Portland, Oregon
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| City of Portland | |||
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| Nickname(s): "Rose City," "Stumptown," "P-town," "PDX", and "Little Beirut"[1] See Nicknames of Portland, Oregon for a complete listing. | |||
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| Coordinates: Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
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| State | Oregon | ||
| Counties | Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas | ||
| Incorporated | February 8, 1851 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Commission | ||
| - Mayor | Sam Adams[2] | ||
| - Commissioners | Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Nick Fish Amanda Fritz |
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| - Auditor | Gary Blackmer | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 145.4 sq mi (376.5 km2) | ||
| - Land | 134.3 sq mi (347.9 km2) | ||
| - Water | 11.1 sq mi (28.6 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 50 ft (15.2 m) | ||
| Population (2008) | |||
| - City | 575,930 (30th) | ||
| - Density | 4,199.17/sq mi (1,640.30/km2) | ||
| - Metro | 2,159,720 | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP codes | 97086-97299 | ||
| Area code(s) | 503/971 | ||
| FIPS code | 41-59000[3] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1136645[4] | ||
| Website: http://www.portlandonline.com/ | |||
Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930,[5] and has been referred to as the greenest city in the United States.[6] Portland is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington. Approximately two million people live in the Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 23rd most populous in the United States as of July 2006.[7]
Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the county seat of Multnomah County.[8] The city extends slightly into Washington County to the west and Clackamas County to the south. It is governed by a commission-based government headed by a mayor and four other commissioners.
The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning[9] and investment in public transit, supported by Metro, a distinctive regional-government scheme. Portland is also known for its large number of microbreweries and microdistilleries, and as the home of the Trail Blazers NBA basketball team.
Portland lies in the Marine west coast climate region, marked by warm, dry summers and rainy but temperate winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and for more than a century, Portland has been known as "The City of Roses"[10][11] with many rose gardens—most prominently the International Rose Test Garden.
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[edit] History
Portland started as a spot known as "the clearing,"[12] which was on the banks of the Willamette about halfway between Oregon City and Fort Vancouver. In 1843, William Overton saw great commercial potential for this land but lacked the funds required to file a land claim. He struck a bargain with his partner Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts: for 25¢, Overton would share his claim to the 640 acre (2.6 km²) site. Overton later sold his half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove of Portland, Maine. Pettygrove and Lovejoy each wished to name the new city after his respective home town; this was decided with a coin toss, which Pettygrove won in a series of two out of three tosses.[13] 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,[14] a steam sawmill, a log cabin hotel, and a newspaper, the Weekly Oregonian. By 1879, the population had grown to 17,500.[15] The city merged with Albina and East Portland in 1891 and with Linnton and St. Johns in 1915.
Portland's location, with access both to the Pacific Ocean via the Willamette and the Columbia rivers and to the agricultural Tualatin Valley via the "Great Plank Road" through a canyon in the West Hills (the route of current-day U.S. Route 26), gave it an advantage over nearby ports, and it grew quickly.[16] It 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.
[edit] Nicknames
The most common nickname for Portland is The City of Roses.[17] Other nicknames include Stumptown,[18] Bridgetown,[19] Rip City, Little Beirut, and PDX.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Topography
Portland lies at the northern end of Oregon's most populated region, the Willamette Valley. However, as the metropolitan area is culturally and politically distinct from the rest of the valley, local usage often excludes Portland from the valley proper. Although almost all of Portland lies within Multnomah County, small portions of the city lie within Clackamas and Washington counties with mid-2005 populations estimated at 785 and 1,455, respectively. The Willamette River runs north through the city center, separating the east and west sections of the city before veering slightly northwest to join with the Columbia River (which separates the state of Washington from the state of Oregon) a short distance north of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 145.4 sq mi (376.5 km²). 134.3 sq mi (347.9 km²) of it is land and 11.1 sq mi (28.6 km²), or 7.6%, is water.[20]
| Climate chart for Portland, Oregon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: Weatherbase |
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Portland lies on top of an extinct Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field.[21] The Boring Lava Field includes at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor,[22] and its center lies in Southeast Portland. The dormant but potentially active volcano Mount Hood to the east of Portland is easily visible from much of the city during clear weather. The active volcano Mount Saint Helens to the north in Washington is visible in the distance from high-elevation locations in the city and is close enough to have dusted the city with volcanic ash after an eruption on May 18th, 1980.[23]
[edit] Climate
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Portland lies within the Marine west coast climate zone. Summers in Portland are warm, sunny and rather dry, with July averaging a high of 27 °C (81 °F) and a low of 14 °C (58 °F). Winters can be mild to chilly, and very moist, with January averaging a high of 8 °C (46 °F) and a low of 3 °C (37 °F). The rainfall averages 42.7 inches (1,080 mm) per year in downtown Portland. Portland averages 155 days with measurable precipitation a year. Snowfall occurs no more than a few times per year, although the city has been known to see major snow and ice storms thanks to cold air outflow from the Columbia River Gorge. The city's winter snowfall totals have ranged from just a trace on many occasions, to 154.7 cm (60.9 inches) in 1892-93. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Portland was −19 °C (−3 °F), set on February 2, 1950. The highest temperature ever recorded was 42 °C (107 °F), set on July 30, 1965 as well as August 8, 1981 and August 10, 1981. Temperatures of 38 °C (100 °F) have been recorded in each of the months from May through September.
