Springfield, city, Lane County, western Oregon, on the Willamette River, opposite Eugene; incorporated 1885. It is a commercial center of a productive farming region and has a large forest-products industry. The popular McKenzie River recreation area is nearby. Springfield was settled in 1849 by Elias M. Briggs, who built a home near a spring; his property became known as the spring field, and the community grew around it. Population 41,621 (1980); 44,683 (1990); 52,864 (2000).