Perennially near the top of the USA's 'most livable cities' list, Portland's known across the country for its progressive politics, its relaxed pace of life and its love of the outdoors and the environment. To its denizens' delight, the city sits at the junction of two great rivers, ringed by vast forests and ancient volcanoes - perfect for last-minute forays back to the land. But Portlanders love their city for more than the setting. Locals are proud of their vibrant downtown, its myriad eateries and blearied drinkeries, and the unique stamp of its architecture, both antique and shiny new. Drop your preconceptions and slip into something comfier: this ain't your average concrete jungle.

Area: 115 sq mi (295 sq km)
Population: 1.7 million in metro area
Elevation: 39ft (12m)
State: Oregon
Time Zone: Pacific Time (GMT/UTC minus 8 hours)
Telephone area code: 503

Orientation

Portland sits in northwest Oregon, at the northwestern corner of the US, straddling the Willamette River just below its confluence with the Columbia River. The city lies 145mi (235km) south of Seattle, 535mi (860km) north of San Francisco and 440mi (710km) east of Reno, Nevada.

The Willamette River divides the city into two major districts, logically and informally known as the East Side and West Side. The West Side contains the main city center area, its frontier-era Old Town and some rapidly gentrifying warehouse districts and exclusive residential areas. The West Hills contain some of Portland's most magnificent parks.

The East Side is a mix of late-19th-century residential neighborhoods and more recent commercial and civic developments. Most significant is the Lloyd District, across the river and just north of downtown, where the Oregon Convention Center, the Rose Garden Arena sports stadium, Lloyd Center Shopping Center and many high-rise business towers hold sway. Directly across from downtown, the Central East Side Business District is a Victorian-era warehouse zone that's home to the new Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Farther south is the Hawthorne District, the city's most alternative environment, and Sellwood, a friendly old neighborhood now filled with antique stores.

The majority of central Portland's hotels are downtown, or in Northeast. There is a hostel in the Hawthorne district.

Interstates 5 and 84 intersect across the river from downtown Portland. I-405 loops west off I-5 to provide a short-cut around the downtown core. Farther to the east, I-205 avoids downtown traffic and provides a quick bypass through the metro area.

Portland International Airport is less than 10mi (15km) northeast of downtown. Amtrak trains leave from Old Town's majestic Union Station, on the northern outskirts of the downtown area, while the Greyhound depot sits two blocks south on NW 6th Ave.

Portland
When to Go

Contrary to the city's rain-soaked image, average precipitation in Portland is only around 35in (890mm) a year, less than Atlanta or Houston. The summer months (June through August) mark the driest period, averaging about an inch (25mm) of rain per month, while November through January average some 6in (150mm) each month - hardly the deluge the rumors lead us to expect. Winter low temperatures hover around 35°F (2°C), and summer highs seldom surpass 85°F (30°C), so really anytime of fine as far as the weather's concerned. The prime tourist seasons seem to be whenever the city's at its driest.

Portland's festivals seem to stack up, one atop the other, during the summertime, although one of the big draws for young hipsters, the North by Northwest (NXNW) music fest, doesn't come around until fall.

Events

The city's doyen of festivals and its oldest civic event is the Portland Rose Festival, held in early June. The beautiful floral display at the International Rose Test Gardens is the nominal excuse for nearly two weeks of festivities, but the real focus of events are the parades (the Grand Floral is the second-largest floral parade in the nation), the riverfront carnival, immense naval ships docked right downtown and the crowning of the Rose Queen.

Portland's most important and noted musical festival is the Chamber Music Northwest series, a season of chamber music concerts held at both Reed College campus and at Catlin-Gable School. In early July, the Waterfront Blues Festival brings life to downtown's riverside park. In early August, the Mt Hood Jazz Festival attracts nationally recognized artists to Mt Hood Community College in Gresham, 12mi (20km) east of Portland. The latest alternative rock bands hit Portland in mid-September for North by Northwest (NXNW), a spinoff of the famous South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Over 200 bands from across the US and Canada converge for a wicked weekend of nonstop gigging.

