Eugene, OR Road Trips

Citizens of Eugene are environmentally aware people who love their coffee and their microbrews. Residents range from arch-conservative Republicans to militant anarchists, and are generally tough, yet forgiving people. The population is typical Pacific Northwest, i.e., leaning toward a greater degree of social responsibility, respect for nature, and diminished consumerism. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, aka "The Fighting Ducks". Eugene was the second home to the rock band the Grateful Dead, and author Ken Kesey, a U of O grad, lived in nearby Springfield, leading some to see this city as a "hippie Mecca". Along with neighboring Springfield and surrounding towns, Eugene forms part of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area. Saturday Market has been continuously in operation since 1970, rain or shine and claims to be the oldest open-air market of its type in the United States. 1 Eugene, Cascades & Coast Visitor Center - Travel Lane County, 754 Olive St, Eugene (along Olive St between W 7th & 8th Ave next to Goodyear Services' parking lot), ☏ +1 541-484-5307. M-F 8AM-5PM, closed weekends & holidays. (updated Dec 2023) City of Eugene website

1 University of Oregon, ☏ +1 541-346-1000. Essentially the center of the town, and the reason for the town's modern growth. (updated Dec 2019) Oregon Ducks. The teams representing the University of Oregon, competing in the Big Ten Conference following the 2024 collapse of the Pac-12 Conference, are Eugene's most famous contribution to the sports world. Ducks sports have benefited enormously from the financial support of Phil Knight, UO alum and now-retired head of Oregon-based sports equipment giant Nike. The highest-profile Oregon team is the football team, which rose to become a perennial national contender in the early 2000s and also infamous for its highly colorful and variable uniforms. Oregon also has an extremely rich tradition in track and field, with Hayward Field known for its enthusiastic fans; the city has become known as "Track Town USA" because of this. Hayward Field was rebuilt in a project that was completed in 2021; the new stadium, expandable to 30,000, hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships. The main sporting venues (including Hayward Field) are all on campus. The football stadium, Autzen Stadium, is famous as one of the loudest and most intimidating venues in American sports. The basketball teams have played at Matthew Knight Arena (nicknamed "Matt Arena"; named for Phil's son, who died in a scuba diving accident) since 2011. Ducks baseball plays at PK Park (not named for Knight), which is shared with the minor-league professional Eugene Emeralds. 2 Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, 1430 Johnson Ln, ☏ +1 541-346-3027.

Oregon Wine Tours. Sunshine Limo Service and Wine Tours: Local tour operator, specializing in Willamette Valley wine tours. A safe way to enjoy wine tasting in comfort and style. 1 Eugene Skydivers, Hobby Field - Creswell OR (take I-5 to exit #182 (Creswell); turn east at the stop sign; take the first left (Emerald Parkway); take the first left away from the supermarket (Melton Road); follow that road to the very end — about 1 mi (1.6 km); look for the signs reading Eugene Skydivers), toll-free: +1-866-461-DIVE (3483). A local skydiving company with classes for all experience levels, from beginners to professionals, about 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown Eugene. $17-200. 2 John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, 868 High St, ☏ +1 541-434-7000 (tickets), +1 541-687-6526 (office), [email protected]. (updated Sep 2019) New Zone Gallery, 110 E 11th Ave (corner 11th and Oak), ☏ +1 541-683-0759. Daily noon-6PM. The New Zone Gallery, a non-profit cooperative gallery, features an eclectic mix of styles, techniques and media, created by its 70 artist members. Monthly/bi-monthly changing shows. It has a gift shop. free. (updated May 2022) 3 Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W Broadway (W Broadway & Charnelton St), ☏ +1 541-465-1506. Formerly the Lord Leebrick Theatre Company. Community theater with a diverse schedule. See website for current shows and times. $8-30. 4 Actors Cabaret of Eugene (ACE), 996 Willamette St (Willamette St & W 10th Ave), ☏ +1 541-683-4368. Office hours Tu-Sa 11AM-3PM. Local dinner theater in downtown. See website for current shows and times.

