Tourist attractions near Portland, Oregon

Last updated February 03, 2025

The Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon has a variety of nearby tourist attractions which are suitable for a day trip from the Portland area, in addition to about 80 within the metropolitan area itself (see Tourism in Portland, Oregon).

Generally, there is no public transportation to these destinations, though exceptions are noted in descriptions. The communities have at most small airports serving only general aviation; scheduled airline service is available only to Portland and Eugene.

Driving distance		Travel hours (each way)	Direction	Type(s)	Attraction	Description
mi	km	Travel hours (each way)	Direction	Type(s)	Attraction	Description
9	14	0.25	N	historical	Fort Vancouver National Historic Site	Pre-pioneer exhibits, history, reenactments
79.3	128	1.5	W	cultural, nature	Cannon Beach	Small beach town with restaurants, shopping, and galleries as well as outdoor activities including Haystack Rock and Ecola State Park. The town hosts a Sandcastle Contest annually.
135	217	2.8	SW	nature	Oregon Coast Aquarium	Oceanic wildlife, flora, and fauna, intertidal, touching pond, kelps, jellies, etc.; adjacent to Hatfield Marine Science Center and close to Yaquina Head Light
62	100	1.5	E	nature, historical, sport	Timberline Lodge	skiing and snowboarding year round, 1930s Cascadian architecture, easy access to wilderness and mountain climbing
61	98	1.25	E	nature, historical	Hood River	professional and amateur windsurfing and kiteboarding on the river, also follow the "Fruit Loop" for a 20+ mile tour of over 30 farms and wineries
31	50	0.75	E	nature	Multnomah Falls	impressive waterfalls; Historic Columbia River Highway
109	175	2	NE	nature	Cascades Volcano Observatory	Mount St. Helens eruption history, exhibits, education, and convenient viewing of the volcano
37	60	1	SW	nature	Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
200	320	6	S	event	Hood to Coast relay race	Late August team charity fundraising race, among longest major relays and the largest with 20,000+ participants, 322 kilometres (200 mi) course from Timberline Lodge to Seaside on the Oregon Coast
17	27	0.5	E	event	Mt. Hood Jazz Festival	mid-August celebration of jazz music, usually with live notable performers
17	27	0.75	W	event	Oregon International Air Show	largest civilian air show on the U.S. West Coast, July or August
13	21	0.5	W	historical	Washington County Museum
15	24	0.4	W	nature	Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals
72	116	1.7	W	nature	Saddle Mountain State Natural Area	challenging five-mile (round trip) hike to scenic panorama of the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, and dozens of miles of state forests covering NW Oregon and SW Washington
69	111	1.75	SE	nature	Bagby Hot Springs	natural hot springs with rustic private tubs, requires a three-mile (2 km) (round trip) forest hike
60	97	1.5	E	nature	Trillium Lake	quiet mountain lake with view of Mount Hood, camping, fishing, and boating in summer, Nordic skiing in winter
44	71	1.0	E	nature	Wildwood Recreation Site	picnicking, hiking, guided nature in Mount Hood National Forest, view Salmon River
142	229	3	SE	nature	Smith Rock State Park	rugged scenery, rock climbing, hiking, picnicking
58	93	1.5	S	nature	Silver Falls State Park	zero to ten miles of hiking to see up to seven spectacular and varied waterfalls; Oregon Garden is on the way
87	140	2	SW	casino	Chinook Winds Casino	Oceanfront Native American casino with gambling, food, live entertainment; bus service available
25	40		N	casino	Ilani Casino Resort	Native American casino with gambling, food, live entertainment
62	100	1.5	SW	casino	Spirit Mountain Casino	Native American casino with gambling, food, live entertainment; bus service available
70	110	2.25	SW	culture	Sitka Center for Art and Ecology	artist/ecological colony; advance arrangements required; day workshops or multi-week residency obligation
102	164	2.5	SW	nature	Whale Watching Center	staffed state park facility assists visitors see and understand passing whales and other sea life; Depoe Bay also has whale-watching cruises
75	121	1.5	W	agriculture	Tillamook Cheese	self-guided cheese factory tour; restaurant
75	121	1.75	W	historical	Tillamook Air Museum	Private World War II aircraft collection housed in a WW II blimp hangar
79	127	1.5	W	cultural	Seaside	Small tourist-focused coastal city with the Seaside Aquarium, arcades, many motels and rental houses, a 1.5-mile promenade (sidewalk) along the seawall, Miss Oregon Pageant (early July)
97	156	2	W	cultural	Astoria	small historical city with the Astoria Column, Fisher Poets Gathering, Riverfront Trolley; close to Fort Stevens
285	459	5.5	S	nature	Crater Lake	One-of-a-kind natural feature, focus of Oregon's only National Park

Related Research Articles

Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the county seat of Multnomah County, Oregon's most populous county. As of 2020, Portland's population was 652,503, making it the 26th most populous city in the United States, the sixth most populous on the West Coast, and the third most populous in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle and Vancouver. Approximately 2.5 million people live in the Portland metropolitan area, making it the 25th most populous in the United States. About half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area.

