the In Other Words bookshop.

All the beaches in Oregon are public. We mentioned the outdoors and surfing, but if you want to see the devotion to public outdoor enjoyment, note that all beaches in Oregon are public land. While that might be a loss to wealthy residents looking for a seaside home, it's a huge plus for beachcombers and adventurers.