Portland

Portland is the seat of Multnomah County, on the Willamette River near its junction with the Columbia River. The city lies along Interstate 5on the Washington/Oregon border.

Founded in 1845, the city was named after Portland, ME. It has been nicknamed PDX after the three-letter IATA abbriviation for the Portland International Airport. Its growth was spurred after 1850 when it was a supply station for the California gold fields. The railroad's arrival in 1883, the 1897 Alaska gold rush and the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition fueled further growth.

Today Portland, population 529,121, has the personality of a small community, as seen in the many districts of Portland, and the activities of a large city. Those districts include The Pearl, Hawthorne Boulevard, and Nob Hill and Art on Alberta shopping districts.

Year-round activities are abundant. Known as the City of Roses, Portland contains many botanical gardens, including the International Rose Test Garden and The Japanese Garden in Washington Park, Berry Botanic Garden, and the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother or "The Grotto." Each year since 1907, the city has hosted the Portland Rose Festival as a celbration to that flower. Nearby Mount Hood provides recreation from skiing to hiking. The Willamette