Portland metropolitan area

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Location of the Portland MSA

The Portland-Vancouver, Oregon-Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. In Oregon it includes Multnomah and most of Washington counties, and western parts of Clackamas County. The area extends across the Columbia River to include southern parts of Clark and Skamania counties in Washington state.

The Oregon portion of the metropolitan area is the state's largest urban center, with almost 2 million people and about 550 to 600 sq. mi. of urbanized land area, and the state's hub for trade, transportation, and business. Most is under the jurisdiction of Metro, a directly-elected regional government which, among other things, is responsible for land use planning in the region.

Before the recent redefinition of metropolitan boundaries, the Portland Consolidated Metropolitan Area included the Salem MSA^[1]. If still considered a part of the metropolitan area the population would be 2,516,971.

[edit] Cities and other communities

Major cities in the region in addition to Portland include Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro in Oregon, and Vancouver in Washington. The area also includes the smaller cities of Clackamas, Damascus, Gladstone, King City, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Sherwood, Tigard, Troutdale, Tualatin, West Linn, Wilsonville in Oregon, as well as Battle Ground, Camas, and Washougal in Washington.

It includes the unincorporated suburban communities in Oregon of Aloha, Beavercreek, Dunthorpe, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, and West Slope.

Categorized lists of cities, neighborhoods, and communities are also available:

[edit] Metropolitan statistical area

The Portland–Vancouver–Beaverton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 23rd largest in the United States,^{[citation needed]} has a population of 2,137,565 (2006 estimate).^{[citation needed]} It consists of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia and Yamhill counties in Oregon, as well as Clark and Skamania counties in Washington. The area includes Portland and the neighboring cities of Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Fairview, Wood Village, Troutdale, Tualatin, Tigard, Vancouver, Camas and Washougal.

[edit] Transportation

Portland is where Interstate 84 ends at Interstate 5, both major highways in the Pacific Northwest. Other primary roads include Interstate 205, an eastern bypass of the urban core, U.S. Route 26, which heads west and southeast, U.S. Route 30, which goes to the northwest, and Oregon Route 217, which connects US 26 with I-5 in the south, travelling through Beaverton. Both US 26 and US 30 go to the Oregon Coast. Also, Washington State Route 14 travels along the northern banks of the Columbia River from downtown Vancouver east to Camas and Washougal.