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124-542: Hoyt Arboretum is a public park in Portland, Oregon , which is part of the complex of parks collectively known as Washington Park . The 189-acre (76 ha) arboretum is located atop a ridge in the Tualatin Mountains two miles (3.2 km) west of downtown Portland. Hoyt has 12 miles of hiking trails , two miles of accessible paved trails, and is open free to the public all year. About 350,000 visitors per year visit

248-512: A major regional heat wave . The record had been broken for three consecutive days with daytime highs of 108 °F (42 °C) on June 26 and 112 °F (44 °C) on June 27; the previous record of 107 °F (42 °C) was set in July 1965 and matched twice in August 1981. A temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) has been recorded in all five months from May through September. The warmest night of

372-589: A Western Oregon timber park near Northwest Germantown Road. Nine years later, the estate of Aaron Meier, one of the founders of the Meier & Frank chain of department stores, donated land for Linnton Park near Portland's Linnton neighborhood along Highway 30. These smaller parks became part of the larger park when it was finally created. Some of them, such as Macleay Park, are still referred to by their original names even though they are part of Forest Park. Other parcels were acquired through government action. In 1928,

496-528: A buffer of undeveloped land surrounding the park. Multiple crimes have occurred in Forest Park, including two murders. In 2001, Todd Alan Reed , a man who preyed on heroin addicts and prostitutes, pleaded guilty to the 1999 murders of three women whose bodies were found in Forest Park near Northwest Saltzman Road, though forensic analysis showed the murders took place elsewhere and the bodies were brought to Forest Park. In 2003, jurors convicted another man of

620-532: A campfire burned 1,600 acres (650 ha) near the western end of the park. In 2005, a reporter for The Oregonian newspaper interviewed biologists, conservationists, Parks and Recreation officials, and others about the health of Forest Park and its future prospects. Collectively they identified threats to the park: urban development that restricts the movement of wild animals and birds; overuse; invasive plants; loose dogs; fire risk; increasing rates of tree death; lack of rule enforcement, and lack of money. In 2010,

744-615: A century. During the prehistoric period, the land that would become Portland was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from Lake Missoula , in what would later become Montana. These massive floods occurred during the last ice age and filled the Willamette Valley with 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 m) of water. Before American settlers began arriving in the 1800s, the land was inhabited for many centuries by two bands of indigenous Chinook people  – the Multnomah and

868-425: A community-driven series of rallies, campaigns, nonprofits and events designed to address Portland's racial history, leading to a city considered significantly more tolerant than in 1988 at Seraw's death. Forest Park (Portland) As early as the 1860s, civic leaders sought to create a natural preserve in the woods near Portland. Their efforts led to the creation of a municipal park commission that in 1903 hired

992-431: A few degrees. Evening temperatures fall to or below freezing 32 nights per year on average, but very rarely below 18 °F (−8 °C). There are only 2.1 days per year where the daytime high temperature fails to rise above freezing; the mean for the lowest high is at the exact freezing point of 32 °F (0 °C). The lowest overnight temperature ever recorded was −3 °F (−19 °C), on February 2, 1950, while

1116-508: A highly active volcano 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the city in Washington state, is easily visible on clear days and is close enough to have dusted the city with volcanic ash after its eruption on May 18, 1980. The rocks of the Portland area range in age from late Eocene to more recent eras. Multiple shallow, active fault lines traverse the Portland metropolitan area. Among them are

1240-647: A large number of saloons, bordellos , gambling dens, and boarding houses which were populated with miners after the California Gold Rush , as well as the multitude of sailors passing through the port. By the early 20th century, the city had lost its reputation as a "sober frontier city" and garnered a reputation for being violent and dangerous. Between 1900 and 1930, the city's population tripled from nearly 100,000 to 301,815. During World War II , it housed an "assembly center" from which up to 3,676 people of Japanese descent were dispatched to internment camps in

1364-691: A nationally recognized magnolia collection, recognized as an official participating site in the North American Plant Collections Consortium . Hoyt's winter landscape shows interesting colors, textures and shapes, and winter blooms of hellebores , viburnums , and witch-hazels . In 2016, the arboretum opened their Bamboo Forest featuring 30 species of bamboo . The arboretum has twelve miles (19 km) of trails (two miles (3 km) of which are wheelchair accessible), marked with over 250 trail signs and interpretive panels. The Wildwood Trail which leads north to Forest Park and

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1488-568: A newspaper, the Weekly Oregonian . A major fire swept through downtown in August 1873 , destroying twenty blocks on the west side of the Willamette along Yamhill and Morrison Streets, and causing $ 1.3 million in damage, roughly equivalent to $ 33.1 million today. By 1879, the population had grown to 17,500 and by 1890 it had grown to 46,385. In 1888, the first steel bridge on the West Coast

1612-540: A plan. John Charles Olmsted , the stepson of Frederick Law Olmsted , spent May 1903 in Portland. The Olmsted Report , received in December, emphasized creation of a system of parks and linking parkways that would take advantage of natural scenery. It proposed a formal square for Union Station , squares along the downtown waterfront, and parks in places later known as Forest Park, Sellwood Park, Mount Tabor Park , Rocky Butte , and Ross Island , as well as Terwilliger Parkway,

1736-513: A population of resident cutthroat trout . Near the west end, furthest from the city center, Miller Creek retains much of its historic nature and supports a greater diversity of aquatic organisms than other Forest Park streams. Biological field surveys of Miller Creek in 1990 noted sea-run cutthroat trout , coho salmon , and short-head cottid , as well as abundant macroinvertebrate species including stoneflies , mayflies , caddisflies , water striders , and crayfish . Before settlers arrived,

1860-473: A protest to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Floyd's murder caused property damage, and was followed by a number of arrests. Portland lies on top of a dormant volcanic field known as the Boring Lava Field , named after the nearby bedroom community of Boring . The Boring Lava Field has at least 32 cinder cones such as Mount Tabor , and its center lies in southeast Portland. Mount St. Helens ,

