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Portland,
Oregon
Outstanding public art, dozens of urban parks and greenspaces,
a lively downtown, and a world-class transportation system are
just a few of the many reasons to visit this jewel of the Pacific
Northwest. Downtown Portland boasts an amazing array of attractions,
including an outstanding collection of cast iron and terra cotta
architecture, the largest new-and-used bookstore in the world,
a nationally acclaimed art museum, and a vibrant culinary community.
Seasonal rain showers never dampen this city's sense of whimsy
and wonder, and dozens of family-friendly events and festivals
take place throughout the year.
Watch the Weather Machine's predictions at noon each day at
Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Get married or renew your vows at the 24-Hour Church of Elvis.
Set foot (or maybe just a toe) in the world's smallest dedicated
park, 24-inch Mill Ends Park.
Choose a favorite blossom at the International Rose Test Garden.
There one more than 560 to choose from.
Drown out the city noise at the new Classical Chinese Garden,
an entire city block of tranquility.
Ride the only three-door elevator west of the Mississippi at
Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in
the world. Don't forget to notice the 1 million-plus books.
Visit the Oregon Zoo, where more Asian elephants have been born
than in any other North American city.
Gaze up at Portlandia, a 36-foot hammered-copper statue, second
in size only to the Statue of Liberty.
Get caught in an earthquake registering 5.5 on the Richter scale
at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
Ask your server about the secret ingredient in the pizza dough
at BridgePort Brewing Company (You'll never guess!).
Plan a pub crawl to some of the 40 microbreweries and brewpubs
located in the Portland area.
Hob-nob with local artists during a First Thursday Gallery Walk,
when Portland's best art galleries stay open late and introduce
their newest exhibitions.
Take in a flick at any of Portland's McMenamins brew-'n'-view
theaters, where pizza, comfy couches and a $1 admission make
any movie a winner.
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[GENERAL INFORMATION/FACTS]
POPULATION
1.8 million within the metro area; 509,610 within the city limits
AREA
130 square miles
ELEVATION
173 feet above sea level
LONGITUDE
40 miles east of the 122nd meridian west
LATITUDE
30 miles north of the 45th parallel north
MILES TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN
78
MILES TO A GLACIER
65 (Mount Hood)
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
33.5° (January); 79.5° (July)
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
37" (less than Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston or Seattle - and without that
nasty humidity)
ACRES OF PARKS IN METRO AREA
37,000, including the 5,000-acre Forest Park
EMERGENCY
Call 911 for police, ambulance or fire
NEWSPAPERS
The daily paper is The Oregonian
Free weekly tabloids include Our Town and Willamette Week
TIME
All of Oregon is on Pacific Standard Time, except for the Ontario city area
in Eastern Oregon, which is on Mountain Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time
is observed from the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in October.
DRIVING
The speed limit is 55 miles per hour on most highways. Where posted, the freeway
speed limit is 65. Oregon law calls for drivers and passengers to buckle
up for safety in both the front and back seats. The fine for each unbuckled
person is $89. Oregon law also requires that drivers carry proof of insurance.
WEATHER INFORMATION
503.275.9792 or 503.225.5555, access code 8051
ROAD CONDITIONS
503.222.6721
For more information, read City Smart Portland by Linda Danielson
($14.95), available at Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside,
or call 503.228.4651.
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[CITY OF BOOKS, BEER, BIKES AND BLOOMS]
As Portland's 25-year vision plan notes "vibrant, diverse
neighborhoods are home to all manner of people, but it's the other
things that give a place its soul - the cafes and markets, the
art, parks, plazas, vistas and sanctuaries." Portland's districts
do indeed possess distinct personalities, which is perhaps unusual
for a relatively small city. The artistic Pearl District, sophisticated
Nob Hill and bohemian Hawthorne are just a few neighborhoods that
consistently draw enthusiastic crowds of visitors.
