Southwest® flights to Eugene starting at $49

When you land at Eugene Airport, you’re just seven miles northwest of the city. Anchored on either side by the central Oregon Coast region and the Cascade Mountains, the Emerald Valley has been fertile ground for a growing eclectic community. Named for Eugene Skinner who arrived amongst a wave of hundreds of European settlers in the mid 1800s, the area was long home to a rich indigenous population before the Anglo boom. Skinner built his home on high ground as the area natives instructed; this high ground is now known as Skinner’s Butte. His settlement was first known as Skinner’s Mudhole; thankfully, Eugene was the name selected when it formally became a city.

Residents of Eugene are known for living and thinking differently. Today the area is fast becoming a hotspot for high tech advancements, but in the middle of the 20th century it was known as a hippie hotspot and a community that pioneered innovative approaches to development. Cyclists, rejoice: one Eugene innovation is an early commitment to bicycle culture, so it’s easy to see the sights on two wheels. If mountain biking is your jam, there are several popular, thrilling trails just outside of town; scenic riders will enjoy the trails along the Willamette River and Amazon Creek.