Portland
United States · Country profile
Portland is the celebrated green city of the American Pacific Northwest, the creatively independent metropolis that spreads across the bridges and the banks of the two great rivers of the Willamette and the Columbia, beneath the sublime snow-lifted summit of the Mount Hood. Famous for its bridges, its beer, its food carts, its bookshops and its fiercely local, environmental and artistic culture, the capital of the state of Oregon is a medium-sized city with an oversized sense of identity, its downtown of the Victorian blocks, its surrounding historic districts, its enormous parks, its forested hills and its neighbourhoods of the bungalows and craft cafes running the easygoing life of the town. The Japanese and the rose gardens, the forest park, the riverfront and the markets and the districts of the food and the craft anchor the essential visits, while the coasts, the mountains and the wine valleys of the surrounding region lie within the golden hour of the city. Rainy, creative and proudly unconventional, Portland keeps the north-west dream alive.
About Portland
Portland is a city in United States. The city's documented population is around 652,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the US Dollar (USD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +1. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Portland International Airport.
The Bridges of the River and the Trails of the Willamette
Portland is a walkable, bridge-crossing city where the essential circuit moves between the downtown with its squares and its museums, the riverfront and the historic districts of the east, with the parks and the hills of the west running the green life. The markets of the town, the Saturday market of the waterfront with its crafts and its food carts, and the famous districts of the army of the food carts carry the celebrated culinary scene, and the gardens of the Japanese and the roses, the museum of the art and the international rose test garden anchor the cultural circuit. The forest park and the hills of the west, the bike and the walking paths of the river and the day trips of the mountain or the coast complete the green, easy, original rhythm of the northwest city.
The Carts of the Food and the Breweries of the Craft
The climate of the city is the mild, wet temperate of the Pacific slope, with the long, drizzly grey of the winter months, the brilliant, dry summers of the long sunlit evenings and the spectacular spring of the blossoms and the forests. The dollar is the currency and the English the language, with the fiercely local accent of the town part of the charm. The downtown, the gardens and the districts make the core circuit, and a car opens the mountain, the coast and the valleys of the region. A waterproof jacket and comfortable walking shoes are the definitive essentials of the rainy, walkable capital of the northwest.
The Gardens of the Roses and the Forest of the Hills
The bridges of the city, the celebrated series of the river spans that thread the road, the rail and the cycle lanes across the Willamette, from the vintage bridges of the hawthorne and the steel to the modern cable-stayed bridge of the transit, give Portland its distinctive silicon skyline of the crossings, and the riverfront walks and the boardwalk of the esplanade frame the classic views of the town. The food carts and the craft districts of the city, the enormous pods of the tiny kitchens and the breweries and the coffee roasters of the historic quarters, anchor the celebrated local food culture, and the rose test garden with its thousands of the varieties and the Japanese garden with its peaceful pavilions give the floral and the contemplative heart. The markets of the Saturday waterfront, the legendary bookshops of the town and the forest park of the great hills, the largest such city wilderness in the country, complete the essential, quirky, deeply green circuit of the independent spirit of the northwest.
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- Country
- United States
- Population
- 652,000
- Coordinates
- 45.5898, -122.5951
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +1
- Country code
- US
Entry requirements for United States
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting United States for tourism.
Getting to Portland
Airports we list for Portland:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in United States
Other cities we cover in United States:
Frequently asked questions
Is Portland the capital of United States?
No — the capital of United States is Washington, D.C..
What currency do I need in Portland?
The local currency is the US Dollar (USD). Languages spoken in United States include English.
What is the dialling code for United States?
The international dialling code for United States is +1.
Which airport should I fly into for Portland?
Portland International Airport (PDX) is the airport we list for Portland.
How far is Portland from the nearest airport?
Portland is about 208 km from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit United States?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Argentina (visa required), Japan (e-visa), Morocco (visa required), Singapore (e-visa) and South Korea (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Portland? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.