Corvallis is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, which extends from the Pacific Coast Range in the west to the Cascade mountains in central Oregon. The countryside around this town of 52,000 is dominated by farming and forestry. Some of Oregon's best vineyards and wineries are in the rolling foothills nearby.

The historic downtown section of Corvallis sits adjacent to the campus of Oregon State University and lies on the western bank of the Willamette River. The downtown is easily walkable and boasts plentiful opportunities for fine dining, shopping, or simply having a relaxing time by the river, or in one of the many cafés and bookstores.

Corvallis enjoys a pristine natural environment and the scenic countryside immediately surrounding the town provides an enormous diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities. Miles of country roads and trails that wind across covered bridges or through the picturesque hills offer possibilities for hikers and cyclists. On the western edge of Corvallis is Mary's Peak, the highest mountain of the Coast Range, with excellent views and a selection of sites for hiking, picnicking, and camping.

The summer climate in Corvallis is very pleasant and clear blue skies are the norm during the late summer (August average 80-85 °F).

The rugged Oregon coast of the Pacific Ocean, popular for clamming, camping, and whale-watching, is about an hour's drive to the west. A two hour drive to the east of Corvallis, in the Oregon Cascades, the snowmelt feeds a myriad of lakes and mountain streams, providing excellent steelhead fishing and boating. Some of the finest whitewater canoeing and kayaking in the country is within a day's drive of Corvallis.