In the bustling world of digital marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become a cornerstone for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. Restoration businesses in West Minnehaha rank higher with SEO from Water Mitigation AI . For restoration companies near Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, leveraging SEO can make a significant difference in reaching more customers, especially when powered by innovative tools like Water Mitigation AI.
Lets dive into why SEO is crucial for restoration companies in this region. First off, proximity to a prominent location like Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital offers a unique advantage. People often search for services nearby, especially in emergencies. By optimizing their websites for local search terms, these companies can ensure they appear prominently when potential customers type in search queries like "restoration services near me" or "restoration company near Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital." If youre not optimizing for these local keywords, youre probably missing out on a chunk of potential business.
Now, where does Water Mitigation AI come into play? This advanced technology can significantly enhance the SEO strategy for these companies. By analyzing data and trends, the AI can suggest the most effective keywords and strategies tailored to the specific needs of restoration services. Its not just about throwing random keywords onto a webpage (that's not gonna work!) but about understanding what potential clients are searching for and how to present that information effectively.
However, SEO isnt just about keywords. Its a holistic approach that also involves improving website structure, enhancing user experience, and ensuring that content is relevant and engaging.
Moreover, engaging content that answers common questions or provides valuable tips can position a company as an authority in the restoration field. By integrating blogs or FAQs that address common issues related to water damage or restoration, companies can keep visitors on their site longer (which is a good thing for SEO!).
But hey, lets not forget about the power of reviews and testimonials. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews can greatly enhance a companys online reputation.
One might think, "Oh, SEO sounds too complicated!" but its not something restoration companies should shy away from. With tools like Water Mitigation AI, the process becomes more manageable and effective. Its not about doing everything at once but taking gradual steps towards building a stronger online presence.
In conclusion, for restoration companies near Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital, SEO powered by Water Mitigation AI is not just an option-its a necessity! By focusing on local optimization, leveraging advanced technology, and enhancing their overall online strategy, these companies can ensure theyre not just surviving but thriving in a competitive market. So, if youre part of a restoration company, its high time to embrace the potential of SEO and take your business to new heights.
Portland is a port city in the U.S. state of Oregon located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Established in the 1830s as a camp along the Oregon Trail, Portland evolved into a major West Coast industrial city during the twentieth century. Contemporarily, it is the most populous city in Oregon, and the second-largest city in the Pacific Northwest.[1]
This list of notable people includes persons who were either born in, are current residents of, or have lived in Portland. A person who lives in or comes from Portland, Oregon is called a Portlander.
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bruce Abbott | 1954– | Actor | Yes | |
Alvin P. Adams, Jr. | 1942–2015 | Diplomat | Yes | [2] |
Arthur Adams | 1963– | Comic book artist | No | [3] |
Sam Adams | 1963– | Former mayor of Portland | No | [4] |
Obo Addy | 1936–2012 | Musician | No | [5] |
Brad Adkins | 1973– | Artist | No | [6] |
Jerome Alden | 1921–1997 | Playwright, screenwriter | Yes | [7] |
Pauline Alderman | 1893–1983 | Musicologist, composer | No | [8] |
Art Alexakis | 1962– | Musician | No | [9] |
James H. Allen | 1928–2015 | Clown, author | Yes | [10] |
Laura Allen | 1974– | Actress | Yes | [11] |
Goli Ameri | 1956– | Diplomat, businesswoman | No | [12] |
Rachel Ames | 1929– | Actress | Yes | [13] |
Bob Amsberry | 1928–1957 | Actor | Yes | [14] |
Larry Andersen | 1953– | Major League Baseball player | Yes | [15] |
Marian Anderson | 1897–1993 | Singer | No | [16] |
Marisa Anderson | Musician | No | [17] | |
Signe Toly Anderson | 1941–2016 | Singer | No | [18] |
Debra Arlyn | 1986– | Singer-songwriter | No | [19] |
Arledge Armenaki | 1949– | Cinematographer | Yes | [20] |
Garner Ted Armstrong | 1930–2003 | Televangelist | Yes | [21] |
Hal Ashby | 1929–1988 | Film director and editor | No | [22] |
Victor G. Atiyeh | 1923–2014 | 32nd governor of Oregon | Yes | [23] |
Ray Atkeson | 1907–1990 | Photographer | No | [24] |
George H. Atkinson | 1819–1889 | Missionary | No | [25] |
Jean M. Auel | 1936– | Author | No | [26] |
Thomas J. Autzen | 1888–1958 | Plywood manufacturing innovator | No | [27] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preston Bailey | 2000– | Actor | Yes | [28] | ||
Terry Baker | 1941– | Attorney, athlete | No | [29] | ||
Brenda Bakke | 1963– | Actress | No | [30] | ||
Ireland Baldwin | 1995– | Model | No | [31] | ||
Lola Baldwin | 1860–1957 | One of first policewomen in the United States | No | [32] | ||
Lance Bangs | 1972– | Filmmaker | No | |||
Daniel E. Barbey | 1989-1969 | U.S. Navy admiral | Yes | [33] | ||
Art Barr | 1966–1994 | Professional wrestler | Yes | [34] | ||
Willie Barrow | 1924–2015 | Civil rights activist | No | [35] | ||
Blanche Bates | 1873–1941 | Actress | Yes | [36] | ||
Peter Baum | 1990– | Lacrosse player | No | [37] | ||
Scott Beach | 1931–1996 | Actor | Yes | [38] | ||
James Beard | 1903–1985 | Food expert | Yes | |||
Jona Bechtolt | 1980– | Musician | No | [39] | ||
Larry Bell | 1923–1986 | Football player | Yes | |||
Pietro Belluschi | 1899–1994 | Architect | No | [40] | ||
Scott Benedetti | 1966– | Soccer player | Yes | [41] | ||
John Virginius Bennes | 1867–1943 | Architect | No | [42] | ||
Simon Benson | 1852–1942 | Philanthropist, logger | No | [43] | ||
Becca Bernstein | 1977– | Artist | No | |||
Boston Billups | 2005– | Soccer player | Yes | [44] | ||
Marion Blackburn | 1939–2025 | Entrepreneur and tennis professional | No | [45] | ||
Mel Blanc | 1908–1989 | Voice actor | No | |||
Lance Blankenship | 1963– | Major League Baseball player, World Series champion | Yes | |||
M. Blash | 1978– | Filmmaker | No | [46] | ||
Sheila Bleck | 1974– | Bodybuilder | Yes | |||
Rachel Blumberg | 1969– | Drummer | Yes | [47] | ||
Earl Blumenauer | 1948– | Democratic U.S. representative | Yes | |||
Wally Boag | 1920–2011 | Actor | Yes | |||
William H. Boring | 1841–1932 | Union soldier, founder of Boring, Oregon | No | [48] | ||
Chris Botti | 1962– | Composer, trumpeter | Yes | |||
Terrell Brandon | 1970– | NBA all-star | Yes | |||
Matt Braunger | 1974– | Standup comedian | No | [49] | ||
Thom Bray | 1954– | Actor | No | |||
Isaac Brock | 1975– | Singer, frontman of Modest Mouse | No | |||
David Brooks | 1915–1999 | Actor | Yes | [50] | ||
Chuck Bown | 1954– | NASCAR racer | Yes | |||
Jim Bown | 1960– | NASCAR racer | Yes | |||
Chris Brown | 1977– | Soccer player | Yes | [51] | ||
Cindy Brown | 1965– | Professional basketball player | Yes | [52] | ||
Mel Brown | 1944– | Jazz drummer | Yes | |||
Melville W. Brown | 1887–1938 | Silent film director | Yes | [53] | ||
Tiffany Lee Brown | Writer, editor | No | ||||
Carrie Brownstein | 1974– | Musician, actor | No | [54] | ||
Agnes Bruckner | 1985– | Actress | No | [55] | ||
Monique de Bruin | 1977– | Retired fencer | Yes | [56] | ||
Louise Bryant | 1885–1936 | Journalist, writer | No | |||
Dean F. Bryson | 1910–1995 | Politician, lawyer | Yes | [57] | ||
Peter Buck | 1956– | Guitarist of R.E.M. | No | [58] | ||
Jack Buetel | 1915–1989 | Actor | No | [59] | ||
Barbara Buono | 1953– | Politician | No | [60] | ||
Geraldine Bureker | 1924–2009 | All-American girls professional baseball player | Yes | |||
Helen Burgess | 1916–1937 | Actress | Yes | [61] | ||
Kevin Burke | 1950- | Musician, master Irish fiddler | No | |||
Doris Burn | 1923–2011 | Children's author, illustrator | Yes | [62] | ||
Mabel Byrd | 1895–1988 | Civil rights activist; first African-American to attend the University of Oregon | No | [63] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Callahan | 1951–2010 | Cartoonist | Yes | ||
Cathy Camper | Artist, author | No | |||
Dirk Carlson | 1998– | Soccer player; represented Luxembourg | Yes | [64] | |
Jean Carmen | 1913–1993 | Actress | Yes | [65] | |
Jewel Carmen | 1897–1984 | Actress | Yes | [66] | |
Cletis Carr | 1959– | Musician | Yes | ||
John Francis Carroll | 1858–1917 | Publisher | No | [67] | |
Margaret Carter | 1935– | Politician | No | [68] | |
Sandra Cassel | 1952– | Actress, acting coach | No | [69] | |
Michael Cassidy | 1983– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Mark Chamberlin | 1955–2011 | Actor | Yes | [70] | |
Erin Chambers | 1979– | Actress | Yes | ||
William W. Chapman | 1808–1892 | Politician, lawyer | No | [71] | |
Walter Chappell | 1925–2000 | Photographer | Yes | [72] | |
Clive Charles | 1951–2003 | British soccer player, coach | No | [73] | |
Trevor Chowning | 1972- | Pop artist | No | ||
Janet Chvatal | 1964– | Classical soprano, director | Yes | ||
Bernice Claire | 1906–2003 | Actress, singer | No | [74] | |
Jillian Clare | 1992– | Actress | Yes | [75] | |
Beverly Cleary | 1916–2021 | Author | No | ||
Brad Cloepfil | 1956– | Architect | Yes | ||
Michelle Clunie | 1969– | Actress | Yes | [11] | |
Ryan Cochrane | 1983– | Soccer player | Yes | [76] | |
Henry Waldo Coe | 1857–1927 | Physician, politician | No | ||
Scott Coffey | 1967– | Filmmaker, actor | No | [77] | |
Stephen Coffin | 1807–1882 | Investor, militia officer | No | [78] | |
Marissa Coleman | 1987– | WNBA player | Yes | [79] | |
1925-1957 | Serial killer | Yes | |||
1898–1951 | Actor, director | No | [80] | ||
Booth Colman | 1923–2014 | Actor | Yes | [81] | |
Santo Condorelli | 1995– | Olympic swimmer | No | [82] | |
Paul Conway | 1970– | Soccer player | Yes | [83] | |
Donald Cook | 1901–1961 | Actor | Yes | [84] | |
Cool Nutz | 1972– | Rapper, entertainer and radio personality | Yes | ||
Barbara Coombs | 1947– | President of Compassion & Choices | No | ||
Colleen Coover | 1969– | Comic artist | Yes | ||
Alfred H. Corbett | 1915–2000 | Attorney, politician | Yes | [85] | |
Gretchen Corbett | 1947– | Actress | Yes | [86] | |
Henry W. Corbett | 1827–1903 | Industrialist, U.S. senator | No | ||
Judy Cornell | 1933–2021 | Olympic swimmer | Yes | [52] | |
Robert Cornthwaite | 1917–2006 | Actor | No | [87] | |
John H. Couch | 1811–1870 | Sea captain, co-founder of Portland | No | [88] | |
Lucy Covington | 1910–1982 | Political activist | No | [89] | |
Colin Cowherd | 1963– | Sports media host | No | [90] | |
Joseph Buford Cox | 1905–2002 | Entrepreneur, inventor of chainsaw chain | Yes | [91] | |
Tom Cramer | 1960– | Artist | Yes | [92] | |
Larry Crane | Publisher of Tape Op | No | |||
Ryan Crouser | 1992– | Olympic shot putter and discus thrower | Yes | [93] | |
Dan Cunneen | 1963– | Musician | Yes | ||
Imogen Cunningham | 1883–1976 | Photographer | Yes | [94] | |
Ward Cunningham | 1949– | Inventor of wiki | No | ||
Zamah Cunningham | 1892–1967 | Actress | Yes | [95] | |
Ann Curry | 1956– | Journalist | No | [96] | |
Michael Curry | 1967– | Costume and puppet designer | No | [97] | |
Walt Curtis | 1941– | Poet, novelist | Yes |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florence Dagmar | 1895–1986 | Actress | Yes | ||
Arthur Dake | 1910–2000 | Chess Grandmaster | Yes | [98] | |
Adam Aminé Daniel | 1994– | Rapper, musician | Yes | [99] | |
Britt Daniel | 1971– | Musician, vocalist of Spoon | No | ||
George Dantzig | 1914—2005 | Mathematical scientist | Yes | [100] | |
Darcelle XV | 1930–2023 | Drag performer | No | [101] | |
Walt Dawson | 1982– | Political lobbyist | Yes | ||
Valerie Day | 1959– | Singer | Yes | ||
Burchard DeBusk | 1877–1937 | Academic | No | [102] | |
Kelly Sue DeConnick | 1970– | Comic writer | No | ||
David DeCoteau | 1962– | Filmmaker | Yes | [103] | |
Kate Deines | 1982– | Professional soccer players | Yes | [104] | |
Paul deLay | 1952–2007 | Blues harmonica player | Yes | ||
Albert H. Densmore | 1946– | Businessman, state representative | Yes | ||
James DePriest | 1936–2013 | Director emeritus of orchestral studies at Juilliard School; director of Oregon Symphony | No | [105] | |
Jennifer Devine | 1968– | Olympic rower | Yes | [52] | |
Yassine Diboun | 1978– | Ultrarunner | No | ||
Matthew Dickman | 1975– | Poet | Yes | ||
Richard Diebenkorn | 1922–1993 | Painter | Yes | ||
Aaron Director | 1901–2004 | Law professor at University of Chicago | No | [106] | |
Beth Ditto | 1981– | Singer-songwriter of Gossip | No | ||
Juan Dixon | 1978– | Basketball player, Portland Trail Blazers | No | ||
Robyn Dixon | 1979– | Reality TV personality | No | ||
Michael Doleac | 1977– | NBA player | No | ||
Lee Dorsey | 1924–1986 | R&B singer | No | [107] | |
Sarah Dougher | 1967– | Singer-songwriter | No | [108] | |
Linda Douglas | 1928–2017 | Actress, wife of Hank Greenberg | Yes | [109] | |
Helen Savier DuMond | 1872–1968 | Painter, sculptor, and teacher; wife of Frank DuMond | Yes | [110] | |
Abigail Scott Duniway | 1834–1915 | Suffragist | No | [111] | |
Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 1980– | NBA player | No | [112] | |
Katherine Dunn | 1945–2016 | Author | No | [113] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ron East | 1943– | NFL player, coach | Yes | ||
Ashton Eaton | 1988– | Decathlete | Yes | ||
Jonah Edelman | 1970– | CEO of Stand for Children | No | ||
Dick Egan | 1884–1947 | Baseball player | Yes | ||
Jim Elkins | 1901–1968 | Crime boss | No | [114] | |
Sam Elliott | 1944– | Actor | No | [112] | |
Carson Ellis | 1975– | Illustrator | No | ||
Jack Ely | 1943–2015 | Musician of The Kingsmen | Yes | [115] | |
Rick Emerson | 1973– | Radio personality | No | ||
Douglas Engelbart | 1925–2013 | Inventor of computer mouse | Yes | [116] | |
Marie Equi | 1872–1952 | Physician, anarchist | No | [117] | |
Winfield Ervin, Jr. | 1902–1985 | Politician, mayor of Anchorage, Alaska | Yes | [118] | |
Ellen Estes | 1978– | Olympic silver medalist in water polo | Yes | [52] | |
Christopher Evans | 1847–1917 | Train robber | No | ||
Sarah A. Evans | 1854–1940 | Suffragist | No | ||
Steven Evans | 1991– | Soccer player | Yes | ||
John R. Everett | 1918–1992 | First chancellor of City University of New York; president of the New School for Social Research | Yes | [119] | |
Neil Everett | 1962– | Sportscaster | Yes | [120] | |
Tom Everett | 1948– | Actor | Yes | [121] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henry Failing | 1834–1898 | Banker, politician | No | [122] | |
Amparito Farrar | 1893–1989 | Soprano concert singer | Yes | [123] | |
Jack Faust | 1932– | Attorney, broadcaster | Yes | ||
David Feldberg | World champion disc golfer | Yes | |||
Shirley Adele Field | 1923–1995 | Legislator, judge | No | [124] | |
Todd Field | 1964– | Actor, filmmaker | No | [125] | |
Brad Fitzpatrick | 1980– | Creator of LiveJournal | No | ||
Harrell Fletcher | 1967– | Artist | No | ||
Lisa Foiles | 1986– | Actress | Yes | [126] | |
Dick Fosbury | 1947–2023 | High jumper | Yes | [127] | |
William Trufant Foster | 1879–1950 | Economist, first president of Reed College | No | [128] | |
Matt Fraction | 1975– | Comic writer | No | [129] | |
Alma Francis | 1890–1968 | Actress, singer | Yes | [130] | |
Abigail Keasey Frankel | –1931 | Civic worker | No | [131] | |
Boaz Frankel | 1982– | Host of Clips & Quips | Yes | ||
Nell Franzen | 1889–1973 | Actress | Yes | ||
Amy Freeze | 1974– | Meteorologist, WABC-TV New York | No | [132] | |
Alex Frost | 1987– | Actor | Yes | ||
C. Gordon Fullerton | 1936–2013 | Astronaut, member of Astronaut Hall of Fame | Yes | ||
Ron Funches | 1983– | Standup comedian | No | [133] | |
Elizabeth Furse | 1936–2021 | U.S. congresswoman | No |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clark Gable | 1901–1960 | Actor | No | [134] | |
Rocky Gale | 1988– | Major League Baseball player | Yes | [135] | |
Ben Gardner | 1990– | NFL player | Yes | [136] | |
Paul Gaustad | 1982– | National Hockey League player | No | [137] | |
Geretta Geretta | 1958– | Actress | Yes | [138] | |
Florence Holmes Gerke | 1896–1964 | Landscape architect | Yes | [139] | |
Robert L. Ghormley | 1883–1958 | Naval officer | Yes | [140] | |
Paul Gilbert | 1966– | Musician | No | [141] | |
Cole Gillespie | 1984– | Baseball player | Yes | [142] | |
Gary Gilmore | 1940–1977 | First person executed in U.S. after reinstatement of capital punishment | No | [143] | |
Madeline Gleason | 1903–1979 | Poet, dramatist | No | [144] | |
Russell Gleason | 1908–1945 | Actor | Yes | [145] | |
Harry Glickman | 1924-2020 | Founder of the Portland Trail Blazers | Yes | [146] | |
Rodney Glisan | 1827–1890 | U.S. Army surgeon | No | [147] | |
Molly Gloss | 1944– | Author | Yes | [148] | |
Karl Glusman | 1988– | Actor | No | [149] | |
Jacob Golden | 1970s– | Musician | No | [150] | |
Hilda Goldblatt Gorenstein | 1905–1988 | Artist | No | [151] | |
Brandon Gonzáles | 1984– | Professional boxer | Yes | [152] | |
Louis S. Goodman | 1906–2000 | Pharmacologist, pioneer of chemotherapy | Yes | [153] | |
Aaron Goodwin | 1976– | Photographer, cameraman of Ghost Adventures | Yes | [154] | |
Avel Gordly | 1947– | First African-American woman elected to Oregon State Senate | Yes | [155] | |
Joe Gordon | 1915–1978 | Baseball player | No | ||
Kara Goucher | 1978– | Olympic long-distance runner | No | [156] | |
Jessie Coles Grayson | 1886–1953 | Actress | No | [157] | |
Gary Graver | 1938–2006 | Cinematographer | Yes | [158] | |
A.C. Green | 1963– | Retired NBA champion | Yes | [159] | |
Edith Green | 1910–1987 | Politician | No | [160] | |
Harrison Greene | 1884–1945 | Actor | Yes | [161] | |
Jim Grelle | 1936–2020 | Olympic middle-distance runner | Yes | [162] | |
Gloria Grey | 1909–1947 | Actress | Yes | [163] | |
Matt Groening | 1954– | Animator, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama | Yes | [164] | |
Woody Guthrie | 1912–1955 | Folk singer-songwriter | No | [165] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kevin Hagen | 1928–2005 | Actor | No | [166] | |
Ancer L. Haggerty | 1944– | U.S. federal judge | Yes | [167] | |
Swede Halbrook | 1933–1988 | NBA player | Yes | [168] | |
Sally Haley | 1908–2007 | Painter | No | [169] | |
Creed C. Hammond | 1874–1940 | Major general and chief of the National Guard Bureau | No | ||
Max Handelman | 1973– | Sportswriter, film producer | Yes | [170] | |
Kathleen Hanna | 1968– | Singer-songwriter (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) | Yes | [171] | |
Julia Butler Hansen | 1907–1988 | Politician | Yes | [172] | |
Tonya Harding | 1970– | U.S. national champion and Olympic figure skater | Yes | [173] | |
Katie Harman | 1980– | Miss America 2002 | Yes | [174] | |
Joey Harrington | 1978– | NFL quarterback | Yes | ||
Nate Harris | 1983– | NFL linebacker | No | ||
Bret Harrison | 1982– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Lou Harrison | 1917–2003 | Composer | Yes | ||
Michael Allen Harrison | Musician | Yes | |||
Larry Harvey | 1948–2018 | Artist, founder of Burning Man | No | [175] | |
Lew Harvey | 1887–1953 | Actor | No | [176] | |
Byron Haskin | 1899–1984 | Filmmaker | Yes | ||
F. W. Hastings | 1848–1935 | Politician | Yes | [177] | |
Steve Havelka | Creator of Pokey the Penguin | Yes | |||
James C. Hawthorne | 1819–1881 | Physician, co-founder of Oregon Hospital for the Insane | No | [178] | |
Ernest Haycox | 1899–1950 | Writer | Yes | [179] | |
Carey Hayes | 1961– | Screenwriter | Yes | ||
Chad Hayes | 1961– | Screenwriter | Yes | ||
Todd Haynes | 1961– | Filmmaker | No | [180] | |
Dana Heitman | 1966– | Musician | Yes | ||
Susan Helms | 1958– | Astronaut | No | ||
Margaux Hemingway | 1954–1996 | Model, actress; granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway | Yes | [181] | |
Christina Hendricks | 1975– | Actress | No | [182] | |
Frank Herbert | 1920–1986 | Writer, journalist | No | [183] | |
Joe Hill | 1879–1915 | Labor activist | No | ||
Jan Hoag | 1948– | Actress | Yes | [184] | |
Judi Hofer | 1940–2013 | Businessperson | Yes | ||
Portland Hoffa | 1905–1990 | Radio host, actress | Yes | [185] | |
Stewart Holbrook | 1893–1964 | Author, artist | No | [186] | |
Ben Holladay | 1819–1897 | Transportation mogul | No | [187] | |
Matt Hollywood | 1973– | Musician | No | ||
Frederick Holman | 1852–1927 | Lawyer | No | [188] | |
Peter Holmström | Musician | Yes | [189] | ||
Kyron Horman | 2002– | Missing person | Yes | [190] | |
Michael Hornburg | 1960– | Author | No | [191] | |
Hal E. Hoss | 1892–1934 | Journalist | Yes | [192] | |
Bill Hudson | 1949– | Musician, father of Oliver and Kate Hudson | Yes | [193] | |
Brett Hudson | 1953– | Musician, television producer | Yes | [194] | |
Mark Hudson | 1951– | Musician, record producer | Yes | [194] | |
Charlie Huhn | 1951– | Musician | Yes | [195] | |
Cooper Hummel | 1994– | Major League Baseball player | Yes | ||
William Hurt | 1950–2022 | Actor | No | [196] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illmaculate | 1986– | Hip hop musician | Yes | ||
ILoveMakonnen | 1989– | Hip hop musician | No | ||
Dan Ireland | 1949–2016 | Filmmaker | Yes | [197] | |
Mary Frances Isom | 1865–1920 | Librarian, founder of Oregon Library Association | No | [198] | |
Kirk Vernström Iverson | born ? | Inventor, writer, producer, media executive, investor and financier | Yes | [199] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Peter Jacobsen | 1954– | Pro-golfer | Yes | ||
Clayton Jacobson II | 1933–2022 | Creator of jet ski | Yes | ||
Evan Jager | 1989– | Distance runner | No | [200] | |
Jeff Jahn | 1970– | Art critic, historian, and curator | No | [201] | |
Cathy Jamison | 1950– | Olympic swimmer | Yes | [52] | |
Gary Jarman | 1980– | Musician | No | ||
Maxine Jennings | 1909–1991 | Actress | Yes | [202] | |
Ethel Jewett | 1877–1944 | Actress | Yes | [203] | |
Steve Jobs | 1955–2011 | Creator, founder of Apple | No | [204] | |
Chris Johanson | 1968– | Painter | No | [205] | |
Syl Johnson | 1900–1985 | Major League Baseball player | Yes | ||
Fred Jones | 1979– | NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion | Yes | ||
Scott Jones | 1966– | NFL offensive guard | Yes | ||
Terrence Jones | 1992– | NBA player | Yes | ||
Greg Joy | 1956– | High jumper | Yes | ||