1984-597: A regional network of parks, trails, and natural areas managed by Metro . At the southeastern end of the park, Wildwood Trail, the centerpiece of the Forest Park trail system, passes through Macleay Park. This part of the larger park, which includes the Forest Park field headquarters, is heavily used by pedestrians entering Balch Creek Canyon from nearby city streets. Further southeast, Wildwood Trail, while still in Forest Park, passes Pittock Mansion and its panoramic views of Portland and five volcanic peaks: Mounts Rainier , Adams , St. Helens , Hood , and Jefferson . Beyond

2108-480: A reputation as a bastion of counterculture . The city operates with a commission-based government , guided by a mayor and four commissioners, as well as Metro , the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Its climate is marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses , and Portland has been called the "City of Roses" for over

2232-518: A resident trout population, and another, Miller Creek, supports sea-run species, including salmon . Threats to the park include overuse, urban traffic, encroaching development, invasive flora, and lack of maintenance money. Occasional serious crimes and more frequent minor crimes occur in the park. Solidified lava from Grande Ronde members of the Columbia River Basalt Group underlie Forest Park. About 16 million years ago during

2356-432: A single street name on a grid. For example, the 200 block north of Burnside is either NW Davis Street or NE Davis Street throughout the entire city. The six previous addressing sections of Portland, which were colloquially known as quadrants despite there being six, have developed distinctive identities, with mild cultural differences and friendly rivalries between their residents, especially between those who live east of

2480-486: A time, contributing to 157 days on average with measurable (≥0.01 in or 0.25 mm) precipitation annually. Temperatures have reached 90 °F (32 °C) as early as April 30 and as late as October 5, while 80 °F (27 °C) has been reached as early as April 1 and as late as October 21. Thunderstorms are uncommon and tornadoes are very rare, although they do occur. See or edit raw graph data . Portland's cityscape derives much of its character from

2604-427: Is Mount Tabor , a volcanic landform. The 2020 census reported the city as 73.8% White (449,025 people), 8.2% Asian (52,854), 5.8% Black or African American (38,217), 0.9% Native American (7,335), 0.5% Pacific Islander (3,919), and 5.0% from two or more races (69,898). 10.3% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race (72,336). Whites not of Hispanic origin made up 68.8% of the total population. The 2010 census reported

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2728-433: Is "PDX", the airport code for Portland International Airport . Other nicknames include Bridgetown, Stumptown, Rip City, Soccer City, P-Town, Portlandia, and the more antiquated Little Beirut. From May 28, 2020, until spring 2021, there were daily protests about the murder of George Floyd by police, and racial injustice. There were instances of looting, vandalism, and police actions causing injuries. One protestor

2852-459: Is a tributary of Saltzman Creek. After leaving the park, the streams pass through culverts and other conduits before reaching the Willamette River. These conduits block fish migration to and from the Willamette River except on Miller Creek, where the conduits are short and have been modified to assist the fish. Near the east end of the park, the free-flowing reaches of Balch Creek support

2976-460: Is accessible to the public. The Stevens Pavilion is a covered A-frame picnic shelter with wooden beams and stone floors, nestled in a grove of Douglas-fir trees. Portland, Oregon Portland ( / ˈ p ɔːr t l ə n d / PORT -lənd ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon , located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated in the northwestern area of

3100-519: Is approximately 100 miles (160 km) upriver from the Pacific Ocean on the Columbia. Though much of downtown Portland is relatively flat, the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains , more commonly referred to locally as the "West Hills", pierce through the northwest and southwest reaches of the city. Council Crest Park at 1,073 feet (327 m) is often quoted as the highest point in Portland; however,

3224-476: Is largely residential. Downtown district , made up of commercial businesses, museums, skyscrapers , and public landmarks represents a small area within the southwest address section. Portland's South Waterfront area has been developing into a dense neighborhood of shops, condominiums, and apartments starting in the mid-2000s. Development in this area is ongoing. The area is served by the Portland Streetcar ,

3348-632: Is the "largest forested natural area within city limits in the United States". However, an article in the Portland Tribune said Forest Park ranked no higher than third among U.S. urban forests in 2006. In 1991, Metro , the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area , began budgeting for what became its Natural Areas Program aimed at protecting these areas in Multnomah, Washington , and Clackamas counties. By 1995,

3472-577: Is the first new bridge to span the Willamette in Portland since the 1973 opening of the double-decker Fremont Bridge . Other bridges that span the Willamette River in the downtown area include the Burnside Bridge , the Ross Island Bridge (both built 1926), and the double-decker Marquam Bridge (built 1966). Other bridges outside the downtown area include the Sellwood Bridge (built 2016) to

3596-595: Is water. Although almost all of Portland is within Multnomah County , small portions of the city are within Clackamas and Washington counties. Portland has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csb), falling just short of a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with cool and rainy winters, and warm and dry summers. This climate is characterized by having overcast, wet, and changing weather conditions in fall, winter, and spring, as Portland lies in

3720-433: The 40-Mile Loop , and other connecting parkways. Proposed parks for Swan Island , in the Willamette River, and other places in Portland did not develop. Others like Forest Park came into being only many years later. The city acquired land for Forest Park bit by bit over several decades. In 1897, Donald Macleay , a Portland merchant and real-estate developer, deeded a 108-acre (44 ha) tract of land along Balch Creek to

3844-570: The Clackamas . The Chinook people occupying the land were first documented in 1805 by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark . Before its European settlement, the Portland Basin of the lower Columbia River and Willamette River valleys had been one of the most densely populated regions on the Pacific Coast. Large numbers of pioneer settlers began arriving in the Willamette Valley in the 1840s via