[edit] Cityscape
- See also: Architecture of Portland, Oregon, List of tallest buildings in Portland, Oregon, Downtown Portland, and Neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon
Portland straddles the Willamette River near its confluence with the Columbia River. The denser and earlier-developed west side is mostly hemmed in by the nearby West Hills (Tualatin Mountains), though it extends over them to the border with Washington County. The flatter east side fans out for about 180 blocks, until it meets the suburb of Gresham. Rural Multnomah County lies farther east.
In 1891 the cities of Portland, Albina, and East Portland were consolidated, and duplicate street names were given new names. The "great renumbering" on September 2, 1931 standardized street naming patterns, and changed house numbers from 20 per block to 100 per block. It divided Portland into five sections: Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, North, and Northeast. Burnside St. divides north and south, and the Willamette River divides east and west. The river curves west five blocks north of Burnside and in place of it, Williams Ave. is used as a divider. The North section lies between Williams Ave. and the Willamette River to the west.
On the west side, the RiverPlace, John's Landing and South Waterfront Districts lie in a "sixth quadrant" where addresses go higher from west to east toward the river. This "sixth quadrant" is roughly bounded by Naito Parkway and Barbur Boulevard to the west, Montgomery Street to the north and Nevada Street to the south. East-West addresses in this area are denoted with a leading zero.
[edit] Parks and gardens
Portland is proud of its parks and its legacy of preserving open spaces. Parks and Greenspace planning dates 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. Ten years later, more than 8,100 acres (33 km2) of ecologically valuable natural areas had been purchased and permanently protected from development.[24]
Portland is one of only three cities in the contiguous U.S. with extinct volcanoes within their boundaries (the others being Jackson, MS and Bend, Oregon). Mt. Tabor Park it is known for its scenic views and historic reservoirs.[25]
Forest Park is among the largest wilderness parks within city limits in the United States, covering over 5,000 acres (20 km²). 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 square m). Washington Park is just west of downtown, and is home to the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden. Nearby is Council Crest Park, the highest point in Portland.
Tom McCall Waterfront Park runs along the west bank of the Willamette for the length of downtown. The 37 acre (150,000 m²) park was built in 1974 after Harbor Drive was removed and now plays host to large events throughout the year. Portland's downtown also features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space; they are referred to as the North and South Park Blocks.
The only state park in Portland is Tryon Creek State Natural Area; its creek still has a run of steelhead.
The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden, which immortalizes three of the award-winning author's best known characters with bronze sculptures, quote plaques, and a fountain, is located in Grant Park, just a few blocks from the real Klickitat Street of "Henry Huggins" fame.
Leach Botanical Garden is a 15.6-acre (63,000 m2) botanical garden in the Southeast section of the city, emphasizing plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a 9.49-acre (38,400 m2) garden in the Southeast section of the city, adjoining Reed College, featuring more than 2,500 rhododendron, azalea, and companion plants.
Hoyt Arboretum is a well used Portland open space, covering 185 acres (0.7 km2) of ridge-top about two miles (3 km) west of downtown. It is home to a collection of trees representing more than 1,100 species gathered from around the world.