Miranda July | 1974– | Filmmaker, performance artist | No | [206] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Louis Kaufman | 1905–1944 | Violinist | Yes | [207] | |
Daniel Kaven | 1977– | Architect, artist | No | [208] | |
Gabe Kennedy | 1990– | Chef, entrepreneur | Yes | [209] | |
Lisa Kennedy | 1972– | Political commentator | No | [210] | |
Robert E. Kennedy | 1914–2010 | Professor, president of California Polytechnic State University | Yes | [211] | |
Shell Kepler | 1958–2008 | Actress | No | [212] | |
Cecil Kern | 1883–1928 | Actress | Yes | [213] | |
Maude Kerns | 1876–1965 | Avant-garde artist | Yes | [214] | |
Albertina Kerr | 1890–1911 | Heiress to Kerr Glass Company | Yes | [215] | |
Donald M. Kerr | 1946–2015 | Wildlife biologist, conservationist | Yes | [216] | |
William Jasper Kerr | 1863–1947 | Academic, first chancellor of Oregon University System | No | [217] | |
Nitin Khanna | 1975– | Founder and CEO of MergerTech | No | ||
Brian Kidd | 1983– | Unicyclist known as the Unipiper | No | [218] | |
James Kilgore | 1947– | Activist, author | Yes | ||
Wright King | 1923–2018 | Actor | No | ||
Zach King | 1990– | YouTube personality | Yes | [219] | |
Phil Knight | 1938– | Co-founder of Nike, Inc. | Yes | [220] | |
William W. Knight | 1909–1981 | Publisher | No | [221] | |
Terence Knox | 1946– | Actor | Yes | [222] | |
Franklin F. Korell | 1889–1965 | Politician | Yes | [223] | |
A. Thomas Kraabel | 1934–2016 | Classics and Jewish history scholar | Yes | [224] | |
LaVerne Krause | 1924–1987 | Printmaker | Yes | [225] | |
Jane Kurtz | 1952– | Author | Yes | ||
Taya Kyle | 1974– | Author, activist; wife of Chris Kyle | Yes | [226] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barbara La Marr | 1896–1926 | Actress | No | [227] | |
William S. Ladd | 1826–1893 | Businessman, industrialist | No | ||
Mary Catherine Lamb | 1949–2009 | Textile artist | No | ||
Ray Lampkin | 1948– | Retired professional boxer | Yes | ||
Ben Hur Lampman | 1896–1954 | Editor, Oregon poet laureate | Yes | ||
Cowboy Lang | 1950–2007 | Midget professional wrestler | No | ||
k.d. lang | 1961– | Singer-songwriter | No | [228] | |
Harry Lane | 1855–1917 | Politician, physician | No | [229]
|
|
Storm Large | 1969– | Musician | No | [230] | |
Earle Larrimore | 1899–1947 | Actor | Yes | [231] | |
Lars Larson | 1959– | Conservative talk radio host | No | ||
Matt Lattanzi | 1959– | Actor; ex-husband of Olivia Newton-John | Yes | [11] | |
Thomas Lauderdale | 1970– | Musician (Pink Martini) | No | ||
Preacher Lawson | 1991– | Comedian | Yes | [232] | |
Edgar M. Lazarus | 1868–1939 | Architect | No | [233] | |
Ursula K. Le Guin | 1929–2018 | Author | No | ||
Agnes Brand Leahy | 1893–1943 | Screenwriter | Yes | [234] | |
Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee | 1886–1993 | First Chinese American woman registered to vote | Yes | [235] | |
Hazel Ying Lee | 1912–1944 | First Chinese-American female military pilot | Yes | [236] | |
Marc Alan Lee | 1978–2006 | United States Navy SEAL | Yes | [237] | |
Barbara Lekberg | 1925–2018 | Artist, sculptor | Yes | [238] | |
Ion Lewis | 1853–1923 | Architect | No | [239] | |
Jack Lewis | 1964– | Author | Yes | [240] | |
Norman Leyden | 1917–2014 | Conductor, clarinetist | No | [241] | |
Carl L. Linde | 1864–1945 | German American architect | No | [242] | |
Ben Linder | 1959–1987 | Engineer | No | [243] | |
Brian Lindstrom | 1961– | Documentarian | Yes | [244] | |
Albert Littlefield | First professional abortion provider in Portland | No | |||
Fred Lockley | 1871–1958 | Journalist | No | [245] | |
Jeanette Loff | 1906–1942 | Actress | No | [246] | |
Mickey Lolich | 1940– | Major League Baseball pitcher | Yes | ||
Neil Lomax | 1959– | Football player | Yes | [247] | |
Ashly Lorenzana | 1987- | Sex worker, author and freelance writer | Yes | [248] | |
A. M. Loryea | 1839–1893 | Physician, co-founder of Oregon Hospital for the Insane | No | [249] | |
Courtney Love | 1964– | Actress, musician (Hole) | No | [250] | |
George A. Lovejoy | 1931–2015 | New Hampshire State Senator, businessman | Yes | ||
Richard A. Lovett | 1953– | Author | No | ||
Horace Sumner Lyman | 1855–1904 | Journalist, historian | No | [251] | |
Logan Lynn | 1979– | Musician, writer, activist | No |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ballard MacDonald | 1882–1935 | Songwriter and lyricist | Yes | [252] | |
Harry Mack | 1990– | Rapper | No | [253] | |
Shannon MacMillan | 1974– | U.S. soccer player | No | ||
Vivek Maddala | 1973– | Composer, musician, producer | No | ||
L. K. Madigan | 1963–2010 | Writer of young adult fiction | Yes | [254] | |
Holly Madison | 1979– | Playboy Playmate, actress | No | [255] | |
Sharon Maeda | 1945– | Activist | No | [256] | |
Neda Maghbouleh | Professor, sociologist, writer | No | [257] | ||
Cleo Maletis | 1925–2009 | Mrs. America 1957 | No | [258] | |
Stephen Malkmus | 1966– | Musician (Pavement) | No | [259] | |
Paul Malvern | 1902–1993 | Stuntman, producer | Yes | [260] | |
Robert Mann | 1920–2018 | Violinist, founder of Juilliard String Quartet | Yes | [261] | |
Thomas Mann | 1991– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Steve March | 1946- | Politician and businessman | No | [262] | |
Phillip Margolin | 1944– | Writer, lawyer | Yes | ||
Richard Marquette | 1934– | Serial killer | Yes | [112] | |
Chan Marshall | 1972– | Musician (Cat Power) | No | [263] | |
Leanne Marshall | 1980– | Winner of Project Runway, season 5 | No | ||
Vivian Marshall | 1888–1969 | Actress, stuntwoman | No | [264] | |
Emily Winfield Martin | Artist, children's author | Yes | |||
Robert Marx | 1956– | Fencer | Yes | [265] | |
Blair Mastbaum | 1975– | Author | No | ||
Ana Matronic | 1974– | Singer | Yes | ||
Les McClaine | 1977– | Comic artist | No | ||
S. J. McCormick | 1828–1891 | Publisher | No | [266] | |
Rose McGowan | 1973– | Actress, director | No | [267] | |
Douglas McKay | 1893–1959 | Politician | Yes | [268] | |
Wanda McKay | 1915–1996 | Actress | Yes | [269] | |
Dallas McKennon | 1919–2009 | Voice actor | No | [270] | |
Brian McMenamin | 1957– | Brewpub owner, businessman | Yes | [271] | |
Mike McMenamin | Brewpub owner, businessman | Yes | [271] | ||
Carlton Mellick III | 1977– | Author | No | ||
Colin Meloy | 1974– | Musician (The Decemberists) | No | ||
James Mercer | 1970– | Musician (The Shins) | No | ||
Judi Meredith | 1936–2014 | Actress, figure skater | Yes | [272] | |
Natalie Mering | 1988– | Musician (Weyes Blood) | No | [273] | |
Nancy Merki | 1926–2014 | Olympic swimmer | Yes | [52] | |
Jeff Merkley | 1956– | U.S. senator | No | ||
Mayo Methot | 1904–1951 | Actress | No | [274] | |
Noah Mickens | Ringmaster of Wanderlust Circus | Yes | |||
Tiffeny Milbrett | 1972– | Soccer player, Olympic and World Cup champion | Yes | ||
Colleen Miller | 1932– | Actress | No | [275] | |
Donald Miller | 1971– | Author | No | ||
Karen Minnis | 1954– | Politician | Yes | [276] | |
Bob Mionske | 1962– | Attorney, Olympic bicycle racer | No | ||
Mirah | 1974– | Musician | No | [277] | |
Rhea Mitchell | 1890–1957 | Actress | Yes | [278] | |
Erika Moen | 1983– | Comic artist | No | [279] | |
Anne Shannon Monroe | 1873–1942 | Writer | No | ||
Jinkx Monsoon | 1987– | Drag queen, singer, actor | Yes | [280] | |
Lisa Montgomery | 1972– | MTV VJ | No | ||
Al Moore | 1908–1991 | Football player | Yes | ||
Glen Moore | 1941– | Jazz bassist | Yes | [281] | |
Jason Moore | Wikipedia editor and organizer | No | |||
Joel David Moore | 1977– | Actor, director | Yes | ||
Hilda Grossman Morris | 1911–1991 | Artist | No | [282] | |
Sienna Morris | 1983– | Artist | No | [283] | |
Lee Morse | 1897–1954 | Singer-songwriter, actress | No | [284] | |
Cris Moss | Artist, curator | No | |||
George Mullin | 1892–1963 | World War I veteran, Victoria Cross winner | Yes | ||
Ona Munson | 1903–1955 | Actress | Yes | [285] | |
Francis J. Murnane | 1914–1968 | Longshore worker, preservationist | No | [286] | |
Dale Murphy | 1956– | Major League Baseball player | Yes | ||
Brent Musburger | 1939– | ESPN and ABC newscaster | Yes | [287] | |
Isaiah Mustafa | 1974– | Actor, athlete | Yes | [288] | |
Danny Mwanga | 1991– | Soccer player | No | [289] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legedu Naanee | 1983– | NFL player | Yes | [290] | |
Rose Naftalin | 1898–1998 | Restaurateur | No | [291] | |
Bill Naito | 1925–1996 | Businessman | Yes | ||
Dika Newlin | 1923–2006 | Composer, musician | Yes | [292] | |
Rob Neyer | 1966– | Sportswriter, author | No | ||
Scout Niblett | 1973– | Musician | No | [293] | |
Stella Nickell | 1943– | Convicted criminal | No | [294] | |
Jen and Kyndi Niquette | 1988– | Singers (Jen and Kat), lifestyle models | No | [295] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colin O'Brady | 1985– | Endurance athlete | No | [296] | |
Dan O'Brien | 1966– | Olympic gold medalist | Yes | [297] | |
Bill O'Reilly | 1949– | Political commentator, former news anchor | No | [298] | |
Broderick O'Farrell | 1882–1955 | Actor | Yes | [299] | |
Kevin O'Rourke | 1956– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Bill Oakley | 1966– | Writer | No | [300] | |
Jack Ohman | 1960– | Editorial cartoonist of The Oregonian | No | [301] | |
Steve Olin | 1965–1993 | Major League Baseball pitcher | Yes | [302] | |
George Olsen | 1893–1971 | Bandleader | Yes | [303] | |
Kaitlin Olson | 1975– | Actress, comedian | Yes | [304] | |
William Olvis | 1958–2014 | Composer | Yes | ||
Mark Orton | Film score composer | No | |||
William Overton | Co-founder of Portland | Yes | [305] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keith Packard | 1963– | Software developer | No | ||
Bettie Page | 1923–2008 | Pin-up model | No | [306] | |
Chuck Palahniuk | 1962– | Author | No | [307] | |
Robert B. Pamplin | 1911–2009 | Businessman | No | [308] | |
Jiggs Parrott | 1871–1891 | Major League Baseball infielder | Yes | [309] | |
Tom Parrott | 1868–1932 | Major League Baseball pitcher | Yes | [310] | |
Dennis Patera | 1945– | NFL player | Yes | [311] | |
Ken Patera | 1942– | Olympic weightlifter | Yes | [312] | |
Virginia Patton | 1925–2022 | Actress, businesswoman | No | [313] | |
Linus Pauling | 1901–1994 | Double Nobel Prize-winning chemist | Yes | [314] | |
George Anson Pease | 1830–1919 | Steamboat captain | No | [315] | |
Lute Pease | 1869–1963 | Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist | No | [316] | |
Jack Pennick | 1895–1964 | Actor | Yes | [317] | |
Edward J. Perkins | 1928–2020 | Diplomat | No | [318] | |
Johnny Pesky | 1919–2012 | Major League Baseball player (Boston Red Sox) | Yes | [319] | |
Susan Peters | 1921–1952 | Actress | No | [320] | |
Buddy Peterson | 1925–2007 | Baseball player | Yes | [321] | |
Tom Peterson | 1930–2016 | Television personality | No | [112] | |
Samuel B. Pettengill | 1886–1974 | Politician | Yes | [322] | |
James Phelan | 1892–1974 | Football player, coach | No | [323] | |
Henry F. Phillips | 1890–1958 | Inventor of the Phillips-head screw | Yes | [324] | |
Hollie Pihl | 1928–2018 | Judge | Yes | [325] | |
Mitch Pileggi | 1952– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Roddy Piper | 1954–2015 | Wrestler | No | [326] | |
Joe Plummer | Rock drummer, percussionist | No | [327] | ||
Orlando Plummer | 1836–1913 | Physician, politician | No | [328] | |
Bill Plympton | 1946– | Animator, illustrator | Yes | [329] | |
Justine W. Polier | 1903–1987 | First female judge in New York | Yes | [330] | |
Daniel A. Poling | 1884–1968 | Clergyman | Yes | [331] | |
Erika Polmar | Entrepreneur and activist | [332] | |||
Paul Popham | 1941–1987 | War veteran, gay rights activist | No | [333] | |
Tom Potter | 1940– | Former police chief and mayor of Portland | No | [334] | |
Gap Powell | 1898–1989 | Professional football player | Yes | [335] | |
Jane Powell | 1929–2021 | Actress, singer | Yes | [336] | |
Maudie Prickett | 1914–1976 | Actress | Yes | [337] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philip Quinton | 1999– | Soccer player | Yes | [338] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ruth Radelet | 1982– | Musician (Chromatics) | Yes | [339] | |
Ahmad Rashad | 1949– | NFL player | Yes | [112] | |
Justin Rattner | Intel executive | No | |||
Johnnie Ray | 1927–1990 | Singer | No | [340] | |
Max Records | 1997– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
John Reed | 1887–1920 | Journalist | Yes | [287] | |
Holiday Reinhorn | 1964– | Writer | Yes | [341] | |
Mel Renfro | 1941– | NFL defensive back | No | [342] | |
Rozz Rezabek | 1960– | Punk singer (Negative Trend, Theatre of Sheep) | Yes | [343] | |
Kim Rhodes | 1969– | Actress | Yes | [11] | |
Frank Rice | 1892–1936 | Actor | No | [344] | |
Jeff Richards | 1924–1989 | Actor, baseball player | Yes | [345] | |
Burton Richardson | 1949– | Television announcer | Yes | ||
Mike Richardson | 1950– | Publisher, founder of Dark Horse Comics | Yes | [346] | |
Lolita Ritmanis | 1962– | Film composer | Yes | [347] | |
Terry Robb | 1956– | Guitarist | No | [348] | |
Clete Roberts | 1912–1984 | Newscaster, actor | Yes | [349] | |
Robert Robideau | 1946–2009 | Native American rights activist | Yes | [350] | |
John Robison | 1985– | Actor | Yes | [11] | |
Cleveland S. Rockwell | 1837–1907 | Cartographer, artist | No | [351] | |
Josef Rösch | 1925–2016 | Physician, radiologist | No | [352] | |
Raina Rose | 1982– | Folk singer | No | [353] | |
Keri Rosebraugh | Artist | Yes | [354] | ||
Louis Conrad Rosenberg | 1890–1983 | Printmaker | Yes | [355] | |
Alex Ross | 1970– | Comic artist | Yes | [356] | |
Marv Ross | 1951– | Musician (Quarterflash) | Yes | [357] | |
Rindy Ross | 1951– | Singer, musician (Quarterflash) | Yes | [357] | |
Mark Rothko | 1903–1970 | Artist | No | [54] | |
Aaron Rowand | 1970– | NFL player | Yes | [358] | |
Greg Rucka | 1969– | Novelist, comic writer | No | [359] | |
Galen Rupp | 1986– | Olympic distance runner | Yes | [360] | |
Pat Russell | 1923–2021 | Los Angeles City Council member | Yes | ||
Rick Rydell | 1963– | Writer, talk show host | No | [361] | |
Nancy Ryles | 1937–1990 | Politician | Yes | [362] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domantas Sabonis | 1996- | Professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings | Yes | ||
Joe Sacco | 1960– | Graphic novel journalist | No | ||
Katee Sackhoff | 1980– | Actress | Yes | [363] | |
Greg Sage | 1952– | Musician, singer (Wipers) | No | [364] | |
Alberto Salazar | 1958– | Olympic track athlete, coach until he was banned for life | No | ||
Curtis Salgado | 1954– | Singer | No | ||
Mary F. Sammons | 1954– | Businesswoman, former CEO of Rite Aid and Fred Meyer | Yes | [365] | |
Rick Sanders | 1945–1972 | Freestyle wrestler, World Champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist | Yes | ||
Alexandra Savior | 1995– | Singer-songwriter | Yes | [366] | |
Rebecca Schaeffer | 1967–1989 | Actress | No | [367] | |
Anne Schedeen | 1949– | Actress | Yes | [368] | |
Monte Scheinblum | 1967– | Long-driving golf champion | Yes | [369] | |
Dan Schmid | 1962– | Musician | Yes | ||
Gerald Schwartz | 1941– | Mathematician | Yes | ||
Randal L. Schwartz | 1961– | Author, convicted computer criminal | Yes | ||
Gordon Scott | 1926–2007 | Actor | Yes | [370] | |
Harvey W. Scott | 1838–1910 | Publisher | No | [371] | |
Leslie M. Scott | 1878–1968 | Politician, historian | Yes | [372] | |
Ynez Seabury | 1907–1973 | Actress | Yes | [373] | |
Daniel Seavey | 1999– | Musician, contestant of American Idol | Yes | ||
Gwenn Seemel | 1981– | Artist | No | [374] | |
Della Sehorn | 1927–2001 | Olympic swimmer | Yes | [375] | |
Richie Sexson | 1974– | Major League Baseball player | Yes | ||
Susan Shadburne | 1942–2018 | Filmmaker | Yes | [376] | |
Ari Shapiro | 1978– | Journalist | No | [377] | |
David Shipley | 1963– | Journalist, editor of Bloomberg View, formerly The New York Times | Yes | [378] | |
Floyd Simmons | 1925–1996 | Football player | Yes | ||
Danny Simon | 1918–2005 | Television writer | No | [379] | |
Norton Simon | 1907–1993 | Billionaire industrialist | Yes | [380] | |
Christine Sinclair | 1983- | Canadian soccer player | No | ||
Jacques Singer | 1910–1980 | Violinist, conductor of the Oregon Symphony (1962–1972) | No | ||
Lori Singer | 1957– | Actress, cellist | No | [381] | |
Ernst Skarstedt | 1857–1929 | Author | No | ||
Joseph A. Sladen | 1841–1911 | Union Army recipient of the Medal of Honor | No | [382] | |
Elliott Smith | 1969–2003 | Musician | No | [383] | |
Harry Everett Smith | 1923–1991 | Archivist, ethnomusicologist | Yes | [384] | |
Lawrence Leighton Smith | 1936–2013 | Conductor | Yes | [385] | |
Marie Smith | 1898–1991 | Activist | No | [386] | |
Esperanza Spalding | 1984– | Musician | Yes | [287] | |
Tom Spanbauer | 1946– | Author | No | ||
Erik Spoelstra | 1970– | NBA coach | No | [287] | |
Mary Jane Spurlin | 1883–1970 | First female judge in Oregon | No | [387] | |
Matthew Stadler | 1959– | Author | No | ||
William Stafford | 1914–1993 | Poet | No | ||
Katy Steding | 1967– | Basketball player, head coach at Boston University | Yes | [52] | |
Bob Steele | 1907–1988 | Actor | Yes | [388] | |
Dave Stevens | 1955–2008 | Illustrator, comic artist | No | [389] | |
Melvin Storer | 1921–2003 | United States Navy shipfitter | Yes | [390] | |
Tempest Storm | 1928–2021 | Burlesque dancer | No | ||
Damon Stoudamire | 1973– | NBA player, coach | Yes | [391] | |
Salim Stoudamire | 1982– | NBA player | Yes | ||
Steven Strauss | Author and lawyer | No | [392] | ||
Cheryl Strayed | 1968– | Author, essayist | No | [393] | |
Brenda Strong | 1960– | Actress | Yes | [394] | |
Arthur Dewey Struble | 1894–1983 | United States admiral | Yes | [395] | |
Sally Struthers | 1947– | Actress | Yes | [396] | |
Ndamukong Suh | 1987– | NFL player | Yes | ||
Jon Micah Sumrall | 1980– | Singer, musician (Kutless) | No |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deb Talan | 1968– | Singer-songwriter (The Weepies) | No | ||
Simon Tam | 1981– | Musician (The Slants) | No | ||
Jason Tanamor | 1975– | Author | No | [397] | |
Ruth Taylor | 1905–1984 | Actress | No | [398] | |
Thelma Taylor | 1933–1949 | Murder victim | Yes | [399] | |
Courtney Taylor-Taylor | 1967– | Musician | Yes | ||
James Terwilliger | 1809–1892 | Pioneer, namesake of Terwilliger Boulevard | No | [400] | |
Maria Thayer | 1975– | Actress | Yes | [401] | |
Tommy Thayer | 1960– | Musician (Kiss) | Yes | [402] | |
Twinka Thiebaud | 1945– | Model | No | [403] | |
Craig Thompson | 1975– | Graphic novelist | No | ||
Chiye Tomihiro | 1924–2012 | Japanese-American activist | Yes | ||
Barbara Thorne Stevenson | 1909–1985 | Soprano | Yes | ||
Kirk Thornton | 1956– | Voice actor | Yes | ||
Tori | 1964– | Bodybuilder | Yes | ||
Linus Torvalds | 1969– | Organizer of Linux operating system kernel | No | ||
Michael Totten | 1970- | Foreign correspondent, writer | No | ||
Vecepia Towery | 1965– | Winner of Survivor: Marquesas | Yes | [404] | |
Pennie Lane Trumbull | 1954– | Socialite | Yes | [405] | |
Corin Tucker | 1972– | Musician (Sleater-Kinney) | No | ||
Richmond K. Turner | 1885–1961 | U.S. Navy admiral | Yes | [406] | |
Wayne Twitchell | 1948–2010 | Major League Baseball player | Yes |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ime Udoka | 1977– | NBA player, coach | Yes | [407] | |
Mfon Udoka | 1976– | WNBA player | Yes | [52] | |
Sara Jean Underwood | 1984– | Playboy Playmate, model | Yes | [408] | |
Andrea U'Ren | 1968– | Children's author, illustrator | No |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gus Van Sant | 1952– | Filmmaker | No | [409] | |
Gino Vannelli | 1952- | Singer-songwriter | No | [410] | |
Laura Veirs | 1973– | Singer-songwriter | No | [287] | |
Will Vinton | 1947–2018 | Claymation animator | No | [411] | |
Nicole Vogel | Publisher, author | No | [412] | ||
Tim Vollmer | 1946– | Olympic discus thrower | Yes | [413] | |
Howard Vollum | 1913–1986 | Engineer, founder of Tektronix | Yes | [414] | |
Robert Vosper | 1913–1994 | Librarian (UCLA, University of Kansas) | Yes | [415] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lindsay Wagner | 1949– | Actress | No | [416] | |
Chris Walla | 1975– | Musician (Death Cab for Cutie) | No | [417] | |
Fred Walton | 1949– | Film director | No | [418] | |
Abby Wambach | 1980– | Soccer player | No | [210] | |
M. Ward | 1973– | Musician | No | [210] | |
Dominic Waters | 1986– | Basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League | Yes | ||
Michaela Watkins | 1971– | Comedian, actress | No | [419] | |
Marie Watt | 1967– | Sculptor | No | ||
Danny Way | 1974– | Professional skateboarder | Yes | [420] | |
Henry Weinhard | 1830–1904 | Brewer | No | [421] | |
Janet Weiss | 1965– | Drummer (Sleater-Kinney) | No | [422] | |
Claxton Welch | 1947– | NFL player | Yes | [423] | |
E. Henry Wemme | 1861–1914 | Businessman | No | [424] | |
Paul Wexler | 1929–1979 | Actor | Yes | ||
Philip Whalen | 1923–2012 | Poet | Yes | [425] | |
Nancy Whang | 1977– | Musician (LCD Soundsystem) | Yes | [426] | |
Ted Wheeler | 1962– | Mayor of Portland | Yes | ||
Minor White | 1908–1976 | Photographer | No | ||
Morris H. Whitehouse | 1878–1944 | Architect | Yes | [427] | |
Andrew Wiederhorn | 1966– | Entrepreneur | Yes | [428] | |
Brad Wilk | 1968– | Drummer (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) | Yes | [429] | |
Gustaf Wilson | 1827–1905 | Businessman, Freemason | No | [430] | |
Nancy Wilson | 1954– | Musician (Heart) | No | [431] | |
David Wolman | Author, journalist | No | [432] | ||
Carolyn Wood | 1945– | Olympic swimmer | Yes | [52] | |
Charles Erskine Scott Wood | 1852–1944 | Author, civil liberties advocate | No | [433] | |
Randall Woodfield | 1950– | Serial killer known as the I-5 Killer | No | [434] | |
Martin Wong | 1949–1999 | Painter | Yes | [435] | |
Renn Woods | 1958– | Actress | No | [436] | |
Thomas H. Wright | 1873–1928 | Electrician, teacher | No | [437] | |
Ron Wyden | 1949- | U.S. senator; former U.S. congressman | Yes | [438] | |
Anthony Wynn | 1962– | Playwright | No |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Yeon | 1910–1994 | Architect | Yes | [439] | |
Harold Young | 1897–1970 | Film and theater director | Yes | [440] | |
Joan Young | 1937–1985 | Actress | Yes | [441] | |
Lidia Yuknavitch | 1963– | Writer | No | [442] | |
Yeat | 2000– | Rapper | No | [443] |
Person | Lifespan | Notability | Born | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mariel Zagunis | 1985– | Two-time Olympic gold medalist in fencing | Yes | [52] | |
Richard Zander | 1964– | Figure skater | Yes | [444] | |
Alexandra Zapp | 1971–2002 | Murder victim | Yes | [445] | |
Suzanne Zimmerman | 1925–2021 | Olympic silver medalist swimmer | Yes | [52] | |
Peter Zuckerman | 1979– | Journalist | No | [446] | |
Mark Zusman | 1954– | Publisher | No | [447] |
I did live in Portland, Oregon for about five years, from when I was like 5 to 10, and then we came back down here to pursue the acting thing.
