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Money magazine has proclaimed Portland, Oregon , the City of Roses, as North America's "Best Big City". Why? It's our unmatched natural beauty, our bustling local scene, our adventurous culinary dining experience, and our welcoming accommodations that give Portland its soul and make it big on livability.
Sitting in the shadow of the majestic Mount Hood, Portland's sophisticated, cosmopolitan atmosphere and refreshingly friendly, small-town warmth entice and welcome visitors and newcomers with open arms.
Portland is famous for its mild winters and ranked among the top five best summer climates in America. Whether summer, winter, spring or fall, you can always find opportunities to discover Portland's world-class charm. Stroll through beautiful gardens and parks, cruise our scenic rivers, shop in our tax-free stores and boutiques, or dine in our world-renowned restaurants. Enjoy the personality of each district and discover the unique cafes and markets, the art, parks, plazas, vistas and sanctuaries that make Portland a great place to call home. Of course, the Portland experience wouldn't be complete without a visit to Washington Park, home to the Oregon Zoo, Japanese Garden, and the world-famous International Rose Test Garden.
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Portland Outdoor Recreation
The City of Roses lies where the Willamette and Columbia Rivers meet and is ringed by natural beauty - Mount Hood, Oregon Coast, Columbia River Gorge, and Oregon Wine Country. Even in the heart of downtown, you're sure to see more green than gray. It is home to the largest urban wilderness in the nation - Forest Park (5,000 acres). Portland Parks & Recreation oversees 37,000 acres of urban parkland with its 278 public parks and 150 miles of trails. If you love the outdoors, trees and parks dominate the landscape often taking up huge chunks of prime downtown real estate making it easy to experience Portland's green appeal.
The unimpeded access to the outdoors for recreation is perfect for hiking, boating, picnicking or sight-seeing. You won't have to go too far outside the city to find more gorgeous scenery and outdoor recreation opportunities including golfing, biking, skiing, and fishing. Golf Digest ranks many of the Portland area links in America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. For two consecutive years, Bicycling magazine has ranked Portland the Best City for Cycling in North America. Within an hour's drive, Mount Hood offers four ski resorts and North America's longest ski season, making the 11,235 foot mountain the perfect answer for avid skiers and hikers. The Pacific Northwest, rich in salmon, steelhead, trout and sturgeon, is a fisherman's haven.
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Portland's Green Appeal
Portland's eco-centric citizens are obsessed with keeping the beauty unspoiled. You'll see why Money magazine's editors determined Portland America's "Best Big City". It won the top spot by "avoiding urban sprawl and overcrowding," and for "placing a premium on green space, culture and an accessible city center" by creating the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). True to its reputation as an environmentally conscious city, Portlander's recycle 54 percent of their waste, more than any other city in the nation. Portland offers 226 miles of bike lanes allowing roughly 5,000 residents to commute to work each day by bicycle. Traffic signals are synchronized at 225 downtown intersections resulting in 1.1 million gallons of gasoline saved annually. The car-sharing concept was born in Portland with the Flexcar fleet of vehicles located throughout the metro area replacing an estimated six cars on the road. Don't throw away your beverage cans, get money for them! Oregon was the first to introduce a bottle bill in the United States in 1971. Portland currently boasts the most LEED-certified buildings per capita in the country as awarded under the strict standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Portland On Foot
A great way to discover Portland's distinct neighborhoods is to tour on foot. Its pedestrian-friendly streets and half-size city blocks offer a walker's paradise. Walking magazine voted Portland as one of "America's Best Walking Towns." The laid-back pace of traffic lights set at 12 miles per hour allow bikers to navigate the streets easily. First stop, Pioneer Courthouse Square. 