Hoyt Arboretum - Misplaced Pages Continue

3968-455: The Coast Range ecoregion designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In its natural state, the forest consists mainly of three tree species: Douglas-fir , western hemlock , and western red cedar . It also includes smaller numbers of grand fir , black cottonwood , red alder , bigleaf maple , madrone , and western yew . Much of the forest that existed there before 1850

4092-521: The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 for farming and logging, but the homesteads failed; by 1865, the land was owned by Multnomah County . In 1889, the area was ravaged by a forest fire, and part of the burned land was used to build the 160-acre (65-hectare) Multnomah County Poor Farm Hillside Farm west of Washington Park . After the Poor Farm closed, in 1922 Multnomah County sold the land to

4216-484: The MAX Orange Line and four TriMet bus lines. This former industrial area sat as a brownfield prior to development in the mid-2000s. Southeast Portland is largely residential, and consists of several neighborhoods, including Hawthorne District , Belmont , Brooklyn , and Mount Tabor . Reed College , a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1908, is located within the confines of Southeast Portland as

4340-705: The Middle Miocene , the Columbia River ran through a lowland south of its modern channel. Eruptions from linear vents in eastern Oregon and Washington flowed down this channel through what later became the Willamette Valley . These flows, some of which reached the Pacific Ocean , recurred at intervals between 16.5 and 15.6 million years ago and covered almost 60,000 square miles (160,000 km ). About eight separate Grande Ronde Basalt flows have been mapped in

4464-557: The Olmsted Brothers landscape architectural firm to develop a plan for Portland's parks . Acquiring land through donations, transfers from Multnomah County, and delinquent tax foreclosures , the city eventually acted on a proposal by the City Club of Portland and combined parcels totaling about 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to create the reserve. Formally dedicated in 1948, it ranks 19th in size among parks within U.S. cities, according to

4588-460: The Oregon Trail with many arriving in nearby Oregon City . A new settlement then emerged ten miles from the mouth of the Willamette River, roughly halfway between Oregon City and Hudson's Bay Company 's Fort Vancouver . This community was initially referred to as "Stumptown" and "The Clearing" because of the many trees cut down to allow for its growth. In 1843 William Overton saw potential in

4712-597: The Portland Hills Fault on the city's west side, and the East Bank Fault on the east side. According to a 2017 survey, several of these faults were characterized as "probably more of a hazard" than the Cascadia subduction zone due to their proximities to population centers, with the potential of producing magnitude 7 earthquakes . Notable earthquakes that have impacted the Portland area in recent history include

4836-474: The Portland metropolitan area , making it the 25th-most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area. Named after Portland, Maine , which is itself named after the English Isle of Portland , the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1840s, near the end of the Oregon Trail . Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and

4960-560: The Springwater Corridor along Johnson Creek and extend to the eastern suburbs of Fairview , Gresham and Boring . This trail network links more than 30 separate parks that offer diverse recreational opportunities, such as horse-back riding, in-line skating, canoeing, and viewing of wetland wildlife, in addition to hiking and biking. It connects to other trail systems such as Discovery Trail in Clark County, Washington , and

5084-464: The Trust for Public Land . More than 112 bird species and 62 mammal species frequent the park and its wide variety of trees and shade-loving plants. About 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain falls on the forest each year. Many small tributaries of the Willamette River flow northeast through the woods to pipes or culverts under U.S. Route 30 at the edge of the park. One of them, Balch Creek , has

Hoyt Arboretum - Misplaced Pages Continue

5208-442: The Tualatin Mountains (West Hills), where they underlie the steepest slopes of Forest Park and form the columned rocks visible along Balch Creek Canyon and Northwest Cornell Road . The West Hills were later covered by wind-deposited silts that become unstable when saturated with water. Stream bank instability and siltation are common, and landslides deter urban development at higher elevations. Roughly 8 miles (13 km) long,

5332-782: The Tualatin River . Another planned trail would extend the Springwater Corridor along a proposed Cazadero Trail to Barton on the Clackamas River . Longer-term goals include trail links to the Sandy River Gorge Trail east of Gresham and the Pacific Crest Trail , which runs from Mexico to Canada and follows the Cascade Range through Oregon. More than 80 miles (130 km) of trails and firelanes cut through

5456-423: The northern flying squirrel , black-tailed deer , creeping vole , bobcat , coyote, Mazama pocket gopher , little brown bat, Roosevelt elk , and Pacific jumping mouse frequent Forest Park. Blue grouse , great horned owl , hairy woodpecker , Bewick's wren , orange-crowned warbler , osprey , northern pygmy-owl , and hermit thrush are among the more than 112 species of birds that have been observed in

5580-560: The urban heat island effect. Neighborhoods outside of the downtown core, especially in slightly higher elevations near the West Hills and Mount Tabor , can experience a dusting of snow while downtown receives no accumulation at all. The city has experienced a few major snow and ice storms in its past, with extreme totals having reached 44.5 in (113 cm) at the airport in 1949–50 and 60.9 in (155 cm) at downtown in 1892–93. Summers in Portland are warm, dry, and sunny, though

5704-766: The 1940s and 1950s. In 1957, Life magazine published an article detailing the city's history of government corruption and crime, specifically its gambling rackets and illegal nightclubs. The article, which focused on crime boss Jim Elkins , became the basis of a fictionalized film titled Portland Exposé (1957). In spite of the city's seedier undercurrent of criminal activity, Portland enjoyed an economic and industrial surge during World War II. Ship builder Henry J. Kaiser had been awarded contracts to build Liberty ships and aircraft carrier escorts, and chose sites in Portland and Vancouver, Washington , for work yards. During this time, Portland's population rose by over 150,000, largely attributed to recruited laborers. During

5828-483: The 1960s, an influx of hippie subculture began to take root in the city in the wake of San Francisco 's burgeoning countercultural scene. The city's Crystal Ballroom became a hub for the city's psychedelic culture , while food cooperatives and listener-funded media and radio stations were established. A large social activist presence evolved during this time as well, specifically concerning Native American rights , environmentalist causes, and gay rights . By

