Portland Vacation and Trip Information

Portland, “The City of Roses,” is the largest city in Oregon and the second largest city in the Pacific Northwest. It is one of the most beautiful urban areas in the world, with an exciting blend of historic and modern architecture. The scenery can’t be beat, with majestic views of Mount Hood and the Willamette River, stately Douglas Fir trees, roses everywhere and stunning seasonal colors. It’s also one of the greenest cities around, in terms of sustainable buildings and practices. Combine these elements with great art, waterfront festivals and a diverse population, and you have one very exciting city to visit.

Portland lies about 70 miles from the Pacific Coast on the northern border of Oregon, straddling the Willamette River just south of its confluence with the Columbia River at Vancouver, Washington. Mount Hood is about 50 miles to the east, and many recreation options are available in the surrounding wilderness.

Portland mixes big-city dynamics with small-town friendliness. Although Portland is now experiencing rapid growth, similar to Seattle, it has been able to retain its unique character. Art, culture, nature, music and beer (it’s the brewpub capital of the world, with at least 70 breweries in the surrounding city area)—all figure strongly into Portland’s eclectic and exciting personality.