Portland is a city located near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in Oregon. Portland is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the seat of Multnomah County. The city extends slightly into Washington Countyto the west and Clackamas County to the south.
Big city excitement and small town charm make Portland, Oregon, known as "the City of Roses", one of the favorite destinations in the West. Portland is situated approximately 70 miles from the Pacific in a magnificent setting between the sparkling waters of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.Portland's historic old town, galleries and museums, Saturday Market, and theatre companies will keep visitors busy for weeks! Its lush green parks are perfect for a picnic or an afternoon stroll. Also, Portland is just a short distance from Willamette valley wineries, skiing at Timberline Lodge and all of the excitement and beauty of Oregon's spectacular ocean beaches.
Portland is known for its extensive park system of more than 200 parks. These encompass such areas as the elm shaded South Park Blocks in the downtown area, Washington Park, home of the Rose Test Gardens, and Portland's biggest park, Forest Park, which is the largest park within a city in the U.S. From the over 4,600 acre Forest Park to tiny 24 inch Mills End Park, Portland's park system offers leisure and recreation opportunities for everyone.
Portland's award winning mass transit system is one of the most extensive and advanced in the U.S. The transit system includes buses, streetcars, historic trollies and the MAX, an urban light rail line. There's also a downtown transit mall and Fareless Square, the downtown free-ride zone. It's fun to take a relaxing ride on the MAX train and watch the Portland world slide by.
Portland was built with walking in mind. The short blocks, combined with public art and old fashioned statuary, fountains, bridges and parks offer opportunities for leisure and contemplation for the casual stroller. Walking tours of the downtown area focusing on the best of the city's art, architecture, urban parks and fountains are available. For the more adventuresome walker, Forest Park has over 70 milesof trails.
Multnomah Falls, at 620 feet, is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States, the first being Yosemite Falls in California. Nearly two million visitors a year come to see Multnomah Falls, making it Oregon's number one tourist place. The falls is fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain. Benson Bridge, built in 1914, crosses Multnomah Creek between the Upper and Lower Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls is one of many falls in the Columbia River Gorge which can be seen from the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Nightlife in Portland is excellent and varied. This includes the world class performances of the internationally-known Oregon Symphony. Performing arts in the area offer ballet, Shakespeare, Broadway musicals, modern dance and much more. Oregon Zoo concerts are a summer treat, with music for all kinds of listeners. See art up close at the First Thursday art gallery walks in Westside Portland or in Northeast Portland galleries during Last Thursday walks. Portland has many local pubs and brewhouses, where tasting local microbrews is considered a fine way to spend an evening. The Rose City is the home of the Trail Blazers basketball team, and also has hockey and baseball for sports fans.
Housing Cost
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $225,900
Demographics
Estimated population in July 2006: 537,081. Portland covers 134.4 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 50 feet above sea level.
Portland, OR climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 40's.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average maximum temperature of 79.10 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 36.70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Portland is 43.16 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is December with an average rainfall of 6.75 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