5952-474: The 1970s, Portland had well established itself as a progressive city, and experienced an economic boom for the majority of the decade; however, the slowing of the housing market in 1979 caused demand for the city and state timber industries to drop significantly. In the 1990s, the technology industry began to emerge in Portland, specifically with the establishment of companies such as Intel , which brought more than US$ 10 billion in investments in 1995 alone. In

6076-454: The 1996 murder of his ex-girlfriend on a Forest Park trail. Less serious crimes have included assault (rarely), car break-ins and petty theft (frequently at trail heads), rare arsons, rare indecent exposure, and marijuana cultivation. Multnomah County Sheriff's deputies in 2007 seized 114 mature marijuana plants found growing in the park on a hillside near Portland's Linnton neighborhood. Deputies had seized another small grow operation in

6200-420: The 6.8-magnitude Nisqually earthquake in 2001, and a 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck on March 25, 1993. Per a 2014 report, over 7,000 locations within the Portland area are at high risk for landslides and soil liquefaction in the event of a major earthquake, including much of the city's west side (such as Washington Park ) and sections of Clackamas County . Portland is 60 miles (97 km) east of

6324-545: The City Council's Delinquent Tax Committee transferred land to the Parks Bureau for a wildflower garden along Balch Creek. Multnomah County in that year gave the bureau perpetual use of about 145 acres (59 ha) of land north of Washington Park. Encouraged by the City Club of Portland , which conducted a park feasibility study in 1945, civic leaders supported the Forest Park project. In 1948, Multnomah County transferred to

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6448-464: The City of Portland, which created Hoyt Arboretum in 1930. The city commissioned John W. Duncan, superintendent of parks for Spokane, Washington , to design a plan for the new arboretum. He completed the plan in 1930, and included locations for nearly forty families of trees planted in a naturalistic landscape. Works Progress Administration crews cleared the forest and built the roads and paths winding through

6572-569: The Douglas-firs, which can live for 750 years, attain heights up to about 240 feet (73 m). Under the big trees are shade-tolerant trees such as western red cedar, western hemlock, and grand fir and smaller plants such as Oregon-grape , vine maple , and salal . The last forest stage, old growth , is reached after 250 years and includes many snags , downed and dead trees, and fallen logs. Timber-cutting and fires reduced old growth in Forest Park to "almost nothing" by 1940, and most of

6696-583: The Marquam Trail which leads south to Marquam Nature Park meet in the arboretum; both trails are segments of the Portland area's 40-Mile Loop trail network. The visitor center is located at the center of the park and contains a small nature center and research library where visitors can find information about the park and its trees; the visitor center is also the starting point for periodic volunteer-guided tours. The research library has over 800 books ranging from technical floras to beginner gardening books, and

6820-685: The No Ivy League. and The Forest Park Conservancy engage in projects to remove ivy, maintain trails, and plant native species. Wildlife in Forest Park is strongly affected by contiguous tracts of nearby habitat that make the park accessible to birds and animals from the Tualatin River valley, the Oregon Coast Range , the Willamette River, Sauvie Island, the Columbia River, and the Vancouver, Washington , lowlands. Sixty-two mammal species, including

6944-654: The Oregon Zoo, a light rail stop, the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial , the World Forestry Center and the Hoyt Arboretum . Blue diamonds placed about 6 feet (1.8 m) above the ground appear on trees along the trail every 0.25 miles (0.40 km). The diamonds and the mileage markers above them are visible to hikers traveling in either direction on the path. In its first 5 miles (8.0 km),

7068-455: The Pacific Ocean at the northern end of Oregon 's most populated region, the Willamette Valley. Downtown Portland straddles the banks of the Willamette River, which flows north through the city center and separates the city's east and west neighborhoods. Less than 10 miles (16 km) from downtown, the Willamette River flows into the Columbia River, the fourth-largest river in the United States, which divides Oregon from Washington state. Portland

7192-558: The Reverend Thomas Lamb Eliot , a minister who moved to Portland in 1867, sought to create a natural preserve in the woods that eventually became Forest Park. By 1899, Eliot's efforts led to the formation of the Municipal Park Commission of Portland, which in 1903 hired the highly regarded landscape architecture firm, the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, to study the city's park system and recommend

7316-514: The Terwilliger Trail running through Tryon Creek State Natural Area to Lake Oswego . As of 2015, this network of parks and trails is still expanding. Metro, the regional government, plans to link the 40-Mile Loop to trails along the Willamette River to Wilsonville , south of Lake Oswego. The regional government has also proposed connecting Wildwood Trail to the partly completed Westside Trail running north–south through Washington County to

7440-473: The Wildwood Trail. Most of the trails are open only to hikers and runners, but several roads and firelanes are open to bicycles or horses or both. Leif Erikson Drive, a road closed to motorized traffic, runs at lower elevation than and roughly parallel to the Wildwood Trail for about 11 miles (18 km) from the end of Northwest Thurman Street to Northwest Germantown Road. Originally called Hillside Drive, it

7564-509: The Willamette River versus west of the river. Portland's addressing sections are North, Northwest, Northeast, South, Southeast, and Southwest (which includes downtown Portland ). The Willamette River divides the city into east and west while Burnside Street , which traverses the entire city lengthwise, divides the north and south. North Portland consists of the peninsula formed by the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, with N Williams Ave serving as its eastern boundary. All addresses and streets within

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7688-470: The addition of South Portland, all six addressing sectors (N, NE, NW, S, SE and SW) are now officially known as sextants. The Pearl District in Northwest Portland , which was largely occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards in the early to mid-20th century, now houses upscale art galleries , restaurants, and retail stores, and is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in