Portland's Gay Pride Parade & Celebration takes place in late June and attracts 10,000 participants. In late July, the region's brewers take over the waterfront festival grounds for the Oregon Brewers Festival. Stay late for live music. A celebration of Portland's restaurants, The Bite, takes place in August on the Waterfront. Eat your fill and then rock out to local bands late into the night.

Public Holidays include: New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr Day (third Monday in January), Presidents' Day (third Monday in February), Easter (late March or April), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), Veterans' Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25).

Portland Attractions
Old Town & Chinatown

The tattered-on-the-edges Old Town was the core of 1890s Portland, and its popularity has returned in recent years as a set for period movies. Despite the best plans of the city elders, Old Town resists gentrification. Missions for the homeless coexist with galleries, fine restaurants and specialty shops.

Rail travelers shouldn't be the only ones to enjoy the beautiful Italianate Union Station. Built in 1890, the spacious marble-walled train station near the corner of NW 6th Ave and Irving St is one of the city's landmarks.

Contiguous with Old Town is Portland's Chinatown. Chinatown Gates, at the corner of NW 4th Ave and Burnside St, announce the old Asian businesses that have thrived in this neighborhood since the 1880s. In addition to a bevy of local-favorite Chinese restaurants, there are scads of gift shops and Asian groceries, and even chinoiserie-topped telephone boxes.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

The 2mi(3km) stretch of Waterfront Park, flanking the west bank of the Willamette River, was once a freeway. Happily, the lanes have been torn up and replaced with a grassy park, complete with fountains and an esplanade. Popular with joggers, in-line skaters, strollers, sun-bathers and anglers, the park also hosts a number of summer festivals and concerts.

Salmon Springs Fountain, at the base of Salmon St, is programmed to change its play of water with the pace of the city; wild displays at rush hour are meant to calm the jangled commuter. Toward the north end of the park is the Japanese-American Historical Plaza, a memorial to Japanese Americans who were interned by the US government during WWII.

Hawthorne District

Portland's funkiest, most diverse neighborhood is located in the inner Southeast, especially along Hawthorne Blvd; around here, everything is 'alternative.' Along SE Hawthorne Blvd between 30th and 45th Aves, the Hawthorne District is full of bookstores, delis, antique stores, brewpubs, ethnic restaurants and coffee shops where Reed College students, old hippies, gays and lesbians and the politically progressive hang out. Street life is very dynamic, with buskers, friendly dogs and pamphleteers competing for attention and sidewalk space. The youth hostel is in this district, and travelers will find it a fun and eclectic place to stay or play.

Pearl District

Just east of trendy Northwest Portland, the Pearl District is an old warehouse and light-industrial precinct that's gone the way of loft development. Once an eyesore, the area between NW 14th and 10th Aves and NW Hoyt and Everett Sts is now one of Portland's most chic neighborhoods. The Pearl District has Portland's highest concentration of art galleries, and there's an increasing number of shops devoted to home design, furniture and antiques. The cafes and restaurants here are some of the city's most aggressively stylish. Consider yourself warned.

Portland Building & Portlandia

No downtown building has drawn more notoriety than the Portland Building at SW 5th Ave and Main St, designed by postmodern architect Michael Graves to house city government bureaus. This blocky, pastel-colored edifice is considered the world's first major structure in the postmodern style. Towering above the main doors of the Portland Building is Portlandia, an immense statue representing the Goddess of Commerce (Portland's supposed patroness). This crouching female figure with one hand extended and the other grasping a trident is, at 36ft (12m), the second-largest hammered copper statue in the world, beaten only by the Statue of Liberty herself.

Portland

Off the Beaten Track
International Rose Test Gardens
The International Rose Test Gardens is one of the main reasons behind Portland's 'Rose City' moniker. Among the nation's oldest rose gardens, the park sprawls across acres of manicured lawns, fountains and flower beds. More than just a beautiful public park, the rose gardens are also the testing grounds for the American Rose Society and All-American Rose selections. Over 400 rose varieties are contained in the permanent gardens, including many old and rare varieties. From June to September, the scent and colors are seductively overpowering.