Joining them for dinner on a recent Thursday night at Supper on Second Street off Avenue A were Scott Coffey, a screenwriter, director and sometime bit player; and his boyfriend, Blair Mastbaum, a novelist. They sat at a table in a room just light enough not to be taken for a bat cave.
cite web
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)cite book
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)cite book
: |work=
ignored (help)Published: Feb. 23, 2011
Last rites for Thelma Anne Taylor, 15-year-old Roosevelt High School sophomore whose murder August 6, was confessed by Morris Leland, 22, transient, will be at 1:30 PM. Monday at Mikesworth's Peninsula Funeral Home 3018 N. Lombard Street. Rev. William C. Doughty, pastor of East St. Johns Mission Covenant, of which the girl was a member, will officiate. Burial will be in Columbia Cemetery. Miss Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence A. Taylor, 9903 N. Oregonian Street, was born in Portland December 12, 1933...
cite book
: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children.
Portland, Oregon is divided into six sections: North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, South Portland, Southeast Portland, and Southwest Portland. There are 95 officially recognized neighborhoods, each of which is represented by a volunteer-based neighborhood association. No neighborhood associations overlap the Willamette River, but a few overlap the addressing sextants. For example, most addresses in the South Portland Neighborhood Association are South, but a portion of the neighborhood is west of SW View Point Terrace where addresses have a SW prefix. Similarly the Buckman Neighborhood Association spans both NE and SE Portland.
Neighborhood associations serve as the liaison between residents and the city government, as coordinated by the city's Office of Community & Civic Life,[1] which was created in 1974 and known as the Office of Neighborhood Involvement until July 2018.[2] The city subsequently provides funding to this "network of neighborhoods" through district coalitions, which are groupings of neighborhood associations. A few areas of Portland are "unclaimed" by any of the 95 neighborhood associations in Portland.
Each neighborhood association defines its own boundaries, which may include areas outside of Portland city limits and (if mutually agreed) areas that overlap with other neighborhoods. Neighborhoods may span boundaries between the six sections (North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, South Portland, Southeast Portland, and Southwest Portland) of the city as well. The segmentation adopted here is based on Office of Community & Civic Life's district coalition model, under which each neighborhood is part of at most one coalition (though some neighborhoods are not included in any).
Neighborhood name | Sextant | Coalition | Namesake | Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alameda | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Alameda Land Company who laid out the first subdivision in the area | ![]() |
|
Arbor Lodge | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | ![]() |
||
Ardenwald-Johnson Creek | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Arden M. Rockwood, son of the man who first platted the area | ![]() |
Partially in Portland and Milwaukie. Neighborhood recognized by both cities. |
Argay | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | Portmanteau of Art Simonson and Gerhardt "Gay" Stavney, planners of neighborhood. | ||
Arlington Heights | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | ![]() |
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Arnold Creek | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Arnold Creek | ![]() |
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Ashcreek | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Beaumont-Wilshire | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Beaumont: beautiful mountain in French.
Wilshire: Etymology unknown |
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Boise | North, Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Reuben P. Boise, Oregon Supreme Court Justice | Includes Mississippi District. | |
Brentwood-Darlington | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | ![]() |
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Bridgeton | North, Northeast | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Bridgeton Slough, in turn named for the Interstate Bridge | ||
Bridlemile | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Brooklyn | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Large number of rivers, creeks, and lakes that historically occupied the neighborhood. | ![]() |
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Buckman | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | City Councilor Cyrus Buckman | ![]() |
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Cathedral Park | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Cathedral Park | ![]() |
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Centennial | Southeast | East Portland Community Office | |||
Collins View | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Concordia | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Concordia University (now University of Oregon Portland) | ![]() |
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Creston-Kenilworth | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Creston: Etymology unknown
Kenilworth: Sir Walter Scott's Kenilworth. A Romance. |
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Crestwood | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Cully | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Settler Thomas Cully. | ![]() |
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Chinatown | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Historically large number of Chinese businesses and residences | ![]() |
Northwest part of Old Town Chinatown, the Southwest part being Old Town. |
Downtown | Southwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Portland's Downtown | ![]() |
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East Columbia | North, Northeast | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Columbia River | ||
Eastmoreland | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Pioneer Julius C. Moreland | ![]() |
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Eliot | North, Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Rev. Thomas Lamb Eliot | ![]() |
Former center of Albina, Oregon before annexation with Portland. |
Far Southwest | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Farthest southwest neighborhood of Portland | ||
Forest Park | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Forest Park | ![]() |
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Foster-Powell | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Foster Road and Powell Boulevard, in turn named for Estacada farmer Philip Foster and settler Jackson Powell | ![]() |
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Glenfair | Northeast, Southeast | East Portland Community Office | Glenfair Park | ![]() |
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Goose Hollow | Southwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Large amount of wild Geese who historically inhabited the area | ![]() |
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Grant Park | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | Grant Park, in turn named for President Ulysses S. Grant | ![]() |
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Hayden Island | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Hayden Island, in turn named for settler Gay Hayden | ![]() |
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Hayhurst | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | ![]() |
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Hazelwood | Northeast, Southeast | East Portland Community Office | |||
Healy Heights | Southwest | Unaffiliated | ![]() |
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Hillsdale | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) | ![]() |
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Hillside | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) | ![]() |
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Hollywood | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | Hollywood Theatre | ![]() |
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Homestead | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Location of the homestead of State Representative Philip Augustus Marquam | ![]() |
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Hosford-Abernethy | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Hosford: Methodist Missionary Chauncey Hosford.
Abernethy: Provisional Governor of Oregon George Abernethy. |
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Humboldt | North, Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | |||
Irvington | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Irvington Investment Company, development company that helped create the neighborhood. | ![]() |
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Kenton | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | ![]() |
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Kerns | Northeast, Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Settler William Kerns | ![]() |
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King | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. | ||
Laurelhurst | Northeast, Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Laurelhurst Company, development company that helped create the neighborhood. | ![]() |
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Lents | Southeast | East Portland Community Office | Settler Oliver P. Lent | ![]() |
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Linnton | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | US Senator Lewis F. Linn (D-MO) | ![]() |
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Lloyd District | North, Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Developer Ralph Lloyd, founder of Lloyd Center, once America's largest shopping mall | ![]() |
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Madison South | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | James Madison High School (now Leodis V. McDaniel High School) | ![]() |
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Maplewood | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Markham | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
Marshall Park | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Marshall Park, in turn named for Frederick C. and Addie Mae Marshall who donated the park to the city | ||
Mill Park | Southeast | East Portland Community Office | |||
Montavilla | Northeast, Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Portmanteau of Mount Tabor Village | ![]() |
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Mt. Scott-Arleta | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Mt. Scott: Harvey W. Scott, editor of The Oregonian.
Arleta: the daughter of one of the neighborhood's early developers. |
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Mount Tabor | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Mount Tabor, in turn named for the biblical Mount Tabor | ![]() |
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Multnomah/Multnomah Village | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Multnomah Tribe/Chief Multnomah | ![]() |
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North Tabor | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Mount Tabor, in turn named for the biblical Mount Tabor | ![]() |
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Northwest District | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Northwest Portland | ![]() |
Includes Uptown, Nob Hill, Alphabet District, and Slabtown. |
Northwest Heights | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Northwest Portland | ||
Northwest Industrial | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Large number of Industrial parks in the area | ![]() |
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Old Town | Southwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Original urban core of Portland. "Oldest part of town". | Southwest part of Old Town Chinatown, the Northwest part being Chinatown. | |
Overlook | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | The neighborhood is located on a bluff that overlooks the city. | ![]() |
Includes Swan Island. |
Parkrose | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | ![]() |
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Parkrose Heights | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | |||
Pearl District | Northwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Coined by local journalist Terry Hammond for unknown reasons | ![]() |
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Piedmont | North, Northeast | North Portland Neighborhood Services | ![]() |
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Pleasant Valley | Southeast | East Portland Community Office | |||
Portsmouth | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Port of Portland | ![]() |
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Powellhurst-Gilbert | Southeast | East Portland Community Office | Named for two schools in the area, Powellhurst (in turn named for settler Jackson Powell) and Gilbert Heights (in turn named for settler William M. Gilbert). | ![]() |
Includes the recently formed Jade District. |
Reed | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Reed College, in turn named for pioneers Simeon Gannett & Amanda Reed. | ![]() |
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Richmond | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Settler Richmond Kelly, son of Rev. Clinton Kelly. | ![]() |
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Rose City Park | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Refers to Portland's nickname of the City of Roses. | ![]() |
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Roseway | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | Refers to Portland's nickname of the City of Roses. | ![]() |
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Russell | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | ![]() |
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Sabin | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | ![]() |
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St. Johns | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Settler James John | ![]() |
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Sellwood-Moreland (Westmoreland) | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Sellwood: Rev. John Sellwood
Moreland: Pioneer Julius C. Moreland |
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South Burlingame | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | |||
South Portland | South | Southwest Neighborhoods | South of Downtown | ![]() |
Includes South Waterfront, Lair Hill, and Corbett |
South Tabor | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Mount Tabor, in turn named for the biblical Mount Tabor | ![]() |
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Southwest Hills | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) | ![]() |
Partially in Portland and unincorporated Multnomah County. |
Sullivan's Gulch | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | Settler Timothy Sullivan | ||
Sumner | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | ![]() |
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Sunderland | Northeast | Central Northeast Neighbors | ![]() |
Includes Dignity Village. | |
Sunnyside | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | |||
Sylvan-Highlands | Southwest | Neighbors West-Northwest | Roman God of the Woods, Silvanus | ||
University Park | North | North Portland Neighborhood Services | Portland Methodist Episcopal University (now University of Portland) | ![]() |
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Vernon | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | ![]() |
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West Portland Park | Southwest | Southwest Neighborhoods | West part of Portland | ![]() |
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Wilkes | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | The Wilkes Family of settlers | ||
Woodland Park | Northeast | East Portland Community Office | Portland's smallest neighborhood. | ||
Woodlawn | Northeast | Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods | ![]() |
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Woodstock | Southeast | Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition | Sir Walter Scott's Woodstock | ![]() |
Portland City Council
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Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
President of the Council
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Elana Pirtle-Guiney
since January 2, 2025 |
Vice President of the Council
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Tiffany Koyama Lane
since January 2, 2025 |
Structure | |
Seats | 12 |
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Political groups
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Officially nonpartisan
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Length of term
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4 years |
Salary | $133,207[1] |
Elections | |
Single transferable vote | |
Last election
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November 5, 2024 |
Next election
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November 3, 2026 (6 seats) |
Meeting place | |
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Portland City Hall Portland, Oregon |
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Website | |
Portland City Council |
The Portland City Council (formerly the Portland City Commission) is the legislative body of the City of Portland in Oregon and forms part of the government of the city.
In January 2025, the city of Portland switched to a mayor–council form of government from a commission form of government, with elections held the prior November. The half of the city council began full four-year terms, while the other half of the city council started initial two-year terms to establish a staggered election cycle.[2]
There are no term-limits for city councilors and they are all officially nonpartisan,[3] although all current members of the council are members of the Democratic Party, and four of the councilors are members of the Democratic Socialists of America.[4][5]
Since 2024, the council districts are as follows:[6]
The Portland Charter was the subject of much debate circa 1911–1912. Rival charters were drafted by four different groups. One of these proposed charters was unusual in that it would have used Bucklin voting to elect the mayor and implemented interactive representation of the people through the commissioner system; each commissioner's vote would have been weighted according to the number of votes he received in the election. eventually, the city council submitted an entirely different charter to the people, which was accepted.[7] The city commission government form then came into use in 1913, with H. Russell Albee being the first mayor under the new system.[8]
Between 1913 and 2024, Portland ran on this commission form of government, the largest city in the United States to do so. The council was composed of five members, referred to as Commissioners, which included the Mayor, each elected at-large for a term of four years. One of the Commissioners was elected to be the ceremonial President of the Council.
Commissioners were each assigned to run and oversee various city Bureaus (eg. Police, Fire, Environmental Services, Water). These assignments were occasionally switched around with the exception of the Police Bureau of which the Mayor had always been Commissioner of based on tradition.
Ballot Measure 26-228 in the November 2022 election was an amendment to the city charter that moved the city away from a commission system of government. It removes the five-person board that includes the mayor to a twelve-person board plus a separate mayor. The new city councilors will be elected using proportional multi-winner ranked-choice voting, with three members being elected each from four districts, instead of the standard first-past-the-post method. It also removes responsibility for direct management of city bureaus from commissioners to a city manager overseen by the mayor and confirmed by the council.[9] Previous attempts to reform the city charter had been defeated seven times since 1913,[10] including as recently as 2007. Portland is set to become the most-populated city to adopt the single transferable vote to elect city council members.
The first city council elections under the new districts occurred in 2024.[11] In preparation for transitioning management of city bureaus to a city manager, Mayor Ted Wheeler grouped city bureaus into five related service areas.[12]
On January 2, 2025, at the first meeting of the new council, Elana Pirtle-Guiney was elected council president in a 7 to 5 vote after 10 rounds. Tiffany Koyama Lane was elected vice president unanimously.[13]
No. | Portrait | Officeholder | Tenure start | Tenure end | Vice President | Mayor |
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1 | ![]() |
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
(2nd–Vernon) |
January 2, 2025 | Incumbent | Tiffany Koyama Lane | Keith Wilson |
Councilor Angelita Morillo asserts that a better Portland is possible. It's a catchphrase used often by the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, to which Morillo belongs.
Portland
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Nickname(s):
"Rose City"; "Stumptown"; "PDX"; see Nicknames of Portland, Oregon for a complete list.
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Motto:
"The City that Works"[1]
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![]() Interactive map outlining Portland
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Coordinates:
45°31′12″N 122°40′55″W / 45.52000°N 122.68194°WCountry United StatesState
OregonCountiesMultnomah
Washington
ClackamasFounded1845IncorporatedFebruary 8, 1851Named afterPortland, Maine[2]Government
• TypeMayor–council government • BodyPortland City Council • MayorKeith Wilson • AuditorSimone Rede[3]Area
145.00 sq mi (375.55 km2) • Land133.49 sq mi (345.73 km2) • Water11.51 sq mi (29.82 km2) • Urban
519.30 sq mi (1,345.0 km2)Elevation
161 ft (49 m)Highest elevation
1,188 ft (362 m)Lowest elevation
0.62 ft (0.19 m)Population
652,503 • Rank74th in North America
28th in the United States
1st in Oregon • Density4,888.10/sq mi (1,887.30/km2) • Urban
2,104,238 (US: 23rd) • Urban density4,052.1/sq mi (1,564.5/km2) • Metro
2,511,612 (US: 25th)DemonymPortlanderGDP
• Metro$218.894 billion (2023)Time zoneUTC– 08:00 (PST) • Summer (DST)UTC– 07:00 (PDT)ZIP Codes
Area codes503 and 971FIPS code41-59000GNIS ID2411471[5]Websiteportland.gov
Portland (/ˈpɔːrtlənd/ PORT-lənd) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Pacific Northwest at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, sixth most populous on the West Coast, and third most populous in the Pacific Northwest (after Seattle and Vancouver, Canada) with a population of 652,503 at the 2020 census,[11] while the Portland metropolitan area with over 2.54 million residents is the 26th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Almost half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area.[a] It is the county seat of Multnomah County, Oregon's most populous county.
Named after Portland, Maine,[12] which is itself named after England's Isle of Portland, the Oregon settlement began to be populated near the end of the Oregon Trail in the 1840s. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, and was a hub for organized crime and racketeering; this reputation dissipated after its economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II, and it became known for its growing liberal and progressive political values from the 1960s onwards,[13] earning it a reputation as a bastion of counterculture exemplified by the popular slogan "Keep Portland Weird".[14] This aspect of the city has since been championed by organizations such as Weird Portland United[15] and the comedy series Portlandia (2011–2018).[16]
The city operates with a mayor–council government system, guided by a mayor and 12 city councilors, as well as Metro, the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States.[17][18] Its climate is marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and Portland has been called the "City of Roses" for over a century.[19]
During the prehistoric period, the land that would become Portland was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from Lake Missoula, in what would later become Montana. These massive floods occurred during the last ice age and filled the Willamette Valley with 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 m) of water.[20]
Before American settlers began arriving in the 1800s, the land was inhabited for many centuries by two bands of indigenous Chinook people – the Multnomah and the Clackamas.[21] The Chinook people occupying the land were first documented in 1805 by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.[22] Before its European settlement, the Portland Basin of the lower Columbia River and Willamette River valleys had been one of the most densely populated regions on the Pacific Coast.[22]
Large numbers of pioneer settlers began arriving in the Willamette Valley in the 1840s via the Oregon Trail with many arriving in nearby Oregon City.[23] A new settlement then emerged ten miles from the mouth of the Willamette River,[24] roughly halfway between Oregon City and Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver. This community was initially referred to as "Stumptown" and "The Clearing" because of the many trees cut down to allow for its growth.[25] In 1843 William Overton saw potential in the new settlement but lacked the funds to file an official land claim. For 25 cents, Overton agreed to share half of the 640-acre (2.6 km2) site with Asa Lovejoy of Boston.[26]
In 1844, Overton sold his remaining half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove of Portland, Maine. Both Pettygrove and Lovejoy wished to rename "The Clearing" after their respective hometowns (Lovejoy's being Boston, and Pettygrove's, Portland). This controversy was settled with a coin toss that Pettygrove won in a series of two out of three tosses, thereby providing Portland with its namesake.[2] The coin used for this decision, now known as the Portland Penny, is on display in the headquarters of the Oregon Historical Society. At the time of its incorporation on February 8, 1851, Portland had over 800 inhabitants,[27] a steam sawmill, a log cabin hotel, and a newspaper, the Weekly Oregonian. A major fire swept through downtown in August 1873, destroying twenty blocks on the west side of the Willamette along Yamhill and Morrison Streets, and causing $1.3 million in damage,[28] roughly equivalent to $34.1 million today.[29] By 1879, the population had grown to 17,500 and by 1890 it had grown to 46,385.[30] In 1888, the first steel bridge on the West Coast was opened in Portland,[31] the predecessor of the 1912 namesake Steel Bridge that survives today. In 1889, Henry Pittock's wife, Georgiana, established the Portland Rose Society. The annual Portland Rose Festival" is held here in June.[32] The movement to make Portland a "Rose City" started as the city was preparing for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.[19]
Portland's access to the Pacific Ocean via the Willamette and Columbia rivers, as well as its easy access to the agricultural Tualatin Valley via the "Great Plank Road" (the route of current-day U.S. Route 26), provided the pioneer city with an advantage over other nearby ports, and it grew very quickly.[33] Portland remained the major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century, until the 1890s, when Seattle's deepwater harbor was connected to the rest of the mainland by rail, affording an inland route without the treacherous navigation of the Columbia River. The city had its own Japantown,[34] for one, and the lumber industry also became a prominent economic presence, due to the area's large population of Douglas fir, western hemlock, red cedar, and big leaf maple trees.[22]
Portland developed a reputation early in its history as a hard-edged and gritty port town.[35] Some historians have described the city's early establishment as being a "scion of New England; an ends-of-the-earth home for the exiled spawn of the eastern established elite."[36] In 1889, The Oregonian called Portland "the most filthy city in the Northern States", due to the unsanitary sewers and gutters,[37] and, at the turn of the 20th century, it was considered one of the most dangerous port cities in the world.[38] The city housed a large number of saloons, bordellos, gambling dens, and boarding houses which were populated with miners after the California gold rush, as well as the multitude of sailors passing through the port.[35] By the early 20th century, the city had lost its reputation as a "sober frontier city" and garnered a reputation for being violent and dangerous.[35][39]
Between 1900 and 1930, the city's population tripled from nearly 100,000 to 301,815.[41] During World War II, it housed an "assembly center" from which up to 3,676 people of Japanese descent were dispatched to internment camps in the heartland. It was the first American city to have residents report thus,[42] and the Pacific International Livestock Exposition operated from May through September 10, 1942, processing people from the city, northern Oregon, and central Washington.[43] General John DeWitt called the city the first "Jap-free city on the West Coast".[42]
At the same time, Portland became a notorious hub for underground criminal activity and organized crime in the 1940s and 1950s.[44] In 1957, Life magazine published an article detailing the city's history of government corruption and crime, specifically its gambling rackets and illegal nightclubs.[44] The article, which focused on crime boss Jim Elkins, became the basis of a fictionalized film titled Portland Exposé (1957). In spite of the city's seedier undercurrent of criminal activity, Portland enjoyed an economic and industrial surge during World War II. Ship builder Henry J. Kaiser had been awarded contracts to build Liberty ships and aircraft carrier escorts, and chose sites in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, for work yards.[45] During this time, Portland's population rose by over 150,000, largely attributed to recruited laborers.[45]
During the 1960s, an influx of hippie subculture began to take root in the city in the wake of San Francisco's burgeoning countercultural scene.[13] The city's Crystal Ballroom became a hub for the city's psychedelic culture, while food cooperatives and listener-funded media and radio stations were established.[46] A large social activist presence evolved during this time as well, specifically concerning Native American rights, environmentalist causes, and gay rights.[46] By the 1970s, Portland had well established itself as a progressive city, and experienced an economic boom for the majority of the decade; however, the slowing of the housing market in 1979 caused demand for the city and state timber industries to drop significantly.[47]
In the 1990s, the technology industry began to emerge in Portland, specifically with the establishment of companies such as Intel, which brought more than US$10 billion in investments in 1995 alone.[48] In the late 1990s, the Portland area was rated the fourth-least affordable place in the United States to purchase a new home.[49] After 2000, Portland experienced significant growth, with a population rise of over 90,000 between 2000 and 2014.[50] The city's increasing reputation for culture established it as a popular city for young people, and it was second only to Louisville, Kentucky, as one of the cities to attract and retain the highest number of college-educated people in the United States.[51] Between 2001 and 2012, Portland's gross domestic product per person grew by fifty percent, more than any other city in the country.[51]
The city acquired a diverse range of nicknames throughout its history, though it is most often called "Rose City" or "The City of Roses"[52] (unofficial nickname since 1888, official since 2003).[53] Another widely used nickname by local residents in everyday speech is "PDX", the airport code for Portland International Airport. Other nicknames include Bridgetown,[54] Stumptown,[55] Rip City,[56] Soccer City,[57][58] P-Town,[53][59] Portlandia, and the more antiquated Little Beirut.[60]
From May 28, 2020, until spring 2021,[61] there were daily protests about the murder of George Floyd by police, and racial injustice. There were instances of looting, vandalism, and police actions causing injuries. One protestor was killed by an opposing one.[62][63][64][65] Local businesses reported losses totaling millions of dollars as the result of vandalism and looting, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.[66] Some protests caused injury to protesters and police. In July, federal officers were deployed to safeguard federal property; their presence and tactics were criticized by Oregon officials, who demanded they leave, while lawsuits were filed against local and federal law enforcement alleging wrongful actions by them.[67][68][69][70]
On May 25, 2021, a protest to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Floyd's murder caused property damage, and was followed by a number of arrests.[71][72]
Portland lies on top of a dormant volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field, named after the nearby bedroom community of Boring.[73] The Boring Lava Field has at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor,[74] and its center lies in southeast Portland. Mount St. Helens, a highly active volcano 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the city in Washington state, is easily visible on clear days and is close enough to have dusted the city with volcanic ash after its eruption on May 18, 1980.[75] The rocks of the Portland area range in age from late Eocene to more recent eras.[76]
Multiple shallow, active faults traverse the Portland metropolitan area.[77] Among them are the Portland Hills Fault on the city's west side,[78] and the East Bank Fault on the east side.[79] According to a 2017 survey, several of these faults were characterized as "probably more of a hazard" than the Cascadia subduction zone due to their proximities to population centers, with the potential of producing magnitude 7 earthquakes.[77] Notable earthquakes that have impacted the Portland area in recent history include the 6.8-magnitude Nisqually earthquake in 2001, and a 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck on March 25, 1993.[80][81]
Per a 2014 report, over 7,000 locations within the Portland area are at high risk for landslides and soil liquefaction in the event of a major earthquake, including much of the city's west side (such as Washington Park) and sections of Clackamas County.[82]
Portland is 60 miles (97 km) east of the Pacific Ocean at the northern end of Oregon's most populated region, the Willamette Valley. Downtown Portland straddles the banks of the Willamette River, which flows north through the city center and separates the city's east and west neighborhoods. Less than 10 miles (16 km) from downtown, the Willamette River flows into the Columbia River, the fourth-largest river in the United States, which divides Oregon from Washington state. Portland is approximately 100 miles (160 km) upriver from the Pacific Ocean on the Columbia.