7812-534: The agricultural Tualatin Valley via the " Great Plank Road " (the route of current-day U.S. Route 26 ), provided the pioneer city with an advantage over other nearby ports, and it grew very quickly. Portland remained the major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century, until the 1890s, when Seattle's deepwater harbor was connected to the rest of the mainland by rail, affording an inland route without

7936-644: The arboretum in 1930 and 1931, although some native trees that had grown in the wake of the 1889 fire were left in place. The arboretum was planted according to Duncan's plan from 1931 to 1944. Many trees needed to be replaced after the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 . Hoyt Arboretum was founded to conserve endangered species and educate the community. The property has increased in size through additional donations and acquisitions to 189-acre (0.76 km) (76 ha ). The arboretum has approximately 6,000 individual trees and shrubs of more than 2,300 species from all around

8060-599: The arboretum. Hoyt Arboretum is sited on steep slopes, straddling the SW Fairview Boulevard ridge above the Oregon Zoo and the Portland Japanese Garden . The elevation of the arboretum ranges from 650 feet to 900 feet, and there are several ravines within the arboretum. The hilly terrain of the arboretum was once in private hands. The United States government had granted land to American pioneers through

8184-499: The cities to attract and retain the highest number of college-educated people in the United States. Between 2001 and 2012, Portland's gross domestic product per person grew by fifty percent, more than any other city in the country. The city acquired a diverse range of nicknames throughout its history, though it is most often called "Rose City" or "The City of Roses" (unofficial nickname since 1888, official since 2003). Another widely used nickname by local residents in everyday speech

8308-416: The city another 2,000 acres (810 ha) acquired through delinquent tax foreclosures . On September 23, 1948, the city formally dedicated 4,200 acres (17 km ) of land as Forest Park, which as of 2009 covered more than 5,100 acres (21 km ). It is one of the largest urban forest reserves in the U.S., though its exact ranking has been questioned. The city's Parks and Recreation Department claims it

8432-412: The city are prefixed by N, NW, NE, S, SW or SE with the exception of Burnside Street, which is prefixed with W or E. Starting on May 1, 2020, former Southwest prefix addresses with house numbers on east–west streets leading with zero dropped the zero and the street prefix on all streets (including north–south streets) converted from Southwest to South. For example, the current address of 246 S California St.

8556-432: The city as 76.1% White (444,254 people), 7.1% Asian (41,448), 6.3% Black or African American (36,778), 1.0% Native American (5,838), 0.5% Pacific Islander (2,919), 4.7% belonging to two or more racial groups (24,437) and 5.0% from other races (28,987). 9.4% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race (54,840). Whites not of Hispanic origin made up 72.2% of the total population. In 1940, Portland's African-American population

8680-416: The city hired a full-time ranger assigned to Forest Park. In 2021 and 2022, the city took additional steps to handle wildfire risk in the park, with Portland Fire & Rescue requesting additional budget to plan for mitigation, and the city designating the park plus surrounding areas a high-risk hazard zone where homeless encampments are banned during wildfire season. Forest Park is a major component of

8804-561: The city proper, Portland has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in America per capita. According to statistics, there are over 4,500 Pacific Islanders in Portland, making up 0.7% of the city's population. There is a Tongan community in Portland, who arrived in the area in the 1970s, and Tongans and Pacific Islanders as a whole are one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the Portland area. Portland's population has been and remains predominantly White . In 1940, Whites were over 98% of

8928-513: The city to provide an outdoor space for patients from nearby hospitals. In the 1890s, Frederick Van Voorhies Holman , a Portland lawyer and a president of the Oregon Historical Society , proposed a gift of 52 acres (21 ha) of nearby land that was added to the city's holdings in 1939 when his siblings , George F. and Mary Holman, completed the donation. Clark and Wilson Timber Company donated 17 acres (6.9 ha) in 1927 to create

9052-467: The city's early establishment as being a " scion of New England ; an ends-of-the-earth home for the exiled spawn of the eastern established elite." In 1889, The Oregonian called Portland "the most filthy city in the Northern States", due to the unsanitary sewers and gutters, and, at the turn of the 20th century, it was considered one of the most dangerous port cities in the world. The city housed

9176-418: The city's population. In 2009, Portland had the fifth-highest percentage of White residents among the 40 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. A 2007 survey of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. concluded Portland's urban core has the highest percentage of White residents. Some scholars have noted the Pacific Northwest as a whole is "one of the last Caucasian bastions of the United States". While Portland's diversity

9300-698: The city. Areas further west of the Pearl District include neighborhoods known as Uptown and Nob Hill, as well as the Alphabet District and NW 23rd Ave., a major shopping street lined with clothing boutiques and other upscale retail, mixed with cafes and restaurants. Northeast Portland is home to the Lloyd District , Alberta Arts District , and the Hollywood District . North Portland is largely residential and industrial. It contains Kelley Point Park ,

9424-755: The coast, as well as the protective nature of the Oregon Coast Range to its west, Portland summers are less susceptible to the moderating influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean. Consequently, Portland occasionally experiences heat waves , with temperatures rising above 90 °F (32 °C) for a few days. However, on average, temperatures reach or exceed 80 °F (27 °C) on only 61 days per year, of which 15 days will reach 90 °F (32 °C) and only 1.3 days will reach 100 °F (38 °C). In 2018 more 90-degree days were recorded than ever before. On June 28, 2021, Portland recorded its all-time record high temperature of 116 °F (47 °C) and its warmest daily low temperature of 75 °F (24 °C) during

9548-551: The direct path of the stormy westerly flow, and warm, dry summers when the North Pacific High reaches its northernmost point in mid-summer. Portland's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is 8b, with parts of the Downtown area falling into zone 9a. Winters are cool, cloudy, and rainy. The coldest month is December with an average daily high temperature of 46.9 °F (8.3 °C), although overnight lows usually remain above freezing by