East Side

Portland's East Side offers a rich variety of public parks, gardens and other green space. Laurelhurst Park is a beautiful urban park with a small lake, towering conifers, flocks of ducks and geese, playgrounds and picnic areas. Heavily forested Mt Tabor Park boasts of being the only city park in the country that's also an extinct volcano; it's a great place to picnic or to unleash pets and kids. Crystal Springs Lake, near idyllic Reed College, is popular in early spring for the amazing display of flowering shrubs at its Rhododendron Garden. There are more than 2000 full-grown rhododendrons and azaleas here. The park winds past duck-filled ponds and streams.

The Grotto - a religious retreat also known as the Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother - is the grounds of the Servite Monastery. In addition to an outdoor shrine, the grounds are maintained as a public sanctuary. Streamside Leach Botanical Park is a lovely 5 acre (2 hectare) estate now maintained by the city for its collection of rare plants.

Kennedy School

This former elementary school is now a McMenamins-run B&B (plus bar, restaurant and cinema), serving up Gen X irony, comfort food and regional brews. Guest rooms still feature the original chalk boards and cloak rooms. Out-of-town guests join locals who come to smoke cigars in the Detention Bar, sip port in the Honors Bar, or check out a film in the auditorium. Very Portland.

Columbia River Gorge

Only 45 minutes from Portland, the Columbia River Gorge is a geological wonder. The mile-wide river has carved a 3000-foot-deep (900-metre-deep) chasm through the Cascade Range, and boasts over 70 waterfalls, and among them, the nation's second highest. For added historic value, take the Columbia River Highway (US 30), a byway featuring Florentine-style viaducts crafted by Italian stonecutters in the first years of the 20th century. It's frequent turnouts make the most of the breathtaking views.

Hood River is the area's most dynamic city as well as its recreational hub. When the conditions are right (and they often are) it's windsurfing nirvana.

Mt Hood

Around 56mi (90km) east of Portland on US 26 is majestic Mt Hood. This is the highest peak in Oregon and boasts the US' longest ski season at 345 days per year. It's a favourite destination for skiers, hikers, mountain climbers, fly-fishing devotees and those who come to pay homage to the WPA-era Timberline Lodge. Completed in 1937, the project employed over 500 workers who handcrafted almost every element, from quarrying local stone for the fireplaces to hand-looming coverlets for the beds. Apart from its Cascadian style and social ideals, Timberline has a quirkier side. Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining was shot here - the easily-spooked should stay well clear of room 217.

Portland Activities

If you're outdoorsy, then you've come to the right place. With access to some of Oregon's best wilderness, there's plenty of hiking to be done - even the city's Forest Park has over 50mi (80km) of trails. Handy to downtown Portland, Washington Park has the Wildwood Trail that starts at the zoo and goes through 30mi (48km) of forest. The Columbia River offers up excellent windsurfing conditions, and the Pacific's beaches are around 90 minutes to the west.

Oregan's big drawcard, however, is Mt Hood, the state's highest peak that is the world's most climbed peak after Mt Fuji. The mountain has great skiing, tubing and snowboarding especially at Mt Hood SkiBowl, the largest night-ski area in the US, and at the year-round skiing center, Timberline. Around the mountain, there's plenty of opportunities to go cross-country skiing and, if you really want to work those legs, snowshoeing. Still haven't got enough of the winter sports? Well, there's also ice-climbing, best between May and September with several guides on hand.

The Pacific Nortwest is a magnet for freshwater fishing with rivers replete with trout, steelhead and sturgeon to tighten your line. For dirty, but decent mountain biking check out the old dirt logging roads in Forest Park for off-road action.

Portland History

Portland sits near the confluence of two of the West's mightiest rivers, the Columbia and the Willamette (w-LAMB-it), so it's not surprising that the city's early growth was fueled by shipping and trade. The terminus of the continental railroad and a major port city to the Pacific Rim, Portland was ideally situated to export the agricultural riches of the western USA.

