Portland (/ˈpɔːrtlənd/, PORT-lənd) is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County. It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. As of 2019, Portland had an estimated population of 654,741,[7] making it the 26th most populated city in the United States and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle.[9] Approximately 2.4 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area (MSA), making it the 25th most populous in the United States. Its combined statistical area (CSA) ranks 19th-largest with a population of around 3.2 million. Approximately 60% of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.[a]
Named after Portland, Maine,[10] the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1830s near the end of the Oregon Trail. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, a hub for organized crime and racketeering. After the city's economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II, its hard-edged reputation began to dissipate. Beginning in the 1960s,[11] Portland became noted for its growing progressive political values, earning it a reputation as a bastion of counterculture.[12]
The city operates with a commission-based government guided by a mayor and four commissioners as well as Metro, the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States.[13] The city government is notable for its land-use planning and investment in public transportation.[14] Portland is frequently recognized as one of the world's greenest cities to live and Portland was the first city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce CO2 emissions.[15] Its climate is marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and Portland has been called the "City of Roses" for over a century.[16]