9672-450: The displaced workers from the wartime settlement to neighboring Albina . There and elsewhere in Portland, they experienced police hostility, lack of employment, and mortgage discrimination , leading to half the black population leaving after the war. In the 1980s and 1990s, radical skinhead groups flourished in Portland. In 1988, Mulugeta Seraw , an Ethiopian immigrant, was killed by three skinheads. The response to his murder involved

9796-468: The east lies the actively volcanic Cascade Range . On clear days, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens dominate the horizon, while Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier can also be seen in the distance. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 145.09 square miles (375.78 km ), of which 133.43 square miles (345.58 km ) is land and 11.66 square miles (30.20 km )

9920-663: The forest has not yet attained this stage. Patches exist near Macleay Park and further west near Germantown Road and Newton Road. The largest tree in Forest Park is a Douglas-fir near the Stone House , the remains of a former public restroom near Balch Creek. It is 242 feet (74 m) high, and the trunk is 18.6 feet (5.7 m) in circumference. Among the prominent wildflowers are Hooker's fairy bells , vanilla leaf , evergreen violet , and trillium . Invasive species include English ivy , European holly , clematis , morning glory , and Himalayan blackberry . Citizen groups such as

10044-585: The heartland. It was the first American city to have residents report thus, and the Pacific International Livestock Exposition operated from May through September 10, 1942, processing people from the city, northern Oregon, and central Washington . General John DeWitt called the city the first "Jap-free city on the West Coast." At the same time, Portland became a notorious hub for underground criminal activity and organized crime in

10168-484: The highest point in Portland is on a section of NW Skyline Blvd just north of Willamette Stone Heritage site . The highest point east of the river is Mt. Tabor , an extinct volcanic cinder cone, which rises to 636 feet (194 m). Nearby Powell Butte and Rocky Butte rise to 614 feet (187 m) and 612 feet (187 m), respectively. To the west of the Tualatin Mountains lies the Oregon Coast Range , and to

10292-432: The land that became known as Forest Park was covered by a Douglas-fir forest. By 1851, its acreage had been divided into donation land claims filed by settlers with plans to clear the forest and build upon the property. After logging, the steep slopes and unstable silt loosened by heavy rains caused landslides that defeated construction plans, and claims were defaulted or donated to the city. Civic leaders beginning with

10416-555: The lap of the West Hills , while the flatter east side extends for roughly 180 blocks until it meets the suburb of Gresham . In 1891 the cities of Portland, Albina , and East Portland were consolidated, creating inconsistent patterns of street names and addresses. It was not unusual for a street name to be duplicated in disparate areas. The "Great Renumbering" on September 2, 1931, standardized street naming patterns and divided Portland into five "general districts." It also changed house numbers from 20 per block to 100 per block and adopted

10540-482: The largest Asian ethnic group in the city, followed by Chinese (1.7%), Filipinos (0.6%), Japanese (0.5%), Koreans (0.4%), Laotians (0.4%), Hmong (0.2%), and Cambodians (0.1%). A small population of Iu Mien live in Portland. Portland has two Chinatowns, with New Chinatown in the ' Jade District ' along SE 82nd Avenue with Chinese supermarkets, Hong Kong style noodle houses, dim sum , and Vietnamese phở restaurants. With about 12,000 Vietnamese residing in

10664-455: The largest city parks in the United States, according to The Trust for Public Land . The trust's list included state parks, national parks, county parks, regional parks, and national wildlife refuges, as well as municipally owned parks located within cities. Chugach State Park in Anchorage, Alaska , was in first place with 490,125 acres (1,983 km ). Portland author Marcy Houle says that

10788-404: The late 1990s, the Portland area was rated the fourth-least affordable place in the United States to purchase a new home. After 2000, Portland experienced significant growth, with a population rise of over 90,000 between the years 2000 and 2014. The city's increasing reputation for culture established it as a popular city for young people, and it was second only to Louisville, Kentucky , as one of

10912-451: The lowest daytime high temperature ever recorded was 14 °F (−10 °C) on December 30, 1968. The average window in which freezing temperatures may occur is between November 15 and March 19, allowing a growing season of 240 days. Annual snowfall in Portland is 4.3 inches (10.9 cm), which usually falls between December and March. The city of Portland avoids snow more frequently than its suburbs, due in part to its low elevation and

11036-580: The mansion, the trail connects to adjoining Washington Park and attractions such as the Oregon Zoo via the Barbara Walker Crossing , a pedestrian bridge over Burnside Street. From here and from more remote Forest Park trailheads near the St. Johns Bridge , other components of the 40-Mile Loop system of trails encircle the city. They follow the Willamette and Columbia rivers, the Columbia Slough and

11160-453: The many bridges that span the Willamette River downtown, several of which are historic landmarks, and Portland has been nicknamed "Bridgetown" for many decades as a result. Three of downtown's most heavily used bridges are more than 100 years old and are designated historic landmarks: Hawthorne Bridge (1910), Steel Bridge (1912), and Broadway Bridge (1913). Portland's newest bridge in the downtown area, Tilikum Crossing , opened in 2015 and

11284-452: The new settlement but lacked the funds to file an official land claim. For 25 cents, Overton agreed to share half of the 640-acre (2.6 km ) site with Asa Lovejoy of Boston . In 1844, Overton sold his remaining half of the claim to Francis W. Pettygrove of Portland, Maine . Both Pettygrove and Lovejoy wished to rename "The Clearing" after their respective hometowns (Lovejoy's being Boston, and Pettygrove's, Portland). This controversy

11408-479: The northeast quadrant of the city continued. Portland's longshoremen racial mix was described as being "lily-white" in the 1960s when the local International Longshore and Warehouse Union declined to represent grain handlers since some were black. Racial Makeup of Portland (2022) Over two-thirds of Oregon's African-American residents live in Portland. As of the 2000 census, three of its high schools (Cleveland, Lincoln and Wilson) were over 70% White, reflecting