Known as Portland's 'living room', over 7.7 million people visit this public square each year to enjoy over 300 special events, including concerts and the ever-popular Festival of Flowers. Once there, stop by the Visitor Information and Services Center and gather brochures, maps, itinerary-planning assistance, local event calendars, and advice on restaurants and lodging. Pioneer Place is the shopping mall located in the heart of the city boasting multi-levels and a glass ceiling and featuring many big-name retailers. Downtown Portland is home to three major department stores: Nordstrom, Meier & Frank and Saks Fifth Avenue.
In the 1970s, city planners removed a four-lane highway and created Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park reconnecting downtown with the Willamette River. Take a stroll along the promenade and follow it to the historic Steel Bridge. You'll discover a bicycle/pedestrian crossing on the lower deck of the bridge that connects the westside of the Willamette River to the new Eastbank Esplanade. This 1.5-mile cycling/pedestrian promenade features a 1,200 foot floating walkway and provides easy access to four of the bridges crossing the river. It's a great way to take in the fabulous view of the city skyline. The Salmon Street Fountain provides a favorite cooling-off spot and popular place to play in the summer with its arching jets of water that change every few minutes.
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Portland Culture
The rich variety of cultural influences made Travel & Leisure magazine take notice ranking Portland fifth on its list of "100 Best Global Destinations." The magazine's editors say Portland is "reaching new levels of cool." They cite the restaurants, the Pearl District, Portland Art Museum, and the Portland Streetcar as contributing to the fabric of the city. Portland's eccentricities and reverence for nature combine to create its offbeat appeal.
Parks are just as important as the countless coffeehouses selling unique Northwest blends and Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the nation covering one city block and stocking more than a million volumes. Portland is nicknamed "Munich on the Willamette" for its scattering of nearly 30 craft breweries. Quality of life is found in the enjoyment of the myriad of museums, restaurants and other cultural fare that Portland has to offer.
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Portland Night Life
The inability to sit still is a proudly earned reputation by many Portlanders. Most major downtown cities roll up the streets at the end of the work day. Not Portland! It is alive and thriving well into the evening. Restaurants, stores, concert venues, theaters, art galleries, and museums keep downtown rolling. Enjoy and explore neighborhoods such as the Pearl District, the Cultural District's South Park Blocks, Old Town/Chinatown, Northwest 23rd Avenue and the Lloyd Center District. Day and night, the vibrant art scene, fabulous dining options, and tax-free shopping make inactivity not an option. From the haute couture and hot cuisine to the outstanding brewpubs and outdoor events, the city's hippest hubs are designed for people-watching and pure sensory enjoyment.
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Portland Cultural Neighborhoods
Portland's eclectic soul is found in the fabric of its vibrant arts and cultural scene. Wherever you go in Portland, you're always near a cinema, performing arts venue or art gallery. Just a puddle's jump away are the multitude of brewpubs, gourmet coffee shops, and bookstores Portland is well-known for. Portland's districts simmer with culture and heritage and they possess distinct personalities, each reflecting the diverse ethnic backgrounds of its citizens. Built upon a European model, Portland has a slow, relaxed pace with ample opportunity to people-watch, window shop and see the sites.
The artistic Pearl District has quickly become the place to be seen. What was once 50 city blocks of post-industrial warehouses, is now sleek urban lofts, avant-garde art galleries, and lively international restaurants. This significant gentrification process, started in the late 1980s, has created a bustling urban neighborhood. Join the street party every "First Thursday" when most galleries stay open late to showcase new and established artists. The Pearl District features several Portland icons including Powell's City of Books and the 
Brewery Blocks, 1.7 million square feet of urban retail, creative Class A office space, and trendy residential housing and parking.
Northwest/Nob Hill ("Trendy-third"), another of the city's hippest hubs, is a vivacious neighborhood offering a fabulous shopping and dining experience. Known as Portland's most fashionable neighborhood, its two main business streets are where you'll find the city's liveliest scene featuring scores of restaurants, pubs and cafes. Northwest/Nob Hill enjoyed a renaissance in the 1990s when storefronts were restored to their original splendor creating a shoppers haven. Stretching from NW 21st and 23rd avenues, the tree-lined streets – an unusual site in most urban landscapes - never fail to produce an eclectic mix of people going in and out of the unique shops and boutiques. Among the blocks of restored turn-of-the-century Victorian homes, you'll also find notable national retail stores such as the Gap and Pottery Barn.