Audubon Society of Portland, founded 1903, is one of the largest local Audubon chapters in the country with over 10,000 members.
[edit] Culture and contemporary life
- See also: List of fiction set in Oregon
Portland is well known as a hub of American DIY youth culture. From the late 1980s through today, Portland has been a major center for movements such as zine-making, including hosting such events as the Portland Zine Symposium[26] and home to major zine distributors such as Microcosm. The DIY craft community has also seen a population explosion in Portland since the 1990s and now hosts such events as Crafty Wonderland[27] and regular Church of Craft[28] meetings, and is home to such stores as Knittn' Kitten,[29] SCRAP,[30] and many independently-owned stores such as Bolt, Yarn Garden,[31] and the downtown Fiber District. Portland, is also home to radical feminist and lesbian activist movements as well as the home city of The Worlds Oldest Teenage Drag Queen Pageant" Rose Bud and Thorn Pageant started in 1975 and modeled after the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court of Oregon,[32], and the city is also considered a haven for punk, hardcore, crust punk and anarchist movements and subgenres, including the self-reliant DIY culture movement that has been part of the aforementioned subcultures.
[edit] Entertainment and performing arts
Major performing arts institutions include the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony, Portland Center Stage, and the Portland Opera.
The city's many theater companies include: Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Miracle Theatre, Northwest Children's Theater And School, Northwest Classical Theatre Company, Profile Theatre Project, Stark Raving Theatre, and Tears of Joy Theatre.
Portland hosts the world's only HP Lovecraft Film Festival[33] at the Hollywood Theatre.
It has been home to many performing artists and bands including The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Hudson Brothers, The Wipers, Poison Idea, Gary Jarman from The Cribs, Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Jacob Golden, The Dandy Warhols, Everclear, Elliott Smith, Pink Martini, Floater, Quarterflash, Quasi, Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malkmus, Blitzen Trapper, Lifesavas, The Decemberists, The Shins, The Thermals, Menomena, Viva Voce, Portugal. The Man, and M. Ward; animators Matt Groening, Will Vinton, and Bill Plympton; filmmakers Todd Field, Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes; actors Sam Elliott, Sally Struthers and Lindsay Wagner and authors Beverly Cleary, Katherine Dunn, Ursula K. Le Guin, Phillip Margolin, Jean M. Auel, Agalloch and Chuck Palahniuk.
An unusual feature of Portland entertainment is the large number of movie theaters that serve beer, often with second-run or revival films. Examples of these "brew and view" theaters include the Academy Theater, Bagdad Theater, Clinton Street Theater, Edgefield, Kennedy School, Laurelhurst Theater, Mission Theater, and St. John's Theater.
[edit] Tourism
Portland is home to a diverse array of artists and arts organizations, and was named in 2006 by American Style magazine as the tenth best Big City Arts Destination in the U.S.
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' twenty-five largest museums. Art galleries abound downtown and in the Pearl District, as well as in the Alberta Arts District and other neighborhoods throughout the city.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is located on the east bank of the Willamette River across from downtown Portland, and contains a variety of hands-on exhibits covering the physical sciences, life science, earth science, technology, astronomy, and early childhood education. OMSI also has an OMNIMAX Theater and is home to the USS Blueback (SS-581) submarine (which was featured in the film The Hunt for Red October).
Portland is also home to Portland Classical Chinese Garden, an authentic representation of a Suzhou-style walled garden.
Portlandia, a statue on the west side of the Portland Building, is the second-largest hammered-copper statue in the U.S. (after the Statue of Liberty). Portland's public art is managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
Powell's City of Books claims to be the largest independent bookstore in the United States and the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi River.
Portland has five indoor skateparks and is home to the rather historically significant Burnside Skatepark. Gabriel Skatepark is the most recent, which opened on July 12, 2008. Another fourteen are in the planning or development stage.[34]
Portland hosts a number of festivals throughout the year in celebration of beer, including the Oregon Brewers Festival. 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.[35] 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,[36] and the Holiday Ale Festival in December.
