Cornelius, Oregon
Cornelius is a city of 14,255 people in Washington County, Oregon, founded in 1893.
Why visit Cornelius
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 35 parks and trails, 31 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Grand Lodge Theater, Pacific University, Albert S. Sholes House and Alvin T. Smith House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Cornelius
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cornelius
Cornelius is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 12,694 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 15,520 in 2025. The city lies along Tualatin Valley Highway between Forest Grove to the west and Hillsboro to the east.
From the Wikipedia article Cornelius, Oregon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Pacific University
School · 2.8 mi
University, based in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States
Pacific University Health Professions Campus
School · 3.6 mi
Educational institute in Hillsboro, Oregon
The Grand Lodge Hotel
Cinema and theater · 1.7 mi
Hotel and theater in Oregon, U.S
Venetian Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.1 mi
Movie theater, performing arts venue, and restaurant in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States
Museums and landmarks18
Albert S. Sholes House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Alvin T. Smith House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Forest Grove, Oregon, USA
Benjamin Cornelius Jr. House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic house in Forest Grove, Oregon, USA
C. W. Mertz Rental House No. 2
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic house in Forest Grove, Oregon, United State
Clark Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic district in Forest Grove, Oregon, USA
Dr. W. R. and Eunice Taylor House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
House in Forest Grove, Oregon
Edward Schulmerich House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
Harry A. Crosley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Isaac Macrum House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
James D. Robb House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
John and Elsie Parsons House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in Oregon, United States
Linklater Commons
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic building in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds35
East Council Creek CE
Hiking and trails · 0.8 mi
Managed by Metro; privately owned
East Council Creek CE
Hiking and trails · 1.0 mi
Managed by Metro; privately owned
Laurel Woods Open Space
Hiking and trails · 0.9 mi
Restored buffer area between natural wood and housing development.
23 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes31
Five Stars Family Burger
Restaurant · Burger
1284 Baseline Street, Cornelius
Mo-Sa 11:00-19:00
19 more on the map.
History
In 1845, Benjamin Cornelius immigrated to Oregon with his family, traveling with Joseph Meek. The Cornelius family settled on the Tualatin Plains, near what is now North Plains. The same year, Benjamin Q. Tucker and Solomon Emerick staked land claims and established farms on the land that would eventually become Cornelius. At that time, the area was called Free Orchards; there was no actual community, but the name referred to the orchards on the 107 acres (0.43 km2) of land.
In 1871, Benjamin Cornelius's son Colonel Thomas R. Cornelius learned that Ben Holladay planned to extend the Oregon and California Railroad right through Free Orchards. Holladay had been told by Forest Grove and Hillsboro that they would not allow the railroad free right-of-way, so Holladay planned to bypass them, and build Free Orchards into a new city that would become the new county seat of Washington County.
From the History section of Cornelius, Oregon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship7
First Church of Christ, Scientist
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Cornelius United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.4 mi
1095 South Beech Street, Cornelius
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries31
Community Alternative Learning Center
School · 2.4 mi
2701 Taylor Way, Forest Grove
Healthcare4
Virginia Garcia Cornelius Wellness Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.4 mi
1151 North Adair Street, Cornelius
Map of Cornelius
143 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 33°F | 7.2 in | 0.6 in |
| Feb | 49°F | 33°F | 5.8 in | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 36°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 39°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 50°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 54°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 54°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 49°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 36°F | 7.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 33°F | 8.7 in | 1.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Forest Grove Hcn (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Washington County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-08-09: Lee Falls Fire (Fire)
- 2020-09-15: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (Fire)
- 2020-09-10: Chehalem Mountain Bald Peak Fire (Fire)
- 2020-09-10: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-09-08: Powerline Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hillsboro Airport (HIO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Hillsboro 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Aloha 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Bethany 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Beaverton 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Cedar Mill 12 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Portland 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
- Vancouver 23 mi east, about 38 min by car
- Canby 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Gresham 30 mi east, about 48 min by car
- Salem 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Virginia Garcia - Cornelius, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grande Foods, Cornelius, Oregon, Chris, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Walmart under construction in Cornelius, Oregon, Chris, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Edward Schulmerich House 2008, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- Forest Grove Oregon Woods and Caples General Store, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- Rice-Gates House Hillsboro Oregon front, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- Benjamin Cornelius, Jr. House, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Albert S. Sholes House Cornelius Oregon front, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- 2200 block 17th Avenue - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- C.W. Mertz Rental House 2 - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Silas Jacob Beeks House 2 - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- 2218 C Street - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alvin T. Smith House 1, Unknown author, Public domain
- Stephen and Parthena M. Blank House - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Harry A. Crosley House - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Forest Grove Oregon 1st Church of Christ Scientist, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- 1604 Birch Street in the Clark District - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Dr. W.R. and Eunice Taylor House - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- John and Elsie Parsons House Forest Grove Oregon, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- Isaac Macrum House 2 - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- James D. Robb House - Forest Grove, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY 3.0
- Zula Linklater House fall - Hillsboro, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hamby Park gazebo, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- Pacific University Health Professions Campus - Hillsboro, Oregon, Original uploader was M.O. Stevens at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- McMenamins Grand Lodge, Forest Grove - DPLA - 60583407b7b7b768125d3598feaadfa8, Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives, CC BY 4.0
- The Venetian Theatre and Bistro in 2015, Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bagley Park, M.O. Stevens, Public domain
- M23-035 4cm5597 (52991962981), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- M23-035 4cm5605 (52991366267), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- M23-035 4cm5616 (52991962976), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- M23-035 4cm5645 (52992425503), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- M23-035 4cm5659 (52991366227), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- M23-035 4cm5674 (52992425468), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- Washington County Museum opening - Hillsboro, Oregon, M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0
- M23-035 4cm5677 (52991962926), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- No trespassing, but these folks are authorized (52991366157), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- Alongside the rails (52991366212), Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0
- The Grand Lodge, Forest Grove, Oregon (2024) - 01, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Grand Lodge, Forest Grove, Oregon (2024) - 01 (cropped), Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Grand Lodge, Forest Grove, Oregon (2024) - 02, Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_-_01.jpg){kind=link}
_-_01_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
_-_02.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.