Forming the southern boundary of the Tualatin Valley, the Chehalems are the highest mountains in the Willamette Valley.

[1] The range extends from the Willamette River east of Newberg northwest to the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range south of Forest Grove.

The word "Chehalem" is a corruption of the Atfalati Indian word "Chahelim," a name given in 1877 to one of the bands of Atfalati.

[2] Composed of a single land mass that was uplifted by tectonic forces, the mountain range includes several spurs and ridges such as Parrett Mountain, Ribbon Ridge, and Bald Peak.

[3] The Chehalem Mountains AVA has been a designated American Viticultural Area since 2006.