Though much of downtown Portland is relatively flat, the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains, more commonly referred to locally as the "West Hills", pierce through the northwest and southwest reaches of the city. Council Crest Park at 1,073 feet (327 m) is often quoted as the highest point in Portland; however, the highest point in Portland is on a section of NW Skyline Blvd just north of Willamette Stone Heritage site.[83] The highest point east of the river is Mt. Tabor, an extinct volcanic cinder cone, which rises to 636 feet (194 m). Nearby Powell Butte and Rocky Butte rise to 614 feet (187 m) and 612 feet (187 m), respectively. To the west of the Tualatin Mountains lies the Oregon Coast Range, and to the east lies the actively volcanic Cascade Range. On clear days, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens dominate the horizon, while Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier can also be seen in the distance.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 145.09 square miles (375.78 km2), of which 133.43 square miles (345.58 km2) is land and 11.66 square miles (30.20 km2) is water.[84] Although almost all of Portland is within Multnomah County, small portions of the city are within Clackamas and Washington counties.[85]
Portland has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb), falling just short of a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with cool and rainy winters, and warm and dry summers.[86] This climate is characterized by having overcast, wet, and changing weather conditions in fall, winter, and spring, as Portland lies in the direct path of the stormy westerly flow, and warm, dry summers when the North Pacific High reaches its northernmost point in mid-summer.[87] Portland's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is 8b, with parts of the Downtown area falling into zone 9a.[88]
Winters are cool, cloudy, and rainy. The coldest month is December with an average daily high temperature of 46.9 °F (8.3 °C), although overnight lows usually remain above freezing by a few degrees. Evening temperatures fall to or below freezing 32 nights per year on average, but very rarely below 18 °F (−8 °C). There are only 2.1 days per year where the daytime high temperature fails to rise above freezing; the mean for the lowest high is at the exact freezing point of 32 °F (0 °C).[89] The lowest overnight temperature ever recorded was −3 °F (−19 °C),[88] on February 2, 1950,[89] while the lowest daytime high temperature ever recorded was 14 °F (−10 °C) on December 30, 1968.[89] The average window in which freezing temperatures may occur is between November 15 and March 19, allowing a growing season of 240 days.[89]
Annual snowfall in Portland is 4.3 inches (10.9 cm), which usually falls between December and March.[90] The city of Portland avoids snow more frequently than its suburbs, due in part to its low elevation and the urban heat island effect. Neighborhoods outside of the downtown core, especially in slightly higher elevations near the West Hills and Mount Tabor, can experience a dusting of snow while downtown receives no accumulation at all. The city has experienced a few major snow and ice storms in its past, with extreme totals having reached 44.5 in (113 cm) at the airport in 1949–50 and 60.9 in (155 cm) at downtown in 1892–93.[91][92]
Summers in Portland are warm, dry, and sunny, though the sunny warm weather is short-lived, from mid-June to early September.[93] June, July, August and September account for a combined 4.19 inches (106 mm) of total rainfall – only 11% of the 36.91 in (938 mm) of annual precipitation. The warmest month is August, with an average high temperature of 82.3 °F (27.9 °C). Because of its inland location 62 miles (100 km) from the coast, as well as the protective nature of the Oregon Coast Range to its west, Portland summers are less susceptible to the moderating influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean. Consequently, Portland occasionally experiences heat waves, with temperatures rising above 90 °F (32 °C) for a few days. However, on average, temperatures reach or exceed 80 °F (27 °C) on only 61 days per year, of which 15 days will reach 90 °F (32 °C) and only 1.3 days will reach 100 °F (38 °C). In 2018 more 90-degree days were recorded than ever before.[94]
On June 28, 2021, Portland recorded its all-time record high temperature of 116 °F (47 °C) and its warmest daily low temperature of 75 °F (24 °C) during a major regional heat wave.[95] The record had been broken for three consecutive days with daytime highs of 108 °F (42 °C) on June 26 and 112 °F (44 °C) on June 27; the previous record of 107 °F (42 °C) was set in July 1965 and matched twice in August 1981.[96][97] A temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) has been recorded in all five months from May through September. The warmest night of the year averages 68 °F (20 °C).[89]
Spring and fall can bring variable weather including high-pressure ridging that sends temperatures surging above 80 °F (27 °C) and cold fronts that plunge daytime temperatures into the 40s °F (4–9 °C). However, lengthy stretches of overcast days beginning in mid-fall and continuing into mid-spring are most common. Rain often falls as a light drizzle for several consecutive days at a time, contributing to 157 days on average with measurable (≥0.01 in or 0.25 mm) precipitation annually. Temperatures have reached 90 °F (32 °C) as early as April 30 and as late as October 5, while 80 °F (27 °C) has been reached as early as March 16 and as late as October 21. Thunderstorms are uncommon and tornadoes are very rare, although they do occur.[98][99]
Climate data for Portland, Oregon (PDX), 1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1940–present[c][101] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
71 (22) |
82 (28) |
90 (32) |
100 (38) |
116 (47) |
107 (42) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
92 (33) |
73 (23) |
67 (19) |
116 (47) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.1 (14.5) |
60.1 (15.6) |
69.6 (20.9) |
78.4 (25.8) |
86.9 (30.5) |
91.7 (33.2) |
96.6 (35.9) |
96.7 (35.9) |
91.2 (32.9) |
77.6 (25.3) |
63.8 (17.7) |
58.3 (14.6) |
99.9 (37.7) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.5 (8.6) |
51.5 (10.8) |
56.8 (13.8) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.3 (20.7) |
74.3 (23.5) |
81.9 (27.7) |
82.3 (27.9) |
76.7 (24.8) |
64.4 (18.0) |
53.5 (11.9) |
46.9 (8.3) |
63.9 (17.7) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 41.9 (5.5) |
44.1 (6.7) |
48.3 (9.1) |
52.8 (11.6) |
59.4 (15.2) |
64.2 (17.9) |
70.2 (21.2) |
70.6 (21.4) |
65.4 (18.6) |
55.6 (13.1) |
47.1 (8.4) |
41.6 (5.3) |
55.1 (12.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.2 (2.3) |
36.8 (2.7) |
39.7 (4.3) |
43.7 (6.5) |
49.4 (9.7) |
54.1 (12.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
58.9 (14.9) |
54.1 (12.3) |
46.7 (8.2) |
40.6 (4.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
46.2 (7.9) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 25.1 (−3.8) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
34.8 (1.6) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.3 (8.5) |
52.3 (11.3) |
51.8 (11.0) |
45.7 (7.6) |
36.0 (2.2) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
−3 (−19) |
19 (−7) |
29 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
43 (6) |
44 (7) |
34 (1) |
26 (−3) |
13 (−11) |
3 (−16) |
−3 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.03 (128) |
3.68 (93) |
3.97 (101) |
2.89 (73) |
2.51 (64) |
1.63 (41) |
0.51 (13) |
0.54 (14) |
1.52 (39) |
3.42 (87) |
5.45 (138) |
5.77 (147) |
36.92 (938) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.7 (4.3) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
4.2 (11) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 18.7 | 15.7 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 13.2 | 9.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 13.5 | 18.3 | 19.2 | 157.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 80.9 | 78.0 | 74.6 | 71.6 | 68.7 | 65.8 | 62.8 | 64.8 | 69.4 | 77.9 | 81.5 | 82.7 | 73.2 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 33.6 (0.9) |
36.1 (2.3) |
38.3 (3.5) |
40.8 (4.9) |
45.3 (7.4) |
49.8 (9.9) |
52.9 (11.6) |
53.8 (12.1) |
50.7 (10.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
40.3 (4.6) |
35.1 (1.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 85.6 | 116.4 | 191.1 | 221.1 | 276.1 | 290.2 | 331.9 | 298.1 | 235.7 | 151.7 | 79.3 | 63.7 | 2,340.9 |
Percentage possible sunshine | 30 | 40 | 52 | 54 | 60 | 62 | 70 | 68 | 63 | 45 | 28 | 23 | 52 |
Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dewpoint and sun 1961–1990)[89][102][103] |
Climate data for Portland Downtown, Oregon (1991–2020 normals),[104] (extremes 1874–present)[100] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
75 (24) |
83 (28) |
93 (34) |
103 (39) |
114 (46) |
107 (42) |
106 (41) |
103 (39) |
92 (33) |
73 (23) |
67 (19) |
114 (46) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.4 (14.1) |
60.3 (15.7) |
69.9 (21.1) |
78.5 (25.8) |
87.1 (30.6) |
90.9 (32.7) |
95.9 (35.5) |
95.8 (35.4) |
90.3 (32.4) |
76.9 (24.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
57.8 (14.3) |
99.1 (37.3) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.9 (8.3) |
50.5 (10.3) |
55.8 (13.2) |
60.7 (15.9) |
68.0 (20.0) |
72.9 (22.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
80.6 (27.0) |
74.9 (23.8) |
62.9 (17.2) |
52.3 (11.3) |
45.9 (7.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) |
44.7 (7.1) |
48.3 (9.1) |
52.5 (11.4) |
58.7 (14.8) |
63.1 (17.3) |
69.1 (20.6) |
69.6 (20.9) |
65.0 (18.3) |
55.4 (13.0) |
46.9 (8.3) |
41.6 (5.3) |
54.8 (12.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.3 (2.9) |
38.8 (3.8) |
40.9 (4.9) |
44.2 (6.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
53.3 (11.8) |
57.9 (14.4) |
58.6 (14.8) |
55.1 (12.8) |
47.9 (8.8) |
41.6 (5.3) |
37.3 (2.9) |
46.9 (8.3) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.7 (−2.4) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
32.7 (0.4) |
36.3 (2.4) |
40.8 (4.9) |
46.0 (7.8) |
51.0 (10.6) |
51.6 (10.9) |
46.7 (8.2) |
38.5 (3.6) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
20 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
39 (4) |
43 (6) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
29 (−2) |
11 (−12) |
3 (−16) |
−2 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.36 (162) |
4.74 (120) |
4.83 (123) |
3.63 (92) |
2.58 (66) |
1.49 (38) |
0.43 (11) |
0.54 (14) |
1.58 (40) |
3.96 (101) |
6.58 (167) |
7.53 (191) |
44.07 (1,119) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.3 (3.3) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
3.6 (9.1) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 18.7 | 15.7 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 13.2 | 9.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 13.5 | 18.3 | 19.2 | 157.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 80.9 | 78.0 | 74.6 | 71.6 | 68.7 | 65.8 | 62.8 | 64.8 | 69.4 | 77.9 | 81.5 | 82.7 | 73.2 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 33.6 (0.9) |
36.1 (2.3) |
38.3 (3.5) |
40.8 (4.9) |
45.3 (7.4) |
49.8 (9.9) |
52.9 (11.6) |
53.8 (12.1) |
50.7 (10.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
40.3 (4.6) |
35.1 (1.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 85.6 | 116.4 | 191.1 | 221.1 | 276.1 | 290.2 | 331.9 | 298.1 | 235.7 | 151.7 | 79.3 | 63.7 | 2,340.9 |
Percentage possible sunshine | 30 | 40 | 52 | 54 | 60 | 62 | 70 | 68 | 63 | 45 | 28 | 23 | 52 |
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[89][100][104] |
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Portland's cityscape derives much of its character from the many bridges that span the Willamette River downtown, several of which are historic landmarks, and Portland has been nicknamed "Bridgetown" for many decades as a result.[54] Three of downtown's most heavily used bridges are more than 100 years old and are designated historic landmarks: Hawthorne Bridge (1910), Steel Bridge (1912), and Broadway Bridge (1913). Portland's newest bridge in the downtown area, Tilikum Crossing, opened in 2015 and is the first new bridge to span the Willamette in Portland since the 1973 opening of the double-decker Fremont Bridge.[105]
Other bridges that span the Willamette River in the downtown area include the Burnside Bridge, the Ross Island Bridge (both built 1926), and the double-decker Marquam Bridge (built 1966). Other bridges outside the downtown area include the Sellwood Bridge (built 2016) to the south; and the St. Johns Bridge, a Gothic revival suspension bridge built in 1931, to the north. The Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge and the Interstate Bridge provide access from Portland across the Columbia River into Washington state.
The Willamette River, which flows north through downtown, serves as the natural boundary between East and West Portland. The denser and earlier-developed west side extends into the lap of the West Hills, while the flatter east side extends for roughly 180 blocks until it meets the suburb of Gresham. In 1891 the cities of Portland, Albina, and East Portland were consolidated, creating inconsistent patterns of street names and addresses. It was not unusual for a street name to be duplicated in disparate areas. The "Great Renumbering" on September 2, 1931, standardized street naming patterns and divided Portland into five "general districts", North, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest (which includes downtown Portland). House numbers were also changed from 20 per block to 100 per block and adopted a single street name on a grid. For example, the 200 block north of Burnside is either NW Davis Street or NE Davis Street throughout the entire city.[106]
With the recent addition of South Portland, Portland now has six addressing sections. All addresses and streets within the city are prefixed by N, NW, NE, S, SW or SE with the exception of Burnside Street, which is prefixed with W or E. The Willamette River divides the city into east and west while Burnside, which traverses the entire city lengthwise, divides the north and south. Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest Portland are respectively north or south of Burnside, and east or west of the Willamette. North Portland is a triangular peninsula bounded on the north by the Columbia River, on the east by N Williams Avenue, and on the west by the Willamette River as it bends to the northwest. South Portland was established on May 1, 2020, from a former part of Southwest Portland where the Willamette bends east of the nominal North-South meridian. House numbers numbers on east–west streets in this area formerly had a leading zero, which was dropped as the street prefix (including north–south streets) was changed from Southwest to South. For example, the current address of 246 S California St. was formerly 0246 SW California St. and the current address of 4310 S Macadam Ave. was formerly 4310 SW Macadam Ave.
The new South Portland addressing section was approved by the Portland City Council on June 6, 2018[107] and is bounded by SW Naito Parkway, SW View Point Terrace and the Tryon Creek State Natural Area to the west, SW Clay Street to the north, the Willamette River to the east, and city limits to the south.[108] In 2018, the city's Bureau of Transportation finalized a plan to transition this part of Portland into South Portland, beginning on May 1, 2020, to reduce confusion by 9-1-1 dispatchers and delivery services.[109] With the addition of South Portland, all six addressing sectors (N, NE, NW, S, SE and SW) are now officially known as sextants.[110]
The five previous addressing sections of Portland, which were colloquially known as quadrants despite there being five,[111][112] have developed distinctive identities, with mild cultural differences and friendly rivalries between their residents, especially between those who live east of the Willamette River versus west of the river.[113]
The Pearl District in Northwest Portland, which was largely occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards in the early to mid-20th century, now houses upscale art galleries, restaurants, and retail stores, and is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city.[114] Areas further west of the Pearl District include neighborhoods known as Uptown and Nob Hill, as well as the Alphabet District and NW 23rd Ave., a major shopping street lined with clothing boutiques and other upscale retail, mixed with cafes and restaurants.[115]
Northeast Portland is home to the Lloyd District, Alberta Arts District, and the Hollywood District. North Portland is largely residential and industrial. It contains Kelley Point Park, the northernmost point of the city. It also contains the St. Johns neighborhood, which is historically one of the most ethnically diverse and poorest neighborhoods in the city.[116]
Old Town Chinatown is next to the Pearl District in Northwest Portland. In 1890 it was the second largest Chinese community in the United States.[117] In 2017, the crime rate was several times above the city average. This neighborhood has been called Portland's skid row.[118]
Southwest Portland is largely residential. Downtown district, made up of commercial businesses, museums, skyscrapers, and public landmarks represents a small area within the southwest address section. Portland's South Waterfront area has been developing into a dense neighborhood of shops, condominiums, and apartments starting in the mid-2000s. Development in this area is ongoing.[119] The area is served by the Portland Streetcar, the MAX Orange Line and four TriMet bus lines. This former industrial area sat as a brownfield prior to development in the mid-2000s.[120]
Southeast Portland is largely residential, and consists of several neighborhoods, including Hawthorne District, Belmont, Brooklyn, and Mount Tabor. Reed College, a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1908, is located within the confines of Southeast Portland as is Mount Tabor, a volcanic landform.
