Lush Scenery, Central Location and Fiber Internet Make Dallas, OR, a Great Place To Live
In Oregon's heartland, Dallas offers the best of small-town living amenities with big city connectivity.
Nestled in the picturesque Willamette Valley, Dallas, Oregon, provides residents and visitors with an ideal blend of small-town charm and modern amenities. With a population of around 17,000 people, this 150-year-old community has maintained its friendly, close-knit feel while also developing into an economic and cultural hub in the region. It’s a great place to live, thanks its convenient location and modern amenities like high-speed fiber internet service.
Surrounded by the lush green farmland and rolling hills of the Willamette Valley and its more than 800 vineyards and wineries, the town was incorporated in 1874 and is the Polk County seat. Moderate cost of living and high quality of life have helped the population grow steadily from about 9,900 in 1990 to 17,285 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which considers the community part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistic Area.
Just 15 miles west of the state capital of Salem and about 60 miles south of Portland, Dallas enjoys proximity to all those cities have to offer — including employment and education — while retaining its own unique identity, including good local schools and nearby universities, a vibrant, historic downtown and myriad outdoor activities. It’s also only about an hour’s drive to the coastal towns on the Pacific Ocean and not much farther the other direction to the Cascade Range.
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Outdoor Recreation Abounds Across All Four Seasons
Dallas’ location provides residents and visitors ample opportunities for outdoor recreation across all four seasons. The climate is considered Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers and cool wet winters — it rarely snows — that enable year-round enjoyment of activities including hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, camping and water sports.
Across all seasons, the community offers several parks, the largest of which is 35-acre Dallas City Park, which features basketball courts, picnic tables, an 18-hole disc golf course, two playgrounds and a swimming hole in the creek. An arboretum and Japanese garden add to the charm. The city’s amenities also include an indoor aquatic center with classes, a slide and a rope swing, and open swimming times.
Popular destinations locally also include Rickreall Creek and its trail system. Close by as well are 1,200-acre Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and 2,800-acre Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, and Luckiamute State Natural Area about 25 miles away at the confluence of the Willamette River and two of its major tributaries.
Altogether they offer thousands of acres of hiking and biking trails for all ages and abilities with scenic river views, as well as waterfowl hunting opportunities at some locations and fishing. For water lovers, the nearby South Yamhill River also provides kayaking, canoeing, fishing and swimming. Come winter, snow sports take center stage at Santiam Pass ski areas like Hoodoo and Willamette Pass less than 100 miles away in the Cascade Mountains.
Historic Downtown Rich With History and Culture
Beyond its natural assets, Dallas offers a vibrant arts, culture and entertainment scene steeped in local history. Annual events that celebrate the region’s agricultural heritage and pioneer roots include the Polk County Historical Society’s Pioneer Day at its museum in Dallas, movies and concerts at the city amphitheater, and the three-day Dallas Krazy Dayz festival that features a much-anticipated parade.
Year-round, the historic downtown district — anchored by the county courthouse and its 95-foot tower — features turn-of-the-century buildings housing an eclectic mix of local shops, restaurants and art galleries. Local and nearby wineries, cideries and brewpubs offer tastings showcasing the best of Oregon’s craft beverages and cuisine.
With its walkable downtown and array of local businesses, Dallas provides easy access to daily conveniences and fuels a palpable sense of community pride.
Top-Notch Education and Health Care Close to Home
Dallas and the surrounding region offer top-notch options for education and health care to support residents across all stages of life. The Dallas School District serves more than 3,300 students across nine schools, providing quality K-12 education and a student-teacher ratio of only 16-1.
For higher education, Chemeketa Community College, a 30,000-student, multi-campus institution based in Salem, has an education center in Dallas. Western Oregon University’s 6,200-student campus is in nearby Monmouth. And the state’s two largest universities — 35,000-student Oregon State University in Corvallis and 23,000-student University of Oregon in Eugene — are about 40 miles and 75 miles away, respectively.
As for health care, there are primary care and other practices in town. Salem Health West Valley Hospital provides convenient access to emergency care and specialized services in Dallas, as well. Several major medical centers including Salem Hospital and Oregon Health & Science University in Portland also are easily accessible.
A Growing Economic Center in the Heart of the Willamette Valley
In addition to its small-town atmosphere, Dallas also serves as an employment hub in the Willamette Valley. Agriculture and food processing continue to fuel the economy, with major local employers like NORPAC Foods and Truitt Brothers shelf-stable food manufacturing. The tourism sector has grown steadily in recent years as well, driven by the area’s wineries, cultural events, outdoor recreation opportunities and historic downtown.
At the same time, Dallas is increasingly attractive to remote workers and entrepreneurs drawn to its high quality of life and affordability compared to larger metros. With a median house price that’s recently been nearly half that of Portland, Dallas offers big-city amenities at small-town prices.
Willamette Valley Fiber Provides Ultra High-Speed Internet Service
Helping to enable Dallas’ evolution into a hub for remote work and entrepreneurship is Willamette Valley Fiber (WVF), a local provider of high-speed broadband internet service. Featuring symmetrical uploads and downloads up to 1 Gigabit per second, WVF brings ultra-fast, reliable connectivity to Dallas residents and businesses.
With competitive pricing on flexible speed tiers and no contracts, and service provided with a local touch, WVF empowers people to work, learn and access health care from home. For growing Dallas businesses, WVF Enterprise Solutions also provide scalable options with guaranteed uptime.
By investing in cutting-edge fiber-optic infrastructure, Willamette Valley Fiber supplies Dallas with the high-performance broadband essential for powering today’s digital world. WVF’s reliable, affordable high-speed internet service helps Dallas continue as a vibrant, forward-looking community that retains its small-town heart.