The Largest City in Oregon Now and in 50 Years

The largest city in Oregon isn’t the state capital, but Portland is a city many people recognize as it’s home to many of the tallest buildings in Oregon. Just over 50 years ago, U.S. Census data in 1969 named Portland as the most populated city at 372,676 so little has changed.

Will Portland hold that honor in another 50 years, or is another city on track to take the top spot? Take a closer look at Oregon’s population growth and how things may look in 2073.

Portland Is the Largest Populated City in Oregon Today

With a population of 658,773, Portland is the largest city today, but the population declined by 0.9% between 2020 and 2022. Residents settle outside of the city in the Portland Metropolitan area. That area’s total population is 2,512,859, which is a sizeable portion considering Oregon’s total population was 4,237,256 at the last U.S. Census.

How Did Portland Become the Largest City?

The history of Portland is tragic and involved the forced eviction of over eight Native American tribes from 2.5 million acres using the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Settlers received free land through the Oregon Donation Land Act and claimed all of the acreage that became Portland, which was the final destination on the Oregon Trail.

The proximity to the ocean and the Willamette River made it an ideal port town for businesses like tourism, seafood, logging, manufacturing, and farming. With the flip of a coin, the name Portland won, and it became an official city in 1843.

Chinese and Japanese immigrants came to Portland in the 1880s to work in the farming, logging, and the railway industry, increasing the population. Vanport, a World War II shipyard built in 1942, further increased Portland’s population as it drew shipyard workers and their families. With the proximity to beaches, natural areas, public transportation, and business, Portland and its metropolitan areas continue to grow.

Attractions in Portland

Portland is a vibrant city that melds public transportation with pedestrian and bike-friendly infrastructure. Here are three attractions that Portland boasts.

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park features a memorial to the 1893 Battleship Oregon. Other park attractions include a Japanese American Historical Plaza and memorial garden, the Salmon Street Springs fountain, and the immensely popular Portland Saturday Market.

Since 1974, local vendors have sold their goods at the Portland Saturday Market. The regular event also offers live street concerts, food carts, and an art show.

Leach Botanical Garden

Leach Botanical Garden is a four-season botanical park in Southeast Portland. It spans 17 acres along Johnson Creek. Walking paths, including a 36-foot-high aerial tree walk, wind through the property. An abundance of wildlife calls the botanical garden home, including deer and foxes.

Oregon Zoo

Portland’s Oregon Zoo houses over 2,600 animals. Capacity is carefully monitored, therefore, the zoo requires tickets to be purchased in advance and visitors pick a time slot for their visit.

Within the zoo, animals live in replicas of their natural habitats, including Africa, Elephant Lands, the Great Northwest, the Discovery Zone, Pacific Shores, and the Primate Forest. Trains travel through the entire park if you’d like to see everything before or after you explore on foot.

The Five Cities in Oregon With the Highest Population Growth

The fastest-growing population in Oregon belongs to the tiny town of Prescott with a growth rate of 54.5%. However, that old mining town’s population goes up and down. Focusing on the 50 most populated cities currently, these five cities experience strong population growth year after year.

Lebanon (10.3%)

Lowes regional distribution center is in Lebanon, and it’s the city’s second-largest area employer with 700 workers. Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital is the largest with 790 employees. Industrial and manufacturing businesses are increasing, which plays a role in this city’s growth.

Another factor in the city’s growth is the Downtown Building Restoration Program. Goals are to restore the city’s historic Main Street buildings by 2040, which will revitalize businesses, shops, and restaurants in Lebanon.

Sandy (10.5%)

Sandy is a city within the Portland Metropolitan area and west of Mount Hood. Many of the area’s jobs are based in the tourism sector, catering to visitors of the Mount Hood Recreation Area. Sandy’s hotels and businesses provided respite to travelers on the final stretch of the Oregon Trail, and those historic buildings and businesses are part of Sandy’s Historical Walking Tour.

One of the reasons Sandy is growing is that the city established its own gigabit fiber optic internet services in 2007. Both businesses and residents enjoy high-speed internet without paying the high rates of popular internet providers.

Monmouth (12.1%)

Monmouth is a unique city with an innovative approach to population growth. The city encourages property owners to build accessory dwelling units. The city views it as a means to help older adults age in place and avoid having people living on the streets. Homeowners gain extra income and the accessory dwelling units boost their home value.

Located about 12 miles west of Salem, Monmouth is a small city taking up 2.24 square miles. Western Oregon University is one of the city’s largest employers.

Redmond (12.1%)

Redmond sits about 15 miles north of Bend, Oregon. With a lower cost of living, it’s been one of the fastest-growing cities for years. The Redmond Air Center, Consumer Cellular, and Eagle Crest Resort are the city’s major employers.

Happy Valley (14.9%)

Happy Valley became a city in 1965, and in that time, it’s grown from a rural community of less than 300 people to one with 36,122 residents. Residents enjoy working for the city’s major employers, such as the North Clackamas School District, but many residents work in Portland, which is just 6 miles away.

What Will the Largest City in Oregon be in 2050?

While those cities are growing quickly, one grows faster than the others. Happy Valley tops the list of fastest-growing cities in Oregon. It’s growing at a rate of 14.9%, reaching 36,122 in 2022. The population’s has skyrocketed since the 2000s when the population was 4,519. When you consider that the U.S. population grew at a rate of 0.4% between 2021 and 2022, Happy Valley’s 14.9% growth in that same time is impressive.

As Happy Valley is a suburb of Portland, it’s not surprising that it’s growing. People are moving as close as they can without living in the city. If you factor in a 14.9% growth rate for 50 years, the population could theoretically reach 26.4 million if no one also moves out in that time.

With a lot of undeveloped forests around Happy Valley, there’s a lot of future potential for careful expansion. Natural areas like the Clackamas Wild and Scenic River Scenic and Mount Tabor Park ensure Oregon wildlife isn’t disturbed, which remains an important aspect of this growth. Happy Valley’s future as the largest city in Oregon is a real possibility.