The settlement of Portland is inextricably linked to nearby Fort Vancouver, the Hudson's Bay Company fur-trading post established in 1825 on the northern bank of the Columbia River. Retiring trappers moved south, up the Willamette River, to establish settlements. The first building in what would become Portland was erected in 1829 by Etienne Lucier, a former trapper looking to establish a farm along the Willamette. Although Lucier abandoned his homestead a year later and moved farther up the river to Champoeg, activity continued at the site of future Portland.

In 1844, two New Englanders filed a claim for 640 acres (255 hectares) of land on the west bank of the Willamette River. They built a store, planted streets and decided to name the new settlement after one of their hometowns. A coin-toss resulted in Portland winning over Boston, and the new town was up and running.

Trade, not industry or natural-resource exploitation, was the engine that drove the growth of the city. The California gold rush of 1849 and the building of San Francisco demanded lumber, which was routed through the fledgling port city. At the same time, Oregon Trail settlers brought agriculture to the Willamette Valley, and mining and ranching developed throughout the inland West. Each demanded a coastal city of trade, and Portland became that mercantile and shipping center for much of the Northwest.

Portland's primacy in the Northwest was cinched when the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1883, linking Portland and the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the country. The first bridges were built across the Willamette in the late 1880s, and the city's population increased five-fold between 1880 and 1900.

During the 20th century, Portland has enjoyed steady growth. The influx of workers to the ship-building factories during WWII was so great that an entire new city, Vanport, was created in 1944 to house them. Unwisely built on a Columbia River flood plain, Vanport was destroyed by a wall of water that burst through a dike in 1948, killing 18 people and leaving almost 20,000 homeless.

Today, Portland boasts a booming economy, especially in the high-tech, transportation and renewable-resources sectors. It's the home of several Fortune 500 companies as well as a host of world-renown outdoor-apparel retailers, including Pendleton, Adidas and Nike. And just so you don't go picturing Dallas or LA when we say 'successful,' Portland's green streets and human scale never let you feel hemmed in.

Portland
Getting There & Away

Portland International Airport is served by over a dozen airlines, with connections to many major US and Canadian cities. Commuter flights link Portland with San Francisco and Seattle throughout the day, every day, and flights to British Columbia are almost as frequent. Portland is also the West Coast hub of Delta Airlines, so flights to Asia are a cinch.

Portland sits at the junction between Interstates 84 and 5 on the national freeway system, and Highway 26 stretches from the coast through Portland and into central Oregon. Greyhound buses zip up and down Interstate 5 (I-5), the coast's main north-south artery, on a regular basis. Some nine buses make the trip up to Seattle every day, with about half as many heading south toward San Francisco and Los Angeles. Greyhound serves Portland's outlying local communities, too, as well as Vancouver, BC. Portland is Greyhound's western terminus along I-84, with service east through Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago and beyond. For a more colorful bus ride, hop the Green Tortoise, which passes through Portland on its runs up and down the Pacific coast.

Amtrak offers service up and down the West Coast. East-west trains travel via the stunning Columbia River Gorge on their way to or from Chicago and points in between.

Getting Around Portland Oregon

Portland International Airport is about 15 minutes' drive northeast of downtown along the Columbia River. The city's public transport company, Tri-Met, runs a bus between the two, as does Raz transport. Taxis and airport shuttles make up your other options.

Tri-Met buses and light-rail trains - known as Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX - are free within the downtown area. Beyond downtown they're still cheap, and their tickets are good for two hours on any form of Tri-Met transport.

As in most big American cities, downtown Portland is no treat to drive through. Still, if you're going to make field trips into the surrounding communities or countryside (and we suggest you do), a car can come in mighty handy. There are rental agencies at the airport as well as in town, and driving is on the right.

The single best way to make your way around the city streets (and beyond, for you plucky thunder-calved types) is to do so by bicycle. Portland's just about as bicycle-friendly as a city gets, and there are a number of rental agencies, repair shops and other resources to choose from.