Portland, Oregon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Portland, Oregon —  City  — City of Portland Portland's skyline. Flag Seal Nickname(s): "Rose City"; "Stumptown"; "PDX"; see Nicknames of Portland, Oregon for a complete list. Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Portland, Oregon Location in the United States Coordinates: 45°31′12″N 122°40′55″W / 45.52000°N 122.68194°W / 45.52000; -122.68194Coordinates: 45°31′12″N 122°40′55″W / 45.52000°N 122.68194°W / 45.52000; -122.68194 Country United States State Oregon Counties Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas Founded 1845 Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  • Type Commission  • Mayor Charlie Hales  • Commissioners Steve Novick Dan Saltzman Nick Fish Amanda Fritz  • Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade Area  • City 145.09 sq mi (375.78 km2)  • Land 133.43 sq mi (345.58 km2)  • Water 11.66 sq mi (30.20 km2) Elevation 50 ft Highest: 1,280 ft 7,306 NW Penridge RD 122.75335W 45.52683N Lowest: -1.20 ft Columbia River & Willamette River Low water 1/7/37 122.76289W 45.65096N ft (15.2 m) Population (2010)  • City 583,776  • Estimate (2012) 603,106  • Density 4,375.1/sq mi (1,689.2/km2)  • Metro 2,289,800  • Demonym Portlander Time zone PST (UTC-8)  • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7) ZIP codes 97086-97299 Area code(s) 503 and 971 FIPS code 41-59000 GNIS feature ID 1136645 Website www.portlandonline.com

Portland is a city located in the U.S. state of Oregon, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, estimated to have reached 587,865 in 2012 making it the 28th most populous city in the United States. Portland is Oregon's most populous city, and the third most populous city in the Pacific Northwest region, after Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Approximately 2,289,800 people live in the Portland metropolitan area (MSA), the 19th most populous MSA in the United States.

Portland was incorporated in 1851 near the end of the Oregon Trail and is the county seat of Multnomah County. The city has a commission-based government headed by a mayor and four other commissioners as well as Metro, a distinctive regional government. The city is noted for its superior land-use planning and investment in light rail. Because of its public transportation networks and efficient land-use planning, Portland has been referred to as one of the most environmentally friendly, or "green", cities in the world.

Located in the Marine west coast climate region, Portland has a climate marked by both warm, dry summers and wet, cool-to-chilly winter days. This climate is ideal for growing roses. For more than a century, Portland has been known as the "City of Roses", with many rose gardens – most prominently the International Rose Test Garden. The city is also known for its abundant outdoor activities, liberal political values, and beer and coffee enthusiasm. Portland is home to a collection of independent microbreweries, microdistilleries and food carts that contribute to the unofficial but widely utilized slogan "Keep Portland Weird".