South Portland includes the Lair Hill, Johns Landing and South Waterfront districts and Lewis & Clark College as well as the Riverdale area of unincorporated Multnomah County south of the Portland city limits.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 2,874 | — | |
1870 | 8,293 | 188.6% | |
1880 | 17,577 | 111.9% | |
1890 | 46,385 | 163.9% | |
1900 | 90,426 | 94.9% | |
1910 | 207,214 | 129.2% | |
1920 | 258,288 | 24.6% | |
1930 | 301,815 | 16.9% | |
1940 | 305,394 | 1.2% | |
1950 | 373,628 | 22.3% | |
1960 | 372,676 | −0.3% | |
1970 | 382,619 | 2.7% | |
1980 | 366,383 | −4.2% | |
1990 | 437,319 | 19.4% | |
2000 | 529,121 | 21.0% | |
2010 | 583,776 | 10.3% | |
2020 | 652,503 | 11.8% | |
2024 (est.) | 635,749 | [121] | −2.6% |
Demographic profile | 2023[121] | 2020[122] | 2010[123] | 1990[124] | 1970[124] | 1940[124] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White (Non-Hispanic White) | 67.0% | 66.4% | 76.1% | 84.6% | 92.2% | 98.1% |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 11.3% | 11.1% | 9.4% | 3.2% | 1.7%[d] | — |
Two or More Races | 11.3% | 10.7% | 4.7% | — | — | — |
Asian | 8.1% | 8.1% | 7.1% | 5.3% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
Black or African American | 5.8% | 5.9% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 5.6% | 0.6% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% | 1.1% | 1.0% | — | — | — |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.5% | — | — | — |
The 2020 census reported the city as 68.8% White (449,025 people), 8.1% Asian (52,854), 5.9% Black or African American (38,217), 1.1% Native American (7,335), 0.6% Pacific Islander (3,919), and 10.7% from two or more races (69,898).[122] 11.1% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race (72,336). Whites not of Hispanic origin made up 66.4% of the total population.[122]
The 2010 census reported the city as 76.1% White (444,254 people), 7.1% Asian (41,448), 6.3% Black or African American (36,778), 1.0% Native American (5,838), 0.5% Pacific Islander (2,919), 4.7% belonging to two or more racial groups (24,437) and 5.0% from other races (28,987).[123] 9.4% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race (54,840). Whites not of Hispanic origin made up 72.2% of the total population.[123]
In 1940, Portland's African-American population was approximately 2,000 and largely consisted of railroad employees and their families.[126] During the war-time Liberty Ship construction boom, the need for workers drew many Black people to the city. The new influx of Black people settled in specific neighborhoods, such as the Albina district and Vanport. The May 1948 flood which destroyed Vanport eliminated the only integrated neighborhood, and an influx of blacks into the northeast quadrant of the city continued.[126] Portland's longshoremen racial mix was described as being "lily-white" in the 1960s when the local International Longshore and Warehouse Union declined to represent grain handlers since some were black.[127]
Over two-thirds of Oregon's African-American residents live in Portland.[126] As of the 2000 census, three of its high schools (Cleveland, Lincoln and Wilson) were over 70% White, reflecting the overall population, while Jefferson High School was 87% non-White. The remaining six schools have a higher number of non-Whites, including Blacks and Asians. Hispanic students average from 3.3% at Wells to 31% at Roosevelt.[128]
Portland residents identifying solely as Asian Americans account for 7.1% of the population; an additional 1.8% is partially of Asian heritage. Vietnamese Americans make up 2.2% of Portland's population, and make up the largest Asian ethnic group in the city, followed by Chinese (1.7%), Filipinos (0.6%), Japanese (0.5%), Koreans (0.4%), Laotians (0.4%), Hmong (0.2%), and Cambodians (0.1%).[129] A small population of Iu Mien live in Portland. Portland has two Chinatowns, with New Chinatown in the 'Jade District' along SE 82nd Avenue with Chinese supermarkets, Hong Kong style noodle houses, dim sum, and Vietnamese phở restaurants.[130]
With about 12,000 Vietnamese residing in the city proper, Portland has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in America per capita.[131] According to statistics, there are over 4,500 Pacific Islanders in Portland, making up 0.7% of the city's population.[132] There is a Tongan community in Portland, who arrived in the area in the 1970s, and Tongans and Pacific Islanders as a whole are one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the Portland area.[133]
Portland's population has been and remains predominantly White. In 1940, Whites were over 98% of the city's population.[134] In 2009, Portland had the fifth-highest percentage of White residents among the 40 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. A 2007 survey of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. concluded Portland's urban core has the highest percentage of White residents.[135] Some scholars have noted the Pacific Northwest as a whole is "one of the last Caucasian bastions of the United States".[136] While Portland's diversity was historically comparable to metro Seattle and Salt Lake City, those areas grew more diverse in the late 1990s and 2000s. Portland not only remains White, but migration to Portland is disproportionately White.[135][137]
The Oregon Territory banned African American settlement in 1849. In the 19th century, certain laws allowed the immigration of Chinese laborers but prohibited them from owning property or bringing their families.[135][138][139] The early 1920s saw the rapid growth of the Ku Klux Klan, which became very influential in Oregon politics, culminating in the election of Walter M. Pierce as governor.[138][139][140]
The largest influxes of minority populations occurred during World War II, as the African American population grew by a factor of 10 for wartime work.[135] After World War II, the Vanport flood in 1948 displaced many African Americans. As they resettled, redlining directed the displaced workers from the wartime settlement to neighboring Albina.[136][139][141] There and elsewhere in Portland, they experienced police hostility, lack of employment, and mortgage discrimination, leading to half the black population leaving after the war.[135]
In the 1980s and 1990s, radical skinhead groups flourished in Portland.[139] In 1988, Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant, was killed by three skinheads. The response to his murder involved a community-driven series of rallies, campaigns, nonprofits and events designed to address Portland's racial history, leading to a city considered significantly more tolerant than in 1988 at Seraw's death.[142]
Portland has a substantial Roma population.[143]
76% of Latinos in Portland are of Mexican heritage.[144]
Italians and Russian Jews had a very visible presence in Portland.[145]
As of the 2010 census, there were 583,776 people living in the city, organized into 235,508 households. The population density was 4,375.2 people per square mile. There were 265,439 housing units at an average density of 1,989.4 per square mile (768.1/km2). Population growth in Portland increased 10.3% between 2000 and 2010.[146] Population growth in the Portland metropolitan area has outpaced the national average during the last decade, and this is expected to continue over the next 50 years.[147]
Out of 223,737 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 3. The age distribution was 21.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,146, and the median income for a family was $50,271. Males had a reported median income of $35,279 versus $29,344 reported for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,643. 13.1% of the population and 8.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Figures delineating the income levels based on race are not available at this time. According to the Modern Language Association, in 2010 80.9% (539,885) percent of Multnomah County residents ages 5 and over spoke English as their primary language at home.[148] 8.1% of the population spoke Spanish (54,036), with Vietnamese speakers making up 1.9%, and Russian 1.5%.[148]
The Portland metropolitan area has historically had a significant LGBT population throughout the late 20th and early 21st century.[149][150] In 2015, the city metro had the second highest percentage of LGBT residents in the United States with 5.4% of residents identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, second only to San Francisco.[151] In 2006, it was reported to have the seventh highest LGB population in the country, with 8.8% of residents identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and the metro ranking fourth in the nation at 6.1%.[152] The city held its first pride festival in 1975 on the Portland State University campus.[153]
Portland has been cited as the least religious city in the United States with over 42% of residents identifying as religiously "unaffiliated",[154] according to the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute's American Values Atlas.[155]
A 2019 survey by the city's budget office showed that homelessness is perceived as the top challenge facing Portland, and was cited as a reason people move and do not participate in park programs.[157] Calls to 911 concerning "unwanted persons" have significantly increased between 2013 and 2018, and the police are increasingly dealing with homeless and mentally ill.[158] Homelessness has taken a toll on the sense of safety among visitors, and residents and business owners are adversely impacted.[159] Even though homeless services and shelter beds have increased, as of 2020 homelessness is considered an intractable problem in Portland.[160]
The proposed budget for 2022–23 includes $5.8MM to buy land for affordable housing, and $36MM to equip and operate "safe rest villages".[161] A 2022 initiative approved by the Portland city council makes homeless camping illegal, eventually requiring homeless individuals to move into mass shelters.[162]
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report in 2009, Portland ranked 53rd in violent crime out of the top 75 U.S. cities with a population greater than 250,000.[163] The murder rate in Portland in 2013 averaged 2.3 murders per 100,000 people per year, which was lower than the national average. In 2011, 72% of arrested male subjects tested positive for illegal drugs and the city was dubbed the "deadliest drug market in the Pacific Northwest" due to drug related deaths.[164] In 2010, ABC's Nightline reported that Portland is one of the largest hubs for child sex trafficking.[165] Car theft rates in Portland are the fifth highest of any US metropolitan area as of 2023.[166][167] According to the Los Angeles Times in 2023: "Shootings in the city have tripled" and "Lower-level crimes have spiked too: More than 11,000 vehicles were stolen in 2022, up from 6,500 in 2019."[168]
In the Portland Metropolitan statistical area which includes Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill Counties, OR and Clark and Skamania Counties, WA for 2017, the murder rate was 2.6, violent crime was 283.2 per 100,000 people per year. In 2017, the population within the city of Portland was 649,408 and there were 24 murders and 3,349 violent crimes.[169]
Portland's 101 homicides in 2022 set a new record.[170] For 2021 year, Portland recorded 90 homicides, compared with 20 in 2016, and 27 in 2017.[171]
As of 2025[update], violent crime in the city saw a marked decline, representing the highest drop of any city covered by the Major City Chiefs Mid Year Report at a 51% decrease from 2024.[172] The city saw just 17 homicides in the period from Jan 1, 2025 to June 30th as opposed to 35 during the same time frame in the previous year. [173]
Portland's location is beneficial for several industries. Relatively low energy cost, accessible resources, north–south and east–west Interstates, international air terminals, large marine shipping facilities, and both west coast intercontinental railroads are all economic advantages.[174]
The city's marine terminals alone handle over 13 million tons of cargo per year, and the port is home to one of the largest commercial dry docks in the country.[175][176] The Port of Portland is the third-largest export tonnage port on the west coast of the U.S., and being about 80 miles (130 km) upriver, it is the largest fresh-water port.[174]
The scrap steel industry's history in Portland predates World War II. Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel), a major scrap recycler is headquartered in the KOIN Tower in Portland.[177] Other heavy industry companies in Portland include ESCO Group,[178] and Evraz Oregon Steel Mills.[179]
Technology is a major component of the city's economy, with more than 1,200 technology companies existing within the metro.[174] This high density of technology companies has led to the nickname Silicon Forest being used to describe the Portland area, a reference to the abundance of trees in the region and to the Silicon Valley region in Northern California.[180] The area also hosts facilities for software companies and online startup companies, some supported by local seed funding organizations and business incubators.[181] Computer components manufacturer Intel is the Portland area's largest employer, providing jobs for more than 15,000 people, with several campuses to the west of central Portland in the city of Hillsboro.[174]
The Portland metro area has become a business cluster for athletic/outdoor gear and footwear manufacturer's headquarters. The area is home to the global, North American or U.S. headquarters of Nike (the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Oregon), Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, LaCrosse Footwear, Dr. Martens, Li-Ning,[182] Keen,[183] Hi-Tec Sports,[184] and Snow Peak.[185] While headquartered elsewhere, Merrell, Amer Sports and Under Armour have design studios and local offices in the Portland area.
Other notable Portland-based companies include industrial goods and metal fabrication company Precision Castparts, film animation studio Laika; commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Trucks North America; advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy; bankers Umpqua Holdings; child care and early childhood education provider KinderCare Learning Centers; and retailers Fred Meyer, New Seasons Market, Storables, and Powell's Books.
Breweries are another major industry in Portland, which is home to 139 breweries/microbreweries, the 7th most in the nation, as of December 2018.[186] Additionally, the city boasts a robust coffee culture that now rivals Seattle and hosts over 20 coffee roasters.[187]
As of 2024[update], Portland's top employers were:[188]
Rank | Employer | Employees in 2024 | Employees in 2015 | 2024 Share | 2015 Share |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Intel | ![]() |
17,500 | ![]() |
1.56% |
2 | Oregon Health & Science University | ![]() |
14,616 | ![]() |
1.30% |
3 | Providence Health & Services | ![]() |
15,239 | ![]() |
1.36% |
4 | Kaiser Foundation | ![]() |
11,881 | ![]() |
1.06% |
5 | Nike | ![]() |
8,000 | ![]() |
0.71% |
6 | Fred Meyer | ![]() |
10,237 | ![]() |
0.91% |
7 | Portland Public Schools | ![]() |
- | ![]() |
- |
8 | City of Portland | ![]() |
8,558 | ![]() |
0.76% |
9 | Multnomah County | ![]() |
- | ![]() |
- |
10 | Beaverton School District | ![]() |
- | ![]() |
- |
In 2016, home prices in Portland grew faster than in any other city in the United States.[189] Apartment rental costs in Portland reported in November 2019 was $1,337 for two bedroom and $1,133 for one bedroom.[190]
In 2017, developers projected an additional 6,500 apartments to be built in the Portland Metro Area over the next year.[191] However, as of December 2019, the number of homes available for rent or purchase in Portland continues to shrink. Over the past year, housing prices in Portland have risen 2.5%. Housing prices in Portland continue to rise, the median price rising from $391,400 in November 2018 to $415,000 in November 2019.[192] There has been a rise of people from out of state moving to Portland, which impacts housing availability. Because of the demand for affordable housing and influx of new residents, more Portlanders in their 20s and 30s are still living in their parents' homes.[193] There is a considerable amount of "Airbnb type" rentals in the city. An audit in 2018 located around 4,600 listings, of which 80% were illegally operated.[194][195]
Portland is home to a range of classical performing arts institutions including the Portland Opera, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Oregon Symphony and Portland Youth Philharmonic; the last of these, established in 1924, was the first youth orchestra established in the United States.[196] The city is also home to several theaters and performing arts institutions including the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Northwest Children's Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Curious Comedy Theatre and Miracle Theatre.
In 2013, The Guardian named the city's music scene as one of the "most vibrant" in the United States.[197] Portland is home to famous bands such as the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & the Raiders, both famous for their association with the song "Louie Louie" (1963).[198] Other widely known musical groups include the Dandy Warhols, Quarterflash, Everclear, Pink Martini, Sleater-Kinney, Blitzen Trapper, the Decemberists, and Elliott Smith. More recently, Portugal. The Man, Modest Mouse, and the Shins have made their home in Portland. In the 1980s, the city was home to a burgeoning punk scene, which included bands such as the Wipers and Dead Moon.[199] The city's now-demolished Satyricon nightclub was a punk venue where Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain first encountered his future wife and Hole frontwoman Courtney Love in 1990.[200] Love was then a resident of Portland and started several bands there with Kat Bjelland, later of Babes in Toyland.[201][202] Multi-Grammy award-winning jazz artist Esperanza Spalding is from Portland and performed with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at a young age.[203]
A wide range of films have been shot in Portland, from various independent features to major big-budget productions. Director Gus Van Sant has notably set and shot many of his films in the city.[204] The city has also been featured in various television programs, notably the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia. The series, which ran for eight seasons from 2011 to 2018,[205] was shot on location in Portland, and satirized the city as a hub of liberal politics, organic food, alternative lifestyles, and anti-establishment attitudes.[206] MTV's long-time running reality show The Real World was also shot in Portland for the show's 29th season: The Real World: Portland premiered on MTV in 2013.[207] Other television series shot in the city include Leverage, The Librarians,[208] Under Suspicion, Grimm, and Nowhere Man.[209]
An unusual feature of Portland entertainment is the large number of movie theaters serving beer, often with second-run or revival films.[210] Notable examples of these "brew and view" theaters include the Bagdad Theater and Pub, a former vaudeville theater built in 1927 by Universal Studios;[211] Cinema 21; and the Laurelhurst Theater, in operation since 1923. Portland hosts the world's longest-running H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival[212] at the Hollywood Theatre.[213]
Portland is home to numerous museums and educational institutions, ranging from art museums to institutions devoted to science and wildlife. Among the science-oriented institutions are the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which consists of five main halls and other ticketed attractions, such as the USS Blueback submarine,[214] the ultra-large-screen Empirical Theater (which replaced an OMNIMAX theater in 2013),[215] and the Kendall Planetarium.[216] The World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, located in the city's Washington Park area, offers educational exhibits on forests and forest-related subjects. Also located in Washington Park are the Hoyt Arboretum, the International Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Oregon Zoo.[217]
The Portland Art Museum owns the city's largest art collection and presents a variety of touring exhibitions each year and, with the recent addition of the Modern and Contemporary Art wing, it became one of the United States' 25 largest museums. The Oregon Historical Society Museum, founded in 1898, which has a variety of books, film, pictures, artifacts, and maps dating back throughout Oregon's history. It houses permanent and temporary exhibits about Oregon history, and hosts traveling exhibits about the history of the United States.[218]
Oaks Amusement Park, in the Sellwood district of Southeast Portland, is the city's only amusement park and is also one of the country's longest-running amusement parks. It has operated since 1905 and was known as the "Coney Island of the Northwest" upon its opening.[219]
Food carts are extremely popular within the city, with over 600 licensed carts.[220][221] The city is home to Stumptown Coffee Roasters as well as dozens of other micro-roasteries and cafes.[222]
Portland has 58 active breweries within city limits,[223] and 70+ within the surrounding metro area.[223] and data compiled by the Brewers Association ranks Portland seventh in the United States as of 2018.[224]
Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year that celebrate beer and brewing, including the Oregon Brewers Festival, held in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Held each summer during the last full weekend of July, it is the largest outdoor craft beer festival in North America, with over 70,000 attendees in 2008.[225] Other major beer festivals throughout the calendar year include the Spring Beer and Wine Festival in April, the North American Organic Brewers Festival in June, the Portland International Beerfest in July,[226] and the Holiday Ale Festival in December.
The city became a pioneer of state-directed metropolitan planning, a program which was instituted statewide in 1969 to compact the urban growth boundaries of the city.[227] Portland was the first city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.[228]
Strong free speech protections of the Oregon Constitution upheld by the Oregon Supreme Court in State v. Henry,[229] specifically found that full nudity and lap dances in strip clubs are protected speech.[230] Portland has the highest number of strip clubs per-capita in a city in the United States, and Oregon ranks as the highest state for per-capita strip clubs.[231]
In November 2008, a Multnomah County judge dismissed charges against a nude bicyclist arrested on June 26, 2008. The judge stated that the city's annual World Naked Bike Ride – held each year in June since 2004 – has created a "well-established tradition" in Portland where cyclists may ride naked as a form of protest against cars and fossil fuel dependence.[232] The defendant was not riding in the official World Naked Bike Ride at the time of his arrest as it had occurred 12 days earlier that year, on June 14.[233]
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From November 10 to 12, 2016, protests in Portland turned into a riot, when a group broke off from a larger group of peaceful protesters who were opposed to the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.[234][235]
The city of Portland has over 400 pieces of permanently sited public art.[236][237] One of the oldest pieces of public art in the city is Skidmore Fountain, which was completed in 1888.[238] Most pieces are maintained by the Regional Arts & Culture Council, an organization that is partially funded by the city government. Several outdoor statues, sculptures, and monuments were removed or vandalized following the 2020 George Floyd protests.[239] A percent for art ordinance was passed by Portland's city council in 1980 to allocate funding for public artwork in the capital budgets of major city projects.[236]
Portland is home to three major league sports franchises: the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS), and the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League. In 2015, the Timbers won the MLS Cup, which was the first male professional sports championship for a team from Portland since the Trail Blazers won the NBA championship in 1977.[240] Despite being the 19th most populated metro area in the United States, Portland contains only one franchise from the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB), making it the United States' second most populated metro area with that distinction, behind San Antonio, which also has only an NBA team (the Spurs). The city has been often rumored to receive an additional franchise, although efforts to acquire a team have failed due to stadium funding issues.[241] An organization known as the Portland Diamond Project (PDP)[242] has worked with MLB and local government, and there are plans to have an MLB stadium constructed at Zidell Yards in the South Waterfront neighborhood.[243] The PDP has not yet received the funding for this project. On September 18, 2024, it was announced that the city would receive a WNBA franchise named the Portland Fire, slated to start in 2026.[244]
Portland sports fans are characterized by their passionate support. The Trail Blazers sold out every home game between 1977 and 1995, a span of 814 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in American sports history.[245] The Timbers joined MLS in 2011 and have sold out every home match since joining the league, a streak that has now reached 70+ matches.[246] The Timbers season ticket waiting list has reached over 10,000, the longest waiting list in MLS.[247] In 2015, they became the first team in the Northwest to win the MLS Cup. Player Diego Valeri marked a new record for fastest goal in MLS Cup history at 27 seconds into the game.[248]
The annual Cambia Portland Classic women's golf tournament in September, now in its 50th year, is the longest-running non-major tournament on the LPGA Tour, plays in the southern suburb of West Linn.[249]
Two rival universities exist within Portland city limits: the University of Portland Pilots and the Portland State University Vikings, both of whom field teams in popular spectator sports including soccer, baseball, and basketball. Portland State also has a football team. Additionally, the University of Oregon Ducks (in Eugene) and the Oregon State University Beavers (in Corvallis) both receive substantial attention and support from many Portland residents, despite their campuses being 110 and 84 miles from the city, respectively.[250]
Running is a popular activity in Portland, and every year the city hosts the Portland Marathon as well as parts of the Hood to Coast Relay, the world's largest long-distance relay race (by number of participants). Portland served as the center to an elite running group, the Nike Oregon Project until its 2019 disbandment following coach Alberto Salazar's ban due to doping violations.[251]
Historic Erv Lind Stadium is located in Normandale Park.[252] It has been home to professional and college softball.
Portland also hosts numerous cycling events and has become an elite bicycle racing destination.[253][254][255] The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association supports hundreds of official bicycling events every year. Weekly events at Alpenrose Velodrome and Portland International Raceway allow for racing nearly every night of the week from March through September. Cyclocross races, such as the Cross Crusade, can attract over 1,000 riders and spectators.[256]
Parks and greenspace planning date back to John Charles Olmsted's 1903 Report to the Portland Park Board. In 1995, voters in the Portland metropolitan region passed a regional bond measure to acquire valuable natural areas for fish, wildlife, and people.[258] Ten years later, more than 8,100 acres (33 km2) of ecologically valuable natural areas had been purchased and permanently protected from development.[259]
Portland is one of only four cities in the U.S. with extinct volcanoes within its boundaries (along with Pilot Butte in Bend, Oregon, Jackson Volcano in Jackson, Mississippi, and Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii). Mount Tabor Park is known for its scenic views and historic reservoirs.[260]
Forest Park is the largest wilderness park within city limits in the United States, covering more than 5,000 acres (2,023 ha).[261] Portland is also home to Mill Ends Park, the world's smallest park (a two-foot-diameter circle, the park's area is only about 0.3 m2). Washington Park is just west of downtown and is home to the Oregon Zoo, Hoyt Arboretum, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden. Portland is also home to Lan Su Chinese Garden (formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Garden), an authentic representation of a Suzhou-style walled garden. Portland's east side has several formal public gardens: the historic Peninsula Park Rose Garden, the rose gardens of Ladd's Addition, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, the Leach Botanical Garden, and The Grotto.
Portland's downtown features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space: the North and South Park Blocks.[262][263] The 37-acre (15 ha) Tom McCall Waterfront Park was built in 1974 along the length of the downtown waterfront after Harbor Drive was removed; it now hosts large events throughout the year.[264] The nearby historically significant Burnside Skatepark and five indoor skateparks give Portland a reputation as possibly "the most skateboard-friendly town in America."[265]
Tryon Creek State Natural Area is one of three Oregon State Parks in Portland and the most popular; its creek has a run of steelhead. The other two State Parks are Willamette Stone State Heritage Site, in the West Hills, and the Government Island State Recreation Area in the Columbia River near Portland International Airport.
In February 2015, the City Council approved a total ban on smoking in all city parks and natural areas effective July 1, 2015. The ban includes cigarettes, vaping, as well as marijuana.[266]
Since January 1, 2025, the city of Portland is governed by a mayor–council government system. Elected officials include the mayor, a 12-member city council, and a city auditor. The city council is responsible for legislative policy, while the mayor appoints a professional city manager who oversees the various bureaus and day-to-day operations of the city. The mayor is elected at-large, while the council is elected in four geographic districts using single transferable vote, with 3 winning candidates per district. Portland's current form of government was approved by voters in a 2022 ballot measure, with the first elections under the new system held in 2024.[267]
The Portland Office of Community and Civic Life (formerly Office of Neighborhood Involvement)[268] serves as a conduit between city government and Portland's 95 officially recognized neighborhoods. Each neighborhood is represented by a volunteer-based neighborhood association which serves as a liaison between residents of the neighborhood and the city government. The city provides funding to neighborhood associations through seven district coalitions, each of which is a geographical grouping of several neighborhood associations. Most (but not all) neighborhood associations belong to one of these district coalitions.
Portland and its surrounding metropolitan area are served by Metro, the United States' only directly elected metropolitan planning organization. Metro's charter gives it responsibility for land use and transportation planning, solid waste management, and map development.
The Multnomah County government provides many services to the Portland area, as do Washington and Clackamas counties to the west and south.
Fire and emergency services are provided by Portland Fire & Rescue.
Law enforcement is primarily provided by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) provides law enforcement on the city's transit system through their Transit Police division which is supplemented from officers from all local law enforcement agencies that fall within the transit authority's boundaries.[269]
Portland strongly favors the Democratic Party; registered Democrats (51.2%) outnumber Republicans (10.5%) nearly 5 to 1. All city offices are non-partisan.[271] However, almost all of the city's elected officials are known to be Democrats. Fred L. Peterson in 1952 is the city's last elected Republican mayor, and no Republican has served as mayor even on an interim basis since Connie McCready held the post from 1979 to 1980.
Portland is split among three of Oregon's U.S. congressional districts. Most of the city is in the 3rd District, represented by Maxine Dexter (D-Portland). Most of the city west of the Willamette River is part of the 1st District, represented by Suzanne Bonamici (D-Beaverton). A small portion of southeastern Portland is in the 5th District, currently represented by Democrat Janelle Bynum. Lori Chavez-DeRemer was the first Republican to represent a significant portion of the city in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1975, from 2023 to 2025. Both of Oregon's senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, are progressive Democrats from Portland.
In the 2008 presidential election, Democratic candidate Barack Obama easily carried Portland, winning 245,464 votes from city residents to 50,614 for his Republican rival, John McCain. In the 2012 presidential election, Democratic candidate Barack Obama again easily carried Portland, winning 256,925 votes from Multnomah county residents to 70,958 for his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.[272]
Sam Adams, the former mayor of Portland, became the city's first openly gay mayor in 2009.[273] In 2004, 59.7 percent of Multnomah County voters cast ballots against Oregon Ballot Measure 36, which amended the Oregon Constitution to prohibit recognition of same-sex marriages. The measure passed with 56.6% of the statewide vote. Multnomah County is one of two counties where a majority voted against the initiative; the other is Benton County, which includes Corvallis, home of Oregon State University.[274] On April 28, 2005, Portland became the only city in the nation to withdraw from a Joint Terrorism Task Force.[275][276] As of February 19, 2015, the Portland city council approved permanently staffing the JTTF with two of its city's police officers.[277]
Voter registration and party enrollment as of January 2022[update][278] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Number of voters | Percentage | |||
Democratic | 253,789 | 55.55% | |||
Republican | 36,763 | 8.05% | |||
Unaffiliated | 138,751 | 30.37% | |||
Libertarian | 2,752 | 0.60% | |||
Pacific Green | 2,298 | 0.50% | |||
Constitution | 298 | 0.07% | |||
Other | 22,245 | 4.87% | |||
Total | 456,896 | 100% |
The city consulted with urban planners as far back as 1904, resulting in the development of Washington Park and the 40-Mile Loop greenway, which connects many of the city's parks.[279] Portland is often cited as an example of a city with strong land use planning controls.[280] This is largely the result of statewide land conservation policies adopted in 1973 under Governor Tom McCall, in particular the requirement for an urban growth boundary (UGB) for every city and metropolitan area. The opposite extreme, a city with few or no controls, is typically illustrated by Houston.[281][282][283][284]
Oregon's 1973 "urban growth boundary" law limits the boundaries for large-scale development in each metropolitan area in Oregon.[285] This limits access to utilities such as sewage, water and telecommunications, as well as coverage by fire, police and schools.[285] Portland's urban growth boundary, adopted in 1979, separates urban areas (where high-density development is encouraged and focused) from traditional farm land (where restrictions on non-agricultural development are very strict).[286] This was atypical in an era when automobile use led many areas to neglect their core cities in favor of development along interstate highways, in suburbs, and satellite cities.