The Cultural District, located in downtown's South Park Blocks, offers much more than a green space of ancient trees, lush green lawns and inviting park benches. It also provides the perfect ingredients for the city's major cultural institutions of the fine and performing arts and for its chic high-rise residences. One stroll through this distinguished neighborhood and you'll find an historic auditorium (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall), a modern theater complex (Portland Center for the Performing Arts), a nationally recognized art museum (Portland Art Museum), the Oregon Historical Society and the Portland State University campus. Definitely “the performer” among Portland's neighborhoods, the Cultural District provides a great setting for the Portland Arts Festival in June and the Oregon Ballet Theatre's outdoor rehearsal series (OBT Exposed!). Included in this cultural kaleidoscope is the Portland Farmers Market boasting organically grown produce, fresh-baked bread, seafood and seasonal flowers.
Old Town/Chinatown is considered Portland's most mysterious neighborhood. Below the streets of this river district are the tunnels and catacombs of the "Portland Underground." Also known as the "Shanghai Tunnels", they serve as a reminder of
days gone by when thousands of grubby sailors, loggers and ranchers were shanghaied. Claimed to be the second most haunted place on the West Coast, ghost and history tours are offered by appointment. Up on street level, Old Town/Chinatown is a lively arts and entertainment district featuring Portland's finest jazz scene. It is said to have one of the largest collections of cast-iron buildings in the nation, second only to the SoHo District in New York. Old Town is home to the Portland Saturday Market (open Sundays too!), the country's largest and longest-running open-air crafts and food market offering more than 350 vendors. Chinatown makes up a significant part of Old Town with its ornate entrance and one of the nation's largest Suzhou-style gardens in existence outside China, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. Don't miss a Portland pizza institution, Old Town Pizza Co., with its "dead-fall" trap doors of its 1880s building leading directly to the Portland Underground.
Hop aboard MAX from downtown for a quick jaunt across the Willamette River to the Lloyd Center District. With an endless array of things to do and see, it is Portland's sports and entertainment center. Enjoy sporting and concert events at the Rose Quarter, including the 20,000-seat Rose Garden, the 12,000-seat Memorial Coliseum, the 6,500-seat Theater of the Clouds, the 40,000 square foot Exhibit Hall, and the Rose Quarter Commons. Shop until you drop at the Lloyd Center, Oregon's largest mall with a 17-restaurant food court, an 18-screen cinema, well-known department stores, and 200 shops that wrap around an indoor ice rink. The best part, Lloyd Center is only a few minutes from downtown Portland, and the MAX ride is free!
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Portland Professional Sports
Sports fans will find a vast array of exciting sports teams and events. The ultra-modern Rose Garden arena is host to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks. 
The Rose Garden's flexibility allows for other exciting events including college basketball, indoor track & field, gymnastics, major concerts, monster truck rallies, rodeo and bull riding, circuses, ice shows, boxing, conventions and trade shows. In 2001, PGE Park, home of the PCL's Portland Beavers baseball and USL's Portland Timbers soccer teams, was given a $38.5 million renovation, making the stadium a showpiece for the city and providing an affordable, safe and fun place for families, fans and children of all ages. As one of 16 cities that can host CART Indy car racing, speed is the name of the game at the Portland International Raceway host to the G.I. Joe's Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland. Test your luck at the horse-racing track at Portland Meadows. The Oregon Sports Authority offers a directory of organizations and clubs, events, facilities, camps, media and teams.