1 Mezza Luna Pizzeria, 933 Pearl St. Serves lunch and dinner, real NY style pizza, with a variety of meat and vegetarian choices, plus the option to create your own pizza from a large list of toppings. $3-20. 2 Off The Waffle, 2540 Willamette St, ☏ +1 541-515-6926. Su-Th 7AM-7PM, F Sa 7AM-11PM. Serving authentic Liege waffles with an amazing assortment of toppings, such as bacon, cardamom, garlic, fruit, and the list goes on and on. Also serves omelettes and they have some local microbrew on tap. $3-10. 3 SeQuential, 86714 McVay Hwy, ☏ +1 541-736-5864. Daily 7AM-8PM. Serving fresh made sandwiches, coffee, bakery items, sweets, snacks and beer. Mini health food market and cafe with drive-through window for coffee. Omnivorous, herbivorous and diets of all kinds. $3-10. 4 El Super Burrito, 2566 Willamette St. Very inexpensive and locally owned. El Super Burrito is the best burrito and taco you can get for your money in the city. $3-8. 5 Voodoo Doughnut Tres, 20 E Broadway (On Broadway just east of Willamette St), ☏ +1 541-868-8666. 24 hours daily. A fun-but-gimmicky doughnut store chain with additional locations in Denver and Portland. Known for unusual toppings like bacon slices with maple-frosting, Capn' Crunch, and powdered Tang. Most doughnuts are $1-3. 6 El Super Taco, 126 & Bailey Hill Rd, ☏ +1 541-344-8198. Daily 9AM-9PM. Great Mexican food on a budget. (updated Jun 2022) 7 Brail's, 1689 Willamette St, ☏ +1 541-343-1542. 8AM-2PM. Two locations where you can get a hearty traditional American breakfast at a reasonable price.

Eugene's main bar scene is centered around Broadway and Olive St (the "barmuda triangle") in downtown. Alternatives can be found in the Whiteaker neighborhood (Blair Blvd), which is experiencing a brewery renaissance of sorts, and around the UO campus. Expect crowds every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, especially during the school year when college students fill the streets. 1 The Bier Stein Bottleshop and Pub, 1591 Willamette St, ☏ +1 541-485-2437. Eugene's largest beer selection, more than 1,000 bottled beers and ten beers on draft. 2 Luckey's Club Cigar Store, 933 Olive St (Downtown). Eugene's oldest bar and one of the oldest pool halls on the West Coast. They still have a few tables, but have transformed into one of Eugene's leading music venues with several shows a week. 3 Max's Tavern, 550 E 13th Ave., ☏ +1 541-349-8986. Daily Noon-Midnight. Popular little student bar, rumored to be the inspiration for Moe's Tavern in The Simpsons. Happy hour daily from 4PM to 8PM. They have darts and an outdoor patio. (updated Aug 2019) 4 Blairally Vintage Arcade, 245 Blair Blvd (Next to Ninkasi). Combination bar/pinball arcade in Whiteaker. Great collection of pinball machines, 1980s arcade games and beer. Darkstalkers appears to be a particular favorite. Most Blazers games shown here. (updated Feb 2026) 5 Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd (Whiteaker), ☏ +1 541-431-6603. Funky neighborhood bar and music venue. Live music on weekends. Eugene has a thriving brewery scene, largely in the Whiteaker neighborhood, northwest of downtown.

