Lafayette, Oregon

The downtown area of Lafayette has an array of appealing eateries, antique shops, a delightful B&B, and other establishments that are proud to be there, and it shows.  

Antonio’s, Martha’s Tacos, On-the-Way Cafe and others provide delicious fare throughout the day.  The Schoolhouse Antique Mall is the largest in Oregon and, combined with the many other antique shops in town, makes Lafayette a prime heirloom hunting ground.  

Off the main drive are businesses like Macore, who makes and ships point-of-purchase items for the nursery industry nationwide, and has been in operation for nearly 50 years.  Sawtooth Caulking, a service provider to major commercial builders, has technicians who can be found on many Northwest Oregon jobsites. Lafayette Autobody has been a popular fixture in town for over two decades.  

With a business-friendly attitude that is reflected in low development fees and an efficient and predictable permit process, Lafayette is positioning itself for commercial expansion.  

Developing a standards plan for future city growth is a daunting task, but the city of Lafayette is eagerly attacking it.  

A sufficient water and sewer infrastructure already in place, an advantageous position on Highway 99 and an active railway line make Lafayette an attractive business location.  

The Liberty Festival, complete with a Children’s Parade, games and great food, happens every year in Perkins Park. The Lafayette Community Garden grows vegetables and camaraderie, and the Yamhill County Historical Museum is rich with the history of this beloved area.

With tens of thousands of commuters passing through each day on Highway 99, and easy access to an under-utilized trade route to Salem, it’s no wonder that Lafayette was the fastest growing city in Yamhill County during the last decade.

Yamhill County City Contact information

ette 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.

The city is very rich in history – Lafayette was founded in 1847 by Joel Perkins, an early pioneer to the Oregon Territory. Lafayette was situated 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, and it continues expansion today. 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.