11532-532: The northernmost point of the city. It also contains the St. Johns neighborhood, which is historically one of the most ethnically diverse and poorest neighborhoods in the city. Old Town Chinatown is next to the Pearl District in Northwest Portland. In 1890 it was the second largest Chinese community in the United States. In 2017, the crime rate was several times above the city average. This neighborhood has been called Portland's skid row. Southwest Portland

11656-452: The overall population, while Jefferson High School was 87% non-White. The remaining six schools have a higher number of non-Whites, including Blacks and Asians. Hispanic students average from 3.3% at Wells to 31% at Roosevelt . Portland residents identifying solely as Asian Americans account for 7.1% of the population; an additional 1.8% is partially of Asian heritage. Vietnamese Americans make up 2.2% of Portland's population, and make up

11780-555: The park "captures the essence of what is natural and wild and beautiful about the Northwest... From this forest sanctuary, panoramic views of the city of Portland, the Willamette and Columbia rivers, and five major peaks of the Cascade Range ... can be seen through the tall fir trees. From its inception ..., Forest Park has been a refuge for both people and wildlife, and an integral part of the environment of Portland." Forest Park lies in

11904-492: The park in 2005. More common has been illegal camping by homeless transients and others. An illegal bicycling trail, about 1 mile (1.6 km) long, was discovered in a remote part of the park in February 2010. In 2014, hikers found a booby trap meant to fire a shotgun shell across a path leading to the park. Portland police removed the device. In 2004, authorities found a 53-year-old man and his 12-year-old daughter living in

12028-543: The park in a tarp-covered structure stocked with encyclopedias for homeschooling. They told police they had been living in the park for four years. My Abandonment , a novel by Peter Rock , tells a story built around the incident. The novel was adapted into a film, Leave No Trace (2018). Forest scenes were shot in Eagle Fern Park, near Estacada in Clackamas County . In 1951, a drought-related blaze started by

12152-453: The park is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide near downtown Portland and about 2 miles (3.2 km) wide at its northwestern end. It extends along the West Hills from West Burnside Street near downtown Portland to where the Willamette River divides to flow around Sauvie Island . Covering most of the east face of the ridge above the Willamette River, it is bounded by West Burnside Street on

12276-450: The park pose threats to birds, fish, and other wildlife. About 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain falls on Forest Park each year. Many small creeks, only a few of which are named, flow northeast through the park from the ridge at the top of the West Hills to the base of the hills near U.S. Route 30. The five named streams from east to west are Balch Creek, Rocking Chair Creek, Saltzman Creek, Doane Creek, and Miller Creek. Rocking Chair Creek

12400-446: The park. Larger areas were occupied by forests in which conifers had grown taller than the alders and maples. About 50% of Forest Park consists of these areas, which are between 30 and 80 years old and in which Douglas-firs have begun to dominate. Another 25% of the park contains forests dominated by middle-aged conifers, 80 to 250 years old. In these areas, red alders, which live for about 100 years, have begun to die, and

12524-498: The park. In Balch Creek Canyon adjacent to Forest Park, the Audubon Society of Portland maintains a wildlife sanctuary with more than 4 miles (6.4 km) of trails, a wildlife care center, and avian exhibits. Amphibian species frequenting the Audubon Society pond include rough-skinned newts , Pacific tree frogs , and salamanders . Pressure from habitat loss, pollution, hunting, and urban development has reduced or eliminated

12648-536: The park. The longest trail in the park is the Wildwood Trail, of which about 27 miles (43 km) is in Forest Park and about 3 miles (4.8 km) in Washington Park. It is also the longest section of the 40-Mile Loop, a trail network of roughly 150 miles (240 km) reaching many parts of the Portland metropolitan area. The trail runs southeast to northwest from trail marker  0 in Washington Park to Northwest Newberry Road, just beyond trail marker 30 on

12772-632: The presence of wolves, bears, and wild cats and has led to increased numbers of weasels , raccoons , and other small predators. Invasive plant species such as English ivy have made the habitat simpler and less supportive of native insects and the salamanders and other amphibians that feed on them. Roads in the area severely hamper the movement of large animals. Multnomah County has designated Northwest Cornell Road and Northwest Germantown Road as "rural collector" streets, carrying traffic of less than 3,000 vehicles per day but more than streets designated as "local roads". Dogs allowed to run (illegally) off-leash in

12896-627: The program had targeted 320 acres (130 ha) next to or within Forest Park for acquisition. A 2006 bond measure allowed for the purchase of more land to expand the park, to protect its creeks' headwaters and those of nearby streams in Washington County, and to link Forest Park to other public lands to the northwest. In addition to purchases to directly expand the park, since 1990 the Forest Park Conservancy has acquired 14 conservation easements covering 1,160 acres (470 ha) to create

13020-593: The rapid growth of the Ku Klux Klan , which became very influential in Oregon politics, culminating in the election of Walter M. Pierce as governor. The largest influxes of minority populations occurred during World War II, as the African American population grew by a factor of 10 for wartime work. After World War II, the Vanport flood in 1948 displaced many African Americans. As they resettled, redlining directed

13144-431: The ridge above the southeastern end of Sauvie Island. The straight-line distance from beginning to end is about 9 miles (14 km), but because the trail includes many switchbacks and hairpin turns , it is 30.2 miles (48.6 km) long. In 2019, the City of Portland constructed Barbara Walker Crossing to allow Wildwood Trail users to safely pass over West Burnside Street. Wildwood Trail begins in Washington Park near

13268-400: The south, Northwest Skyline Boulevard on the west, Northwest Newberry Road on the north, and Northwest St. Helens Road ( U.S. Route 30 ) on the east. Elevations above sea level vary from 50 feet (15 m) near U.S. Route 30 at the base of the ridge to about 1,100 feet (340 m) near the crest of the ridge along Northwest Skyline Boulevard. In 2008 Forest Park ranked 19th in size among

