Helvetia is located north of Highway 26, nestled in the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains. It's a short ride from Hillsboro or North Plains.

Helvetia is the Latin word for Switzerland and while the town was, indeed, founded by Swiss immigrants in the 1880s, many were relocating from the Midwest via the Oregon Trail. The name may have been inspired by former homes in Illinois or Wisconsin, instead.

As an unincorporated community, there aren't strict legal definitions of the city limits. I tend to treat everything along Helvetia Road, north of Phillips Road as the town.

That road is built along a ridge offering expansive views of Hillsboro to the south and farmland to the north. Depending on your cycling constitution, you will either find a trip through Helvetia to be the steepest climb you have ever completed or the merest of warm-ups before tackling Logie Trail on your way to Skyline.

Then, as now, Helvetia remains a small farming-focused community. The church built in 1899 at the top of the hill still offers services to this day. The nearby school is closed and gone. There was never enough population to support a post office or general store.

In 1911, the United Railways line was completed, offering passenger travel to Portland. The land immediately around the railroad depot saw a brief development boom. 

It didn't last. Passenger service was discontinued in 1923. Today, the aptly named Helvetia Station bakery and farm stand is all that remains of the train stop. The railroad remains an operational freight track. The low-clearance trestle over Helvetia Road occasionally causes problems.

But Helvetia never needed the railroad to thrive. The Tavern first opened its doors in 1946. Today, many locals have leveraged their status as an easy day-trip from Portland to convert their farms into agritourism destinations. From wineries and u-cut trees...

...To the television-famous Roloff Farm for pumpkins (though I'm partial to Grossen Peaches).