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Portland Parking
Many folks arrive and depart on MAX, the light-rail system, but street parking and garages are plentiful. SmartPark is Portland's most affordable and conveniently located parking. Partnering with over 700 downtown businesses, SmartPark offers two hours of free parking with qualifying purchases. The City of Portland owns seven handy parking facilities with nearly 4,000 parking spaces. The 1,056 solar-powered SmartMeters are truly state-of-the-art parking meters that issue window stickers for each vehicle that are transferable to other spaces. They make it easy to pay for multiple parking spaces within a set area using coins, credit/debit card, or smart card.
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Portland Public Transportation
Thanks to progressive-thinking of city officials, you can explore the far reaches of the Portland metro area on the economical and easy-to-use mass transit system. TriMet is a national leader carrying more people than any other US transit system and eliminating about 4.2 tons of smog-producing pollutants each day. It may be a big city, but your feet will never know it. And, did you know there is such a thing as a free ride? Throughout the 330-block downtown "Fareless Square," passengers ride free of charge on TriMet buses, MAX light rail, and the Portland Streetcar. The TriMet transportation system is bike-friendly too. Bring your bike on all buses, MAX trains and streetcar lines. All TriMet buses and MAX trains are accessible for seniors and people with disabilities.
Portland is extremely proud of MAX (Metropolitan Area Express), 
its award-winning light-rail system. Considered one of the best modern systems in the country, the 44-mile network of rails connects the communities of Portland, Gresham, Beaverton and Hillsboro, and the Portland International Airport and Portland Expo Center. The Blue Line links the westside and eastside of the metro area from Hillsboro to Gresham with numerous connections in the downtown area. The Red Line (Airport MAX) links the east/west line with the Portland Airport offering train-to-plane service. The Yellow Line (Interstate MAX) links the downtown area with the Expo Center Station located on North Marine Drive. Among the 64 MAX stations, the renowned Washington Park station is worth a special stop. 260-feet below the Earth's surface, it is the deepest underground transit station in North America. Only a 10-minute ride from downtown, this station will provide you access to the Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center, the Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial, Hoyt Arboretum and the Portland Children's Museum.
Portlanders have dreamed of a system like the Portland Streetcar for nearly 30 years. Owned and operated by the City of Portland, it is a vintage "circulator" trolley that carries people through downtown neighborhoods, quickly and reliably. The sleek Euro-designed streetcars follow a six-mile loop that travel through the Portland State University campus, downtown's Cultural District, the art gallery-filled Pearl District, and the bustling Northwest/Nob Hill neighborhood. It is designed to fit the scale and traffic patterns of the neighborhoods it travels through. About 1/3 the length of a MAX double-car train, they run in mixed traffic and, except platform stops, accommodate existing curbside parking and loading.
The award-winning Portland International Airport (PDX), owned and operated by the Port of Portland, is not only functional but aesthetically pleasing. Just 20 minutes from downtown, PDX offers direct and non-direct service to more than 100 cities worldwide and is well-served by 16 passenger airlines and 12 air cargo carriers. PDX receives national awards annually for its Concessions Program featuring the best of local, regional and national shops and restaurants. The Port of Portland also operates three general aviation airports located in Hillsboro, Troutdale, and Mulino, Oregon.
Do you prefer traveling by rail? Portland Union Station provides three scheduled Amtrak intercity passenger trains. Amtrak's Cascades, with Euro-style trains, offers three daily departures between Seattle and Portland, as well as daily service to Vancouver, B.C. It is a convenient link to the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Coast Starlight operates daily connecting the west coast's most popular destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. If you'd rather take an exciting adventure through some of the nation's majestic wilderness, the Empire Builder begins in Portland and heads east to Chicago stopping in Spokane, Whitefish, Glacier National Park, Minot, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and more.