The Eugene Hotel, whose large sign is a prominent feature of Eugene's skyline, has been transformed into a retirement community. 1 Eugene Lodge and International Hostel, 970 W 3rd Ave (along W 3rd Ave between Jackson & Adams St), ☏ +1 541-343-3335, [email protected]. 2 Courtesy Inn Eugene, 345 W 6th Ave (along W 6th Ave btwn Lawrence & Lincoln St, next to the I-105 on ramp), ☏ +1 541-345-3391, fax: +1 541-342-6507. 3 Downtown Inn, 361 W 7th Ave (W 7th Ave and Lawrence St, next to the I-105 onramp), ☏ +1 541-345-8739, toll-free: +1-800-648-4366. inexpensive, clean motel in the middle of downtown. 4 Americas Best Value Inn, 1140 W 6th Ave (W 6th Ave & Van Buren), ☏ +1 541-343-0730, toll-free: +1 877 646-2466. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Lodging about 1 mi (1.6 km) off the University of Oregon campus. 5 EVEN Hotel Eugene (EVEN Hotel), 2133 Centennial Plaza 97401, ☏ +1 541-342-3836, [email protected]. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. $89-$299. (updated Nov 2018) 6 University of Oregon Housing, Bean Hall at 1416 Columbia St (along E 15th between Villard & Agate St, entrance north side of building at end of Columbia St), ☏ +1 541-346-4277. M-F 8AM-5PM. University of Oregon on campus housing for new & returning UO students. Check with them for off-campus referrals and for visitor on campus accommodations over the summer when everybody's gone away for the 3 month long summer break. (updated Sep 2019) 7 Best Western New Oregon Motel, 1655 Franklin Blvd (Franklin Blvd (SR-99) & Riverfront, north of the UO campus), ☏ +1 541-683-3669.

1 Eugene Airport (Mahlon Sweet Field) (EUG IATA), 28801 Douglas Dr (The airport terminal is off of Airport Rd & Hwy 99, 11 mi (18 km) northwest of downtown Eugene.). A major airport for commercial flights serving Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Newport, Florence, Coos Bay and the surrounding areas in the Lower Willamette Valley and the Central Oregon Coast. American Airlines and Skywest dba American Eagle: Phoenix Sky Harbor. (Flights from Portland and Seattle are operated by Alaska Airlines as a codeshare partner). Alaska Airlines: (Portland, Seattle-Tacoma, Los Angeles and San Diego) Allegiant': (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix/Mesa, and Santa Ana, CA. Seasonally from San Diego) Breeze Airways (Burbank to begin March 2026) Compass Air dba Delta Connection: (Salt Lake City & Seattle-Tacoma) Southwest Airlines (Denver, Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Jose CA and seasonally from San Diego) United Airlines & Skywest dba United Express: (Chicago O'Hare, Denver and San Francisco) Additional domestic & international connections are made in Chicago O'Hare, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City depending on the airlines you choose. There is no public transportation (Lane Transit District (LTD) buses) to/from the airport, so you'll have to hire a cab, shuttle, or rent a car. The nearest public transit available is the 95-Junction City bus line which has a stop 2 mi (3.2 km) from the terminal at the intersection of Airport Rd. and Highway 99.

Eugene has an excellent system of bike routes, and has bike friendly streets, and its bike paths allow you to ride along rivers, mountain trails and through covered bridges. Bicycle rentals are available from Bicycle Way of Life (☏ +1 541-344-4105). 5 Lane Transit District (LTD), 3500 E 17th Ave., toll-free: +1-800-735-2900. Buses tend to run every half-hour. Extended LTD bus routes run east and west into more rural sections of Lane County. There is also a bus rapid transit (BRT) line, known as EmX. $1.75 one-way or $3.50 for an all-day pass. (updated Jan 2023) Eugene Hybrid Taxi Cabs, ☏ +1 541-357-TAXI (8294). All hybrid fleet. Rate schedule: flag drop $3, per mile $2. Accepts Visa, MasterCard, & American Express. (updated Jan 2023) Oregon Taxi, ☏ +1 541-434-TAXI (8294). You will need to schedule a pickup unless arriving at the airport. Rate schedule: flag drop, $4.75, per mile, $2.25. Accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. (updated Jan 2023) Zipcar. Zipcar is available near the university. (updated Jan 2023)