Beaver State capital

SALEM

This city is home to Willamette University and sits along the river of the same name in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley.

Beaver State" is a well-known nickname for Oregon, so the clue is pointing to its capital city. The answer is SALEM, which is Oregon’s capital and fits the five-letter space typical in crosswords. No wordplay here—just a straightforward reference to U.S. state nicknames and capitals.