[edit] Breweries
Portland is well-known for its microbrewery beer. Oregon Public Broadcasting has documented Portland's role in the microbrew revolution in the United States, in a report called, "Beervana,"[37] a term that is also a Portland state of mind.[38][citation needed] Some illustrate Portlanders' interest in the beverage by an offer made in 1888, when local brewer Henry Weinhard volunteered to pump beer from his brewery into the newly dedicated Skidmore Fountain. However, the renown for quality beer dates to the 1980s, when state law was changed to allow consumption of beer on brewery premises. In short order, microbreweries and brewpubs began to pop up all over the city.[citation needed] Their growth was supported by the abundance of local ingredients, including two-row barley, over a dozen varieties of hops, and pure water from the Bull Run Watershed. The Willamette Valley is one of the leading hop growing regions in the United States.
Today, with twenty-eight breweries within the city, Portland is home to more breweries than any other city in the country.[39] The McMenamin brothers alone have over thirty brewpubs, distilleries, and wineries scattered throughout the metropolitan area, several in renovated theaters and other old buildings otherwise destined for demolition. Other notable Portland brewers include Widmer Brothers, BridgePort, and Hair of the Dog, as well as numerous smaller quality brewers. In 1999, author Michael "Beerhunter" Jackson called Portland a candidate for the beer capital of the world because the city boasted more breweries than Cologne, Germany. The Portland Oregon Visitors Association is promoting "Beervana" and "Brewtopia" as nicknames for the city.[40] In mid-January of 2006, Mayor Tom Potter officially gave the city a new nickname-- Beertown.[41]
[edit] Cuisine
Portland has a growing restaurant scene, and among three nominees, was recognized by the Food Network Awards as their "Delicious Destination of the Year: A rising city with a fast-growing food scene" for 2007.[42] The New York Times also spotlighted Portland for its burgeoning restaurant scene in the same year.[43] Travel + Leisure ranked Portland #9 among all national cities in 2007.[44] The city is also known for being the most vegetarian-friendly city in America.[45]
[edit] Sports
Portland is the largest US city with only one major professional sport team, the Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association.[46] The city is also host to a top level box lacrosse team in the NLL's LumberJax, and is currently one of six cities applying for a Major League Soccer expansion team. The city is also home to a number of minor league teams. Running is a popular sport in the metropolitan area, which hosts the Portland Marathon and much of the Hood to Coast Relay (the world's largest such event).
Skiing and snowboarding are also highly popular, with a number of nearby resorts on Mount Hood, including year-round Timberline.
It was formerly home to the Portland Rosebuds of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, the first professional sports team in Oregon and the first professional hockey team in the U.S.
Portland has one of the most active bicycle racing scenes in the United States, with hundreds of events sanctioned each year by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. Weekly events at Alpenrose Velodrome and Portland International Raceway allow for racing nearly every night of the week during spring and summer, and fall cyclocross races such as the Cross Crusade can have over 1000 riders and boisterous spectators.
| Club | Sport | League | Championships | Home Venue | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Trail Blazers | Basketball | National Basketball Association | 1 (1976-77) | Rose Garden | 1970 |
| Portland Timbers | Soccer | United Soccer Leagues First Division | 0 | PGE Park | 2001 |
| Portland Winter Hawks | Ice Hockey | Western Hockey League | 2 (1982-83, 1997-98) | Rose Garden, Memorial Coliseum | 1976 |
| Portland Naughty Dogs | Paintball | National Professional Paintball League | Multiple tournaments | None | 1996 |
| Portland Beavers | Baseball | Pacific Coast League | 0 | PGE Park | 2001 |
| Rose City Rollers | Roller Derby | Women's Flat Track Derby Association | 0 | Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center | 2004 |
| Portland Chinooks | Basketball | International Basketball League | 0 | Multiple arenas | 2005 |
| Portland LumberJax | Indoor lacrosse | National Lacrosse League | 0 | Rose Garden | 2006 |
| Portland Wolfpack | Mixed Martial Arts | International Fight League | 0 | Rose Garden | 2006 |
| Multnomah County Buccaneers | Football | Northwest Football League | 0 | Jefferson High School (Portland, Oregon) | 2000 |
[edit] Media
- See also: List of newspapers in Oregon and List of radio stations in Oregon
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 Thursdays), Willamette Week (general-interest alternative weekly), the The Portland Mercury (another weekly, targeted at younger urban readers), The Asian Reporter (a weekly covering Asian news, both international and local), and The Portland Chinese Times (a Chinese-language weekly).[47]
Portland Indymedia is one of the oldest and largest Independent Media Centers. The Portland Alliance, a largely anti-authoritarian socialist monthly, is the largest radical print paper in the city. Just Out, published in Portland twice monthly, is the region's foremost LGBT publication. A biweekly paper, Street Roots, is also sold within the city by members of the homeless community.