The original state rules included a provision for expanding urban growth boundaries, but critics felt this was not being accomplished. In 1995, the State passed a law requiring cities to expand UGBs to provide enough undeveloped land for a 20-year supply of future housing at projected growth levels.[287] In 2007, the legislature changed the law to require the maintenance of an estimated 50 years of growth within the boundary, as well as the protection of accompanying farm and rural lands.[147] The growth boundary, along with efforts of the Portland Development Commission to create economic development zones, has led to the development of a large portion of downtown, a large number of mid- and high-rise developments, and an overall increase in housing and business density.[288]
Prosper Portland (formerly the Portland Development Commission) is a semi-public agency that plays a major role in downtown development; city voters created it in 1958 to serve as the city's urban renewal agency. It provides housing and economic development programs within the city and works behind the scenes with major local developers to create large projects. In the early 1960s, the Portland Development Commission led the razing of a large Italian-Jewish neighborhood downtown, bounded roughly by I-405, the Willamette River, 4th Avenue and Market street.[289] Mayor Neil Goldschmidt took office in 1972 as a proponent of bringing housing and the associated vitality back to the downtown area, which was seen as emptying out after 5 pm. The effort has had dramatic effects in the 30 years since, with many thousands of new housing units clustered in three areas: north of Portland State University (between I-405, SW Broadway, and SW Taylor St.); the RiverPlace development along the waterfront under the Marquam (I-5) bridge; and most notably in the Pearl District (between I-405, Burnside St., NW Northrup St., and NW 9th Ave.).
Historically, environmental consciousness has weighed significantly in the city's planning and development efforts.[290] Portland was one of the first cities in the United States to promote and integrate alternative forms of transportation, such as the MAX Light Rail and extensive bike paths.[290] The Urban Greenspaces Institute, housed in Portland State University Geography Department's Center for Mapping Research, promotes better integration of the built and natural environments. The institute works on urban park, trail, and natural areas planning issues, both at the local and regional levels.[291] In October 2009, the Portland City Council unanimously adopted a climate action plan that will cut the city's greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.[292]
As of 2012, Portland was the largest city in the United States that did not add fluoride to its public water supply,[293] and fluoridation has historically been a subject of controversy in the city.[294] Portland voters have four times voted against fluoridation, in 1956, 1962, 1980 (repealing a 1978 vote in favor), and 2013.[295] In 2012 the city council, responding to advocacy from public health organizations and others, voted unanimously to begin fluoridation by 2014. Fluoridation opponents forced a public vote on the issue,[296] and on May 21, 2013, city voters again rejected fluoridation.[297]
Nine public school districts and many private schools include sections of Portland. Portland Public Schools is the largest school district, operating 86 public schools.[298] In addition to PPS, other school districts in Multnomah County that serve parts of the city include the Beaverton School District, Centennial School District, David Douglas School District, Parkrose School District, Reynolds School District, Riverdale School District, and Scappoose School District.[299] Portions in Clackamas County are in the North Clackamas School District and Centennial School District.[300] Portions in Washington County are in Portland Public Schools.[301]
David Douglas High School, in the Powellhurst neighborhood, has the largest enrollment of any public high school in the city.[302] Other high schools include Benson, Cleveland, Franklin, Grant, Jefferson, Madison, Parkrose, Roosevelt, and Ida B Wells-Barnett (formerly Woodrow Wilson), and several suburban high schools which serve the city's outer areas. Established in 1869, Lincoln High School (formerly Portland High School) is the city's oldest public education institution, and is one of two of the oldest high schools west of the Mississippi River (after San Francisco's Lowell High School).[303]
Former public schools in the city included Washington High School, which operated from 1906 until 1981, as well as Adams and Jackson, which also closed the same year.
Portland State University has the second-largest enrollment rate of any university in the state (after Oregon State University), with a student body of nearly 30,000.[304] It has been named among the top fifteen percentile of American regional universities by The Princeton Review for undergraduate education,[305] and has been internationally recognized for its degrees in Master of Business Administration and urban planning.[306] The city is also home to the Oregon Health & Science University, as well as Portland Community College.
Notable private universities include the University of Portland, a Roman Catholic university affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross; Reed College, a liberal arts college, and Lewis & Clark College.
The Oregonian is the only daily general-interest newspaper serving Portland. It also circulates throughout the state and in Clark County, Washington.
Smaller local newspapers, distributed free of charge in newspaper boxes and at venues around the city, include the Portland Tribune (general-interest paper published on Wednesdays), Willamette Week (general-interest alternative weekly published on Wednesdays), and The Portland Mercury (another alt-weekly, targeted at younger urban readers and published every other Thursday). The Portland area also has newspapers that are published for specific communities, including The Asian Reporter (a weekly covering Asian news, both international and local) and The Skanner (a weekly African-American newspaper covering both local and national news). The Portland Business Journal covers business-related news on a weekly basis, as does The Daily Journal of Commerce, its main competitor. Portland Monthly is a monthly news and culture magazine. The Bee, over 110 years old, is another neighborhood newspaper serving the inner southeast neighborhoods.[307]
Legacy Health, a non-profit healthcare system in Portland, operates multiple facilities in the city and surrounding suburbs.[308] These include Legacy Emanuel, founded in 1912, in Northeast Portland; and Legacy Good Samaritan, founded in 1875, and in Northwest Portland.[308] Randall's Children's Hospital operates at the Legacy Emanuel Campus. Good Samaritan has centers for breast health, cancer, and stroke, and is home to the Legacy Devers Eye Institute, the Legacy Obesity and Diabetes Institute, the Legacy Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, the Legacy Rehabilitation Clinic of Oregon, and the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing.[309]
The Catholic-affiliated Providence Health & Services operates Providence Portland Medical Center in the North Tabor neighborhood of the city. Oregon Health & Science University is a university hospital formed in 1974. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center operates next to the Oregon Health & Science University main campus. Adventist Medical Center also serves the city. Shriners Hospital for Children is a small children's hospital established in 1923.
The Portland metropolitan area has transportation services common to major U.S. cities, though Oregon's emphasis on proactive land-use planning and transit-oriented development within the urban growth boundary means commuters have multiple well-developed options.
In 2008, 12.6% of all commutes in Portland were on public transit.[310] TriMet operates most of the region's buses and the MAX (short for Metropolitan Area Express) light rail system, which connects the city and suburbs. Opened in 1986, the MAX system has expanded to five lines, with the latest being the Orange Line to Milwaukie, which began operating in September 2015.[311] WES Commuter Rail opened in February 2009 in Portland's western suburbs, linking Beaverton and Wilsonville.
The city-owned Portland Streetcar serves two routes in the Central City – downtown and adjacent districts. The first line, which opened in 2001 and was extended in 2005–07, operates from the South Waterfront District through Portland State University and north through the West End of downtown, to shopping areas and dense residential districts north and northwest of downtown. The second line that opened in 2012 added 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of tracks on the east side of the Willamette River and across the Broadway Bridge to a connection with the original line.[312] The east-side line completed a loop to the tracks on the west side of the river upon completion of the new Tilikum Crossing in 2015,[313] and, in anticipation of that, had been named the Central Loop line in 2012. However, it was renamed the Loop Service, with an A Loop (clockwise) and B Loop (counterclockwise), when it became a complete loop with the opening of the Tilikum Crossing bridge.
Fifth and Sixth avenues within downtown comprise the Portland Transit Mall, two streets devoted primarily to bus and light rail traffic with limited automobile access. Opened in 1977 for buses, the transit mall was renovated and rebuilt in 2007–09, with light rail added. Starting in 1975 and lasting nearly four decades, all transit service within downtown Portland was free, the area being known by TriMet as Fareless Square, but a need for minor budget cuts and funding needed for expansion prompted the agency to limit free rides to rail service only in 2010,[314] and subsequently to discontinue the fare-free zone entirely in 2012.[315]
TriMet provides real-time tracking of buses and trains with its TransitTracker, and makes the data available to software developers so they can create customized tools of their own.[316][317]
I-5 connects Portland with the Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, and California to the south and with Washington to the north. I-405 forms a loop with I-5 around the central downtown area of the city and I-205 is a loop freeway route on the east side which connects to the Portland International Airport. U.S. 26 supports commuting within the metro area and continues to the Pacific Ocean westward and Mount Hood and Central Oregon eastward. U.S. 30 has a main, bypass, and business route through the city extending to Astoria to the west; through Gresham, Oregon, and the eastern exurbs, and connects to I-84, traveling towards Boise, Idaho.
Portland's main airport is Portland International Airport (PDX), about 20 minutes by car (40 minutes by MAX) northeast of downtown. Portland is also home to Oregon's only public use heliport, the Portland Downtown Heliport.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Portland at Union Station on three routes. Long-haul train routes include the Coast Starlight (with service from Los Angeles to Seattle) and the Empire Builder (with service to Chicago). The Amtrak Cascades state-supported trains operate between Vancouver, B.C., and Eugene, Oregon, and serve Portland several times daily. The city is also served by Greyhound Lines intercity bus service, which also operates BoltBus, an express bus service. The city's first airport was the Swan Island Municipal Airport, which was closed in the 1940s.
Portland is the only city in the United States that owns operating mainline steam locomotives, donated to the city in 1958 by the railroads that ran them.[318] Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 and the world-famous Southern Pacific 4449 can be seen several times a year pulling a special excursion train, either locally or on an extended trip. The "Holiday Express", pulled over the tracks of the Oregon Pacific Railroad on weekends in December, has become a Portland tradition over its several years running.[319] These trains and others are operated by volunteers of the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, an amalgamation of rail preservation groups which collaborated on the finance and construction of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, a permanent and publicly accessible home for the locomotives, which opened in 2012 adjacent to OMSI.[320]
In Portland, cycling is a significant mode of transportation. As the city has been particularly supportive of urban bicycling it now ranks highly among the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world.[321] Bicycles accounted for 2.8% of commuting in 2021. Bicycle commuting declined by 46% between 2016 and 2022 according to Portland Bureau of Transportation report.[322] For its achievements in promoting cycling as an everyday means of transportation, Portland has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists and other cycling organizations for its network of on-street bicycling facilities and other bicycle-friendly services, being one of only three U.S. cities to have earned a Platinum-level rating.[323] A new bicycle-sharing system, Biketown, launched on July 19, 2016,[324] with 100 stations in the city's central and eastside neighborhoods.[325]
Portland abolished the requirement for parking minimum as well as Minneapolis and Austin.[326]
As of 2015, Portland is owed $32.4 million in unpaid parking citations due to the city government's refusal to collect more aggressively.[327]
The city's main source of drinking water is several reservoirs in the Bull Run Watershed, which consists of roughly 102 square miles (260 km2) of forested land just west of Mount Hood. The city also operates 25 groundwater wells near the Columbia River in Northeast Portland, which supplements the cities water supply during the summer.[328]
Portland's sister cities are:[329]
Portland's friendship city agreements are with:[329][330]
I'm used to seeing that hint of dawn back in P-town, with my wretched habit of playing video games until 6 a.m
Compared to January through June 2024, overall violent crime in Portland fell by 17 percent. Aggravated assaults dropped by 18 percent, robberies declined by 10 percent, and sexual assault reports were down 12 percent. Notably, homicides fell from 35 incidents to 17 incidents – a reduction of 51 percent – representing the largest homicide decrease of any major city in the report.
Later in the evening, what appeared to be a small subgroup of self-described anarchists began to damage cars at a Toyota dealership and ignite fireworks, before moving through the Pearl District and damaging several businesses.
Portland is the largest metropolitan area with just one major professional sports team (the Trail Blazers).
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Portland, Oregon, United States.
The history of the city of Portland, Oregon, began in 1843 when business partners William Overton and Asa Lovejoy filed to claim land on the west bank of the Willamette River in Oregon Country. In 1845 the name of Portland was chosen for this community by coin toss. February 8, 1851, the city was incorporated.[1] Portland has continued to grow in size and population, with the 2010 census showing 583,776 residents in the city.[2]
The land today occupied by Multnomah County, Oregon, was inhabited for centuries by two bands of Upper Chinook Indians. The Multnomah people settled on and around Sauvie Island and the Cascades Indians settled along the Columbia Gorge. These groups fished and traded along the river and gathered berries, wapato and other root vegetables. The nearby Tualatin Plains provided prime hunting grounds.[3] Eventually, contact with Europeans resulted in the decimation of native tribes by smallpox and malaria.[4]
The site of the future city of Portland, Oregon, was known to American, Canadian, and British traders, trappers and settlers of the 1830s and early 1840s as "The Clearing,"[5] a small stopping place along the west bank of the Willamette River used by travelers en route between Oregon City and Fort Vancouver. As early as 1840, Massachusetts sea captain John Couch logged an encouraging assessment of the river's depth adjacent to The Clearing, noting its promise of accommodating large ocean-going vessels, which could not ordinarily travel up-river as far as Oregon City, the largest Oregon settlement at the time. In 1843, Tennessee pioneer William Overton and Boston, Massachusetts lawyer Asa Lovejoy filed a 640 acres (260 ha) land claim with Oregon's provisional government that encompassed The Clearing and nearby waterfront and timber land. Legend has it that Overton had prior rights to the land but lacked funds, so he agreed to split the claim with Lovejoy, who paid the 25-cent filing fee.[6]
Bored with clearing trees and building roads, Overton sold his half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove of Portland, Maine, in 1845.[citation needed] When it came time to name their new town, Pettygrove and Lovejoy both had the same idea: to name it after his home town. They flipped a coin to decide, and Pettygrove won. On November 1, 1846, Lovejoy sold his half of the land claim to Benjamin Stark, as well as his half-interest in a herd of cattle for $1,215.[9]
Three years later, Pettygrove had lost interest in Portland and become enamored with the California Gold Rush. On September 22, 1848, he sold the entire townsite, save only for 64 sold lots and two blocks each for himself and Stark, to Daniel H. Lownsdale, a tanner. Although Stark owned fully half of the townsite, Pettygrove "largely ignor[ed] Stark's interest", in part because Stark was on the east coast with no immediate plans to return to Oregon. Lownsdale paid for the site with $5,000 in leather, which Pettygrove presumably resold in San Francisco for a large profit.[9]
On March 30, 1849, Lownsdale split the Portland claim with Stephen Coffin, who paid $6,000 for his half. By August 1849, Captain John Couch and Stark were pressuring Lownsdale and Coffin for Stark's half of the claim; Stark had been absent, but was using the claim as equity in an East Coast-California shipping business with the Sherman Brothers of New York.[9]
In December 1849, William W. Chapman bought what he believed was a third of the overall claim for $26,666, plus his provision of free legal services for the partnership.[citation needed] In January 1850, Lownsdale had to travel to San Francisco to negotiate on the land claim with Stark, leaving Chapman with power of attorney. Stark and Lownsdale came to an agreement on March 1, 1850, which gave to Stark the land north of Stark Street and about $3,000 from land already sold in this area. This settlement reduced the size of Chapman's claim by approximately 10%. Lownsdale returned to Portland in April 1850, where the terms were presented to an unwilling Chapman and Coffin, but who agreed after negotiations with Couch. While Lownsdale was gone, Chapman had given himself block 81 on the waterfront and sold all of the lots on it, and this block was included in the Stark settlement area. Couch's negotiations excluded this property from Stark's claim, allowing Chapman to retain the profits on the lot.[9]
Portland existed in the shadow of Oregon City, the territorial capital 12 miles (19 km) upstream at Willamette Falls. However, Portland's location at the Willamette's confluence with the Columbia River, accessible to deep-draft vessels, gave it a key advantage over the older pier.[citation needed] It also triumphed over early rivals such as Milwaukie and Linnton. In its first census in 1850, the city's population was 821 and, like many frontier towns, was predominantly male, with 653 male whites, 164 female whites and four "free colored" individuals. It was already the largest settlement in the Pacific Northwest, and while it could boast about its trading houses, hotels and even a newspaper—the Weekly Oregonian—it was still very much a frontier village, derided by outsiders as "Stumptown" and "Mudtown."[citation needed] It was a place where "stumps from fallen firs lay scattered dangerously about Front and First Streets ... humans and animals, carts and wagons slogged through a sludge of mud and water ... sidewalks often disappeared during spring floods."[9]
In 1850, construction of a multi-purpose "school and meeting house" was completed, a building which served as a church, schoolhouse, courthouse, and place for public meetings. This was Portland's first schoolhouse; by 1873 Portland boasted "twenty public and private schools and academies of a high order, and nearly the same number of churches."[10]
The first firefighting service was established in the early 1850s, with the volunteer Pioneer Fire Engine Company.[11] In 1854, the city council voted to form the Portland Fire Department, and following an 1857 reorganization it encompassed three engine companies and 157 volunteer firemen.[12]
A major fire swept through downtown in August 1873, destroying 20 blocks along the west side of the Willamette between Yamhill and Morrison.[13] The fire caused $1.3 million in damage.[13] In 1889, The Oregonian called Portland "the most filthy city in the Northern States", due to the unsanitary sewers and gutters.[14] The West Shore reported "The new sidewalks put down this year are a disgrace to a Russian village."[14]
The first Morrison Street Bridge opened in 1887 and was the first bridge across the Willamette River in Portland.[15]: 55
Portland was the major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century, until the 1890s, when direct railroad access between the deepwater harbor in Seattle and points east, by way of Stampede Pass, was built. Goods could then be transported from the northwest coast to inland cities without the need to navigate the dangerous bar at the mouth of the Columbia River.
The city merged with Albina and East Portland in 1891. This made Portland the 41st largest city in the country, with approximately 70,000 residents.[16][17] This merger was followed by the annexation of the neighboring city of Sellwood in 1893.[17]
In 1894, the Columbia River saw one of its worst-ever floods, reaching a high-water mark of 33.5 feet in Portland.[18]
In 1905, Portland was the host city of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, a world's fair. This event
increased recognition of the city, which contributed to a doubling of the population of Portland, from 90,426 in 1900 to 207,214 in 1910.[19]
In 1911, the Willamette River flooded much of Downtown Portland, though not much damage is noted.
In 1912 the city's 52 distinctive bronze temperance fountains known locally as "Benson bubblers" were installed around the downtown area by logging magnate Simon Benson.
In 1915, the city merged with Linnton and St. Johns.[20]
July 1913 saw a free speech fight when, during a strike by women workers at the Oregon Packing Company, Mayor Henry Albee declared street speaking illegal, with an exception made for religious speech. This declaration was intended to stop public speeches by the Industrial Workers of the World in support of the strikers.[citation needed]
On June 9, 1934, approximately 1,400 members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) participated in the West Coast waterfront strike, which shut down shipping in every port along the West Coast.[21] The demands of the ILA were: recognition of the union; wage increases from 85 cents to $1.00 per hour straight time and from $1.25 to $1.50 per hour overtime; a six-hour workday and 30-hour work week; and a closed shop with the union in control of hiring. They were also frustrated that shipping subsidies from the government, in place since industry distress in the 1920s, were leading to larger profits for the shipping companies that weren't passed down to the workers.[21] There were numerous incidents of violence between strikers and police, including strikers storming the Admiral Evans, which was being used as a hotel for strikebreakers; police shooting four strikers at Terminal 4 in St. Johns; and special police shooting at Senator Robert Wagner of New York as he inspected the site of the previous shooting. The longshoremen resumed work on July 31, 1934, after voting to arbitrate. The arbitration decision was handed down on October 12, 1934, awarding the strikers with recognition of the ILA; higher pay of 95 cents per hour straight time and $1.40 per hour overtime, retroactive to the return to work on July 31; six-hour workdays and 30-hour workweeks, and a union hiring hall managed jointly by the union and management – though the union selected the dispatcher – in every port along the entire West Coast.[21]
In 1940, Portland was on the brink of an economic and population boom, fueled[22] by over $2 billion spent by the U.S. Congress on expanding the Bonneville Power Administration, the need to produce materiel for Great Britain's increased preparations for war, as well as to meet the needs of the U.S. home front and the rapidly expanding American Navy.
The growth was led by Henry J. Kaiser, whose company had been the prime contractor in the construction of two Columbia River dams. In 1941, Kaiser Shipyards received federal contracts to build Liberty ships and aircraft carrier escorts; he chose Portland as one of the sites, and built two shipyards along the Willamette River, and a third in nearby Vancouver; the 150,000 workers he recruited to staff these shipyards play a major role in the growth of Portland, which added 160,000 residents during World War II. [22] By war's end, Portland had a population of 359,000, and an additional 100,000 people lived and/or worked in nearby cities such as Vanport, Oregon City, and Troutdale.[22]
The war jobs attracted large numbers of African-Americans into the small existing community—the numbers quadrupled. The newcomers became permanent residents, building up black political influence, strengthening civil rights organizations such as the NAACP calling for antidiscrimination legislation. On the negative side, racial tensions increased, both black and white residential areas deteriorated from overcrowding, and inside the black community there were angry words between "old settlers" and recent arrivals vying for leadership in the black communities.[23]
In 1942, Japanese Americans, who primarily resided in Japantown, were moved to the Portland Assembly Center, a temporary internment center on the site of the Portland Expo Center. These individuals were eventually transported to internment camps. The majority of people complied with internment.[24] Japantown became Old Town and its Japanese population never returned to meaningful numbers.[25]
As part of the 1948 Columbia River floods, Vanport, a small wartime public housing community, primarily inhabited by employees of Kaiser Shipyards, was flooded and completely destroyed. The community was not rebuilt. Despite being short-lived, Vanport's legacy is still seen today. Having a 40% Black population, Vanport led to the integration of Black people by Portland and the rest of Oregon. The Vanport Extension Center, a small college built to help veterans of World War II, moved to Downtown and became what is now Portland State University.[26]
The 1940s and 1950s also saw an extensive network of organized crime, largely dominated by Jim Elkins. The McClellan Commission determined in the late 1950s that Portland not only had a local crime problem but also a situation that had serious national ramifications. In 1956 The Oregonian reporters determined that corrupt Teamsters officials were plotting to take over the city's vice rackets.[27]
As early as 1943, highway planner Robert Moses was commissioned by the city to create a system of improvements for after the World War II.[28] a downtown loop consisting of what is now I-405 and an eastside freeway (now I-5) were part of this plan.[29][30] After debating the downtown route, both freeways were built and completed in 1966 (I-5) and 1969 (I-405), and included the construction of the Fremont Bridge and Marquam Bridge. The eastside freeway was so hated that in a formal complaint, the Portland Arts Commission described it as "so gross, so lacking in grace, so utterly inconsistent with any concept of aesthetics".[31]
The construction of I-405 displaced approximately 1,100 households and caused the demolition of hundreds of buildings. An expansion project of I-405, set to be called I-505, was cancelled in 1978 due to extensive public outcry.
