Crowley, Polk County, Oregon

Derry is an unincorporated locale in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It is located about 10 miles west of Salem and one mile east of Rickreall.Derry was originally a station on the Southern Pacific line (now the Portland and Western). Local resident James Nesmith named it for Derry, New Hampshire, where his family once lived. In 1912, The Oregonian reported on an unsuccessful effort to change the name of the station to Loganberry. Just southeast of Derry there was a station on the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway named Derry Orchard.

Rickreall ( RIK-ree-awl) is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Rickreall as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population of the CDP was 76 at the 2020 census. Rickreall is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. Rickreall Creek runs along the community's southern edge.

Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge is in northwestern Oregon, 10 miles (16 km) west of Salem in Polk County. The Refuge consists of 1,173 acres (4.75 km²) of cropland, which provide forage for wintering geese, 300 acres (1.2 km²) of forests, 550 acres (2.2 km²) of grasslands, and 500 acres (2.0 km²) of shallow water seasonal wetlands and 35 acres (0.14 km²) of permanent open water. In 1965, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge was created to help ensure some of the original habitat remained for species preservation. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Situated in open farmland near the eastern foothills of the Oregon Coast Range with the broad Willamette Valley and the Cascade Range to the east, elevations range from 185 to 414 feet (56 to 126 m) MSL. The Willamette Valley, with its mild, rainy winter climate, is an ideal environment for wintering waterfowl. The valley was once a rich mix of wildlife habitats with extensive wetlands, meandering stream channels and vast seasonal marshes. The valley is now a mix of farmland and growing cities, with few areas remaining for wildlife.

Mount Baldy is a 414 foot (126 m) hill located within the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge in Polk County, Oregon. A short trail loop operated by the wildlife refuge leads to an observation deck on the summit.

McCoy is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It was named after the landowner Isaac McCoy. Its post office was established in 1879 with James A. Sears as the postmaster, and closed in 1968.

Bethel is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It sits at the base of the Eola Hills in Plum Valley. Bethel is considered a ghost town as the only remaining structure is a school, now serving as a church. The locale was named by the Rev. Glen O. Burnett for a Church of Christ in Missouri where he had served as pastor. Bethel is a common name for churches as it is a Hebrew word that means "house of god". After traveling with his family on the Oregon Trail, Burnett settled on a Donation Land Claim in 1846. Burnett later rode circuit to the surrounding area, preaching in nearby communities, including Rickreall.

The Van Duzer Corridor AVA, a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA located within Polk County, Oregon, in the United States, is an American Viticultural Area approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau on December 13, 2018 and effective January 14, 2019.The Van Duzer Corridor AVA lies entirely within the established Willamette Valley AVA and covers approximately 59,871 acres (24,229 ha). When the petition was submitted there were 17 (now 18) commercially-producing vineyards covering a total of approximately 1,000 acres (400 ha), as well as six wineries (now 9), within the AVA.The distinguishing features of the Van Duzer Corridor AVA are its topography, climate, and soils.

Brunks Corner is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States, at the junction of Oregon Route 22 and Oak Grove Road, near the terminus of Oregon Route 51.The 1861 Harrison Brunk House at Brunks Corner was built by an early Oregon pioneer and is now a historic house museum run by the Polk County Historical Society. The site was designated a Century Farm in 1959. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Bethel Heights Vineyard is an Oregon winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley. Founded in 1977 by twin brothers Ted and Terry Casteel, their wives Pat Dudley and Marilyn Webb, and Pat's sister Barbara Dudley, the vineyard was one of the earliest plantings in the Eola-Amity Hills region. A winery soon followed, with the first estate wines produced in 1984. Bethel Heights specializes in Pinot noir, offering several individual block and vineyard designated bottlings, but also produces wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and Gewürztraminer.Today, the winery is still owned by members of the Casteel-Dudley-Webb families. The winery has earned a reputation in the region as a pioneer in "sensible and sustainable" viticulture, with Ted Casteel being one of the co-founders of the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) certification program in the state of Oregon. In 1997, Bethel Heights was one of the first vineyards in Oregon to be certified Salmon-Safe, and it is a member of the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW). In 2007, it was among the first Oregon wineries to join the Oregon Global Warming Commission and pledged to go carbon neutral by 2010.

Zena, Oregon is a former community (now considered a ghost town) approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Salem, Oregon, United States, in Polk County. The community was established in 1858, originally called "Spring Valley". It was renamed "Zena" by Daniel Jackson Cooper and his brother Jacob Calvin Cooper, pioneers from Missouri. In 1866, they built a store and located the post office there, renaming the community in tribute to their wives (and sisters), Arvazena Spilman Cooper and Melzena Spilman Cooper. Zena is home to the historic Spring Valley Presbyterian Church. The 1992 novel, The Road to Zena by Joel Redon, is set in Zena and nearby Lincoln.

The Spring Valley Presbyterian Church, also known as the Zena Church, in the community of Zena, is a Presbyterian congregation approximately 10 miles northwest of Salem, Oregon, United States. According to a commemorative plaque in front of the church, it was built in 1859 with volunteer labor. The lumber came by boat on the Willamette River to the community of Lincoln, while the bell came from England via Cape Horn. Directly adjacent to the church is a small cemetery of approximately 100 headstones. Sunday church services and private weddings are still held at Spring Valley. Local families continue to bury their dead in the cemetery. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Spring Valley is a valley in Polk County, Oregon, United States, situated north and east of the Eola Hills and west of the Willamette River. It corresponds roughly to the drainage of Spring Valley Creek. Populated places in Spring Valley include Zena and Lincoln. Oregon Route 221 passes along the east side of the valley, next to the Willamette River. The area is in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA wine region and is home to several notable vineyards, including Cristom.