13392-532: The south. It includes the Lair Hill, Johns Landing and South Waterfront districts and Lewis & Clark College as well as the Riverdale area of unincorporated Multnomah County south of the Portland city limits. In 2018, the city's Bureau of Transportation finalized a plan to transition this part of Portland into South Portland, beginning on May 1, 2020, to reduce confusion by 9-1-1 dispatchers and delivery services. With

13516-487: The south; and the St. Johns Bridge , a Gothic revival suspension bridge built in 1931, to the north. The Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge and the Interstate Bridge provide access from Portland across the Columbia River into Washington state. The Willamette River, which flows north through downtown, serves as the natural boundary between East and West Portland. The denser and earlier-developed west side extends into

13640-472: The state at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the county seat of Multnomah County , Oregon's most populous county. As of 2020, Portland's population was 652,503, making it the 26th-most populous city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast , and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle . Approximately 2.5 million people live in

13764-413: The sunny warm weather is short-lived, from mid-June to early September. June, July, August and September account for a combined 4.19 inches (106 mm) of total rainfall – only 11% of the 36.91 in (938 mm) of annual precipitation. The warmest month is August, with an average high temperature of 82.3 °F (27.9 °C). Because of its inland location 62 miles (100 km) from

13888-468: The timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, a hub for organized crime and racketeering . After the city's economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II , its hard-edged reputation began to dissipate. Beginning in the 1960s, it became noted for its growing liberal and progressive political values, earning it

14012-573: The trail passes near the Portland Japanese Garden , Pittock Mansion, the Audubon Society of Portland wildlife sanctuary, and the Stone House in Balch Creek Canyon. From this point west, Wildwood Trail runs through forest generally uninterrupted by buildings but crisscrossed by shorter trails, small streams, roads, and firelanes. Many shorter Forest Park trails, roads, and firelanes intersect

14136-401: The treacherous navigation of the Columbia River. The city had its own Japantown, for one, and the lumber industry also became a prominent economic presence, due to the area's large population of Douglas fir , western hemlock , red cedar , and big leaf maple trees. Portland developed a reputation early in its history as a hard-edged and gritty port town . Some historians have described

14260-406: The world, 63 of which are vulnerable or endangered . Most have labels identifying common and scientific names and region of origin. The arboretum has one of the most extensive conifer collections in the United States. The conifer collection includes a dawn redwood , one of only a few known deciduous conifers (needle and cone bearing trees that lose their leaves in the winter). The species

14384-444: The year averages 68 °F (20 °C). Spring and fall can bring variable weather including high-pressure ridging that sends temperatures surging above 80 °F (27 °C) and cold fronts that plunge daytime temperatures into the 40s °F (4–9 °C). However, lengthy stretches of overcast days beginning in mid-fall and continuing into mid-spring are most common. Rain often falls as a light drizzle for several consecutive days at

14508-475: Was approximately 2,000 and largely consisted of railroad employees and their families. During the war-time Liberty Ship construction boom, the need for workers drew many Black people to the city. The new influx of Black people settled in specific neighborhoods, such as the Albina district and Vanport . The May 1948 flood which destroyed Vanport eliminated the only integrated neighborhood, and an influx of blacks into

14632-561: Was changed from 0246 SW California St. and the current address of 4310 S Macadam Ave. was converted from 4310 SW Macadam Ave. The new South Portland addressing section was approved by the Portland City Council on June 6, 2018 and is bounded by SW Naito Parkway , SW View Point Terrace and the Tryon Creek State Natural Area to the west, SW Clay Street to the north, the Willamette River to the east, and city limits to

14756-584: Was gone by 1940. The stage of regrowth in the forest depends on when it was last logged or burned. In the mid-1990s, about 1% of the total vegetation in the park consisted of grasses, bracken , thistle , and fireweed in sections of the forest cleared two to five years earlier. Another 2% had reached the shrub stage, between three and thirty years old, with small trees dominated by such plants as thimbleberry , salmonberry , and blackberry . Forest areas 10 to 30 years old that contained tall alder and maple trees and smaller conifers accounted for about 20% of

14880-450: Was historically comparable to metro Seattle and Salt Lake City, those areas grew more diverse in the late 1990s and 2000s. Portland not only remains White, but migration to Portland is disproportionately White. The Oregon Territory banned African American settlement in 1849. In the 19th century, certain laws allowed the immigration of Chinese laborers but prohibited them from owning property or bringing their families. The early 1920s saw

15004-520: Was killed by an opposing one. Local businesses reported losses totaling millions of dollars as the result of vandalism and looting, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting . Some protests caused injury to protesters and police. In July, federal officers were deployed to safeguard federal property; their presence and tactics were criticized by Oregon officials, who demanded they leave, while lawsuits were filed against local and federal law enforcement alleging wrongful actions by them. On May 25, 2021,

15128-627: Was once thought extinct and known only in fossils, but was rediscovered in a remote valley in Hubei province, China in 1944. The species was reintroduced to the western hemisphere in 1948, with the Hoyt Arboretum as one of the first recipients. In the fall of 1952, the Hoyt arboretum's dawn redwood became the first in the Western Hemisphere to produce cones in about 6 million years. The arboretum contains

15252-488: Was opened in Portland, the predecessor of the 1912 namesake Steel Bridge that survives today. In 1889, Henry Pittock's wife, Georgiana, established the Portland Rose Society. The movement to make Portland a "Rose City" started as the city was preparing for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition . Portland's access to the Pacific Ocean via the Willamette and Columbia rivers, as well as its easy access to

15376-459: Was settled with a coin toss that Pettygrove won in a series of two out of three tosses, thereby providing Portland with its namesake. The coin used for this decision, now known as the Portland Penny , is on display in the headquarters of the Oregon Historical Society . At the time of its incorporation on February 8, 1851, Portland had over 800 inhabitants, a steam sawmill, a log cabin hotel, and

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