In 1950, Harbor Drive, part of Oregon Route 99W, was reconstructed into a controlled-access freeway. It was signed as I-5 for a short time until the completion of the Marquam Bridge in 1966. In 1974, after months of protests which included blocking the highway, and with support from Governor Tom McCall, the highway, as well as buildings between the highway and Front Avenue, were demolished.[32] The highway and most of the former buildings' sites were turned into Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and Front Avenue was widened to become a boulevard. In 1996, Front Avenue was renamed Naito Parkway after businessman and civic leader Bill Naito.[33][34]
Public transportation in Portland transitioned from private to public ownership in 1969–70, as the private companies found it increasingly difficult to make a profit and were on the verge of bankruptcy. A new regional government agency, the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District (Tri-Met), replaced Rose City Transit in 1969 and the "Blue Bus" lines—connecting Portland with its suburbs—in 1970.[35]
In early 1996, the Portland area saw a major flood. The Willamette River crested at 28.6 feet (8.7 m), some 10.6 feet (3.2 m) above flood stage, and came within inches of flowing over the seawall. The Oregon National Guard and civilian volunteers participated in a massive sand-bagging effort which was maintained until the floodwaters retreated. Five rivers in Oregon crested at all-time highs.[36]
From 2000 to 2014, Portland experienced a significant growth of over 90,000 people between the years 2000 and 2014.[37] Between 2001 and 2012, Portland's gross domestic product per person grew by fifty percent, more than any other city in the country.[38] and it was second in the country for attracting and retaining the highest number of college-educated people in the United States.[38]
Portland became known throughout the early 2000s for its unique culture and attractiveness to young people. "Keep Portland Weird" became an unofficial slogan and is popularized by a large mural in Old Town Chinatown and the bumper stickers replicating the mural.[39] Portland has embraced this weirdness by hosting many odd events including the World Naked Bike Ride and the Portland Urban Idiotarod, a shopping cart race where participants wear absurd costumes and often doubles as a bar crawl.[40][41][42] Portland is also home to various strange establishments including the 24 Hour Church of Elvis, the TARDIS Room, and the Peculiarium.
In the early 2000s, Portland became home to various street performers. Many of these performers embrace Portland's "weirdness" including the Unipiper, a unicycling bagpiper who wears a Darth Vader mask, and Working Kirk Reeves, a trumpet player and juggler known for his crisp white suit and Mickey Mouse hat.[43][44]
In 2003, Portland's longtime nickname "The City of Roses" (or "Rose City") was made official by the City Council.[45]
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, continuing through spring 2021, Portland saw daily protests against Floyd's murder, police violence and racial injustice.[46] Many of these protests turned violent and led to looting, vandalism, and assault.[47][48][49] In one case, a protestor was killed by an opposing one.[50] Millions of dollars were lost by local businesses from theft and vandalism.[51]
President Donald Trump deployed multiple groups of federal officers to assist locally based Federal Protective Service officers in guarding federal property as the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and the Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building were primary targets of the vandalism and rioting.[52][53][54][55] Temporary fences and boards are up around the two federal buildings and the Multnomah County Justice Center as of February 2024.
On July 22, Mayor Ted Wheeler attended one of the protests and was tear-gassed by federal officers.[56]
These riots also led to the vandalism and removal of many of Portland's statues.[57] Of the six statues removed, only one (Thompson Elk Fountain) was initially planned to be replaced.[58] In 2024, the city announced plans to put back the statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt. The statue of Harvey W. Scott and The Promised Land (which depicts Oregon pioneers), will be sold or donated. Additionally, a statue of York, a slave on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, will be commissioned.[59]
In the November 2022 election, Portland residents voted to change the city's form of government. Portland at the time was the only major city in the country to operate under a city commission form of government. This included a five-member board, including the mayor, who each ran various bureaus of the city. Under the new form of government, the mayor is no longer a part of the city council and the city council has twelve districted seats with three council members each representing one of four districts. Additionally, elections use a single transferable vote system as opposed to a first-past-the-post system.[60][61] The first election for this new form of government was in 2024.
While visual arts had always been important in the Pacific Northwest, the mid-1990s saw a dramatic rise in the number of artists, independent galleries, site-specific shows and public discourse about the arts.[62] Several arts publications were founded. The Portland millennial art renaissance has been described, written about and commented on in publications such as ARTnews, Art Papers, Art in America, Modern Painters and Artforum and discussed on CNN.[63] The Wall Street Journal's Peter Plagens noted the vibrancy of Portland's alternative art spaces.[64]
cite book
: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
CountryUnited StatesStateOregon
WashingtonLargest cityPortlandOther cities - Vancouver
- Gresham
- Hillsboro
- Beaverton
- Tigard
- Oregon City
- MilwaukieArea
6,684 sq mi (17,310 km2)Highest elevation
11,249 ft (3,429 m)Lowest elevation
0 ft (0 m)Population
2,512,859
2,509,489 • Rank25th in the U.S. • Density367/sq mi (129/km2)GDP
• Portland (MSA)$204.3 billion (2022)Time zoneUTC−8 (PST) • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)Area codes503, 971, 360 & 564
The Portland metropolitan area is a metro area with its core in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington.[2][3] It has 5 principal cities, the largest being Portland, Oregon.[4] The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identifies it as the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area used by the United States Census Bureau (USCB) and other entities. The OMB defines the area as comprising Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill Counties in Oregon, and Clark and Skamania Counties in Washington.[5] The area had a population of 2,512,859 at the 2020 census, an increase of over 12% since 2010.[6]
The Oregon portion of the metropolitan area is the state's largest urban center, while the Washington portion of the metropolitan area is the state's third-largest urban center after Seattle and Spokane (the Seattle Urban Area includes Tacoma and Everett[7]).[8] Portions of the Portland metro area (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties) are under the jurisdiction of Metro,[9] a directly elected regional government which, among other things, is responsible for land-use planning in the region.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 16,751 | — | |
1870 | 30,763 | 83.6% | |
1880 | 57,831 | 88.0% | |
1890 | 130,455 | 125.6% | |
1900 | 172,056 | 31.9% | |
1910 | 330,581 | 92.1% | |
1920 | 409,023 | 23.7% | |
1930 | 500,011 | 22.2% | |
1940 | 553,215 | 10.6% | |
1950 | 766,008 | 38.5% | |
1960 | 881,961 | 15.1% | |
1970 | 1,083,977 | 22.9% | |
1980 | 1,341,491 | 23.8% | |
1990 | 1,523,741 | 13.6% | |
2000 | 1,927,881 | 26.5% | |
2010 | 2,226,009 | 15.5% | |
2020 | 2,512,859 | 12.9% | |
2022 (est.) | 2,509,489 | −0.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[10] 2020 Census |
As of the 2020 census, there were 2,512,859 people within the MSA.
As of the 2010 census, there were 2,226,009 people, 867,794 households, and 551,008 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA were as follows:[11][12]
In 2010 the median income for a household in the MSA was $53,078 and the median income for a family was $64,290. The per capita income was $27,451.[13]
The Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 23rd largest in the United States,[14] has a population of 2,226,009 (2010 Census). Of them, 1,789,580 live in Oregon (46.7% of the state's population) while the remaining 436,429 live in Washington (6.7% of state's population). It consists of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia and Yamhill counties in Oregon, as well as Clark and Skamania counties in Washington. The area includes Portland and the neighboring cities of Vancouver, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Fairview, Wood Village, Troutdale, Tualatin, Tigard, West Linn, Battle Ground, Camas and Washougal.
Changes in house prices for the metro area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 20-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market.
County | 2024 Estimate[15] | 2020 Census | Change | Area | Density |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clackamas County, Oregon | 425,857 | 421,401 | +1.06% | 1,870.32 sq mi (4,844.1 km2) | 224/sq mi (86/km2) |
Columbia County, Oregon | 54,063 | 52,589 | +2.80% | 657.36 sq mi (1,702.6 km2) | 80/sq mi (31/km2) |
Multnomah County, Oregon | 795,897 | 815,428 | −2.40% | 431.30 sq mi (1,117.1 km2) | 1,885/sq mi (728/km2) |
Washington County, Oregon | 611,272 | 600,372 | +1.82% | 724.23 sq mi (1,875.7 km2) | 831/sq mi (321/km2) |
Yamhill County, Oregon | 110,886 | 107,722 | +2.94% | 715.86 sq mi (1,854.1 km2) | 150/sq mi (58/km2) |
Clark County, Washington | 527,269 | 503,311 | +4.76% | 629.00 sq mi (1,629.1 km2) | 956/sq mi (369/km2) |
Skamania County, Washington | 12,660 | 12,036 | +5.18% | 1,655.68 sq mi (4,288.2 km2) | 7/sq mi (3/km2) |
Total | 2,537,904 | 2,512,859 | +1.00% | 6,683.75 sq mi (17,310.8 km2) | 367/sq mi (142/km2) |
As of July 2022, the Portland–Vancouver–Salem, OR–WA Combined Statistical Area (CSA) consists of five Metropolitan Statistical Areas, covering nine counties in Oregon and three counties in Washington:
The 2022 population estimate is 3,285,275, ranked 19th largest in the United States (3,280,736 based on the 2020 Census).
This area includes the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area; Salem, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area, and other surrounding areas.
Major cities in the region in addition to Portland include Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro in Oregon, and Vancouver in Washington. The area also includes the smaller cities of Barlow, Banks, Canby, Clatskanie, Cornelius, Durham, Estacada, Fairview, Forest Grove, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Johnson City, King City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, Rainier, Rivergrove, Sandy, Sherwood, North Plains, Tigard, Troutdale, Tualatin, West Linn, Wilsonville, Wood Village in Oregon, as well as Battle Ground, Camas, La Center, North Bonneville, Ridgefield, Stevenson and Washougal in Washington.
It includes the unincorporated suburban communities in Oregon of Aloha, Beavercreek, Boring, Cedar Mill, Clackamas, Damascus, Dunthorpe, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, and West Slope, as well as Hazel Dell, Minnehaha, Salmon Creek, Walnut Grove and Orchards in Washington.
Portland is where Interstate 84 starts at Interstate 5, both major highways in the Pacific Northwest. Other primary roads include Interstate 205, an eastern bypass of the urban core, U.S. Route 26, which heads west and southeast, U.S. Route 30, which follows the Oregon side of the Columbia River northwest and east, mirrored by Washington State Route 14 east from Vancouver, and Oregon Route 217, which connects US 26 with I-5 in the south, travelling through Beaverton. Both US 26 and US 30 go to the Oregon Coast. SR 500 runs from Interstate 5 to SR 503. Padden Parkway runs from NE 78th St and east to NE 162nd Ave.
Transit service on the Oregon side is generally provided by TriMet. In addition, Sandy Area Metro serves Sandy, South Clackamas Transportation District serves nearby Molalla, Canby Area Transit serves Canby and South Metro Area Regional Transit serves Wilsonville. Service in Clark County is provided by C-Tran. In Columbia County, the Columbia County Rider provides transit service on weekdays connecting St. Helens with downtown Portland and connecting Scappoose and St. Helens with certain points in urban Washington County, including the PCC Rock Creek campus, Tanasbourne and the Willow Creek MAX light rail station.[16]
Several daily Amtrak trains serve Portland Union Station as well as suburban stops in Oregon City and Vancouver. The Coast Starlight runs from Los Angeles to Seattle while Cascades connects Eugene to Vancouver, BC. The Empire Builder heads east to Chicago.
State highways, numbered as Interstate, U.S. and Oregon Routes, in the metropolitan area include:
Notable highways never built, or removed altogether, include Mount Hood Freeway, Interstate 505, and Harbor Drive.[17]
The Portland MSA is home to a number of professional and semi-professional sports teams, including the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, the Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the Portland Loggers of the North American Rugby League. Other teams include the Portland Pickles and the Hillsboro Hops. Portland is also home to two NCAA Division 1 universities, the Portland State Vikings and the Portland Pilots.
The Portland MSA also hosts a number of amateur sports, including college and high school sports. The high school rugby championships are held annually in the Portland MSA, and draw crowds of 8,000 to 10,000 supporters.[18]
Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | 62.7% 834,779 | 33.4% 444,458 | 3.9% 52,269 |
2020 | 63.6% 900,757 | 33.1% 469,466 | 3.2% 45,300 |
2016 | 57.8% 672,364 | 31.9% 371,379 | 10.3% 119,802 |
2012 | 60.0% 632,945 | 36.6% 386,323 | 3.3% 34,862 |
2008 | 62.6% 657,076 | 34.9% 366,490 | 2.5% 26,202 |
2004 | 57.0% 587,901 | 41.7% 430,401 | 1.3% 13,357 |
2000 | 53.0% 443,629 | 41.3% 345,293 | 5.7% 47,440 |
1996 | 51.4% 380,537 | 35.6% 264,044 | 13.0% 96,411 |
1992 | 45.7% 357,117 | 30.5% 238,124 | 23.9% 186,437 |
1988 | 54.7% 343,172 | 43.4% 272,346 | 1.8% 11,547 |
1984 | 46.5% 290,504 | 52.9% 330,464 | 0.5% 3,228 |
1980 | 41.5% 246,639 | 44.8% 266,198 | 13.7% 81,212 |
1976 | 47.8% 255,813 | 48.0% 256,598 | 4.2% 22,531 |
1972 | 45.6% 226,237 | 50.1% 249,015 | 4.2% 21,040 |
1968 | 48.1% 211,351 | 46.7% 205,269 | 5.2% 22,887 |
1964 | 65.2% 273,608 | 34.5% 144,745 | 0.4% 1,545 |
1960 | 48.0% 198,802 | 51.9% 214,980 | 0.1% 511 |
The Portland metropolitan area is heavily Democratic and has voted for that party's presidential candidate in every election since 1988. This is helped by Multnomah County, which has given the Democratic nominee over 70% of the vote in every election since 2004.
45°30′N 122°39′W / 45.5°N 122.65°W
Oregon City, Oregon
wálamt (Chinook)
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![]() The McLoughlin House, est. 1845
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Nickname(s):
End of the Oregon Trail, OC
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Motto(s):
Urbs civitatis nostrae prima et mater (English: First and mothertown of our state)
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![]() Location in Oregon
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Coordinates: 45°21′25″N 122°36′24″W / 45.35694°N 122.60667°WCountryUnited StatesStateOregonCountyClackamasFounded1829Incorporated1844Government
10.29 sq mi (26.64 km2) • Land10.05 sq mi (26.03 km2) • Water0.24 sq mi (0.61 km2)Elevation
466 ft (142 m)Population
36,975 • Density3,738.88/sq mi (1,443.54/km2)Time zoneUTC−8 (PST) • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)ZIP code
Area codes503 and 971FIPS code41-55200GNIS feature ID2411332[3]Websitewww.orcity.org
Oregon City is a city in and the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 37,572. Established in 1829 by the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1844, it became the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated.
Known in recent decades as the site of several large paper mills on the Willamette River, the city played a significant role in the early history of the Oregon Country. It was established by Hudson's Bay Company's Dr. John McLoughlin in 1829 near the confluence of the Clackamas River with the Willamette to take advantage of the power of Willamette Falls to run a lumber mill. During the 1840s and 1850s it was the destination for those wanting to file land claims after traveling the Oregon Trail as the last stop on the trail.[5][6]
It was the capital of the Oregon Territory from its establishment in 1848 until 1851, and rivaled Portland for early supremacy in the area. In 1846, the city's newspaper, the Oregon Spectator, was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains. Oregon City College was established in 1849 as a Baptist school, but was defunct by the 1870s.[7] Oregon City was the site of the Beaver Coins Mint, producing the short-lived independent Oregon Territory currency in 1849.[8]
The center of the city retains part of its historic character through the preservation of houses and other buildings from the era of the city's founding.
The town became the see city of the first Roman Catholic archdiocese in the western United States, when the diocese of Oregon City, established in 1846, was raised to metropolitan rank, with Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet as its ordinary. Its territory included all of the western United States. The population in the area of Oregon City declined due to the California Gold Rush. The population of nearby Portland grew, and the headquarters of the archdiocese was moved there in 1926. In 1928 the name Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon replaced the former name. No longer a residential bishopric, Oregon City is now a titular see.[9][10]
The town is divided into upper and lower areas. The lower area is on a bench next to the Willamette River. The upper area is atop a bluff composed of Canemah basalt, which flowed about 2.5 million years ago from a vent 7.5 miles (12 km) to the southeast in the Boring Lava Field.[11] For many years, Indian trails connected the two levels, but stairs were built in the 19th century. In 1915, the town built the water-powered Oregon City Municipal Elevator to connect the two parts, which was converted to electricity in the 1920s. In 1952, a new electric elevator was constructed with the specification that it was to be "as plain as possible and without ornament."[12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.29 square miles (24.06 km2), of which 9.05 square miles (23.44 km2) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) is water.[13] The major waterways of Oregon City include the Willamette River, which flows along the northwest side of the city, and the Clackamas River, which merges with the larger Willamette to the north of the city. The Willamette forms the boundary between Oregon City and West Linn; the Clackamas serves as the boundary between Oregon City and Gladstone.
The Willamette Falls Locks in West Linn were the first multi-lift navigational locks in the United States and are now a National Historical Site, no longer in use. The first long-distance electrical service in the United States originated in Oregon City in 1889, transmitting electricity 14 miles (23 km) to Portland.[14]
Oregon City has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The Mediterranean climate regime resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, parts of western North America, parts of Western and South Australia, in southwestern South Africa and in parts of central Chile. The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
The average temperature throughout the year is 55.4 °F (13.0 °C), with the highest average temperature in July and August being 70.8 °F (21.6 °C), and December being the coldest month with an average temperature of 41.8 °F (5.4 °C). The annual precipitation is 44.81 inches (1,138 mm). It is mainly concentrated in winter (November to March), and the precipitation in July and August is obviously much less than in other months. In terms of temperature, there are 122 days with temperatures exceeding 70 °F (21 °C) per year, 18 days with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C), and one high-temperature day exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). However, there is no more than one ice day with the maximum temperature below 32 °F (0 °C) per year. Extreme temperatures range from −2 °F (−19 °C) on January 31, 1950, to 114 °F (46 °C) on June 28, 2021.
Climate data for Oregon City (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
75 (24) |
83 (28) |
92 (33) |
104 (40) |
114 (46) |
108 (42) |
107 (42) |
105 (41) |
96 (36) |
75 (24) |
68 (20) |
114 (46) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.2 (15.1) |
62.8 (17.1) |
71.2 (21.8) |
80.5 (26.9) |
87.6 (30.9) |
92.7 (33.7) |
97.6 (36.4) |
97.7 (36.5) |
92.0 (33.3) |
79.4 (26.3) |
65.0 (18.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
100.7 (38.2) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.3 (9.1) |
52.5 (11.4) |
58.0 (14.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
70.9 (21.6) |
76.2 (24.6) |
83.9 (28.8) |
84.1 (28.9) |
77.9 (25.5) |
64.9 (18.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
47.3 (8.5) |
65.1 (18.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.5 (5.8) |
45.0 (7.2) |
48.9 (9.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
59.7 (15.4) |
64.6 (18.1) |
70.5 (21.4) |
70.8 (21.6) |
65.4 (18.6) |
55.7 (13.2) |
47.0 (8.3) |
41.8 (5.4) |
55.4 (13.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.7 (2.6) |
37.5 (3.1) |
39.8 (4.3) |
43.3 (6.3) |
48.4 (9.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
57.0 (13.9) |
57.5 (14.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
46.5 (8.1) |
40.5 (4.7) |
36.3 (2.4) |
45.8 (7.7) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
33.8 (1.0) |
39.1 (3.9) |
44.9 (7.2) |
49.8 (9.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
43.7 (6.5) |
35.6 (2.0) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
21.1 (−6.1) |
Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
6 (−14) |
22 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
37 (3) |
40 (4) |
32 (0) |
33 (1) |
24 (−4) |
9 (−13) |
6 (−14) |
−2 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.54 (166) |
4.46 (113) |
4.78 (121) |
3.84 (98) |
2.54 (65) |
1.79 (45) |
0.50 (13) |
0.56 (14) |
1.64 (42) |
4.23 (107) |
6.73 (171) |
7.20 (183) |
44.81 (1,138) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.8 | 11.9 | 15.2 | 13.5 | 10.1 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 5.2 | 10.0 | 14.5 | 14.8 | 122.7 |
Source: NOAA[15][16] |
For much of its existence, Oregon City's economy has been dominated by the forestry industry, until the decline of the Pacific Northwest lumber industry started in the 1980s. At its height, several mills operated in the city and surrounding communities. The last paper mill in the immediate vicinity closed in 2017[17] but reopened in 2019 under new ownership.[18]
With the growth of the Portland Metro region, Oregon City has become largely a suburb of Portland. Tourism is a growing sector with the emphasis on the city's history and the major renovation of the Willamette Falls area into a public-access, mixed-use space through the Willamette Falls Legacy Project.[19]
Oregon City is governed by a Mayor and a City Commission composed of the Mayor and four Commissioners elected from the City at large for terms of four years each.[20]
Oregon City was the capital of the Oregon Territory until 1851; the following governors served during that time:
The city, and several surrounding communities, is served by the Oregon City School District,[21] a public school district consisting of 7 elementary schools, two middle schools, a traditional four-year high school (Oregon City High School), and an alternative secondary school. Several schools in the district offer bilingual English/Spanish programs. Oregon City High School is the third most populated high school in Oregon, and is a state and national power in girls' basketball, winning three consecutive USA Today girls' national championships in the 1990s.[22]
The city also is the home of Clackamas Community College, numerous private and parochial schools, and a public library that is part of the Library Information Network of Clackamas County.
Museums include the Museum of the Oregon Territory and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, with costumed "living history" guides. The Clackamas County Historical Society archives, housed in the Museum of the Oregon Territory, also include the incorporation plat for the city of San Francisco. Clackamas Heritage Partners owns and operates these museums, along with the Stevens Crawford Museum. In 2009, Clackamas Heritage Partners announced that it could no longer afford to keep the museums open. The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was closed to the public indefinitely in September 2009; the Stevens Crawford Museum and Museum of the Oregon Territory, staffed largely by volunteers, continued to operate on a limited schedule.[23] The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center eventually reopened during the summer of 2013 with the support of grants and donations from numerous sources.[24]
The Stevens-Crawford Heritage House Museum is a 1908 structure with 11 furnished rooms; exhibiting furniture from the collection of the Clackamas County Historical Society to replicate an Edwardian era home and Progressive Era narrative. Other historical buildings in Oregon City include the McLoughlin House, the Ermatinger House (oldest in Clackamas County), the Bank of Commerce Building, the Ainsworth House, the Harvey Cross House, the Oregon City Masonic Lodge, and the First Congregational Church.
The Oregon City Bridge over the Willamette River, built in 1922, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Oregon City Municipal Elevator.
Oregon City has over 22 city parks. One of the city's larger parks is Clackamette Park, at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers. The park's features include RV camping, a boat launch and dock, a skateboard park, and other recreational facilities. Several community festivals are held there throughout the year. Other major parks include Chapin, Hillendale, Jon Storm Park, Rivercrest, and Wesley Lynn.
Interstate 205 passes through the city's northern edge, and is the only freeway to serve the city. In addition, three state highways (Oregon Route 43, Oregon Route 99E, and Oregon Route 213) pass through or terminate in Oregon City. The former two serve the city's downtown core, the latter provides service to the southern parts of Oregon City.
The Union Pacific Railroad mainline passes through the city. The city also has an Amtrak station, which is served twice daily in each direction by Amtrak Cascades trains running between Portland and Eugene, Oregon. The Coast Starlight (Seattle–Los Angeles) passes through but does not stop.
There are no public airports within the city. A small private airfield is along Beavercreek Road, south of Oregon City. Oregon City is served by Portland International Airport, 15 miles (24 km) to the north, and by Portland-Mulino Airport, a general-aviation facility in the town of Mulino, approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the south.
The Willamette River in Oregon City is navigable to small craft, and Oregon City has a thriving fishing and recreational boating industry. The Willamette Falls Locks once allowed boats to navigate around the falls. The Clackamas River is not navigable, except for the lowermost portions.
As part of the greater Portland metropolitan area, Oregon City is served by TriMet, the regional transit authority, with several bus lines which converge at the Oregon City Transit Center. Until 1958, an interurban trolley line operated by the now-defunct Portland Traction Company connected Oregon City with Portland;[25] remnants of this line are still visible (such as an abandoned bridge across the Clackamas River, just east of the OR 99E bridge). In more recent years, the city operated a "historic trolley" service during the summer months, primarily to serve the needs of tourism, but the vehicles used were trolley-replica buses, rather than actual trolley cars, and in 2013 it was decided to discontinue that service and sell the vehicles.[26]
Two other public agencies provide transit service in Oregon City, supplementing that of TriMet. The South Clackamas Transportation District (SCTD) operates a route between Clackamas Community College on the south east end of Oregon City to Molalla, about 18 miles (29 km) south on Oregon Route 213. Canby Area Transit (CAT) operates regular service on Oregon Route 99E between the Oregon City Transit Center and Canby. SMART, South Metro Area Regional Transit, serving Wilsonville, connects to CAT in Canby. CAT also has service to Woodburn.
