Portland is a city at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in Oregon.
It is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest
Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the seat of Multnomah County; it extends slightly into Washington and Clackamas Counties as well.
The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in public transit,
supported by Metro, a distinctive regional-government scheme. Portland lies in the Marine West
Coast climate region, which is marked by warm 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".
Portland is often cited as an example of a city with strong land use planning controls.
As a result, one can see pastoral farmlands and old red barns within 15 miles of downtown Portland, literally across the street from large suburban developments (where that street is the urban growth boundary.)
The Urban Greenspaces Institute, housed in Portland State University Geography Department's Center for Mapping Research, promotes better integration of the built and natural environments. The institute works on urban park, trail, and natural areas planning issues, both at the local and regional levels.
In 2006, Portland was ranked overall number 1 of 50 U.S. cities by the organization SustainLane on quality of life and economic factors that affect personal sustainability.
Portland lies on top of an extinct Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field.[12] The Lava Field includes at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor,[13] and its center lies in Southeast Portland. The potentially active volcano Mount Hood, to the east of Portland, is easily visible from much of the city, and 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 during its spectacular 1980 eruption.
Portland's climate is temperate and seasonal. The rainfall averages 37 inches per year. Portland averages 155 days with measurable precipitation a year. Snowfall is uncommon. Although it lies in the Marine west coast climate zone, Portland shows many characteristics of a Mediterranean climate. The city has mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers.
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.
Portland is divided 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.
The Portland Public Schools district consists of about 100 schools covering in various combinations grades K through 12, as well as 50 special education programs.
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Located in Clackamas County, just
minutes from Portland, our principal service area is Portland, East
to Mt Hood.
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