Boring is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Route 212 in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range, approximately twelve miles (19 km) southeast of downtown Portland, and fourteen miles (23 km) northeast of Oregon City. A bedroom community, Boring is named after William Harrison Boring, a Union soldier and pioneer whose family built a farm in the area in 1856, before Oregon had received statehood.

The Portland metropolitan area is a metro area with its core in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington. It has 5 principal cities, the largest being Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identifies it as the Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro, OR–WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area used by the United States Census Bureau (USCB) and other entities. The OMB defines the area as comprising Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill Counties in Oregon, and Clark and Skamania Counties in Washington. The area had a population of 2,512,859 at the 2020 census, an increase of over 12% since 2010.

Metro is the regional government for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area, covering portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. It is the only directly elected regional government and metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Metro is responsible for overseeing the Portland region's solid waste system, general planning of land use and transportation, maintaining certain regional parks and natural areas, and operating the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland's Centers for the Arts, and the Portland Expo Center. It also distributes money from two voter-approved tax measures: one for homeless services and one for affordable housing.

The Port of Portland is the port district responsible for overseeing Portland International Airport, general aviation, and marine activities in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area in the United States. Originally established in 1891 by the 16th Oregon Legislative Assembly, the current incarnation was created by the 1970 legislature, combining the original Port with the Portland Commission of Public Docks, a city agency dating from 1910.

Oregon's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S state of Oregon. The district stretches from Portland's western suburbs and exurbs, to parts of the Oregon coast. The district includes the principal cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard, all located in the Portland metropolitan area. Geographically, the district is located in the northwest corner of Oregon. It includes all of Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties, most of Washington County excluding the extreme southeast, and a portion of southwest Multnomah County in Portland.

The Portland Expo Center, officially the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center, is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to TriMet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.

The U.S. State of Oregon currently has 24 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated four combined statistical areas, eight metropolitan statistical areas, and 12 micropolitan statistical areas in Oregon. As of 2023, the largest of these is the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA CSA, anchored by Oregon's largest city, Portland and including its capital, Salem.

The Tryon Creek State Natural Area is a state park located primarily in Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the only Oregon state park within a major metropolitan area. The 645-acre (261 ha) park lies between Boones Ferry Road and Terwilliger Boulevard in southwest Portland in Multnomah County and northern Lake Oswego in Clackamas County and is bisected from north to south by Tryon Creek. To the north, the park abuts the Lewis & Clark Law School campus.

Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is a public park and nature reserve between the Columbia Slough and the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon. At about 2,000 acres (810 ha), it is one of the largest urban freshwater wetlands in the United States. Metro, the regional government for the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area, manages the park. A covered shelter, restrooms, a paved walkway, and a canoe launch lie on the north side of the natural area.

Blue Lake Regional Park is a public park in Fairview, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The 101-acre (41 ha) park, near the south shore of the Columbia River in Multnomah County, includes many covered and uncovered picnic areas, playing fields for sports such as softball, a cross country course and infrastructure related to lake recreation including swimming, boating, and fishing. Encompassing wooded areas, three ponds, and a wetland in addition to the lake, the park is frequented by migrating birds and other wildlife. Paved paths run through the park, which is near the 40-Mile Loop hiking and biking trail. Park vegetation includes cottonwoods, willows, and other trees and shrubs as well as wetland plants such as cattails.

The Metropolitan Learning Center (MLC) is an alternative public school serving K–12 students in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Couch Park is a city park in Portland, Oregon, located at the intersection of Northwest 19th Avenue and Glisan Street. Named after merchant John H. Couch, the park was acquired in 1977.

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. The western boundary is formed by the Pacific Ocean.

Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center is a hospital in Gresham in the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1959, the 115-bed facility in the Portland metropolitan area is owned by the nonprofit Legacy Health. Originally a for-profit hospital, it moved to its current campus in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Portland, Oregon</span>

Southwest Portland is one of the sextants of Portland, Oregon.

Philadelphia's Steaks and Hoagies is a restaurant with multiple locations in the U.S. state of Oregon. There are two restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area and another in Sisters.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

Tourist attractions near Portland, Oregon

See also

Related Research Articles