Within these districts, the "Rose City's" culture simmers
in hip coffeehouses, Native American art galleries, ubiquitous
bookstores and lively brewpubs. Like much of Portland, these areas
encourage exploration on foot.
A slow, easy pace is the best way to people-watch, window shop
and meet the locals.
Built on a European model, Portland is indeed a walker's paradise. The city's
streets, which feature statues, fountains and half-size city blocks, prompted
Portland's selection in 1998 as one of America's best walking towns by Walking
Magazine. Some historians claim that Portland's people-friendly city blocks
were designed by greedy real estate developers who wanted to create more corner
lots, which fetched the highest sales prices. Others, however, insist that
the shorter blocks were specifically designed so that more natural light would
fall down to the street level.
For visitors covering a larger portion of the city, public transportation
is both accessible and user-friendly. Light rail trains (MAX),
the Central City Streetcar and an easy-to-navigate bus system move
travelers through the town efficiently - and all offer free service
within downtown Portland.
If you prefer to see the area by bike, you're in for a treat as
well. Progressive urban policies and expansive bike-friendly paths
have earned Portland the distinction of being Bicycling magazine's
No. 1 bicycling city in America (No. 2 in North America, 1999).
Feel like a relaxing cup of coffee and a good book? Look no further
- Portland is home to countless one-of-a-kind java joints.
Or perhaps you prefer another type of beverage. The city's love
affair with beer stretches back more than 100 years, when Henry
Weinhard proposed pumping ale through the Skidmore Fountain. Today,
more than 25 craft breweries have earned Portland the nickname
"Münich on the Willamette."
Speaking of traits Portlanders are extremely proud of, you don't
have to be in town long to hear locals bragging about Powell's
City of Books, the world's largest independent bookstore. Housing
more than a million volumes, Powell's occupies an entire city block
and boasts the world's only three-door elevator.
Powell's one-of-a-kind elevator is just one of the whimsical touches
that make Portland special. Add that to the nation's smallest dedicated
park (just 24 inches in size), the 24-hour Church of Elvis, and
a sculpture that daily predicts the city's weather, and you've
got a destination of unusual appeal.
And Portland's appeal isn't limited to the traditional summer
travel season. Fall and winter offer great off-peak hotel rates
and a full menu of theater, symphony and dance productions, including
an elaborate rendition of "The Nutcracker" ballet. And
be sure to check out the Chamber Music on Tap concert series at
BridgePort Brewing Company, October-March. This unique series is
Portland's answer to the perennial problem of how to combine pizza
and microbrewed beer with live classical music.
Classical and modern art of all kinds is currently displayed at
the Portland Art Museum. Following a $45 million capital and endowment
campaign, the 109-year-old Portland Art Museum has set its sights
a notch higher: opening new permanent exhibit galleries, installing
an outdoor sculpture garden and competing aggressively to become
the place in the Pacific Northwest to see the nation's most important
traveling shows.
Rivaling Portland's manmade art are the spectacular masterpieces
created by Mother Nature. Crowning the city's skyline is Mount
Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range. Within
the metro area are 37,000 acres of parks and green spaces that
include sizeable chunks of prime downtown real estate, fabulous
rose gardens and the brand new Classical Chinese Garden. For hikers
and mountain bikers, the city is proud to host the nation's largest
urban wilderness, the nearly 5,000-acre Forest Park.
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For more information about the Portland area, you may also want
to visit some of the the individual chamber and visitor bureau
websites listed below.
Beaverton
Area Chamber of Commerce
Estacada/Clackamas
River Area Chamber
Forest
Grove Chamber of Commerce
Gresham
Area Visitor Information Center
Greater
Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
Lake
Oswego Chamber of Commerce
North
Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce
Oregon
City Chamber of Commerce
Portland
Oregon Visitors Association
Tigard
Chamber of Commerce
Troutdale
Area Chamber of Commerce
Tualatin
Chamber of Commerce
Washington
County Visitors Association
Wilsonville
Chamber of Commerce
Portland Lodging
Information
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