Asphalt Driveway Cost in Mcminnville, Oregon: 2026 Price Guide

What Does an Asphalt Driveway Cost in McMinnville?

McMinnville is the heart of Yamhill County wine country, and that shapes the driveways here in a way it does not in a dense city. Plenty of properties around town and out toward the vineyards on the rural roads have long approaches running back from the road to homes set well off the pavement. A short suburban driveway in a Third Street neighborhood and a 200-foot vineyard-estate approach are two very different projects, and the cost reflects that.

Asphalt driveways are usually priced per square foot, but the total depends heavily on size, base depth, removal of any old surface, and access. Industry baseline ranges for new residential asphalt driveways have historically been reported around $3 to $7 per square foot, though actual project costs in McMinnville frequently run higher once site conditions are factored in. For the statewide picture, our guide to asphalt driveway cost across Oregon lays out the full range.

McMinnville Driveway Cost by Size

Industry baseline ranges shown below. Actual costs vary with base depth, removal, slope, access, and current market conditions.

Driveway Size	Approx. Square Footage	Industry Baseline Range
1-car, short	400–600 sq ft	$1,500–$4,000
2-car, standard	600–1,000 sq ft	$2,500–$6,500
3-car or extended	1,000–1,600 sq ft	$4,000–$10,000
Long rural approach	2,000+ sq ft	$8,000+

Those long wine-country approaches are where McMinnville costs climb past what a typical suburban homeowner expects. Square footage adds up fast over a few hundred feet, even though the per-foot rate often drops a little on big, simple runs.

What Goes Into the Price

Driveway Size and Length

Square footage is the biggest single driver. A standard two-car driveway is a modest project; a long approach back to a home set off a Yamhill County road can be several times the size and cost. Width matters too — a driveway sized for RV or farm-equipment access uses more material.

Base Preparation

The base is what carries the load and what the price often hides in. McMinnville's valley soils range from workable to heavy clay, and clay holds water. A driveway built on a properly compacted, well-drained base costs more up front but lasts decades; a thin base over wet clay fails early. Ask any contractor how deep they excavate and how thick the base rock is.

Removal of Existing Surface

If you are replacing an old asphalt or gravel driveway, demolition and haul-off add to the total. A bare-ground new install skips this step, while a tear-out adds both labor and disposal cost.

Slope and Drainage

Most of McMinnville proper is relatively gentle, but rural and hillside properties toward the coast range need grading and drainage work so winter rain sheds away from the pavement. Culverts and re-grading on rural approaches add cost but prevent early failure.

Access

A driveway that paving trucks can reach easily is cheaper to build than one with a tight, gated, or tree-lined approach that slows equipment. Rural vineyard properties sometimes have long, narrow access that adds labor time.

Material and Thickness Choices

The asphalt itself is a smaller part of the cost than the base and the size, but the choices still matter:

• Standard hot-mix asphalt — The default for residential driveways, balancing cost and durability.
• Surface thickness — A residential driveway typically gets a couple of inches of surface course; heavier loads call for more.
• Base depth — Deeper base over clay soil costs more but is the single best investment in lifespan.
• Recycled asphalt (millings) — A lower-cost option for long rural approaches where a perfect finish is less critical.

For a full walkthrough of materials and the trade-offs, the complete asphalt driveway guide for Oregon covers every option.

Current Market Reality

The baseline ranges above reflect historically reported averages. In practice, actual project costs in McMinnville and across Oregon frequently exceed these figures, sometimes by a wide margin, depending on:

• Project size — Long rural approaches multiply square footage and total cost quickly.
• Site conditions — Heavy clay soil, poor drainage, or extensive removal all add to the base price.
• Material and base upgrades — Deeper base and premium mixes cost more but extend lifespan.
• Market conditions — Material prices, fuel, and contractor availability shift seasonally and year to year.

Published ranges are a starting reference, not a budget target. The accurate number for your McMinnville property comes from a site visit where the run is measured and the soil and grade are assessed.

How to Budget for Your McMinnville Driveway

Start by estimating your square footage — length times width — and apply the baseline ranges as a rough floor, not a ceiling. Then factor in your specific conditions: Is there an old driveway to remove? Is the soil heavy clay? Is the approach long or hard to reach? Each of those pushes the number up.

The most reliable budget comes from a contractor who measures the driveway, checks the soil, and looks at drainage before quoting. Once the driveway is in, planning for ongoing asphalt maintenance services — sealcoating and crack-filling — protects the investment and keeps the long-term cost down by extending the driveway's life well past 20 years in this climate.