Portland ( / ˈ p ɔːr t l ə n d/, PORT-lənd) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the largest county in Oregon by population. As of 2020, Portland had a population of 652,503, making it the 26th-most populated city in the United States, the sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, after Seattle. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area (MSA), making it the 25th most populous in the United States. Named after Portland, Maine, the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1840s, near the end of the Oregon Trail.Ībout half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area. 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, Portland became noted for its growing progressive political values, earning it a reputation as a bastion of counter-culture. 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. 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. Large numbers of pioneer settlers began arriving in the Willamette Valley in the 1840s via the Oregon Trail, with many arriving in nearby Oregon City. Compare the weather today and the next four days in Bend, OR and Maple Valley, WA. A new settlement then emerged ten miles from the mouth of the Willamette River, roughly halfway between Oregon City and Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Vancouver. Driving distance and how to go from Bend, Oregon to Maple Valley. This community was initially referred to as "Stumptown" and "The Clearing" because of the many trees cut down to allow for its growth. In 1843 William Overton saw potential in the new settlement but lacked the funds to file an official land claim. For 25 cents, Overton agreed to share half of the 640-acre (2.6 km 2) site with Asa Lovejoy of Boston. In 1845, Overton sold his remaining half of the claim to Francis W.
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