Eugene is the second-largest city in Oregon and the county seat of Lane County, situated in the scenic Willamette Valley near the McKenzie and Willamette rivers. Home to the University of Oregon, the city is renowned for its outdoor recreation—like biking, hiking, and kayaking—as well as its vibrant arts scene, earning it the motto "A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors" and the nickname "Track Town, USA." Notably, the Nike Corporation had its beginnings here, and the city hosted the 18th World Athletics Championships in July 2022. The area was originally inhabited by the Chifin Kalapuyans for up to 10,000 years, but their way of life was drastically altered by devastating malaria epidemics and the arrival of European settlers in the 1800s. Today, Eugene's population exceeds 176,000, making it a hub for education, green activism, and culture in the Pacific Northwest.