Oregon Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Portland, Oregon

Population: 562,690

Located in Multnomah County

Big city excitement and small town charm make Portland, "the City of Roses," one of the favorite destinations on the West coast. Approximately 70 miles from the Pacific Ocean where the Columbia River meets the Willamette River, Portland has a magnificent setting, combining sparkling waterways with lush greenery rarely found in urban settings. Portland's historic old town, our galleries and museums, Saturday Market, Waterfront Park, and theatre companies will keep visitors busy for weeks! And we are just a short distance away from the spectacular Columbia Gorge and Multnomah Falls, windsurfing at Hood River, touring at valley wineries, skiing at Mt. Hood, fish watching at Bonneville Dam, and all of the excitement of the Oregon coast.

Portland's economy is relatively stable, even during the national recession. The area's largest employer, Intel, employs more than 14,000 workers, and more than a thousand other high-tech companies are located here. We're also home to sports gear firms including Adidas, Nike, and Columbia Sportswear. With railroads and interstate highways, and a deep-water harbor with access to both the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River, we are a major hub for shipping.

With more than 90 distinct neighborhoods, Portland has housing to suit every taste. Downtown Portland is an urban neighborhood, with many older buildings, apartments, and loft style condos. In Sullivan's Gulch you'll find a mix of older mid-sized to larger homes on streets with mature trees, as well as lovely vintage apartments and newly developed condos. Some of the large homes in hilly Healy Heights have views of the city below, or of Mounts Hood, Adams and Saint Helens. Other neighborhoods offer newer subdivisions and apartment complexes. Housing values in Portland have remained strong.

Education is important to us in Portland. With a full range of typical school buildings, as well as alternative schools and charter schools, the six public school districts in the city addresses the unique needs of each of our students. The region also has a number of private schools, including Catholic high schools, the French American International School, Portland Jewish Academy, Village Free School, and Portland Adventist Academy. And we are home to Portland State University, the Oregon Health & Science University, Lewis & Clark College, Reed College, Concordia University, and two campuses of Portland Community College.

Portland is a walker's paradise. With short blocks, public art and old fashioned statuary and fountains, bridges and parks, the casual stroller encounters countless opportunities for leisure and contemplation. Guided and self-guided walking tours of the downtown area focus on the best of the city's art, architecture, urban parks and fountains. Portland is also known for our more than 200 parks, including the elm-shaded South Park Blocks downtown, Washington Park with its Rose Test Gardens, and Forest Park. With over 4,600 acres and 50 miles of trails, it is the largest park within a city in the U.S. Waterfront Park stretches for twenty-two blocks along the Willamette River, from southwest Clay Street to the Steel Bridge.

Don't feel like walking? Portland's award-winning mass transit system is one of the most extensive and advanced in the nation. The transit system includes buses, streetcars and the MAX, an urban light rail line, as well as an aerial tram, a downtown transit mall and Fareless Square, the downtown free-ride zone. We are a successful site of Zipcar, the car-sharing service. And we're famous for our support of bicycling, recognized by the League of American Bicyclists for our thousands of biking commuters and our bike-friendly streets and trails.

Nightlife adventures in Portland are excellent and varied. On top of the list is the internationally-known Oregon Symphony. Portland also has many local pubs and brewhouses that feature jazz and blues. Be sure to visit the various comedy clubs and try the art gallery walks in the Pearl District. The performing arts in the area offer ballet, Shakespeare, Broadway musicals, modern dance and much more. Portland is the home of the Trail Blazers basketball team, and also has hockey and baseball. And we're proud to be home to world's largest bookstore, Powell's City of Books.

A splendid location, relaxed respectability, and an urban lifestyle that is unsurpassed for its livability makes Portland a city to visit and remember.