| Neighborhood representation | |
| Association | Wilkes Community Group |
| Coalition | East Portland Neighborhood Office |
| Neighborhood geography | |
| Area | 7.28 km² (PDF map) |
| Location | Interactive map |
| Demographics (2000) | |
| Population | 7732 (density 1062/km²) |
| Households | 3317 (94% occupied) |
| Owned | 2539 (77%) |
| Rented | 778 (23%) |
| Size | 2.33 persons (average) |
Wilkes is the northeastern most neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, bordered on the north by the Columbia River and on the east by the city of Gresham. It adjoins the neighborhoods of Argay, Russell, and Hazelwood on the west, and Glenfair on the south. Interstate 84 runs through the middle of the neighborhood.
The Wilkes School property was donated by the Wilkes family. The Wilkes also settled Banks and Wilksboro in the Dairy Creek area. The Wilkes were the family that Dr McGloughlin sent Noble Ellis up to Mount Hood to rescue in the winter of 1847. Daniel Bruce Downard, a direct descendant and OSP boxing and wrestling commission inspector still lives in Milwaukie.
The first park established in the neighborhood was Wilkes Park. The land for the park was acquired in 1998 and the park was dedicated August 3 2004.[1] Since then, Portland Parks and Recreation and the City's Bureau of Environmental Services partnered to acquire 20 acres of land at the headwaters of Wilkes Creek in March 2011 to create a second park and natural preservation area.[2]