The city's economy has both industry and service businesses as well as the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home of Howard Hughes's famed Spruce Goose flying boat.

The city identifies as a center of the well-developed wine industry in the Willamette Valley, which has hundreds of wineries and vineyards.

Town founder William T. Newby joined the Great Migration of 1843, of people from the eastern states to the west.

[9] This school was later named McMinnville College after founder Newby made a substantial donation of land to support founding an institution of higher learning in the town.

Just 43 miles from the Pacific Coastal community of Lincoln City, McMinnville will often see a Marine Layer offering cool foggy days.

[12] A warm summer day makes a quick beach trip an ideal feature of living in McMinnville.

Land development in the area of the country club has been a factor in McMinnville's growth in the late 20th century.

[21] In the early 1960s, Kelton Peery, Chuck Colvin and Willard Cushing believed it was time for the city to have a private golf course and began to search for property.

They soon persuaded Captain Francis Michelbook, former Commander of the Oregon National Guard's Third Infantry Company A, that a country club would be the proper use for his land.

The country club has a driving range, practice facility, golf shop and a Class A PGA Professional.

In addition, the Air Show sponsors involve their community; grants are provided to the host city.

[citation needed] In January 2005, a McMinnville AVA was established after an application from Youngberg Hill Vineyards.

Cascade Steel Rolling Mills uses electric arc furnace (EAF) mini-mill production for a wide range of hot rolled products including rebar, coiled reinforcing bar, wire rod, and merchant bar.

The IPNC is a three-day event in which winemakers, northwest chefs, media, epicures and wine lovers gather at Linfield University.

[41] It features local winemakers and vintners alongside chefs from the Pacific Northwest, and attendees can taste and purchase wine and food.

The museum, home to another 80 historic aircraft and exhibits, is a pair of large symmetrical buildings with glass facades, a local landmark which can be seen for miles.

Additional major exhibits include a SR-71 "Blackbird", a Titan II SLV Missile (with its launch control center), and a Grumman F6F3 "Hellcat."

The Yamhill Valley Heritage Center Museum - Located just outside of downtown McMinnville at the intersection of HWY 18 and Durham Lane.

One of 2 museums operated by the Yamhill County Historical Society striving to protect, preserve and share the heritage of Yamhill County www.YamhillCountyHistory.org Featuring a working Blacksmith Shop, Sawmill, Steam Traction Engine, Hutchcroft School House, Logging and Dairy Displays and Educational Programs.

It opened in 1910, when the city sold $3,000 in park bonds to finance construction of a bandstand and a small zoo featuring bears, deer and other regional animals.

After the remaining structure was damaged by fire in 1927, the city sold $8,500 in bonds to finance purchase of the property.

[47] Linfield is an independent, comprehensive institution of higher education for undergraduate and graduate studies in 56 unique majors.

[60] The school district also bears the burden of oversight, administration, and maintenance of Wascher Elementary in the nearby community of Lafayette, Oregon.

[63] St James Catholic Elementary School recently implemented multi-age learning in all classrooms where students will stay with the same teacher over a period of two years.

The southern end of Oregon Route 47 is just northeast of city limits and connects McMinnville with Washington County.

Major railroad shippers include Cascade Steel Rolling Mills, Land O'Lakes Purina LLC, and McMinnville Gas.

However, the use of the Yamhill River for commercial purposes was short-lived; the city's only recreational boat dock has been unusable for years.

Intercity bus service is also provided by Caravan Airport Transportation and Valley Retriever between Portland and Newport, each with one daily trip in each direction stopping in McMinnville.

[72] Willamette Valley Medical Center, along the outskirts of McMinnville, is an 88-bed acute-care, full-service facility, accredited by The Joint Commission.

McMinnville is well known among UFO buffs and researchers for photographs originally published on the front page of the June 9, 1950 edition of the city's newspaper, the News-Register (then known as the Telephone-Register), reportedly of an unidentified flying object; the photographs were taken nearly a month earlier, on May 11, 1950, at the farm of Paul and Evelyn Trent.