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About Lafayette

Nestled in Oregon's wine country is the antique town of Lafayette. Lafayette is located in beautiful Yamhill County, the heart of the Willamette Valley and wine country of Oregon. Just 35 miles southwest of Portland and 25 miles north of Salem, Lafayette is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and agriculture land.

The City of Lafayette was founded in 1847 by Joel Perkins, an early pioneer to the Oregon Territory. The city is very rich in history and is the third oldest city in Oregon, the oldest city in Yamhill County. Lafayette was founded on the main Indian trail that traversed the Willamette Valley at a point on the Yamhill River known for years as Yamhill Falls. The town grew slowly at first, but grew by leaps and bounds after gold was discovered in California. In the early 1850's, Lafayette was one of the most important and prosperous cities in Oregon. In 1995, because of the beautiful farm country around the city, the development of the Oregon wine industry and tourism in Yamhill County, and its proximity to the Portland metro area, Lafayette began to grow very rapidly. By 1996, it was the fastest growing city in the state. Today, it continues to expand. The city can take pride in its rich history, but must work very hard to maintain its small town feel and charm in the midst of this rapid growth. It is a town with a bright past and a very bright future.

It was incorporated in 1878. The population was 2,586 at the 2000 census. It was the county seat of Yamhill County from its founding in 1843 until 1886, when county residents voted to move it to McMinnville.