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Explore Florence
8 | FLORENCE BUSINESS PROFILE
lorence is located on the central Oregon coast along U.S. Highway 101, a National Scenic Byway along one of America’s most beautiful and dramatic coastlines. Travel along this route is a vacation unto itself. The town is also accessible via Highway 126 from Eugene. This route runs from the Willamette Valley and then along the Siuslaw River, which flows through coastal mountains to Florence, the ocean and the magnificent Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. Consistently ranking as one of the best places in the nation to recreate, visit and retire, Florence offers a high quality of life and a warm sense of community that compel visitors to return again and again, with many settling into a new home and retirement. The charming city has direct access to the ocean, dunes, 30 freshwater lakes, beaches, golf courses and hiking trails. Whether you’re a visitor to the area or a resident who chose to make Florence your home, there is always something new to discover here. A slew of outdoor activities, friendly shops and full-service providers are available in this quaint coastal town. The Port of Siuslaw and the City of Florence also offer enterprise-zoned investment opportunities that overlook the Siuslaw River estuary and can accommodate a variety of commercial, hotel, restaurant or retail operations. Historic Old Town sits on the waterfront below the Siuslaw River Bridge — explore art galleries, gift and specialty shops and restaurants, some set in buildings that date to the 19th century. Just a couple blocks near the entrance to Old Town is the Antiques District, and further north is the expanding Uptown 101 commercial district. Bay Street provides views of the marina and its commercial and sports fishing boats, the bridge, dunes, forested mountains and river wildlife. Gazebo Park and the Siuslaw River Bridge Interpretive Center also offer breathtaking sights of the area.