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Portland was incorporated in 1851 and is the seat of Multnomah County.
The city and region are notable 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 marked by warm summers and rainy but temperate winters,
ideal for roses.
Portland
Oregon
Tip!
Dr. Marten's retail store, the only one in the country, is located in
Portland.
By Eddie Tobey
Portland is the biggest city in the state of Oregon. It is also
the county seat of Multnomah County. Situated in the Pacific Northwest,
Portland spans the Willamette River south of its convergence with the
Columbia River.
While most of the city lies in
Multnomah County, some parts of Portland fall within Clackamas and
Washington counties. The city has a population of 550,000.
Portland's climate is ideal for
the growing of roses, and it has many rose gardens. As a result,
Portland has earned the sobriquet of "Rose City" or "The City of Roses".
Other popular nicknames include ""Bridgetown"" (because of its several
bridges), "Stumptown", "Puddletown" (owing to the weather), and ""River
City"" (because of its closeness to the Columbia and Willamette Rivers).
Other modern nicknames for the city are "P-town", "PDX" and "Rip City."
Tip!
The International Rose Test Garden, located in Portland, is the oldest
rose test garden in the US.
In its formative years, Portland was in
the shadow of Oregon City, which was then the territorial capital.
However, its better locality gave it a distinct edge over Oregon and
other contending cities like Sellwood and Milwaukie. By 1850, the city
had about 800 citizens, a log cabin hotel, its own newspaper called the
Weekly Oregonian, and a steam sawmill.
Tip!
You can't pump your own gas in Portland, in Oregon in fact. It's
illegal.
For the greater part of the 19th
century, Portland was the key port in the Pacific Northwest. Like most
West Coast ports, Portland was prone to "shanghaiing". In other words,
men were drugged, kidnapped and forced to serve terms working on ships.
There were tunnels under city blocks that stretched for several blocks
from the Willamette River. These tunnels were built for perfectly valid
reasons, but soon became infamous because of their alleged use in such
acts. Today, tours of these tunnels are given.
Portland's climate is seasonal
and moderate. The rainfall averages about 35 to 42 inches annually.
Notwithstanding its positioning on the Marine West Coast climate region,
the city of Portland, surprisingly, shows many traits of a Mediterranean
climate. The city has relatively wet winters and dry, hot summers. The
summer months stretch from June to September; 80 percent of the annual
rainfall occurs between the months of November and April. Winter
temperatures can dip to 35°F (2°C), and summer averages about 80°F
(26°C). However, temperatures can get up to 100°F (38°C) when heat waves
take place. All said and done, the summers have copious sunshine and are
quite pleasant.
Portland Oregon
provides detailed information on Portland Oregon, Portland Oregon
Restaurants, Portland Oregon Hotels, Portland Oregon Real Estate and
more. Portland Oregon is affiliated with
Poland Tours.
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