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Portland Facts
Population - 538,180 million; 1.95 million metro area
Area - 130 square miles
Elevation - 173 feet above sea level
Miles to the Pacific Ocean - 78
Miles to Mount Hood - 65
Average Low Temperature - 33.5 degrees (January)
Average High Temperature - 79.5 degrees (July)
Acres of Metro Area Parks - 37,000
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Portland History
Good Deal for a Quarter
It all started in 1843 when Massachusetts lawyer, Asa Lovejoy and Tennessee drifter, William Overton parked their canoes on the bank of the Willamette River. Overawed by the beautiful surroundings, Overton envisioned a great future for the mountain-ringed, timber-rich land. But Overton had a problem. He didn't have the 25 cents needed to file a land claim. So he made a deal with Lovejoy. In exchange for a quarter, he would share with Lovejoy his claim to the 640-acre site known as "The Clearing."
However, Overton was a drifter at heart and soon the tedium of clearing trees and building roads bored him. He drifted on and sold his half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove.
Naming Portland
Lovejoy and Pettygrove now shared the land claim, but the budding township could only have one name. Lovejoy was insistent that they use the name of his home town, Boston. Pettygrove was equally determined to name the site after his native Portland, Maine. To resolve the issue they flipped a coin. Pettygrove won – 2 tosses out of 3. "Portland" was the name, and Portland was founded in 1845.
Lovejoy and Pettygrove were confident that Portland would become a prosperous port because of its deep water and abundant resources. What they didn't foresee was how prosperous it would become and what industries would spur its early growth.
A Seedy Start
Portland's shady history began in the late 1800s. Joseph "Bunco" Kelly, a hotelier, became notorious for his side business: kidnapping young men and selling them to ship captains. In fact, many of the hotel operators and bar owners in the area relied on this Shanghai practice to supplement their incomes. But Kelly was the best at it. He would intoxicate potential crewmembers by the dozen and deliver them to waiting ships. The unlucky men would awake stranded at sea and be forced to work aboard the ships for indefinite periods of time.
Another interesting character in Portland's early history was "Sweet Mary," the proprietor of a brothel. She operated her brothel on a barge that went up and down the Willamette River. Her floating business was technically outside everyone's jurisdiction, allowing her to elude city laws and paying taxes.
Industry Booms
The turn of the century marked a new phase in Portland's growth. The railroad arrived in 1883 and seedy business was replaced by the growing lumber industry. Portland also benefited by providing goods for California's and Alaska's Gold Rushes.
Lumber baron and philanthropist Simon Benson became concerned by the number of intoxicated workers in town. When he asked workers why they drank in the middle of the day they replied that there was no fresh drinking water downtown. To meet the need Benson commissioned 20 elegant freshwater drinking fountains to be built. Beer consumption dropped by 25% once the fountains were installed. These fountains are still present in downtown Portland today.
In 1905 the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition fuelled further growth.
The Origin of the Term "Skid Row"
The term is no longer used by the media and is considered politically incorrect because of its negative connotations. However the term is still widely used understood to designate the area of any town where conditions are particularly poor.
The term originated in Portland and other logging towns in the Pacific Northwest. Faced with the difficult chore of dragging felled trees out of the forest to the mill, loggers built "skid roads" – roads paved with "skids," usually railway ties or heavy wooden planks. The loggers discovered that the logs were far easier to move down the roads if the "skids" were greased, and the saying "grease the skids" became a popular metaphor to describe speeding up a process.
"Skid Road" also became associated with the part of town where the loggers typically lived. These areas were characterized by bars and flop houses, the "skid roads" were magnets for poor, often alcoholic, transient workers, said to be "on the skids."
Burnside street, now Portland's busiest street, was used as a skid road. Loggers would "skid" logs down Burnside and load them onto boats on the Willamette River. Over time the term "skid road" evolved to "skid row."
Modern Portland
Today, Portland is a thriving metropolis with a population of nearly 540,000. Service industries now dominate the economic scene, accounting for over 80% of jobs in Portland. Portland's picturesque surroundings have become a drawing card for tourists rather than a resource for export.
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