Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of straightforward Monmouth. It is portion of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thirty square blocks of the oldest portion of Independence form the National Register of Historic Places-listed Independence Historic District.

The population was 9,828 at the 2020 census.

Independence was founded by pioneers who migrated from Independence, Missouri. Elvin A. Thorp arrived in the Independence Place in 1845 and staked a affirmation north of Ash Creek in June of that year. He platted a small townsite that forward-looking became known as “Thorp’s Town of Independence” or the “Original Town of Independence”, now known as “Old Town”. Thorp named the town for his eponymous hometown in Missouri, as competently as in praise of Andrew Jackson’s characteristic of “Independence”.

In 1847, Henry Hill came across the plains looking for a level piece of ground on which to lift stock. On November 14, 1847, he found his location upon the west bank of the Willamette River (south of Ash Street) and marked off his donation estate claim, which was 1 mile (1.6 km) square. In 1867, after returning from the California gold mines, Hill platted 40 acres (160,000 m²) for a townsite, thereafter to be referred to as Henry Hill’s Town of Independence. The city charter financial credit of February 26, 1885, incorporated E.A. Thorp’s Independence and Henry Hill’s Independence. Henry Hill Elementary School was named in award of the latter.