Salem ( /ˈseɪləm/) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood of West Salem is in Polk County. Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857.
Salem had a population of 154,637 at the 2010 census, making it the third largest city in the state after Portland and Eugene. Salem is less than an hour driving distance away from Portland. Salem is the principal city of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Marion and Polk counties and had a combined population of 347,214 at the 2000 census. A 2009 estimate placed the metropolitan population at 396,103, the state's second largest.
The city is home to Willamette University and Corban University. The State of Oregon is the largest public employer in the city, and Salem Hospital is the largest private employer. Transportation includes public transit from Salem-Keizer Transit, Amtrak service, and non-commercial air travel at McNary Field. Major roads include Interstate 5, Oregon Route 99E, and Oregon Route 22 which connects West Salem across the Willamette River via the Marion Street and Center Street bridges.
Oregon (i/ˈɔrɨɡən/ ORR-ə-gən) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern boundaries, respectively. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers, and settlers who formed an autonomous government in Oregon Country in 1843. The Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.
Oregon is the 9th most extensive and the 27th most populous of the 50 United States. Salem is the state's capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most populous. Portland is the 29th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 583,776 (2010 US Census) and a metro population of 2,241,841 (2009 estimate), the 23rd-largest U.S. metro area. The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the state's most densely populated area and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities.
Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American actress, singer, musician and songwriter. She currently stars as Teddy Duncan on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie and starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth. She had a recurring role as Juliet van Heusen on Wizards of Waverly Place and has also appeared in the films Labor Pains, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, The Clique and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. She has signed with Hollywood Records, which plans to release her debut studio album in September 2012.She will be releasing her first single of her debut album, "Ready or Not" in June 30, 2012.
Mendler was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Lafayette Elementary School. She then moved with her family to the San Francisco area town of Mill Valley at age eight. It was there where she first expressed interest in acting and began working in plays. She became the youngest performer in the San Francisco Fringe Festival.
Mendler had a San Francisco agent when she was 11 years old. When she was thirteen, she began working in the Los Angeles market, landing her first L.A. role in the soap opera General Hospital in 2006. In that same year, she provided the voice of Thorn in the video game, Bone: The Great Cow Race. In 2007, Mendler played the role of Pamela Jones in the film Alice Upside Down and in 2008, Mendler played the role of Kristen Gregory in the film The Clique.