Individuals and families enjoy living in Philomath Oregon for the welcoming community and the deep-rooted history of volunteering. The pros and cons of living in Philomath Oregon are numerous! The town prides itself on the importance of education, reflected in the meaning of “Philomath”, “lover of learning”, and the importance of establishing Philomath College in 1865. The construction of the College was truly a town-wide effort, as the townspeople volunteered to fire bricks for the building, build the fence and sidewalks around the campus, landscape the grounds with vegetation from their own land, and build the College of Philomath building itself. The importance of volunteering to the city residents has continued over the years with the fire station, library, the Mary’s River Grange, and many of the athletic facilities at the district school complex, home of Philomath Football. When there was a need for a medical clinic, a volunteer group organized a building fund, which resulted in the formation of Philomath Family Medicine. Today, the College Building has been restored, thanks to volunteers who helped raise the funds for restoration. Volunteers continue to provide their services from needs in the local schools to building city structures.

Today, residents of the city of Philomath enjoy the easy access to nature and outdoor activities, the variety of great dining options, and enjoy Philomath football on Friday evenings in the Fall. The Philomath Frolic and Rodeo in July is the largest annual event in the city and attracts over 5,000 spectators each year. The Rodeo has been named the “Best Rodeo in the Northwest” eight times by the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association.