The Portland Business Journal, a weekly, covers business-related news, as does The Daily Journal of Commerce. Open Spaces is a quarterly magazine of society, culture, the environment and the arts. Portland Monthly is a monthly news and culture magazine. BarFly Magazine is a popular weekly periodical covering the city's nightlife and bar scene. Exotic Magazine is the major monthly magazine covering the city's adult entertainment and nightlife since 1993. The Mid-county Memo is a neighborhood newspaper serving the Gateway and Parkrose neighborhoods on Portland's east side. The Bee, which is over 100 years old, is another neighborhood newspaper serving the inner southeast neighborhoods. PORT is an art macroblog dedicated to the vibrant art scene that provides daily updates on the arty goings on around town. Oregon Business magazine covers business from a statewide perspective. Oregon Home magazine is the region's remodeling and decor publication.
Portland is well served by television and radio. The metro area is the 23rd largest Designated Market Area (DMA) in the U.S., consisting of 1,086,900 homes and 0.992% of the U.S. market. The major network television affiliates include:
- KATU 2 (ABC)
- KOIN 6 (CBS)
- KGW 8 (NBC)
- KOPB-TV 10 Oregon Public Broadcasting (PBS)
- KPTV 12 (FOX)
- KPXG 22 (ION)
- KNMT 24 (TBN)
- KRCW-TV 32 (The CW)
- KUNP-LP 47 (Univision)
- KPDX 49 (MyNetworkTV)
[edit] Economy
Portland's metro area population growth has outpaced the national average during the last decade, with current estimates showing an 80% chance of population growth in excess of 60% over the next 50 years.[48] This population growth improved Portland's economic forecast.
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.[49]
Real estate and construction
Portland's 1973 "urban growth boundary" (UGB) law limits the boundaries for large scale development in each metropolitan area in Oregon.[50] This limits access to utilities such as sewage, water and telecommunications, as well as coverage by fire, police and schools.[50] Originally this law mandated that the city must maintain enough land within the boundary to provide an estimated 20 years of growth, however in 2007 the legislature altered the law to require the maintenance of an estimated 50 years of growth within the boundary, as well as the protection of accompanying farm/rural lands.[48]
This UGB, along with efforts of the PDC 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, an overall increase in housing and business density, and an increase in average house prices.[51][52]
Manufacturing
Computer components manufacturer Intel is the Portland area's largest employer, providing jobs for more than 14,000 residents, with several campuses to the west of the city in the city of Hillsboro.[49] The metro area is home to more than 1,200 technology companies.[49] This high density of technology companies has led to the nickname Silicon Forest being used to describe Portland, a reference to the abundance of trees in the region.
Portland is home to the regional headquarters for Adidas. The metro area serves as the headquarters for the Columbia Sportswear corporation, and Nike, Inc., the only Fortune 500 company which is located primarily in the Portland Metro Area. Philip Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike, is an Oregon native and University of Oregon alumnus.
The steel industry's history in Portland predates World War II. By the 1950s, the steel industry became the city's number one industry for employment.[53] The steel industry thrives in the region, with Schnitzer Steel Industries, a prominent steel company, shipping a record 1.15 billion tons of scrap metal to Asia during 2003.[53]
The aluminum industry expanded in the Portland area during the later half of the 20th century. This was primarily due to the comparatively low cost electricity in the region, courtesy of the many dams on local rivers. The industry has been one of the more intrusive industries pollitically however, due to the effect on residential and business energy costs to the rest of the city, and the pollution associated with aluminum production.[54]
Logistics
Portland is the largest shipper of wheat[citation needed] in the United States, and is the second largest port for wheat in the world.[55] The marine terminals alone handle over 13 million tons of cargo per year, and is home to one of the largest commercially run dry docks in the country.[56][57] The Port of Portland is the third largest U.S. port on the west coast, though it is located about 80 miles (130 km) upriver.[57][49]
[edit] Transportation
The Portland metropolitan area has the typical 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 that commuters have multiple well-developed options.