Dial-a-Ride service is operated by TriMet, but CAT also operates within the Oregon City city limits for trips originating or terminating in the CAT service area. If transfers between TriMet and CAT are necessary, they are accomplished at the Oregon City Transit Center (OCTC) at 11th & Main, which is at the northeast end of the downtown area.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
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1860 | 1,229 | — | |
1870 | 1,382 | 12.4% | |
1880 | 1,262 | −8.7% | |
1890 | 3,167 | 151.0% | |
1900 | 3,494 | 10.3% | |
1910 | 4,987 | 42.7% | |
1920 | 5,686 | 14.0% | |
1930 | 5,761 | 1.3% | |
1940 | 6,124 | 6.3% | |
1950 | 7,082 | 15.6% | |
1960 | 7,996 | 12.9% | |
1970 | 9,176 | 14.8% | |
1980 | 14,673 | 59.9% | |
1990 | 14,698 | 0.2% | |
2000 | 25,754 | 75.2% | |
2010 | 31,859 | 23.7% | |
2020 | 37,572 | 17.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[27] 2018 Estimate[28][4] |
As of the census[29] of 2010, there were 31,859 people, 11,973 households, and 8,206 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,520.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,359.2/km2). There were 12,900 housing units at an average density of 1,425.4 per square mile (550.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% White, 0.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population.
There were 11,973 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.
The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 11.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,754 people, 9,471 households, and 6,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,163.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,221.6/km2). There were 10,110 housing units at an average density of 1,242.0 per square mile (479.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.44% White, 1.12% Asian, 1.08% Native American, 0.58% African American, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.98% of the population.
There were 9,471 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,531, and the median income for a family was $51,597. Males had a median income of $38,699 versus $29,547 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,870. About 6.5% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Oregon City has 12 officially recognized neighborhood associations:[30]
In addition to John McLoughlin, the "Father of Oregon" and chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and Vietnam-era Medal of Honor recipient Larry G. Dahl, Oregon City has been home to the following:
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According to Sister Cities International, Oregon City has one sister city:
Counties of Oregon | |
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Location | State of Oregon |
Number | 36 |
Populations | 1,456 (Wheeler) – 795,897 (Multnomah)[1] |
Areas | 435 square miles (1,130 km2) (Multnomah) – 10,135 square miles (26,250 km2) (Harney) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
There are 36 counties in the U.S. State of Oregon. The Oregon Constitution does not explicitly provide for county seats; Article VI, covering the "Administrative Department" of the state of Oregon, simply states that:
More details on the etymologies of Oregon county names and place names in general are documented in Oregon Geographic Names. Oregon's postal abbreviation is OR and its FIPS state code is 41.
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
County | FIPS code[3] | County seat[4] | Est.[4] | Origin[5] | Etymology[5] | Population[6] | Area[4] | Map |
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Baker County | 001 | Baker City | 1862 | Eastern portion of Wasco County | Named in honor of Edward Dickinson Baker, who died in combat while serving as Oregon senator. | 16,750 | 3,068 sq mi (7,946 km2) |
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Benton County | 003 | Corvallis | 1847 | Polk County | Named for Thomas Hart Benton, senator and advocate of U.S. annexation of the Oregon Country. | 98,899 | 676 sq mi (1,751 km2) |
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Clackamas County | 005 | Oregon City | 1843 | One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country | Named for the Clackamas people, a local Native American tribe. | 425,857 | 1,868 sq mi (4,838 km2) |
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Clatsop County | 007 | Astoria | 1844 | Northern and western portions of the original Twality District | Named for the Clatsop, a local Native American tribe. | 41,043 | 827 sq mi (2,142 km2) |
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Columbia County | 009 | Saint Helens | 1854 | Northern half of Washington County | Named for the neighboring Columbia River. | 54,063 | 657 sq mi (1,702 km2) |
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Coos County | 011 | Coquille | 1853 | Western parts of Umpqua and Jackson Counties | Named for the Coos people, a regional Native American group. | 64,326 | 1,600 sq mi (4,144 km2) |
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Crook County | 013 | Prineville | 1882 | Southern part of Wasco County | Named for George Crook, a Union army officer in the Civil War and Indian Wars. | 27,336 | 2,980 sq mi (7,718 km2) |
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Curry County | 015 | Gold Beach | 1855 | Coos County | Named for George Law Curry, governor of the Oregon Territory. | 22,774 | 1,627 sq mi (4,214 km2) |
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Deschutes County | 017 | Bend | 1916 | Southern part of Crook County | Named for the Deschutes River from French Riviere des Chutes, 'River of the falls'. | 211,535 | 3,018 sq mi (7,817 km2) |
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Douglas County | 019 | Roseburg | 1852 | Portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range summit | Named for senator Stephen A. Douglas, a supporter of Oregon's admission to the union. | 112,255 | 5,037 sq mi (13,046 km2) |
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Gilliam County | 021 | Condon | 1885 | Eastern third of Wasco County | Named for Oregon pioneer Cornelius Gilliam (1798–1848). | 1,971 | 1,204 sq mi (3,118 km2) |
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Grant County | 023 | Canyon City | 1864 | Parts of old Wasco and old Umatilla counties | Named for Ulysses S. Grant prior to his election as president, in recognition of his military service. | 7,093 | 4,529 sq mi (11,730 km2) |
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Harney County | 025 | Burns | 1889 | Southern two-thirds of Grant County | Named in honor of cavalry officer William S. Harney. | 7,402 | 10,135 sq mi (26,250 km2) |
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Hood River County | 027 | Hood River | 1908 | Northwest portion of Wasco County | Named for the Hood River. | 23,764 | 522 sq mi (1,352 km2) |
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Jackson County | 029 | Medford | 1852 | Southwestern portion of Lane County and unorganized area south of Douglas and Umpqua Counties. | Named for President Andrew Jackson. | 221,331 | 2,785 sq mi (7,213 km2) |
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Jefferson County | 031 | Madras | 1914 | Crook County | Named for the adjacent Mount Jefferson, itself named for President Thomas Jefferson. | 25,536 | 1,781 sq mi (4,613 km2) |
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Josephine County | 033 | Grants Pass | 1856 | Western half of Jackson County | Named for Virginia "Josephine" Rollins, the first female settler in the area. | 88,276 | 1,640 sq mi (4,248 km2) |
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Klamath County | 035 | Klamath Falls | 1882 | Western part of Lake County | Named for the Klamath people, a local Native American tribe. | 70,438 | 5,945 sq mi (15,397 km2) |
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Lake County | 037 | Lakeview | 1874 | Jackson and Wasco Counties | Named for the large number of local lakes and springs. | 8,194 | 7,940 sq mi (20,565 km2) |
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Lane County | 039 | Eugene | 1851 | Southern part of Linn County and the portion of Benton County east of Umpqua County | Named for Joseph Lane, the first governor of the Oregon Territory. | 382,396 | 4,554 sq mi (11,795 km2) |
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Lincoln County | 041 | Newport | 1893 | Western portion of Benton County and Polk County | Named for President Abraham Lincoln. | 51,212 | 980 sq mi (2,538 km2) |
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Linn County | 043 | Albany | 1847 | Southern portion of Champoeg (later Marion) County | Named for Lewis F. Linn, sponsor of the Donation Land Act. | 132,474 | 2,291 sq mi (5,934 km2) |
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Malheur County | 045 | Vale | 1887 | Southern portion of Baker County | Named for the Malheur River, itself from French Riviere au Malheur, 'Unfortunate River', named by French fur trappers whose belongings were stolen along the river. | 32,315 | 9,888 sq mi (25,610 km2) |
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Marion County | 047 | Salem | 1843 | One of the original four districts of the Oregon territory | Named for Francis Marion (1732-1795), a Revolutionary War general. | 352,867 | 1,185 sq mi (3,069 km2) |
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Morrow County | 049 | Heppner | 1885 | Western portion of Umatilla County and a small portion of eastern Wasco County | Named for state representative Jackson L. Morrow, an advocate for the formation of the county. | 12,360 | 2,033 sq mi (5,265 km2) |
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Multnomah County | 051 | Portland | 1854 | Eastern part of Washington and the northern part of Clackamas counties | Named for the Multnomah people, a Chinookan band from Sauvie Island. | 795,897 | 435 sq mi (1,127 km2) |
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Polk County | 053 | Dallas | 1845 | Yamhill District | Named for President James Knox Polk, who was serving during the county's creation. | 90,549 | 741 sq mi (1,919 km2) |
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Sherman County | 055 | Moro | 1889 | Northeast corner of Wasco County | Named for Union general William Tecumseh Sherman. | 2,002 | 823 sq mi (2,132 km2) |
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Tillamook County | 057 | Tillamook | 1853 | Clatsop, Yamhill and Polk Counties | Named for the Tillamook people, a Native American tribe. | 27,264 | 1,102 sq mi (2,854 km2) |
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Umatilla County | 059 | Pendleton | 1862 | Central portion of Wasco County | Named for the adjacent Umatilla River, derived from a Sahaptin, word possibly meaning laughing waters. | 80,491 | 3,215 sq mi (8,327 km2) |
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Union County | 061 | La Grande | 1864 | Baker County | Named for the town of Union, itself named for the Union during the Civil War. | 26,058 | 2,037 sq mi (5,276 km2) |
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Wallowa County | 063 | Enterprise | 1887 | Eastern portion of Union County. | Named after the Nez Perce wallowa, a tripod of poles used to support fish nets. | 7,522 | 3,145 sq mi (8,146 km2) |
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Wasco County | 065 | The Dalles | 1854 | Parts of Clackamas, Lane, Linn and Marion counties | Named for the Wasco people, a Native American tribe. | 26,507 | 2,381 sq mi (6,167 km2) |
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Washington County | 067 | Hillsboro | 1843 | One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country (as Twality District) | Named for president George Washington. | 611,272 | 724 sq mi (1,875 km2) |
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Wheeler County | 069 | Fossil | 1899 | Grant County, Gilliam County, and Crook County | Named for Henry H. Wheeler, an early Oregon mail carrier. | 1,456 | 1,715 sq mi (4,442 km2) |
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Yamhill County | 071 | McMinnville | 1843 | One of the original four districts of the Oregon Country | Named for the Yamhill band of Kalapuya, a local Native American group. | 110,886 | 716 sq mi (1,854 km2) |
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There are several well-known and commonly used nicknames referring to Portland, Oregon.
The official,[1] and also most common, nickname for Portland is The City of Roses[1][2][3] or Rose City.[4] The first known reference to Portland as "The City of Roses" was made by visitors to an 1888 Episcopal Church convention.[citation needed]
In 1889, the Portland Rose Society was founded, and promoted the planting of 20 miles (32 km) of Portland's streets with roses in advance of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.[5] The nickname grew in popularity after the exposition, where Mayor Harry Lane suggested that the city needed a "festival of roses."[2]
The nickname is often attributed to Leo Samuel,[6] who founded the Oregon Life Insurance Company in 1906 (known today as Standard Insurance Company). Samuel, who moved to Portland in 1871,[7] grew roses outside his home. He placed a pair of shears outside his garden so people could snip a rose from his garden to take for themselves. This encouraged other people and businesses to plant their own roses outside their homes and business. Today, roses are still planted outside the Standard Insurance Company's home office building in downtown Portland.
The first Portland Rose Festival was held in 1907, and remains the city's major annual festival more than a century later.[5] In 1917, the International Rose Test Garden was established, and it now features more than 7,000 rose plants of 550 varieties. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States.
The "City of Roses" nickname inspired the name for the four-year-old female Asian elephant who arrived in 1953, Rosy. The first elephant ever to live in Oregon, she remained the matriarch of the Oregon Zoo's herd and gave birth to six calves before her death in 1993.[8] On August 31, 1994, her daughter Me-Tu became the first elephant in North America to have twins. On August 23, 2008, her granddaughter Rose-Tu (the surviving twin) gave birth to Samudra, the first third-generation elephant born in the United States.
On June 18, 2003, the city council unanimously approved a resolution adopting "City of Roses" as the city's official nickname.[1][2]
Stumptown was coined in a period of phenomenal growth in Portland after 1847. The city was growing so rapidly that the stumps of trees were left behind until manpower could be spared to remove them. In some areas the stumps remained for so long that locals whitewashed them to make them more visible. They also used them to cross the street without sinking into the mud.[9][10] Captain John C. Ainsworth commented that there were "more stumps than trees" in Portland in the early 1850s.[9][11]
The nickname Rip City is usually used in the context of the city's NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers.[12] The term was coined by the team's play-by-play announcer Bill Schonely during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 18, 1971, the Blazers' first season.[13] In the days prior to the three-point field goal, Blazers guard Jim Barnett took an ill-advised long-distance shot that nonetheless went in, giving the new team hope for a victory against the powerful Lakers. Excited, Schonely exclaimed "Rip City Baby!" Schonely admits that he has no idea how he came up with the expression, but it became synonymous with the team and the city of Portland.[14]
This nickname reflects the wide variety of craft beers brewed in Portland and throughout the state of Oregon.[15][16]
The city of Portland is nicknamed PDX after the International Air Transport Association airport code for the Portland International Airport which is within the city limits. For example, the domain name for Portland State University of pdx.edu was chosen in 1987, since psu.edu had already been given to Pennsylvania State University in the previous year.[17] As well, many Portland businesses include pdx in their web sites' domain names to denote their Portland location.[citation needed] Although licensed in adjacent Vancouver, WA, KPDX-TV's call letter reflect this nickname.
Portland was once compared with Brooklyn, New York, whose official nickname was "city of churches", by the Sunday Oregonian as seen on the front page of its November 12, 1899 issue of which a reproduction can be seen on the outside of the Oregonian's building. It reads, "On the Pacific coast, Portland occupies the same relative position as that of Brooklyn on the Atlantic seaboard and might well be called "a city of churches"...Wherever the stranger wanders here he will see steeples pointing heavenward, in the very midst of one of the most pleasing landscapes in all the world, embracing, as it does the comprehensive view of river and vale, hill and mountain, farm and fruit orchard, city and country—all combined."[18]
In more recent years Portland is considered one of the least churched major cities in the United States.[19]
Staffers of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush used to refer to Portland as Little Beirut because of the protesters he encountered during his visits.[20] [21] [22]
Portland has been referred to as the Forbidden City of the West, an allusion to Beijing's Forbidden City. The city received the nickname due to its history of Shanghaiing and the legends that such actions took place in the city's Shanghai tunnels.[23]
Portland is sometimes called P-Town by some locals.[24][25][26]
The City of Portland is bisected by the Willamette River. Twelve Portland bridges span the Willamette River. Because of the many bridges, Portland has earned the nickname Bridge City.[27]
Portland is home to a very successful MLS franchise, the Portland Timbers and a very successful NWSL franchise, the Portland Thorns. The Portland Timbers hosted the 2021 MLS Cup. The Portland Thorns have won three NWSL Championships, most recently in 2022.
I'm used to seeing that hint of dawn back in P-town, with my wretched habit of playing video games until 6 a.m
The city of Portland soon could become the Hertz, Avis and Enterprise of the bicycling business
Skateboarders are abuzz over plans for Portland's first city-funded skate parks
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|
Formation | 1851 |
---|---|
City charter | Portland City Charter |
Website | www |
City-wide elected officials | |
City Auditor | Portland City Auditor |
Legislative branch | |
Legislature | Portland City Council |
Meeting place | Portland City Hall |
Executive branch | |
Mayor | Mayor of Portland, Oregon |
Appointed by | Election |
Headquarters | Portland City Hall |
The government of Portland, Oregon, is based on a mayor–council government system. Elected officials include the mayor, a 12-member city council, and a city auditor. The city council is responsible for legislative policy, while the mayor appoints a professional city manager who oversees the various bureaus and day-to-day operations of the city. The mayor is elected at-large, while the council is elected in four geographic districts using single transferable vote, with 3 winning candidates per district. Portland's current form of government was approved by voters in a 2022 ballot measure, with the first elections under the new system held in 2024.[1]
Prior to 2022, Portland used a city commission government system, with the mayor and four city commissioners directly overseeing operations of the city bureaus.[2] Under the previous system, all elected officials were elected at-large and served four-year terms with no term limits. Portland began using a commission form of government in 1913 following a public vote on May 3 of that year.[3]
The Portland Charter was the subject of much debate circa 1911–1912. Rival charters were drafted by four different groups, including the "official charter committee," appointed by the mayor; the "people's charter committee," constituted under the auspices of the East Side Business Men's Club; another citizen's committee which drafted the Short Charter; and the "people's committee," led by W.C. Benbow, which drafted the Benbow Charter. The Short Charter was unusual in that it would have used Bucklin voting to elect the mayor and implemented interactive representation of the people through the commissioner system; each commissioner's vote would have been weighted according to the number of votes he received in the election. The city council appointed a committee to draft a compromise charter. This charter, along with the Short Charter, were defeated in referendums. The following year, the city council submitted another charter to the people, which was accepted.[4] The city commission government form consequently came into use in 1913, with H. Russell Albee being the first mayor under the new system.[3]
Ballot Measure 26–228 in the November 2022 election was an amendment to the city charter that moved the city away from a commission system of government. It expands the council from four at-large council members to 12 councilors, who are elected via single transferable vote from four geographic districts (with three council members from each district). The mayor is no longer a voting member of the council, except when needed to make a tie-breaking vote. It also transferred responsibility for direct management of city bureaus from commissioners to a city manager overseen by the mayor and confirmed by the council.[5] Previous attempts to reform the city charter had been defeated seven times since 1913,[6] including as recently as 2007.[citation needed]
The first city council elections under the new districts were held in 2024.[7] In preparation for transitioning management of city bureaus to a city manager, then-mayor Ted Wheeler announced he would group city bureaus into five related service areas.[8] By 2025, six service areas had been formed, including Budget & Finance, City Operations, Community & Economic Development, Public Safety, Vibrant Communities, and Public Works. Additionally, four bureaus were placed under the City Administrator’s office, facilitating close oversight from the mayor. [9][10][11]
Terms are staggered, with the mayor and councilors for districts 1 and 2 elected in the same years as presidential elections, while the auditor and the councilors for districts 3 and 4 elected in the same years as gubernatorial elections.[12] The City Council convenes on Wednesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons in the council chamber on the second floor of Portland City Hall, and meetings are open to the public.[12]
City Council seats, the city auditor, and the mayor are non-partisan, elected positions; each carries a four-year term. Beginning with the 2024 election, 12 councilors are elected via the single transferable vote ranked-choice voting method from four geographic districts (with three council members from each district). The Mayor and City Auditor are elected at-large using the instant runoff ranked-choice voting method. From 1913 to 2024 candidates faced off in a primary election (typically in May of even-numbered years); if no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers faced off in a runoff election (typically the following November.) Three Council seats, including the mayor, were up for election in 2008; the other two seats, and the Auditor position, were up for election in 2010.
From 2006 to 2010, Portland used a publicly financed election system, allowing candidates to qualify for public funding of $145,000 if they could gather 1000 five-dollar contributions by a certain date (for Mayoral candidates, 1500 contributions of $5 were required for a $160,000 grant). Two candidates availed themselves of this system in 2006: incumbent Erik Sten, who won the primary election, and Amanda Fritz, who lost out to incumbent Dan Saltzman but won a seat two years later (utilizing publicly financed election money).[20] The November 2010 elections saw Portlanders rescind their support for this publicly financed election system.[21]
The city is divided into six service areas, each of which oversees several bureaus and city offices. A seventh group is overseen by the city Administrator[22] as well as the mayor.[23]
As of January 1, 2025, the City Administrator is Michael Jordan.[22][24]
Bureaus and offices overseen by the city administrator:
Portland's neighborhood system, the Portland Office of Community and Civic Life, is made up of 94 recognized neighborhood associations and seven neighborhood district coalition offices located throughout the city. These offices provide support and technical assistance to the volunteer-based neighborhood associations, community groups and individual activists.[25]
In 2016, former Multnomah County chair Deborah Kafoury and former Portland mayor Ted Wheeler created the Joint Office of Homeless Services, which receives funding from both the county and city governments.[26] In September 2020, frustrated by tents downtown, Mayor Wheeler expressed the intent to withdraw the City of Portland from its partnership with county on JOHS.[27] The intergovernmental agreement between the city and county had an expense of $32.5 million to the Portland City Government in 2020.[28] Partially using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Joint Office of Homeless Services uses city-owned land to site Safe Rest Villages, which are managed temporary housing that augments the homeless shelter system.[29][30]
As of 2025, JOHS, Safe Rest Villages, as well as other related programs are overseen by Portland Solutions.[22]
Multiple news outlet reported on the city auditor's 2019 report on the city's handling of illegal campsite clean ups by the Homelessness/Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program.[31][32][33] Since 2015, the City of Portland implemented a streamlined campsite complaint intake. City contractors then removed tents, items and other items and stored them. The database was to prioritize cleanup based on "biohazards, garbage and other factors, such as whether campers are aggressive or openly using drugs". The Oregonian summarized that the auditors found little evidence prioritization was occurring and no clear indication of what criteria were invoked in selecting which camps are to be removed or not removed and auditors documented the city often ignored hundreds of complaints made by residents. The newspaper commented "That non-response doesn’t comport with the crackdown on illegal camping instituted by Mayor Ted Wheeler earlier in his term." The audit conducted in summer and fall of 2018 reported that the city needed to improve communications to illegal campers as well as complainants.[34] The auditor recommends providing complainants with a status update. In 2019, the city announced they intend to do that with a new app that helps people "better record and understand HUCIRP"[35] In January 2023, the city launched a web interface providing some information on reported camps.[36]
The Revenue Division administers tax programs such as the Portland Business License Tax, Multnomah County Business Income Tax, as well as additional local tax programs[37] including the Portland Arts Tax.[38]
Bureaus and offices overseen by the City Operations service area include:
Bureaus and offices overseen by the Community & Economic Development service area include:
The Portland Housing Bureau manages programs aimed at increasing affordable housing.[39]
As of January 1, 2025, Mike Myers is the Deputy City Administrator for Public Safety.[22][24]
Bureaus and offices overseen by the Public Safety service area include:
The Portland Police Bureau is the primary policing agency in the city. Formerly, the Police Bureau reported to the mayor, while Portland Fire & Rescue was assigned to a commissioner. The city also has an office of emergency management planning for mitigation of natural and manmade disasters.
As of January 1, 2025, Sonia Schmanski, is the Deputy City Administrator for Vibrant Communities.[22][24] On March 31, 2025, it was announced that the Vibrant Communities Service Area would be dissolved with its bureaus and offices moved to the Public Works and Community & Economic Development service areas starting July 1, 2025.[40]
Bureaus and offices overseen by the Vibrant Communities service area include:
Portland Parks & Recreation manages 11,760 acres of public park lands in the city,[41] including large natural areas like Forest Park and public recreation facilities such as municipal playgrounds, pools, golf courses, and the Portland International Raceway.
As of January 1, 2025, Priya Dhanapal is the Deputy City Administrator for Public Works.[22][24]
Bureaus and offices overseen by the Public Safety service area include:
Portland Water Bureau manages municipal water services through the city, while the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) manages sewer and stormwater systems. Waste collection and recycling is managed by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which also runs the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund investing in renewable energy development.
Public transit within the city is primarily the responsibility of TriMet, not the city government, but the Portland Streetcar and Portland Aerial Tram are exceptions; both are owned by the city.[42][43] The aerial tram is managed by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)[43]
While parking enforcement is typically managed by the police department, it is managed under transportation department (PBOT) in Portland.[44]
Portland Public Schools operates more than 81 schools and is one of the largest pre-kindergarten through high school districts in the state.[45] As of 2022, Portland also provides tax-payer funded universal preschool, after voters approved a city measure in 2020.[46]
Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, and the core of Metro, a regional government primarily concerned with land use planning. Both of these government entities have a strong impact on Portland policy.[47][48]